WHAT IS A VENUE?

• The place where something happens
• Anywhere you can hold an event

HOW TO FIND A VENUE?

• What location pops in your mind when you think about your event?
• Resources
• Cvent.com
• SmartMeetings.com
• Word of mouth, recommendations
• Email us for our extensive list of Tulsa Venues Ideas and their capacities

Venues Checklist

HOW TO DECIDE WHAT VENUE IS RIGHT FOR YOU

• Look at the costs of a venue
• Capacity
• What is the purpose of the event?
• Budget
• Purpose
• Availability
• Weigh everything

Story about an outdoor event in a free open field where it ended up costing more than it would have at the Convention Center

WHAT ARE SOME DIFFERENT KINDS OF VENUES?

1. Convention Centers and Dedicated Event Venues
2. Places you pay to have exclusive use of their space
3. More expensive but you get what you pay for
4. Hotels
5. There are lots of different types of hotels so be sure the hotel tells the story of your client
6. Casinos
7. Casinos are less expensive because they reduce their rates to get people into the casino
8. Restaurants and Bars
9. Some restaurants will shut down for a buy out event or they may have an event room
10. Warehouses
11. Very much a blank slate
12. May require a lot of work to make it
13. Car Dealerships
14. Can easily move out cars to create a large venue for an event and the dealers like it because it gets customers in their space
15. Home Builder Associations
16. Homes
17. Joe loves homes because they make an event feel personal
18. Influential people’s homes can draw people to an event
19. May have to be considerate of the neighbors
20. Consider giving gifts to nearby neighbors
21. Backyards
22. Country Clubs!
23. Museums
24. Good because they are guest centered already
25. Must be considerate of the art that is on the walls already
26. Schools
27. Churches
28. Streets
29. Outdoors/ Open Fields
30. Zoos

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UNUSUAL VENUES

1. Ships – aircraft carrier in San Diego
2. Tents
3. Anywhere!
4. Inside the Expo Center – this had multiple issues – anchoring, air flow, sprinklers
5. In a field
6. In a parking garage
7. In a parking lot
8. Parking Lots or Garages
9. Theaters – Black Box or on stage
10. Concert Halls – Historic Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa is fantastic!
11. Rodeo Arena –
12. Ditchwitch
13. Amazing venue type
14. Fort Smith Stockyards
15. Hospital Hallway –
16. For an MRI Blessing we set up pipe and drape and some bistro tables and chairs for a quick event in a back hall of a hospital
17. Office Space – Story of Progressive Insurance where we came in and surprised all the employees

WHAT ARE OUR FAVORITE VENUES?

Places that tell the Client’s story best

1. Convention Center and Event Venues
2. Hotels

The common factors of these venues are:

• Places you pay to have exclusive use of their space
• Experienced
• Everything under one roof
• They are guest centered
• The infrastructure is already in place

WHY WOULDN’T YOU CHOOSE SOME VENUES?

Reputation is extremely important in a venue

If a level of service does not match your needs

Capacity is important

Casinos and other places that will advertise to your guests in exchange for a lower rate

Story about transforming the Plaza at the convention center for the lunches for Senegence

Convention Center Plaza

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FREE USUALLY ISN’T FREE

Think about what all you are paying for

Story of Polo out in a field or even a free arena – we had to pay to bring in

• Restrooms
• Shelter, tents
• Water
• Electricity
• Security
• Trash
• Parking or Valet

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