What makes a good venue?
Filming the UKCP UK Conference 2026 at Mary Ward House Conference Centre, London
At Inclusive Digital, we have been up and down the country and worked internationally, travelling to many cities and venues to meet our clients’ needs. We’ve just about seen it all in our nearly 20 years of operation as a company. We have our favourite venues…and the others. Many venues are beautiful spaces with stunning views or tasteful décor, and they can come with all sorts of features for guests. But from an AV standpoint? Many are insufficient and poorly planned.
We recently worked at a venue in a well-known visitor destination that had a relatively new, purpose-built auditorium with what appeared to be a high-quality AV installation. Unfortunately, much of the in-house equipment was either unavailable or unsuitable for our needs, meaning we were unable to make use of several features that would normally support a professional event. The room also presented a number of practical challenges for production and livestreaming. Limitations around power, connectivity, and equipment placement required a less-than-ideal technical setup, with additional cabling and workarounds needed to make the event function smoothly. Access arrangements for loading and transporting equipment were similarly challenging, requiring our team to move production gear through busy public areas. Connectivity options were limited, with only a shared public internet service available, introducing an additional layer of uncertainty for livestreaming. While the venue itself was attractive and clearly designed with visitors in mind, from an AV and event-production perspective it imposed significant constraints that made delivering the best possible experience more difficult than it needed to be.
To contrast this less-than-ideal example, we recently did a site visit in the heart of London. Although the room was bland, it was flexible; walls could be moved to open space for more guests or close to make the room feel less empty, depending on turnout. There were plug sockets all over the room and a clear space in the back for an AV desk with audio setups ready to go. All chairs and tables could move and roll on wheels. They had many small extra rooms that could be used for cloakrooms, kit storage, meeting spaces, whatever our client’s heart so desired. They had a goods lift from the loading bay so we can bring in our kit easily and keep out of everyone else’s way. They had wifi set up for this room only, limiting the potential users. Although it may look boring, it’s a well-considered venue that our clients and our team will find much easier to use.
When we look at a venue on a site visit with a client, our team look beyond the frills or the glamour of a venue and consider if it has the key functions that will make an event successful. Where are we going to set up our cameras so that we have a good view but won’t create a hazard? Where will our AV booth go? Does the venue have adequate sound systems, or will we need to bring our own? How will loading work? Do we have plenty of plug sockets? How is the wifi? Is the space flexible enough for our clients’ prospective needs? When you pick your next venue, try to think carefully about the features that you will need and want for your event. Maybe the flashiest venue won’t be the best.