Choosing the right location

Many initiatives or projects involve choosing a location. This could be because you want to give a performance, you want to organize an event, you want to launch a book, you want to exhibit your artwork, etcetera. There are an awful lot and totally different venues you could choose. On this page we will help you make the right choice.

Does it fit what you want?

Of course, it is enormously important that the venue fit your needs and the desires and capabilities of the audience you want to reach. You also include your thoughts on the program you want to run. What you have come up with must fit and be possible at the desired location.

Types of locations

In some cases you are tied to a particular location, for example because a client wants you to be, or because your initiative or project is based entirely on a location. In other cases, you have a choice of location yourself, and it may even be that the location influences your concept or programming. There are many types of venues you can then choose from. Here you can roughly make three distinctions.

1) Does the venue of your choice aim to host similar initiatives or not?

For example, you can create a performance and show it in a theater as well as in an empty factory hall. If your venue is not initially set up for your project you will have to take into account that making it suitable will cost time and money.

2) Is the venue indoors or outdoors?

When the venue is outdoors you will have to factor in what influence the weather and the open nature of your site may have. This can affect safety, for example, but also the materials you use.

3) Your site is owned by a business/private/agency or is part of the public space.

In the first case, you will have to make very good arrangements with the owner. In the second case, you will have to make arrangements with the municipality. Then you also have to take into account, for example, the time it takes to apply for a permit.

Examples of locations

Below we have listed some examples of different locations for you:

• Theaters, pop stages, a stadium.
• Castles, churches and other historic buildings.
• Museums, studios, exhibition spaces.
• Restaurants, cafes and hotels.
• Amusement parks, playgrounds, boats.
• Streets and squares.
• Parks and green spaces.
• Vacant commercial buildings or halls.
• Temporary locations such as tents, construction huts, shelters

Factors determining choice

When choosing a venue, you take into account a lot of practical and conceptual concerns. Without being able to be exhaustive, we have listed a few for you here:

• Does the atmosphere match what you want?
• Is there enough indoor and outdoor space for the visitors you expect?
• What are the costs and what are the financial arrangements with the owner or operator?
• In what ways is the location accessible and how much parking is available?
• What personnel services are provided from the site?
• What stage facilities and forms of technology are available on location?
• Are facilities for catering available on site?
• How do site logistics work?
• What is the state of site security?
• Your own knowledge, skills and resources also affect the choice of a venue. Organizing an outdoor event, for example, takes more money, time and experience than doing it in an existing venue.

Agreements with the owner or operator

In many cases, you rent a location from the owner or from an operator. Always make sure you put as many agreements and responsibilities as possible on paper and have both parties sign it. That way you are less likely to encounter surprises afterwards. Discuss the financial conditions and make sure everything is clear. Sometimes you can rent the entire space and handle the catering and ticket sales yourself. In other cases, you pay less rent but the venue gets to keep the bar revenue. Every venue works in a different way and often you can talk to them about the terms. Include in the financial arrangements practical matters such as purchasing drinks for performers, use of facilities and staffing.

Accessibility and environment

Location accessibility is very important to consider when choosing a location. If visitors cannot find it easily then this can lead to dissatisfaction. Think carefully about whether there are enough possibilities to get there by public transportation. Also include in your considerations whether there are parking spaces at the venue or nearby. Also consider the local residents and accessibility for emergency services. These are also considered when applying for a permit. Finally, any suppliers and yourself must also be able to reach the location without problems.

The site visit

Before confirming a venue, it is important that you have also viewed it in real life. This way you can more easily determine the feeling you have with it and the atmosphere. Also, despite good preliminary research via the Internet, you may still not know everything. Be well informed in advance and ask for information so that you can think practical and concrete on location. Preferably bring a tape measure to measure distances. On location visits, take photos of as many places as possible so that you can later recall how something was. You can also send those photos along when requesting quotes from suppliers.

Create a floor plan

After you have chosen a location, create a floor plan or layout. However, it is advisable to do this even before you make the final decision for the location. This may also be done roughly, as long as you are sure that what you would like to do will fit. Also, see if your venue is big enough for the desired number of visitors. Always look at how you want to lay out the venue.

If, from your expertise, you yourself have knowledge that would fit this topic, or if you see opportunities to improve this text, we look forward to receiving your message at info@cultuuracademy.nl.