Why Is It Better to Host at A Venue Than Your Home?
You might've seen some articles with tips on how to hold certain events with a paragraph dedicated to tell you where to hold them, and they almost always tell you to get an event venue, why is that? Venues have a lot to offer compared to your average home. This article will highlight those points
Capacity Capability
This kind of depends on your venue, but usually event venues will hold more people than an average house. This is unsurprising because, well, they were designed for that. A large capacity isn't just so that there are a lot of people at the venue, but rather so that people can move around naturally and comfortably. People can enjoy the parties/events that take place when they aren't being squished as they try to move through your hallways.
Convenience
Try to get a venue that would be convenient for you and guests to attend. If your target audience lives mainly downtown Toronto, you don't want to get a venue in Scarborough or Hamilton. Get a venue that is in a convenient place for your guests, and if it's near some sort of public transportation, that's even better as it makes it much more accessible. Try to get a venue that is accessible too, with wheelchair access and elevators for those who need it.
Equipment to Use
Some locations do have a lot of equipment at your disposal. This is something that you should be considering when renting out a space. This equipment includes stuff like speakers, lights, fans and so on. Of course, that depends on the space you rent but usually they have things you wouldn't have at home.
Food and Drinks
Ensuring that the guests are happy is not an easy job. But one way to really increase your chances of doing that is to make sure you have good food and drinks. You can prepare the food for the event yourself and bring it over on the day of, as this is a more budget friendly approach. Or if you are able to, get a caterer. The caterers will take care of all the food needs. If you have any special requests for the caterer please let them know at least one week in advance or whenever they say would be best. As for drinks, getting a bartender would be ideal as they can mix and make the drinks as a professional, but if you think you can serve the drinks responsibly and you need to save some money, then go ahead and do that. With the drinks you also want to make sure that there are some non-alcoholic drinks for the halal, kosher and non-alcoholic guests
Services
When you have a venue to work with you can hire people to work at those venues. Some venues do come with some of those services included, but even if they don't, you can hire a third party person like: bartenders, caterers, entertainers etc. people you wouldn't normally be able to bring to your house.
Parking
Parking is a very important thing to keep in mind, especially if you are inviting a lot of people. Some venues do come with parking space included, and if that's the case then that's great. But in a lot of cases parking is not readily available. When that happens you can do a few things:
Find out about nearby neighborhoods with parking lots you can reserve, or just public parking spots you can direct your guests towards
Try to get a deal with some uber/lyft drivers to give your guests a coupon for a ride
Give out public transportation tickets to those who use it.
Atmosphere
While your home may be a lovely place, is it the right place for a full on event? Here are a few things to think about when you are thinking about hosting in your home. A clean environment is obviously important, but how does it make you feel? Is it confined and cold or light and airy? What will your attendees think when they arrive at the venue? Is the setting welcoming and cozy for visitors taking a break in between sessions or going outside to catch some fresh air? Is the venue's staff welcoming, cordial, and supportive? The first impression from your guests is super important as it's something that sets the tone for any and all future events they might want to attend. As long as they are comfortable and they have fun in your space, they are sure to come back. Which is why hosting at a venue is better than your home. Because you won't have to clean for 5-6 hours straight to make sure your house is in tip-top shape, and the fact that venues will be a much more consistent experience.
Conclusion
There are many pros to renting an event venue over just holding an event at your house, especially for bigger, more demanding events. If it's a birthday party for a young family member, then go ahead and hold a party at your house. But a bigger event like a wedding reception for example, requires a more special venue.
