Award Ceremony Planning

99% of "exclusive gatherings" choose a venue based on one thing: availability. It's understandable. Budgets, calendars, logistics - they all matter. But if the goal of your event is to build trust, generate partnerships, strengthen client relationships, or align a leadership team, then choosing a venue based on availability alone is like hiring a keynote speaker because they happened to be free. The space is not just a backdrop. It influences how people interact, how long conversations last, how comfortable they feel sharing ideas, and even whether the right introductions happen naturally or never happen at all. When I design business experiences, I don't start with venue brochures. I start with one question: What business outcome are we trying to create? Only then do we look for an environment that supports that outcome. Sometimes the right space is a boardroom. Sometimes it's a private dining room. Sometimes it's a rooftop overlooking a city, a vineyard, or a boutique coworking space. Because different conversations require different environments. A fundraising dinner should not feel like a product launch. A founder mastermind shouldn't feel like a conference coffee break. An executive retreat shouldn't feel like a hotel meeting room with the chairs rearranged. The best events are designed backwards: -> Start with the outcome. -> Design the experience. -> Curate the people. -> Then choose the space that naturally supports all three. The venue isn't decoration. It's part of the strategy. That's often the difference between people leaving with a handful of business cards - and leaving with relationships that turn into partnerships, clients, investments, or long-term collaborators. How do you choose venues for your events? Is availability still the first filter, or has strategy become part of the conversation? #EventsProducer #TheRooms #BusinessIntelligentEvents

"Who planned this event?" That was the question — delivered by an attendee making his way down the hall in his wheelchair, clearly frustrated. "I did, sir. How can I help?" And in that moment, I knew. We had let this guy down. We had chosen a beautiful, historic venue — the Lumber Exchange Building, a stunning 1885 skyscraper full of vintage charm. It is the oldest high-rise building standing in Minneapolis and the oldest building outside of New York City, with 12 or more floors. It was unique, visually striking, and exactly what the client wanted: something outside of the typical hotel ballroom IN the city that their Foundation represented. But a beautiful venue doesn’t always mean an easy experience for every guest. I had navigated the parking ramp, the pathways with stairs, and even the tricky old elevators myself on my site visit. But what I hadn’t done was fully consider the end-to-end experience of our mobility-challenged guests. While there was ADA parking, we could have done a much better job communicating how best to get from the ADA parking to the event space. Or, better yet, we could have arranged for a greeter to meet this guest and assist with the elevator that was hard to turn a wheelchair around in. While 150 other guests had a great experience, one didn’t, and that matters. With every event, you learn something. And this was a hard lesson that I still think about today. I never want anyone to have a less-than-stellar experience at one of my events. It was a powerful reminder that great events aren’t just about stunning venues or perfect logistics. You must ensure every single guest has a seamless experience. 🔎 What to Consider When Choosing a Venue: 1️⃣ Accessibility Matters – Can all guests navigate the space easily? Are elevators, ramps, and parking clearly marked? Can a wheelchair or scooter easily turn around in the elevator to access the buttons?  2️⃣ Location & Logistics – Is it convenient? Are there transportation and parking options? 3️⃣ Clear Communication – Have you provided detailed instructions on parking, entrances, and mobility options, as well as the easiest route to the event space? 4️⃣ On-Site Support – Would a greeter or dedicated staff member help ease challenges for certain guests? Are you asking the right questions to find out who might need assistance in the Registration platform? 5️⃣ Match the Event’s Purpose – The space should enhance the event’s goals, not just look great in photos. Great events create lasting memories — for the right reasons. If you need help sourcing a venue that works for everyone, we’ve got you covered. Let’s talk! Link to book an appointment in the comments. 📩 #EventPlanning #AccessibilityMatters #WendyPorterEvents #IgniteEventMagic

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 — 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝘁? My lesson from planning and organising Africa's largest STEM learning festival with Jadesola Adedeji When planning an event, we often tell ourselves: “Content is king.” “If the value is strong enough, people will come.” But if that were entirely true, why do the same events perform differently depending on where they are held? Let’s be honest. Move your event from a modest hall to a premium venue and watch what happens: • Registrations increase • Sponsors respond faster • Speakers confirm quicker • Social media engagement rises • The event feels “important” before it even begins Nothing else changed — except the address. That’s not coincidence. Because location is not just geography — it’s psychology (𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗼 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁). People don’t attend events for content alone. They attend for identity, association, positioning, and social proof. A venue is a signal. A premium location quietly communicates: • Credibility • Scale • Importance • Status Before the first speaker says a word, the venue has already shaped perception. Attendees subconsciously ask: • “Who else will be there?” • “What does attending say about me?” • “Is this worth my time?” A strong venue answers those questions before you even speak. Now, this doesn’t mean impact only happens in expensive spaces. Some of the deepest transformation happens in modest rooms. But if perception influences participation — and participation influences impact — then location may be one of the most strategic levers we underestimate. So perhaps the real question isn’t: “Can we afford the venue?” It’s: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻? I’d love to hear your experience — Have you seen attendance or engagement shift simply because of venue choice? Be honest — has a venue ever influenced your decision to attend? #LearningForImpact #STEMForImpact #SkillsForTheFuture #LeadershipInsights

Your event venue is doing half the work before your guests have even walked through the door. This is something the events industry still underestimates and honestly it baffles me. Brands will spend enormous amounts on production and entertainment, then book the same hotel conference room they always use and wonder why the energy feels flat. A venue sets the tone before a single person has spoken. It signals what kind of brand you are and whether this is going to be something worth remembering. You cannot produce your way out of the wrong space. London is genuinely overflowing with venues that do that heavy lifting for you. Tobacco Dock London Wapping is a Grade I listed Victorian warehouse with vaulted ceilings and exposed brick that has more atmosphere than most productions could ever manufacture. Sky Garden sits 155 metres above the city with panoramic views and lush greenery that stops people in their tracks the moment they arrive. These are spaces where guests walk in and immediately feel something and that feeling becomes the foundation of everything else you're trying to create. When Goho is working on an event, the venue conversation happens early because it matters enormously. We also have incredible contacts 😉. The right space becomes part of the story you're telling, woven into the experience! So if you're still defaulting to the same four walls out of habit or convenience, it might be worth asking what that choice is actually communicating about your brand.

𝗣𝗿𝗼-𝘁𝗶𝗽 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮 No matter how professional the photos might be of a venue, They can never fully capture the reality of an event space. By conducting a site visit, it allows an you to view the space and get an overall feel of the venue.  It’s amazing how different a venue ACTUALLY looks vs the touched-up images you see on a website. Seeing the space in person helps identify potential challenges such as location of / insufficient access point, the distance between rooms and the journey required to get from one room to the next, lighting, acoustics. The size of your pre-function space, is it big enough to hold the number of people you have coming. Going to the venue also provides you the opportunity to meet venue staff, ask lots of questions, and visualise the event from the guest’s perspective. A site visit will help you make more informed decisions in planning the operations and logistics required for the event, the creative and designs you can do. At the end of the day, taking the extra time to see the space firsthand will give you the confidence that the selected venue is the right one to bring your event vision to life And you can deliver a smooth and seamless experience for your audience. Have you done a site visit where the photos do not match the description? Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below 👇 Happy Friday ❤️ #EventsWithImpact #EventSupport #EventPlanning #CorporateEvents