What to check on a venue site visit
You have a venue shortlist and a visit date, and want evidence rather than impressions.
The short answer
A site inspection is a dated visit. You check each requirement from your brief against what you can see, measure or photograph, and turn every claim you cannot see into a written question for the venue.
Prepare the checklist from your requirements before you go and take two people. Write up the result within a day, while the visit is fresh.
Prepare before you walk in
Start from your venue requirements matrix, not from the venue's brochure. Each mandatory requirement becomes a line on the checklist with a blank evidence column.
Ask the venue beforehand for the names of the sales contact and the operations contact, the rooms you will see, and access to the back-of-house and loading areas. A visit that only shows the ballroom answers half the questions.
What to inspect by area
| Area | Look at | Evidence to keep |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival and entrance | How delegates find the entrance, signage, drop-off point, registration space. | Photos from the approach route, notes on where a desk and queue would sit. |
| Main room | Shape, pillars, ceiling height, screen positions, sightlines from the back, stage access. | Photos from stage and from the rear, a sketch with your own measurements. |
| Breakout and meeting rooms | Distance from the main room, doors between rooms, sound between rooms. | Photos, notes on which rooms share walls or partitions. |
| Catering and refreshment space | Where food is served, queue flow, power and water points, kitchen access. | Photos, the caterer's name and whether outside caterers are allowed. |
| Facilities | Toilets, prayer space, quiet room, lifts, step-free routes. | Photos, and a note to confirm each item in writing. See accessibility inspection. |
| Back of house | Loading entrance, route to the room, storage, waste handling. | Photos of the route and a note of who controls access. |
| Technical | Power points, lighting control, internet access points, house AV. | Photos of panels and ports, and a list of questions for the venue's technician. |
Separate what you saw from what you were told
Use two evidence columns: Seen and Told. A capacity figure, a fire rating or an internet speed is almost always Told. It stays unconfirmed until the venue states it in writing. Capacity and fire matters belong to the venue and the relevant authority, not to you.
Record who said it and when. A remark from a sales executive during a tour is a lead for a written question, not a fact for your brief.
After the visit
- Within a day, complete the evidence log with photos filed against each line. The site-visit evidence log gives a ready structure.
- Send the venue one email listing every Told item as a written question, with a reply date.
- Mark each requirement as met, not met, or unconfirmed, and keep unconfirmed visible in your shortlist.
- Share the log with the other decision owners before the shortlist is discussed.
Worked example · Fictional example
Two visits in one afternoon
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
Persatuan Fiktif Juruaudit plans a one-day member conference for about 200 delegates. The secretariat head and the treasurer visit two venues on the same afternoon using one checklist.
At the first venue the main room suits the programme, but the loading route runs through a public corridor and the prayer space is described as nearby without being shown. At the second, everything is seen and photographed, but the internet question is answered only verbally. Both venues receive a written list of open items. Neither is ranked until the replies arrive.
Use this yourself
Venue site inspection checklist
Copy this into your notes. For each line write Seen, Told or Not checked, and keep a photo reference.
- Venue, date and time of visit, who attended, who hosted:
- Requirements from the brief checked against the visit (one line each):
- Arrival route and entrance: seen / told:
- Main room: shape, pillars, sightlines, stage access:
- Breakout rooms: distance, shared walls, doors:
- Catering area and kitchen access:
- Toilets, prayer space, lifts, step-free route:
- Loading route and back-of-house access:
- Power points and internet access points seen:
- Neighbouring activity noticed during the visit:
- Told items turned into written questions, with reply date:
- Requirements marked met / not met / unconfirmed:
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- You have a clear requirements list and one or two venues to see.
- Two people from your team can attend and file the notes the same day.
- The event is a format you have run before.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Several venues need comparing on the same method within a short window.
- Nobody on the team has inspected a venue for a professional programme before.
- Findings must be presentable to a committee or procurement as comparable evidence.
Want the inspection method set up for your event?
An Event Blueprint can turn your requirements into an inspection checklist, an evidence log and a list of written confirmations to request from each venue. A project lead can also attend visits with you and consolidate findings. Your committee chooses the venue. Share your brief on WhatsApp and we will reply with which level of support fits and what it would cover.
Questions organisers ask
How many people should attend a site visit?
Two is practical: one leads the conversation and one records and photographs. Add the person who owns accessibility or operations if the event has special needs.
Can I inspect a venue without telling it I am comparing?
Tell the venue you are comparing options. You will get access to operations staff and back-of-house areas more easily, and the written follow-up becomes a normal request.
Should I visit when the room is set up for another event?
It helps to see a live setting, but ask to see the room empty or in the layout you need as well. A set room can hide pillars, power points and the true shape of the space.
Related resources
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