If you’re planning a conference or other professional event, you might feel overwhelmed by details. From choosing food to planning speakers, there are many considerations to be made. Perhaps the most important detail is choosing the right venue for your event, but when should you actually schedule your conference? If you schedule too far in advance, it’s possible that there could be a dramatic change in logistics that your venue may not be able to accommodate. If you wait too long, the chance increases that you’ll have a hard time booking a venue for the dates you need.
Some event planners swear by booking meeting spaces up to a year in advance, but this has the potential to pose a few problems. First, your event could change drastically. You could find that the venue you booked is unable to seat all your guests if your crowd grows unexpectedly. In addition, you could find that your event length changes, which may not fit into your venue’s schedule. It’s best to wait a bit longer before booking for most events. However, there are a few instances in which you should seriously consider booking a year out. If your event is already scheduled to last more than a day, or if you’ll need to buy out the whole venue for a large event, it makes sense to consider booking farther in advance to ensure your venue is available and has time to prepare.
Sometimes event plans change at the last minute, and you might need to book a space that you hadn’t planned for. Booking a venue one month out is typically considered last minute. You’ll have a much more difficult time booking the best venues for your choice of dates. If you are able to locate a great venue for the date you want, planning can feel quite rushed, and any otherwise minor issues that arise can become urgent quickly, and your venue may not be able to accommodate changes at such a late point in the process.
Three to four months out is a great point at which to book your conference or event, and it makes sense for several reasons. Competition for specific dates will be much lower a few months in advance, and it will be far easier to choose a venue with an accurate prediction of logistics like number of guests that you may not have farther in advance. If something does change, the extra time makes it easier to adjust plans, both on your end and for the venue.
Choosing to wait until three to four months in advance of your anticipated event date makes it easier to find the perfect venue for your event with plenty of time to make necessary adjustments. If your event is large or complex, it makes sense to book farther in advance, but for most small to medium sized conferences, a few months can provide the perfect amount of time to make sure your event goes smoothly according to plan.
If you have questions about the timing or process of planning your, contact us today! Our dedicated event planners will walk you through each step, and our all-inclusive packages handle the details from catering to A/V support. Let us help you plan your perfect conference.
