Trying to find a professional venue for a conference is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Thankfully this process is now easier than it was 20 years ago thanks to the evolution of the internet. Unless you know your chosen location inside out, I would strongly recommend that you begin your search using an internet search engine.  To do this effectively however it is well worth being prepared for the types of criteria you will be asked for.  So in order to begin your search you must first decide on the location.  For the purpose of this illustration let’s look at conference venues in Manchester as they are some of the most popular in the UK.

If you use your Internet search engine to type in ‘Manchester conference venues’ you will be presented with a list of results that vary between sites dedicated to help you find your conference venue and sites leading directly to the venue itself.  The best strategy is to use a site that enables you to search a database of venues as this process is quicker than visiting every individual conference site directly.

Reputable sites should allow you to select specific criteria that you require as this will make the process much easier.  Some sites will present to you the entire venue database in one go which is easier than visiting every single site, however still time consuming if you bare in mind that there are approximately 85 venues in Manchester.  Therefore to get the best out of this process it is best to use the first option where specific criteria is required and prepare the criteria in advance.

Firstly decide on your location.  We have chosen a Manchester conference venue however your decision must be made with your delegates in mind and how far they need to travel.  Try and pinpoint the central point between them and choose a venue near located near to this point.

The next set of criteria to decide on is what capacity you require i.e. how many attendees will you be inviting to your event.  Manchester venues cater for between 10 and 9000 delegates therefore once you decide this the search engine will populate only appropriate results.

The next set of criteria you will be asked for is exactly what location you prefer.  As with most cities you have the option of the city centre, its surroundings or even on its outskirts in the countryside.  Choose a setting which most reflects the ambience you aim to achieve i.e. relaxation, corporate etc.

Finally select ‘search’ to generate your results.  Alternative sites may ask you to ‘submit’ these criteria online and someone will call you back to discuss the results with you and assist you further.  Whichever method you choose, the most suitable venues will be presented to you.

Finding professional venues for a conference is easy as long as you are armed with the internet and a set of key criteria.  This process of sourcing a Manchester conference venue has been completed in under 10 minutes and illustrates how the process easy it can be.