Venue selection and inspection
How to review transport access to an event venue
The venue looks right on paper, but nobody on the committee has yet checked how delegates will actually get there.
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The short answer
A transport-access review lists every group that must arrive (delegates, speakers, VIPs, suppliers, staff), names the way each is likely to travel, and records what you have verified by making the journey versus what you still need the venue to state in writing.
Do not quote journey times, distances or service frequencies from memory or from a brochure. Walk, ride or drive the route at the hour your event will need it, and note what you saw with the date.
Start with who is arriving, not with the map
Different groups use different routes. A delegate from out of town may come by rail or flight and then use a taxi or e-hailing service. A local member may drive. A speaker may need a quiet drop-off. A supplier arrives with a vehicle and is a loading question, covered in venue loading access.
Write the groups down first, with an honest guess of the split. The guess is a hypothesis to test with your registration data later, not a fact.
The five arrival points to check
| Arrival point | What to check | Evidence you can collect |
|---|---|---|
| Public transport | Nearest stop or station, the walking route from it, covered or exposed sections, step-free route | Your own dated walk-through with photos; the operator's current published information |
| Taxi and e-hailing | Where cars may stop, whether there is a safe drop-off, what happens in rain | Photos of the drop-off; the venue's written statement of where cars may wait |
| Private car | Entrance used, the route to the car park, how parking is handled (see parking allocation) | Venue's written parking arrangement for your dates |
| Coach or shuttle | Whether a coach may stop and turn, and where groups wait | Venue's written confirmation of coach bay rules |
| Speakers and VIPs | Separate drop-off or lift access if the programme needs it | Named contact at the venue and a short written note |
Do the journey yourself, at the right hour
- Pick the day and hour that match your event start, not a quiet weekday morning.
- Make the journey as a delegate would, from a rail or bus stop and from a car park, carrying a bag.
- Record what you see: signs, crossings, lifts, queues, shelter, lighting if the event ends after dark.
- Take a second person, ideally someone who uses a mobility aid or travels with luggage, and ask what they noticed.
- Date every note. A route that works today can change with roadworks or service changes.
What to ask the venue to confirm in writing
- Which entrance delegates should use on each day, and whether it changes after hours.
- Whether there is a pick-up and drop-off point for cars, and who manages it.
- Any planned works, neighbouring events or road closures the venue knows about for your dates.
- Whether the venue can send arrival directions to your delegates, and in what format.
- Who at the venue handles an arrival problem on the day, with a named contact.
Turning the review into delegate information
Once the checks are done, write one short arrival note per group and put it in the joining instructions. Use only what you verified, and say when it was checked.
Ask the venue to review the note before it goes out. Corrections at that stage are far cheaper than corrections after delegates have travelled.
Worked example · Fictional example
Reviewing access for a half-day members' forum
Fictional organisation and figures, written to show the method rather than any real place.
Persatuan Fiktif Perunding Logistik plans a half-day forum for members, with an out-of-town speaker panel. The secretariat lists four arrival groups: local members who drive, members who use rail, three out-of-town speakers and the AV supplier.
The secretary walks from the nearest station with the venue's events coordinator on a Thursday at the planned registration hour and photographs an uncovered stretch. The venue is asked to confirm in writing the entrance for registration and where cars may drop speakers. The note to members says the route was checked on a stated date and points to the venue's contact for questions.
Use this yourself
Transport-access review sheet
Copy this into a document or spreadsheet, one row per arrival group. Mark each line Verified by us, Venue to confirm in writing, or Unknown.
- Arrival group (delegates, speakers, VIPs, suppliers, staff):
- Likely mode of travel and basis for the estimate:
- Entry point and route to the registration area:
- Journey tested by (name) on (date, hour):
- Barriers noticed (steps, exposed sections, queues, lighting after dark):
- Step-free route confirmed? By whom, and how:
- Venue statement needed (item, venue contact, date asked, date answered):
- Information to put in the joining instructions:
- Owner of the arrival note and review date:
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- The venue is one you already know and the group is mostly local.
- One person can make the test journey and chase the venue's answers.
- Arrival is a small part of a short programme.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- Delegates, speakers and suppliers arrive from many places and at many times.
- Several decision owners disagree about shuttle, parking or drop-off arrangements.
- The venue answers slowly and someone must chase and record every written confirmation.
Want the arrival review folded into your venue plan?
An Event Blueprint can set out the arrival groups, the checks to run, the written confirmations needed from the venue and who owns each, so the transport and parking questions sit in one dated plan. Send the venue you are considering and your event dates and we can talk through which checks matter most.
Questions organisers ask
Can I rely on the venue's website for how to get there?
Use it as a starting point only. Make the journey yourself and ask the venue to confirm the entrance, drop-off and any changes for your dates in writing.
Should I quote travel times to delegates?
Only if you tested them at the relevant hour and record the date. Otherwise give the route and the nearest transport stop, and invite delegates to check live information.
Who checks step-free access?
Treat it as a separate inspection with the right people involved. This review notes what you observe and the questions to put to the venue. See the accessibility inspection page for that work.
What if delegates will mostly drive?
Move to the parking question next: who controls parking, what is reserved for you and how delegates are told. That has its own page.
Related resources
Content record: Draft. Written from the cited sources and checked by automated rules; not yet independently reviewed.