Event venue inspection checklist builder
A venue has been shortlisted and the committee wants to know what has actually been confirmed before anyone signs.
…
The short answer
The builder turns your venue requirements into a site-inspection checklist. For each requirement you record what the venue has said, if anything, and the evidence you hold: a written confirmation, a venue document or something seen on a visit.
Every requirement starts as unanswered. A venue's say-so is recorded as stated, and only an evidence type with a reference moves it to evidenced. Capacity and access always need evidence for your layout and your attendees, and the tool never says a venue meets a requirement.
What to enter
- Requirements from your own brief, one per row: the room for your layout, the route attendees will use, the internet and AV you need, catering rules and anything else that matters.
- An area for each (capacity, layout, access, technical, catering, other) and a tick for must-haves.
- What the venue has stated, only if it has been asked and has answered. Leave it blank otherwise.
- An evidence type and a reference: a written confirmation with its date, a venue document or floor plan with its version, or a note from a site visit.
How each requirement is classed
Unanswered means nothing is known yet. Stated means the venue has said something, or you hold an evidence type with no reference, so it is not yet usable as evidence. Evidenced means a type and a reference are recorded.
Evidenced does not mean the requirement is satisfied. You judge that, with the venue and any specialist you appoint. The result shows a question to put to the venue for every requirement that is not yet evidenced.
Why capacity and access are treated strictly
A capacity figure depends on the layout, the room and the rules that apply to your event, so a number quoted in general is not evidence for your plan. Access depends on the actual route, doors and lifts open to attendees on the day.
These two areas are listed as needing evidence until a type and a reference are recorded, even when the venue has given an answer. Use the venue capacity confirmation and venue site-visit evidence log to hold what you collect.
Questions for areas you have not listed
If you have not listed a requirement in capacity, layout, access, technical or catering, the tool adds generic questions for that area. They are prompts to ask, not facts about any venue.
Limits
The tool does not know any venue's capacities, rules, prices or distances, and it does not rank or recommend venues. It organises what you ask and what you can prove. For the wider inspection routine, see the venue site inspection checklist.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional venue
Fictional venue and requirements, to show how the statuses work.
A fictional committee lists five requirements for Venue A. The venue has said the plenary room is suitable but has given nothing in writing, nothing has been asked about the step-free route, and the venue has confirmed a wired internet line by email.
The result shows two unanswered, two stated and one with evidence recorded. Both capacity and access are flagged as needing evidence, and three must-haves are not yet evidenced.
| Requirement | What the venue has said | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Plenary room for the full audience in our layout | Said to be suitable | Stated, not yet evidenced (capacity) |
| Step-free route from drop-off to the plenary room | Not asked | UNANSWERED (access) |
| Dedicated internet line | Wired line offered | Evidence recorded: venue email with date |
| Breakout rooms in theatre and classroom set-ups | Said to be possible | Stated: seen on visit, no reference |
Use this yourself
Venue inspection checklist
Complete one row per requirement before the visit, then fill in the last two columns during and after it.
| Requirement | Area | Must have (yes or no) | What the venue has stated | Evidence type and reference | Question still to ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity for our layout, per room, with the plan it applies to | Capacity | ||||
| Route attendees will use, checked on the visit | Access |
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- One shortlisted venue, a short list of requirements and a committee member who can visit.
- The venue answers promptly and puts its answers in writing.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Several venues are in play and each answers in a different format and at a different pace.
- Requirements keep changing as the programme firms up and someone must keep the evidence file current.
- The venue decision is close and the committee needs one coordinated picture of what is confirmed and what is not.
Need the venue inspection coordinated?
An outsourced conference project lead can run the requirements list with your committee, put the questions to each venue, collect the evidence and report what is still open before a decision is made. Which venue to book and what to sign remain with you.
Questions organisers ask
Does the tool tell me whether a venue is suitable?
No. It records what the venue has said and what evidence you hold. Whether a requirement is satisfied is your judgement, made with the venue and any specialist you appoint.
What counts as evidence?
A written confirmation, a venue document or plan, or something you saw on a site visit, each with a reference such as a date or a document version.
Why is a venue's answer on capacity not enough?
Capacity depends on the layout and the rules for your event. Ask for the figure for your layout, in writing, with the plan it applies to.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.