Successful Venue Hire & Corporate Hospitality

Success Guides

SuccessfulVenue Hire &CorporateHospitality

Success Guides

Successful Venue Hire &Corporate Hospitality

Front cover picture: Tables set for an evening event at theHeritage Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire.

Tim BryanHeritage Motor Centre, Gaydon,Warwickshire

andGary Hallss Great Britain, Bristol

With meeting, conference and eventorganisers keener than ever to findvenues that provide something differentfrom a bland hotel room or conferencecentre environment, museums are wellsituated to fulfil this growing demand.Even in the current age of austerity,both the wedding market andconference/events sector in the UK arestill growing. The wedding market wasworth £10 billion in 2011, with eachcouple spending an average of £12,059per wedding, and the conference andmeetings market was worth £18.8billion in 2010 with predictions that itmight grow to £25.2 billion by 2020. It is therefore worth investigating thepossibility of your museum looking tohave a share of this lucrative market!

The BenefitsWhile generating extra revenue maywell be the main driving factor behindhiring out your museum for events,weddings or conferences, there are anumber of other good reasons whybuilding this kind of business could bea real asset to your organisation.

New Audiences

Acting as a venue for an event ormeeting that may have as its focus atopic far removed from the subject

matter of your museum could provideyou with the opportunity to gain accessto new audiences. These may well bepeople who would not normally visitmuseums; at the Heritage MotorCentre in Warwickshire, anecdotalevidence shows that many conferencedelegates have returned with theirfamilies at weekends when they havemore time to see the collection.

Fundraising

Hiring your museum for a corporateevent or meeting provides a greatopportunity to showcase your venue,giving potential sponsors the chance to see your collections in a relaxedatmosphere and making a possibleapproach in the future potentiallymore positive. However important thepotential sponsor might be, resist thetemptation to approach them duringthe event unless invited to do so, asevent organisers don’t always takekindly to the canvassing of their clients!

Marketing and Promotion

Hosting a high profile event at yourmuseum can generate valuablepublicity both for the venue and yourclient, and being able to list influentialor well-known customers in publicitycan help generate more business in the

3 AIM Success Guides

Successful Venue Hire &Corporate Hospitality

With amazing collections, often housed in stunninghistoric buildings, museums are in a unique position tonot only generate much-needed income but also toincrease the value and importance of their venues byusing them for meetings, conferences, functions,weddings and events. Many museums are already verywell-known and successful in what is a highly competitivemarket. This guide is, however, aimed at those justbeginning to develop this business area and those whoalready offer such services but want to grow it further.

Hiring your museumfor a corporate eventor meeting provides agreat opportunity toshowcase your venue.

long term. Do take care to consult withyour clients before publicising eventsas in some cases they may wish to keepactivities confidential for businessreasons.

Strengthening Links with yourLocal Community

Acting as a venue for meetings, eventsor activities promoted or run bycommunity groups, charities or localbusinesses can be very helpful tovenues in raising awareness of themuseum, and providing a genuinelyuseful facility for people from the area.This is especially so for museumsreliant on funding from localauthorities as it can be a good way ofensuring that stakeholders discovermore about the venue they helpsupport. Away from bigger cities andtowns, independent museums canprovide meeting spaces that provide avery practical benefit to the localcommunity where this kind ofaccommodation is at a premium.

Things to Consider beforeyou Start In tough economic times, usingmuseums for weddings, events andcorporate hire is often seen as the wayto generate much needed income, butto really succeed in a very competitivebusiness museums need to havethought through both the practicalissues involved and the business casebefore launching their product. Don’tforget that you may well be competingwith well-resourced professionalorganisations such as hotels andconference centres, and in many casesclients will expect levels of service atyour museum on a par with these kindsof venues.

Here are a number of things youshould consider very carefully beforeyou start:

Your Site

Begin by looking at your site; seekadvice on what you can achieve within

Services Successful Venue Hire & Corporate Hospitality 4

Space for corporate events with themuseum collection as a backdrop is agreat advantage when building upvenue hire as an income stream.(Heritage Motor Museum, Gaydon)

the remit of what you are trying toprovide and the budget you may have!

What physical spaces are available forevents and corporate hire? How manydelegates can you cope with at any onetime? What type of rooms and spacesdo you have? Can they be used duringopening hours, or only when themuseum is closed? Will you haveenough toilets – are they well locatedclose to the spaces you want to use?

Are your catering facilities adequate tocope with external events or corporatehire? Most external caterers nowprepare food off-site but you will stillneed to provide space for them tostore and serve meals. If you arecontemplating working with a caterer,ask them to provide you with adviceand guidance; you may need toconsider investment in equipment andfacilities to provide the service youwant to present. Don’t underestimatethe likely cost of the kind of equipmentrequired to both provide a professionalservice and satisfy hygiene regulations.

Think carefully about access issues too;does the museum have good access forboth caterers and set-up crews – iffacilities are on upper floors, ensurethat the lift has enough capacity tocope with the weight of equipmentthat might be necessary as many clientswill not consider a venue whose facilitiesinvolve carrying bulky equipment upstairs. Also ensure that caterers andother contractors can have convenientparking close to the museum.

Quite apart from the spaces you wantto use, you may also need to thinkabout capital investment in equipmentto support your venue hire andconference business. The kind ofclients you attract will expect aminimum level of equipment that,depending on the service you offer,might include a PA system, digitalprojectors and comfortable furniture.Whether you invest, or hire these asneeded and charge the cost to theclient, always look at this practically ashiring is the best short-term solution


The buildings of the Chiltern OpenAir Museum, Chalfont St Giles,Buckinghamshire form the backdropfor weddings.

but may not be the best way in thelonger term. Whichever options youchoose always seek technical supportand advice during the installation ofequipment in your event spaces.

Finally, check to ensure that yourfacilities are capable of coping with the extra demands on water and power for equipment like lighting rigsthat external clients might need. Inaddition, many clients now expect up-to-date IT facilities, particularly interms of Wi Fi; video conferencing andSkype is extensively used in businessmeetings and conferences so havingthe capacity to cope with this is a realadvantage. Ask a local supplier orprovider to give you advice on whatkind of equipment you might need.

Access and Security

How are your guests going to arrive onsite? Do you have enough car parkingfor event and corporate guests as wellas your visitors? Some meetings andcorporate events may begin before themuseum opens, and end after closingtime so you need to check how theywill enter and exit the building. If youare running events in the museum,issues over the security of thecollection also need to be addressed.Clearly museum staff and trustees have a duty of care to the preciouscollections and buildings they manage.So, having identified spaces within thevenue you might use for hire, look atthem again in terms of both securityand conservation, and think carefullyabout what spaces can be and shouldbe available to events clients. Will youban stiletto heels on your historicparquet floor? Many museums do notallow red wine to be consumed ingalleries with valuable fabrics ormarble flooring. For larger events orweddings, consider the effects ofthings like loud music or dry ice, whichcould affect your fire or security alarmsystems.

While many museums are naturallyworried about potential damage ortheft caused by those attending events,

many seasoned practitioners willadvise that more damage is likely fromset up crews and caterers before andafter an event. To reduce the likelihoodof this happening, guidelines on risksand procedures should be created thatcan be issued to event organisers andcontractors. In addition no contractorshould be allowed into the buildingwithout providing the venue withmethod statements and riskassessments for their activities – these are common within the industryand all good contractors will be able tosupply them.

As the host venue, you should alsoagree the parameters of the event withthe client beforehand in writing andthe museum representative present atthe event on the day must also be fullyaware of the procedures, as caterers inparticular often hire in agency staff thatwill be unfamiliar with the restrictionsand the venue.

Policies and Restrictions

It is worth taking a holistic approach tolaunching a venue hire and corporatebusiness – the whole museum teamshould be involved in the planning anddelivery so that everyone is aware ofthe implications. A key part of thisprocess may be the production of apolicy on who are consideredacceptable clients, given the museum,its facilities, ethos and collection.Having a written policy will make iteasier to say no to potentiallyinappropriate clients.

There are some interesting ethicaldebates to be had, and it is advisablethat your trustees are involved in thesediscussions. Some museums may wishnot to host meetings for politicalparties or other special interest groups,and because of the potential fordamage, many now do not hirefacilities for 18th and 21st birthdayparties or school ‘Prom’ events. Ensureyou are aware of the implications ofrunning events and meetings wherethe client may expect to placeprominent banners and signage all over


If you are runningevents in the museum,issues over thesecurity of thecollection also need to be addressed.

your site on a normal operating day forthe museum – is there ‘brand synergy’with the product or company usingyour site or is there a clash or collisionthat visitors or other stakeholdersmight find unacceptable? If this is thecase, then it may be worth partneringwith another nearby venue that couldhandle the daytime business, while youact as an evening venue.

If you are contemplating setting up anevents and corporate hire business it isalso vital to consider the effect it mighthave on your neighbours. They mightnot take kindly to noise, especially outof hours, and potential parkingproblems, especially if you are in anurban location. It is worth consultingwith them to let them know what youare proposing to do and listen to theircomments, hopefully arriving at asolution that works for and with thelocal residents. Be clear and up front in stating the latest times for noisyactivities like discos and fireworks.Keeping them informed will help keeprelations with your neighbours on aneven keel and avoid complaints toEnvironmental Health about noisepollution. It is also worth contactingyour local council before starting to runevents as their advice will beinvaluable.

Health & Safety

Make sure that your Disaster Plan hasbeen updated to reflect the newactivities you are undertaking. Beforelaunching your service you will need toconsult with your local fire officer whowill advise on the maximum numbersthat can be safely accommodatedwithin the various spaces you mightuse. These figures will also be linked toyour building regulations and planningpermissions, and should be included onany publicity you may issue and in theconditions of hire, together with anyrestrictions on naked flames.

Fire risk assessments, normally doneon a regular basis will need to beupdated and if you allow eventorganisers to erect marquees for

weddings or events, these will alsoneed to be assessed. Take account ofthe issue of smoking – if you runevening events and weddings, guestswill require somewhere to smoke andyou will also need to ensure that thereis adequate signage and security toensure smoking does not take place inyour museum.

You should also make your insurersaware of the fact that you are hiringthe venue to ensure that your policiesare valid and up-to-date.

Evacuation and emergency proceduresneed to be clarified for events andcorporate hire and all clients andsuppliers should be fully briefed as towhat to do in an emergency. At theHeritage Motor Centre, organisers aregiven a checklist at the beginning ofthe day and expected to inform guestsand any contractors they employ aboutwhat do in case of emergency. Don’tforget to think about fire alarm testing– if you do this on a regular basis,ensure that your clients know whenthis is!

Food scares and outbreaks of foodpoisoning do make the local media ona regular basis and will do nothing foryour reputation as an events orcorporate venue, so do check that yourcaterers comply with the necessaryregulations on food health and safety.For example, caterers should be able toprovide a written food safetydocument with relevant food riskassessments, temperature recordinginformation and have catering goodsmovement traceability. As the venuerepresentative you should also have anunderstanding of basic catering healthand safety. All staff who work in thecatering industry should be able toprove that they have some kind of foodhygiene certificate.

Licensing Regulations

The Licensing Act 2003 broughttogether liquor and entertainmentslicensing, making it the responsibility of local authorities with a new form of


Make sure that yourDisaster Plan has beenupdated to reflect thenew activities you areundertaking.

Premises Licence. Your venue willalmost certainly need a licence and itmay contain certain restrictions, andstate that you have a designated andcertified Premises Supervisor. Inaddition, you should always have apersonal licence holder on thepremises during each event. If you runweddings, parties and other eveningevents it is also advisable to provideSIA (Security Industry Authority)training for door or security staff or tohire in SIA-qualified staff. Venuemanagers as well as caterers shouldhold these licences. Detailedinformation may be found on theHome Office website and by consultingwith your local authority.

Increasingly, independent museumshave been investigating the possibilityof being a licenced location for civilmarriages. This has been madepossible by the Marriage Act of 1995which enables heritage sites to applyfor a license to let premises for civilmarriage ceremonies. Whilst this maybe an interesting and possibly lucrativemarket, before embarking on such a

venture it is probably best to look very carefully at the business case.Applications involve both anapplication to the local council andplanning permission, and if successful,licenses are granted for three years. Beaware that fees can be up to £1,600and are non-refundable even if you donot succeed in your application!

Your MarketHaving ensured that you have thephysical resources to run a successfulvenue hire, corporate or weddingbusiness it is then worth looking inmore detail at your potential offer.Carry out a SWOT (strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats)analysis; look at your local area – whoare you competing with? Don’t beafraid to do some benchmarking visitsor make enquiries to see what othershave to offer, and also talk to your localauthority and tourist informationcentre. If you are contemplating majorinvestment, it may also be worth talkingto a specialist consultant for advice.


The award-winning DownlandGridshell building in use for aconference at the Weald &Downland Open Air Museum,Singleton, West Sussex.

The phrases ‘Venue Hire’ and‘Corporate Hospitality’ often haveconnotations of big formal dinners orlarge conferences and while largermuseums do successfully run thesekinds of events, smaller museumsshould not be put off as they can oftenuse their unique venues to host manydifferent styles and types of event.These can include breakfast meetings,management away days, productlaunches, sales con ferences andbriefings. But venue hire doesn’talways mean ‘corporate’ and there canbe other hospitality opportunities:family celebrations and anniversaries,children’s parties, film showings andalso memorial events. As an example,Bexley Heritage offer their venue as alocation for funeral wakes working withlocal undertakers who recommendtheir premises. Look at your venue andwhat you can realistically achieve withthe space and budget you haveavailable and tailor your businessaccordingly!

Many venues see civil marriage or civilpartnership ceremonies and receptionsas a potentially attractive andimportant market. Ceremonies can bevital to an overall events plan as a hire

can be relatively short and can be forany number of people but museumsshould only go into this area if they arereally sure they can deliver. Weddingreceptions are extremely rewarding,but can take a lot of planning and worksince as a venue you will be dealingwith clients where this is the biggestevent they will ever plan, and theenormous significance of this onespecial day means that emotions mayrun high.

Building your Business

Websites

Your website is now one of the mostimportant ways of reaching your targetaudience. Make sure all the informationon the site is current and up-to-date,including images, capacities and menus.Make sure that it has enoughinformation to enable the client tocontact you. Make sure you are listedwith local organisations (Chambers ofCommerce, Business Link or urban orrural development organisations) with alink to your site. For weddings, if youare a licensed ceremony venue checkyou are on the local authority register


A meeting room set out for hire atLeeds Castle, Kent.

and the information is correct. Also forweddings, check out the Hitched(www.hitched.co.uk) and/or Confettisites (www.confetti.co.uk) which list allthe civil venues in the country on aregional basis.

Also, work with search enginecompanies to improve your position intheir search list. Working with Googlemay get you in a better position onweb searches if a potential client islooking for “events space in ......” Mostevent organisers will now use the webas a source of information andrecommendation.

Social Media

As well as websites, social media isbecoming a vital part of connectingwith clients and also updatinginformation. An update on Facebookcan have an immediate effect, or aclient contact through LinkedIn willspeed a process through and give theman instant response. Don’t forget,however, that as well as enabling youto gain new business, social media canalso have a negative effect if youcannot deliver – if a client has a badexperience their dissatisfaction isinstantly transmitted around the web!

Mailing Lists

Every customer or client you deal with,from an enquiry to a booking, shouldbe recorded and added to a mailing listso that you can build up a database ofpotential and future business orclients. There can also be an endlesssupply of names from external sources;ask your trustees and staff forsuggestions, work with local businessorganisations (Business West &Destination Bristol are two in the SouthWest). Mailing lists can also be boughtin, but be aware these can be ofvariable quality and can have differingresults; ensure the list you are buying isrefined for the clients you are lookingto contact. Don’t forget the DataProtection issues surrounding the useof client information.

Advertising and Marketing

As in most businesses, the bestadvertisement for your venue hire orcorporate operation is word of mouth.Ensure from day one that your service,of whatever scale, is second to none,and ensure that after the event youcontact the organiser to get somefeedback on how the event went. Buildin formal feedback mechanisms such asquestionnaires and if you have positivecomments, ask the client if you can usethem in publicity!

It might also be worth launching yournew services with a party for potentialclients, involving the local press. Youshould be able to persuade caterersand other suppliers to take part if thereis likely to be business for them in thefuture. Invite the press and other localmedia too.

If you are serious at generating business,you will need to consider increasing yourmarketing budget to enable you toadvertise in local magazines and onlinevenue websites and directories such asPerfect Bride magazine, RSVP,www.meetingvenuesuk.com and theConference Handbook.

Many corporate clients now use agents to book their meetings andconferences and larger venues maywant to consider entering intoagreements with these agencies. Don’tforget, however, that they charge acommission and drive a hard bargainon behalf of their clients!

It goes without saying that it pays tobuild up good relationships with yourlocal business organisations, Chamberof Commerce, Tourist InformationCentres, and Convention Bureau.Establish links with local or regionalmarketing consortia and don’t forgetother local venues.

It can be a big commitment to exhibitat large specialised trade shows such asConfex and the National Venue Show,but many museums have found it morecost effective to attend as part of alarger group of venues or with aregional agency or other organisation.


It goes without sayingthat it pays to build upgood relationshipswith your localbusiness organisations,Chamber of Commerce,Tourist InformationCentres, andConvention Bureau.

You can also attend as a visitor to lookfor new ideas and contacts and seewhat your competitors are doing! Ifyou are a wedding venue, local bridalshows are useful – some museumseven act as the venue for such shows!

Publicity Material

Many museums are keen to produce ahigh quality brochure or booklet toadvertise their corporate, wedding andvenue hire, business. Before embarkingon this project, think hard about whatyou need the brochure to do: do youneed a different brochure for weddingsand corporate clients? With theincreased use of the web, do you reallyneed a brochure at all?

If you do decide to go ahead, then gofor the best photography and designyou can – often it may be possible toconclude a deal with suppliers andphotographers as part of a marketingdeal which can keep costs down.Include a sleeve at the back of thebrochure for separate sheets of moredetailed information including priceoptions and caterers.

Many venues keep pricing as simple aspossible, offering a price per head fordinners and weddings or a daydelegate rate for meetings andconferences which makes life easier for the client and venue.

Above all, ensure that the brochure hasplenty of pictures showing all aspectsof the service and views of the insideand outside of the building. Manyvenues think it best not to showimages of previous events which mightlimit the scope of what a potentialclient had in mind, although othermuseums find that setting up anattractive space like a gallery, barn,exhibition space or restaurant canprovide prospective clients with realinspiration.

The following checklist includes someof the most important information that might be required by a potentialclient:

• Room plans• Map/location of the venue including

car parks and directions • Maximum capacities for different

styles of event• List of approved caterers• Sample menus• List of other approved suppliers• Other facilities• Conditions of hire.

You may wish to leave out hire chargesfrom the document to prolong its shelflife, and to enable you to tailor thequotation for a potential client. Onceagain, take advice while preparing thedocument, and look at documentsproduced by other museums andvenues to get inspiration.

Make sure that an electronic copy ofthe brochure is available both on yourweb site and also available to e-mail topotential clients if required.

Running your Venue Hireand Corporate BusinessFor each museum, the way in whichthey operate their venue hire,corporate hospitality and weddingbusiness will be different. The followingprovides some broad guidelines thatmight assist.

Catering

At the Heritage Motor Centre, much of the business is run in-house withlimited input from other specialists; atthe ss Great Britain major catering ishandled by an outside contractor withother events run in-house. Clearly howyou run your business will be a majordecision for the management andboard of trustees of your organisation.You may opt to do it yourself, orinstead bring in external catererswhether in an exclusive contract orusing several preferred suppliers. There is no right or wrong answer!Every venue will need to evaluate what is best for them.


Go for the bestphotography anddesign you can – oftenit may be possible toconclude a deal withsuppliers andphotographers whichcan keep costs down.

If you do opt for an external contractor,think seriously about getting legaladvice or using a consultant to help inthe selection process and the creationof a catering contract. When selectinga contractor ask for references, talk totheir existing customers, and try andattend one of their events. Take greatcare in the process as the quality ofyour catering will be a key factor in thesuccess of your venue hire, weddingand corporate business. Quite apartfrom the quality of the food, theprofitability of your business will alsorest on the contract you agree.

Suppliers

Many museums providing venue hireand hospitality packages, particularlythose dealing with wedding receptions,offer clients a list of preferredsuppliers. In most cases these will havebeen set up beforehand, enablingmuseums to get the best deal. Acommission rate for recommending toclients for catering, flowers, lighting,discos, transport will be agreed – theactual figure will depend on the type ofsupplier, their status and whether

reciprocal arrangements for publicisingyour venue are in place.

If no exclusive deal is in place ensurethat your suppliers are happy for theclient to use their own preferred onesbut make sure that you are aware oftheir plans and that the contractorused knows of any restrictions andguidelines you require.

Organisation

Every organisation may have a differentway of dealing with clients, based onthe number of staff available to run the service and the level of businessundertaken. The following includessome general guidelines that shouldhelp smooth the process.

Following an initial inquiry by aprospective client, a visit to the site isvitally important and is the opportunityfor you to run through in some detailthe nature of the event, timings,catering, special dietary needs and anyaccess requirements for both guestsand set up crews or caterers. This willalso enable you to provide an accuratequotation for the client and generate


Guests relaxing at a function atIronbridge Gorge Museums,Shropshire.

both a contract and/or booking form,and accurate terms and conditions thatthey will need to agree to. In a highlycompetitive marketplace, this part ofthe process is the most vital – it isreally essential that if you are seriousabout running a successful events andvenue hire business that you respondto enquiries quickly and efficiently. Ifyou have the resources, ensure that a dedicated member of staff isavailable to return calls and respond to e-mails so that you can capture that business!

Conditions of Hire

This is a key document! At this earlystage you should make the client awareof the terms and conditions of hire andwhat they are paying for (and mostimportantly what is not included).These should be very concise, andpositively worded, with an explanationof the reasons behind any restrictions.By ensuring that the client understandsand agrees the terms of their hire,there is less room for misunderstandingor disagreement on the day or eveningof the booking, especially incircumstances when the member ofmuseum staff on duty for the event did not take the original booking!

The conditions of hire should includesome or all of the following whereapplicable:

• Costs, level of deposit and paymentschedule

• What is included and excluded in thecharges

• Hours available for venue hire(including setting up and breakingdown)

• Restrictions on access• Prohibitions• Penalty fees (for running over time)• Insurance requirements• Health & Safety (risk assessments

and method statements fromcontractors)

• Cancellation terms and conditions.

Contract/Booking Form

It is essential to have a contract orbooking form. It is worth paying forgood legal advice to make sure that the contract is of the highest quality.Emphasise to the client that the eventor booking cannot take place unlessthe contract has been signed, and thatthe terms and conditions have beennoted and agreed.

If the client has made separatearrangements with outside caterers orother suppliers, state in writing to theclient that any complaints must betaken up directly with them, althoughyou should be made aware of any issues arising from the booking.

How Much Should We Charge?

You can only decide the level ofcharges by research and benchmarking.Comparing what you offer with othersimilar venues locally and regionallywill help. In putting together a businesscase for your operation you shouldhave identified your cost base, andonce you have done this you can factorin the level of profit you want toachieve.

In the current difficult economicenvironment the market for venue hireand corporate hospitality is incrediblycompetitive and many hotel chains andother venues are slashing prices to fillrooms. When assessing a booking youwill therefore need to be flexible andcompetitive. Don’t forget that chargesshould be higher for events later atnight and also that penalties should becharged if contractors run over theagreed times – if you do not do this setup crews will take advantage! Manymuseums charge higher fees atweekends or at premium times such as the period before Christmas.

Charges can start from as little as £50for meeting room hire in a smallmuseum to over £10,000 for galleryreceptions in the capital – there are no


By ensuring that theclient understands and agrees the termsof their hire, there is less room formisunderstanding ordisagreement on theday or evening of thebooking.

exact answers to how much, but lookat the websites of other museums andvenues to get an idea of what your feesshould be. In your business case, makesure that you have included absolutelyall the core costs involved in the cost ofa booking. Don’t forget to factor inheating and lighting, additional staffing,security costs and insurance in thecost.

Always make sure quotes and costs aredetailed, for example, separating yourroom hire charges from catering andother charges. For conferencing alwaysconsider day delegate rates based onminimum numbers and set menus asthis is a good way of maximisingbookings even if numbers on the dayare lower.

Payments

This is one of the most important partsof the process! A client booking anevent should always pay a non-returnable deposit to secure theirbooking. This will depend on the totalbill, but for example, at the ss GreatBritain a deposit of £750 is levied. Forall bookings make sure you receiveadvance payment prior to the event ofapproximately 95-100% of the total bill.This is especially recommended forwedding bookings. If there are anyoutstanding amounts after the eventthese should be invoiced immediately.Also think about a payment guaranteesystem at the initial booking point bytaking credit card details at the time,ensuring that these can be used forlate payments.

Managing Bookings

It is essential that you maintain anevents diary system, where confirmedand provisional dates for events areclearly identified. There are a number

of commercially available bookingsystems but if your budget does notstretch to one of these, then anelectronic diary or even old fashionedpaper version will do! The mostimportant exercise, however, is toregularly monitor the diary to ensurethat double-bookings do not occur. It isalso a good idea to create separate filesfor each event detailing times andcatering and operational requirementsthat can be accessed by the variousstaff working on the booking andreviewed on a regular basis. At theHeritage Motor Centre a regularoperations meeting reviews bookingsfor the week ahead, discussing eachand identifying potential issues beforethey occur.

Most museums provide a dutymanager at evening or weekendevents. These maybe specialist staffemployed for this role if budgetspermit, or other members of themuseum’s team. In any event the dutymanager should be fully briefed andtrained to deal with any issues thatmay arise. The role will require a goodknowledge of the museum, site and itsservices and operation, along withother skills such as first aid. Whilelarger operations may retain anengineer or caretaker on site duringlarge bookings, having contacts foremergency and technical services isessential. The duty manager shouldnormally be the last person off the siteafter the event, waiting until allexternal contractors have left thebuilding.

For events held during the working day,such as meetings and conferences, careis needed to ensure that they do notdisrupt the normal working of themuseum. Clear signage and briefingsfor front-of-house staff will mean thatthey are aware of events taking placeon each day.


The duty managershould normally bethe last person off thesite after the event,waiting until allexternal contractorshave left the building.

Further Support

LegislationDepartment of Culture, Media andSport (for information on the LicensingAct 2003) –www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/Alcohol_ entertainment/

Corporate venue marketingBlue Blueboomerang –www.blueboomerang. co.uk

Find me a conference – www.findmeaconference.co.uk

British Association of ConferenceDestinations – www.bacd.org.uk

Bedouk Search tool for meetings and conference facilities –www.bedouk.com

RSVP Magazine – www.rsvp.co.uk

Venue Directory – www.venue-directory.co. uk

Conference Handbook –www.mashmedia.net

Wedding venue marketingConfetti – www.confetti.co.uk

Hitched – www.hitched.co.uk


Tim Bryan is Head of Collectionsat the Heritage Motor Centre atGaydon in Warwickshire, anaward-winning motor museumand venue with a nationalreputation for its conference,corporate and events business.http://conference.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/

Gary Hall is Head of Catering &Events at Brunel’s ss GreatBritain in Bristol, a venue with a panache for hostingweddings, dinners andconferences alongside its role as a visitor attraction.http://www.ssgreatbritain.org/weddings-events

Thanks are due to Jane Weeksand Karen Armstrong, whoproduced the original 2007 AIMFocus Paper Venue & LocationHire. This Success Guide is amuch expanded and updatedversion of that document.

Drinks at an event on board ss GreatBritain, Bristol.


AIM Association of Independent Museums3 Chestnut Grove, Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 1TJRegistered in England No. 1350939 | Charity No. 1082215

Copyright © 2013 Tim Bryan and Gary Hall and Association of Independent MuseumsAIM Editor – Diana Zeuner

aim-museums.co.uk

Successful Venue Hire & Corporate Hospitality

Documents

Transcript of Successful Venue Hire & Corporate Hospitality