venue-consideration-checklist.markdown

Venue Considerations Checklist

• Facility
  • Security/Maintenence
    • Will venue provide staff person(s) day of event for coordination?
    • Who is contact in case of problems?
  • Room(s)
    • Number of individual meeting spaces
    • Capacity of each
    • Relative arrangement of rooms (are they close to each other)
    • Outdoor/shared space to facilitate hallway track
    • Rules regarding individual food and drink; i.e., can folks bring coffee into a presentation
    • Prep room for presenters?
    • Quiet room for attendees?
    • Private room(s) for nursing, taking phone calls, etc?
    • Seating
      • arrangement (tables vs desks vs pews)
      • customizability
  • Accessbility Concerns
    • necessary stairs?
    • elevators?
    • wheelchair entry & seating?
  • Restrooms
    • Restroom capacity?
    • Gender distribution?
    • Can we provide/convert to all gender restrooms?
    • Family restrooms?
  • Systems
    • number of accessible outlets in each room
    • Audio/Video capabilities
      • Built in?
      • Who provides?
      • Who supports?
      • Screens?
      • Mics?
      • Mixers/PA?
      • Recording capabilities?
      • Projectors and Screens
        • Adapters for laptops?
        • Audio patch cables?
      • Wifi?
        • Network type? a/b/g/n?
        • Uplink type? DSL? Cable? Fiber?
        • Number of access points?
        • Who supports?
        • Can it be expanded/reinforced for tech event?
  • Setup & Teardown
    • Who does it?
    • Who cleans?
    • When do we get access to facility (day of event)?
    • Can we get into venue the day/evening before for setup?
    • When are we required to be out of the facility?
  • Garbage & Recycling
    • How many receptacles for each?
    • Who empties? When?
  • Greeting space
    • Place for registration booth/tables?
    • Place to store badges, swag bags, tshirts, and similar?
    • Do we have to cover multiple entrances?
    • Can we hang signage in and around the facility?
  • Sponsors
    • Place for sponsor booths?
      • How many?
      • How big?
      • Where, in relation to presentations and events?
    • Able to hang banners?
      • Where?
      • How many?
      • What sizes?
      • Does facility provide hanging hardware?
  • Catering
    • What are the rules for providing meals?
    • Preferred/required providers?
    • Place to setup/serve food?
    • Place for attendees to eat?
• Neighborhood
  • Walk score
  • Relative safety (street lighting, sidewalks)
  • Public Transportation
    • Types (bus, ferry, light rail, etc)
    • Cost
    • Hours of access
  • Access to amenities
    • Housing/Hotels?
    • Restaurants?
    • Parking?
    • Event space for conf-sponsored and ad hoc gatherings?
  • Does it show off what we love about Seattle?