Wanting to impress with a carefully chosen venue?

To pull off a brilliant event, several factors need to come together in perfect harmony; you need a good guest-list, a draw for your invitees, high quality catering, a theme and a schedule, but top of the list for any successful event is a really great venue; it can be sink or swim for your event so make sure it’s interesting and cool, while still remaining fit for purpose.

A venue that is too small will soon have attendees feeling uncomfortably packed in, while one that’s oversized could make the event feel awkward and under attended. If you’re serving food, then a kitchen that’s up to the job is an absolute must, and space to set out tables as well as a less formal area for mingling.

If your event is featuring some kind of live corporate entertainment, be it music, comedy or an awards ceremony, the facilities must be in place to make sure that all runs smoothly. A stage or area for the action to take place is key, but you’ll also probably need some kind of audio and visual equipment, the ability to set it up and someone to run the show.

All in all it’s a complicated business; here are our top tips for successful corporate events.

Quirky is cool

An event with a cool setting has an immediate edge over competitors, and the more unusual the better – whether you opt for an old cinema, the galleries of a museum or a quirky cafe or diner as the setting for your shindig.

It’s really crucial, however, to pick a venue with the infrastructure to support what you’re trying to pull off. A quirky independent restaurant might seem like a brilliant idea on first thoughts, but if it doesn’t often host events then you might find yourself in a sticky situation.

Anywhere that regularly hosts events should be able to help you out – even if your particular event is different from the venue’s normal fare (private parties and weddings, for instance) the organisation and most of the equipment you need to pull off your event without a hitch should be in place already.

Location, location, location

wherever you’re based, being easily accessible will make people much more likely to come. If it’s a work event, then bear in mind that keeping it close to your workplace should ensure it’s a reasonable distance for all of your colleagues to travel.

When there’s alcohol involved, lots of guests won’t want to drive so they can have more than a small glass of wine, but if your event is out in the sticks and late-night taxis become an issue, you could find people don’t see the incentive to attend.

Instead, try to opt for somewhere with ample parking, good access to mini-cabs and easy public transport availability, so that no-one is put off by the inconvenience of getting home at the end of the evening.

If it comes to a tossup between a less spectacular venue or an inconvenient location, the location should always trump the aesthetic value of your venue; it’s easy to make a venue look nicer than it is with some good dressing, but it’s impossible to transplant it into a more convenient location for the people you’re inviting.

Time your venue

Of course, not all events take place in the evening and they don’t all need to be indoors – there are plenty of ways to think outside of the box when it comes to your event venue. Opt for an early evening, outdoor drinks party in the summer – just make sure there’s a plan B available in case of the great British summertime rearing its ugly head.

For events taking place during the day, you’ll probably want to think about less luxurious and stuffy options and venues that are more light and airy. While people are happy in a stately home in their posh frocks at night, the shine could wear off during the day; instead try to book a modern hotel meeting room or hire out a cafe or restaurant for the day.

Corporate entertainment London

It’s not all about the venue and we’ve got some great corporate entertainment ideas to provide a real draw to your event. MN2S is an entertainment agency based in London specialising in comedians, sports stars, actors, musicians and more, who are perfect for adding a little bit of sparkle to your corporate events.