Should You Choose To Dry Hire A Venue For Your Important Meeting?
If you're not used to organising a meeting but are now responsible for setting something up at work, you may be thinking about appropriate venues. When you don't have enough space on-site, you need to get in touch with venue providers who can book available space according to your needs. Yet what's involved in organising this type of event, and should you take on most of the detailed work yourself or rely on the venue provider to do so? In other words, what do you need to know about "dry" hiring a meeting room in this situation?
Organising A Successful Meeting
Clearly, for a meeting like this to be a success, you need to focus on far more than simply an available space. For example, you may need to set up some A/V connections so that a guest speaker can be seen or heard or a presentation rolled out. You may need to decorate the room in your organisation's colours and take care of branding to keep the marketing department happy.
Most meetings will require some form of catering, whether that be simple teas and coffees upon arrival, refreshments at mid-morning or a buffet lunch presentation.
All these elements must be coordinated by someone, which may fall on your shoulders if you are the principal event organiser.
Opting For A Dry Hire
Some organisers choose to do most of this work themselves as it extends a certain amount of flexibility. In so doing, they may be able to bring in a third-party caterer with whom they have an existing relationship. They may have some A/V equipment on hand at work and might be able to bring this in to set up for the day.
This approach is generally known as a "dry" hire, where you contract with the venue owner for the space alone. You could possibly buy the cost of the room at a significant discount, but remember, you'll be under a lot more pressure to take care of all the rest.
Working With The Venue Owner
Many people in your situation will negotiate with the venue owner to handle the details. These venues will be used to working with groups of your size and will already have other vendors on hand. They may manage the catering in-house or have a great relationship with a provider. They may certainly know how to handle audiovisual requirements, which should help you avoid any last-minute technical issues.
Making The Best Decision
Certainly, there are advantages associated with a dry hire, but it is often best to work closely with the venue provider instead. This should help you stage a high-quality event and create the best impression with the boss.
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