venue-consideration-checklist.markdown

Venue Considerations Checklist

• Facility
  • Security/Maintenence
    • Will venue provide staff person(s) day of event for coordination?
    • Who is contact point in case of problems
  • Room(s)
    • Number of individual meeting spaces
    • Capacity of each
    • Relative arrangement of rooms (are they close to each other)
    • Outdoor/shared space to facilitate hallway track
    • Rules regarding individual food and drink; i.e., can folks bring coffee into a presentation
    • Seating
      • arrangement (tables vs desks vs pews)
      • customizability
  • Accessbility for mobility imparied
  • Prep room for presenters?
  • Quiet room for attendees?
  • Private room(s) for things like nursing, taking phone calls, etc?
  • Restrooms
    • Restroom capacity
    • Gender distribution
    • Family restrooms?
    • Systems
      • number of accessible plugs in each room
      • Audio/Video capabilities
        • Built in?
        • Who provides?
        • Who supports?
        • Screens?
        • Mics?
        • Mixers/PA?
        • Recording capabilities?
        • Projectors and Screens
          • Adapters for laptops?
          • Audio patch cables?
      • Wifi?
        • Network type? a/b/g/n?
        • Uplink type? DSL? Cable? Fiber?
        • Number of access points?
        • Who supports?
        • Can it be expanded/reinforced for tech event?
  • Setup & Teardown
    • Who does it?
    • Who cleans?
    • When do we get access to facility (day of event)?
    • Can we get into venue the day/evening before for setup?
    • When are we required to be out of the facility?
  • Garbage & Rececyling
    • How many receptacles for each?
    • Who empties? When?
  • Greeting space
    • Place to setup booth for registration?
    • Place to store badges, swag bags, tshirts, and similar?
    • Do we have to cover multiple entrances?
    • Can we hang signage in and around the facility?
  • Sponsors
    • Place for sponsor booths?
      • How many?
      • How big?
      • Where, in relation to presentations and events?
    • Able to hang banners?
      • Where?
      • How many?
      • What sizes?
      • Does facility provide hanging hardware?
  • Catering
    • What are the rules for providing meals?
    • Preferred/required providers?
    • Place to setup/serve food?
    • Place for attendees to eat?
• Neighborhood
  • Walk score
  • Relative safety (street lighting, sidewalks)
  • Public Transportation
    • Types (bus, ferry, light rail, etc)
    • Cost
    • Hours of access
  • Access to amenities
    • Housing/Hotels?
    • Restaurants?
    • Parking?
    • Event space for conf-sponsored and ad hoc gatherings?
  • Does it show off Seattle?