This is how to source special venues for your luxury events

This how-to is courtesy of the team at Lime Venue Portfolio in the UK, who curate the largest collection of unusual, sporting, and cultural venues in the UK and Ireland. 

We invited them to share their thoughts on the best ways to source high-end venues, and here are the tips Richard Kadri-Langford from their team shared. Enjoy!

‍Venue choice is important. It’s official. Yes, the guests come for the content, for the visual and the spectacle, and they come out of respect for the event itself. But it really does (still!) matter which venue you choose when hosting your event.

Much of the events scene has grown in sophistication and quality, but we may feel stuck looking at the same old event venues every time. Even though we can pretty much deliver Michelin Star food for large visitor numbers, either on a bowl or plate; even though we can create immersive worlds that surprise and delight guests; and though we can polish the experience with the slickest event tech, virtual or augmented, near-field or far; we're still too often looking at the same white wall event spaces, hotels or purpose-built conference centres.

It’s crucial to know the great event venue choices out there that may be off the beaten track and a little hard to find. So where do we find them, and how do we choose the right venue for our event? Here’s what to remember to find a genuinely special backdrop to a splendid occasion.

Not every great venue is a 'venue'...

Every building could be a potential venue for your event. Just because it isn’t marked ‘events venue’ doesn’t mean that it isn’t one. Make sure you look deeper; many museums, galleries, leisure, or even sporting attractions can and will host your event if you inquire with them directly.

...but not every potential building is a venue!

Once you have found the building you want as your venue, start to interrogate. Many, although not their primary business activity, will have sophisticated events businesses and professionals working within them. These are the ones you want to work with, because they have good practices and procedures for events already in place.

Stay away from others that may catch you by surprise by not being prepared at all to host a quality event. It may be a great venue in theory, but it should offer you the very best service in practice as well.

Remember the basics

All venue choices are built around price, accessibility, and location. So, as with any other venue, use these parameters to find the right special venue for your event. You’ll host the event in the place where you want to take your guest and where they will come to you, so it needs to be easily accessible and provide parking and transport if necessary.

And of course, the price needs to be right - there's more than just the venue to budget for after all. After you've narrowed down your options using these factors, look deeper and consider the more unique and unusual options left on your list.

Food should be glorious

The fact that your venue may not be a purpose-built events venue should not be an excuse for serving up poor food. More and more, we’re finding excellent event services and quality within unusual venues.

You can get the best food and the best service if you’re in a castle, a stadium, or a museum – in fact, given the grandeur of the surroundings, make sure that your special venue of choice can offer the very best.

Keep up excellent standards

Again, just because you’re in a slightly different venue from the usual fare, it doesn’t mean you should have less than excellent customer service. The moment a building wants to be an events venue it should understand the wants and needs of an event organiser. If it doesn’t, it’s better you know now, and look elsewhere.

Ask lots of questions with your contact at the potential venue, and run down a list of a few possible scenarios and needs. If you're not happy with the answers, or they seem surprised by your requests, think carefully if they seem equipped to handle your event on the big day.

Related: What you need to know when planning a luxury event

Make a statement with your surroundings

Your event comes first, and your venue should support the aims and ambitions you have for it, so pick a venue that complements the event. If you’re launching an artistic new product range, look for contemporary galleries or museums. If you’re organising an auction or charity event, think about inspiring settings at big landmarks such as Rugby or Cricket stadia.

Always build anticipation

Reward your guests with your venue choice, and remind them why they are there. Hosting an event in a special building will allow your guests the chance to visit them, often for the first time. Special venues are often spectacularly visual backdrops for your events too, and guests will have ample opportunities to snap pictures and create great memories.

Use this to build anticipation ahead of the occasion, and give them one more reason to come along. The luxury events market is one of the most visual and eye catching sectors of the events industry and is a reason why more and more people want to be event professionals. We have an obligation to make these events challenging, spectacular, and memorable.

These are the places where we see new products, innovation, design, culture and glamour; these are the places that elevate an audience into a new world that is immersive and beautiful. Venue choice isn’t the ‘be all and end all’ of the event, but the right venue can be a powerful ally to ambitious and creative event professionals.

There is an abundance of choice out there, and many offer the same service, quality and understanding that can be expected of more conventional venues. Event professionals are often defined by their bravery to do something different. So, when you’re looking for a venue, think unusual and unique - it’s a great place to start.

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‍Richard Kadri-Langford is Head of Marketing at Lime Venue Portfolio, the UK’s largest group of unique and unusual venues, from sporting to cultural. Richard has worked with major venues for over ten years, and is a regular speaker and commentator on creating great experiences within them.