It’s been a fun, exciting and interesting week. I booked a new client! He’s celebrating a big birthday and last night we found the location for his late evening soirée! One would think that would be an easy task in a city of literally thousands of options but on the contrary with choices come rules, restrictions and sometimes, sadly, attitude.

For example, I called one place and this was our telephone exchange.

(The food and beverage package was X amount per person for two hours. My client wanted beverages only, no food.)

T= me V= venue

T- Can we adjust the price to reflect beverages only?
V- It’s a food and beverage package only.
T- I understand, but he doesn’t want food, just beverage, is there any flexibility?
V- It’s a food and beverage package only.
T- It’s a bit more than he wanted to spend, is this price negotiable at all? He was hoping to keep it in this range.
V- It’s a food and beverage package only.
T- So there are no other options outside of the food and beverage package for X amount per person. Right?
V- It’s a food and beverage package only.
T- Thank so much for your time, I’ll pass this information along to my client and we’ll go from there.

Unfortunately some places put the wrong people in positions vital to the success of their business development because the place has fun cocktails, good food and a great vibe and may have been great for this party, but with no flexibility to help me keep my client within his budget, I’ll be less likely to consider them the next time I am hired to scout a location. (Obviously, many would be able to overlook this and go on to have a great party there, but first impressions and customer service are significant to me as I am always striving to bring my clients convenience, efficiency and comfort as they plan their events.

The place we found is within my client’s budget, has no intention of trying to sell him something he doesn’t want (food, cake, etc.) and is large enough to host 100 guests comfortably. When looking for a venue persistence does pay off. There may be many places (and phone calls or e-mail exchanges) between the initial inquiry and the venue of choice, but hold out for what you want and stick to your budget.

When selecting a venue keep in mind:

-Availability
-Capacity
-Budget
-Décor
-Location
-Guests’ comfort

How do you typically celebrate your birthday?