If you’re organising an event, you’ll no doubt be looking for a venue that’s a little out of the ordinary. The UK is awash with extraordinary and quirky spaces making fantastic backdrops to all kinds of different events, from smaller intimate parties to large-scale corporate events for thousands.
The right venue can elevate an event from run-of-the-mill to an experience that delegates will remember forever. Event organisers often aim to switch up the pace and find venues that will really stand out from the crowd. With so many venues out there, each one claiming a different USP to the rest, what is it that makes a venue truly unique?
Looking Good
The appearance of a venue is vital to the delegate experience – it is the first impression that attendees will get of the event. Arriving at a venue which has some flair sets a far different tone for the event than arriving at a regular conference centre. A unique appearance also gives delegates something to talk about as an icebreaker. Many conference delegates will spend a lot of time in meeting rooms and exhibition halls that all look the same, so any visual change of pace will be a welcome one.
Adapting to Survive
A venue that can truly adapt itself to your event is a rare find. Paul Sparks, Director of Sales and Marketing at Newark Showground, said: “The versatility of our venue is what makes us different. We don’t offer a hotel experience or a standard conferencing experience but will flex to the customer’s requirements. Most venues require you to work within their confines. What we do which makes us unique is we ask our clients to tell us about their event and then we work our infrastructure around that.” This flexibility allows event organisers to have control over the particulars of an event and improves delegate experience.
Adding Excitement
Many unique venues are often centred around specialist activities which set them apart from the crowd as destinations in their own right. Conference facilities which also offer activities for teambuilding purposes abound, think distillery, surfing or even cooking. Having a stress-relieving activity is a great way to ensure that your event doesn’t feel monotonous and will have attendees thinking fondly of it far in the future.
We list the hottest new venues across the region and unique venues in Leeds in our latest magazine:
https://www.hospitalityandeventsnorth.com/issues/octnov2021