How to Manage Venue Logistics: 12 Tips for Smooth Event Execution

Sometimes, even the best-laid event plans can run off the rails if you don’t manage venue logistics properly. Thus, here we share 12 tips for social event venues in Vaughan to help your gathering run smoothly.

1. Set out your goals

Understanding what you hope to achieve ensures that everything runs smoothly at your event. You can identify your logistics needs and put them in place once you consider the following:

• The unique value proposition of your event to make it clear at every touch point.
• Your target audience to ensure that you meet their needs.
• The desired outcome, such as increasing sales, attracting new clients, brand awareness, raising funds for a cause, celebrating the achievements of an individual, etc.

2. Plan your events and activities

List all the entertainment occurring at your event to avoid clashes. For example, if you have several keynote speakers and only one stage, those presentations need to prevent overlaps, not just with the presentation, but with the preparation as well.

Activities are also important, as you want to ensure you have enough venue staff to set up each activity. This includes serving coffee and tea at 10 a.m. or moving AV equipment from one seminar room to another, for example.

3. Coordinate arrivals

You might think that you have everything well planned until the guests arrive. Consider the number of people attending and the space available to accommodate everyone arriving at once. Additionally, think of all the things happening as guests arrive, including:

• Registration
• Coffee or cocktail service
• Greeters welcoming guests
• Valet parking
• Coat checks

Considering the logistics of managing arrivals will avoid congestion, confusion, and frustration, and create a very positive first impression.

4. Deliveries

Chances are you have several different venue deliveries planned, which can lead to logistical issues. Coordinate the following to help things run smoothly:

• Schedule delivery times with vendors; even a time window can help ensure you’re prepared to receive the items.
• Consider the size of the things being delivered to ensure they will fit through the doors at the venue.
• Make sure you know where the venue receives deliveries so you can avoid confusion with drivers.
• Arrange to have someone from your team available for major deliveries.
• Ensure delivery dates are approved by the venue, as some won’t be able to store items that arrive a few days before your event.
• Have a checklist of items you are expecting and check them off as they arrive.
• Maintain a folder of all delivery paperwork with signed receipts and/or email confirmations to ensure what the vendor says was delivered was received.

5. Create helpful signage

The setup period for your event and the event itself will run far more smoothly when people understand where to go. Post signs in logical places that ensure vendors and team members know where to go when they arrive.

Make sure to also invest in professional signage to help guests find their way to:

• Activities
• Key areas like coat checks or registration tables
• Bathrooms
• Booths (maps are even more helpful)
• Meeting rooms for seminars and private sessions
• Dining/refreshment areas
• Phone-charging stations

In fact, whatever features people paid for and expect to find should have a sign.

6. Discuss vendor needs prior to the event

Make sure you understand the needs of every vendor you engage:

• What AV equipment do they need?
• What set-up requirements do they have?
• What delivery needs are involved (such as a special ramp)?
• How much space does the service or item they provide require?
• What is the necessary number of staff required either by their team or yours?
• What limitations do they have?

By discussing their needs up front, you can decide a) whether they are a good fit for your event and b) the arrangements needed to make it easy for them to provide their service or product.

7. Provide training

Whether you have your team, venue staff, or a mix of different parties working the event, you need to provide training. It’s essential that everyone interacting with your attendees has the same attitude to give a brand-relevant experience that is positive and consistent.

You can set the wrong tone if your team doesn’t understand what you expect of them. Share written instructions with everyone involved, and, ideally, hold a meeting with the entire team to ensure customer service is beyond reproach.

8. Hire the right vendors

Make sure you hire the top vendors for all the products and services needed for your event. Ask for referrals and read online reviews to confirm they have a stellar reputation. It takes just one bad vendor to ruin an entire event.

For example, if you’re serving food, meet with the catering company, taste their food, and interact with their servers. This will ensure they provide the quality food and service that your attendees deserve.

Another tip is to check vendor ratings on Indeed or Glassdoor to ensure they don’t have a bad employer reputation. Although this might seem irrelevant, a team of disgruntled servers is a surefire way to ruin the attendee experience.

9. Conduct inspections

If possible, conduct onsite inspections to experience the venue first-hand. For example, you might:

• Ask to pop in as a “fly on the wall” at an event to see how attendees respond.
• Try to park your car with the valet service to see how friendly the valets are.
• Have lunch at a restaurant if the event is being held there.
• Test your phone for WiFi to ensure you can use your browser and read and send emails.
• Consider how people with disabilities will enter the venue, access the bathrooms, and enjoy the space.
• See how staff receive you: are they friendly and helpful, or suspicious and rude?

10. Hold a logistics meeting

Meet with venue managers and vendors to ensure everyone is on the same page. Address possible challenges and find solutions to overcome potential obstacles. You can also:

• Choose a project management app and share access so everyone can keep track of their deliverables, ask questions, and check off completed tasks.
• Send out reminders when key tasks or deadlines are due.
• Create an event flow map to make sure there aren’t any paths blocked, difficult-to-find booths, obstacles for stages, etc.

11. Schedule a run-through

The day before the event, set up a run-through with the event coordinator to ensure everything is ready and everyone knows what to do. Then, the day of the event, use a checklist to finalize execution, including confirming:

• AV equipment is connected, working, and in the right areas.
• Presentations such as power points are all in order and working.
• Presenters have a designated, private area to prepare and find quiet time.
• Water is available for presenters.
• Seating is set up to optimize sight lines for presentations.
• Nothing is creating a tripping hazard (like wires).

12. Assign a troubleshooter for the day

Last but not least, on the event day, have someone in charge of troubleshooting. Ensure that all staff and vendors have their contact information so issues are easier to resolve.

Although all events have glitches, you can minimize the problems using these venue logistics tips.

If you are looking for a social event venue in Vaughan, Château Le Jardin offers a team of event specialists to ensure everything runs smoothly. Click here for more information or contact us online to book a consultation.