Embarking on a redesign of a ballroom or special event venue can easily turn into a complicated, hard-to-navigate process. A special event venue is not just a space, it is an area where potential clients want to create memorable moments. Design Alternatives understands the importance of planning a space that can help bring a business’ vision to life, while also guaranteeing a satisfactory return on investment.

Company founder Carrie Fusella is here to present some elements a business needs to consider when designing a space, and why it is best to leave this endeavor to industry professionals.

Identifying the Purpose and Market

An important first step to designing a special event space is to identify the venue’s purpose. A company needs to establish what the venue will be used for, and who the target market will be. Whether an event space is eventually designated as a wedding facility or corporate meeting facility, its purpose can greatly impact the overall design of a space.

With a venue’s set purpose in mind, an industry professional can identify what course of action is needed to best design a venue. Design Alternatives has worked with countless special-event locations to create a space that perfectly captures the needs of its target market.

A banquet facility or special-event venue, for example, is a space that needs to have a lot of thought and planning put into it. If weddings are going to generate the most revenue, then a professional will want to design with a young bride in mind. However, if the venue will generate the majority of its income from a communion or bar mitzvah celebration, the target audience and design, will be different.

Fitting the Venue to Your Brand

When designing a special event venue, the goal is to create a space that will offer your company the greatest return on investment. A smart interior designer will know exactly how to give a client the best design that will meet the needs of their target market and offer them the look, feel and longevity to curate an attractive, profitable space.

Once a company determines what its number one source of income will be, an industry professional can identify a design direction. By creating a layout and space that will attract the most clients, a professional can fit the overall cost to the return on the investment.  

An interior design professional should always work to offer the best possible recommendations and ideas for a space. In short, to plan for the future, special event venues need to take steps to figure out the amount of revenue their business is going to generate, and when the return on investment is going to occur.

Space Planning

Space planning is a significant part of the design process for any venue, especially for weddings. Any change made to a space, no matter how small, can have a huge impact on the way a potential client reacts to the venue. A professional commercial interior design firm such as Design Alternatives can help determine what elements a venue truly needs.

Every event has a different look, feel and overall goal, and each element that is incorporated into a design can lead a venue closer to a company’s overall vision, or stray further away from it.  Not only does one need to think about the functionality of a space, but they also need to consider the lighting, sound, furniture and other elements as well. Working with a professional can help determine that a venue may need multiple finishes, a carpet that wears well, or a bright color scheme to add an extra element of flair. There should also be discussions with lighting and sound specialists that know exactly how to amplify the ambiance and mood a space is looking to achieve.

It is important to recognize that there is more to designing a venue than just decorating a room. A special event venue needs to have the ability to deliver an enjoyable, memorable experience for clients. Valuable memories need to be created out of a one-day experience. With that in mind, there is a lot to consider.

When working with a business, a professional interior design firm should determine exactly what a venue needs for its clients to make long-lasting memories. This can include considerations like where a photo booth can be located in the venue, as well as an area where clients can stage pictures. Proper seating and a thought-out floor plan are other important decisions a commercial interior design firm should weigh in on in order to properly incorporate a variety of stations and experiences into a single event space.

Working With a Budget

Before bringing a vision to life for a venue, a business needs to identify what kind of budget it has to work with. By hiring an interior design firm, a company can understand how realistic its goals are for the space it wants to redesign.

In order to get the best return on your investment, you need a professional that understands the industry and is able to budget the project in the most effective way possible. When hiring a professional or company, the venue owners and managers should be able to comfortably discuss the budget they have available. Then, it is up to the design professional to consult on what can be achieved with that specific budget.

Budget goals can be achieved when a venue and a design vendor create a priority list.  From this list, a realistic and effective budget can be developed. Industry professionals like Design Alternatives know how to be practical, while also helping special-event venues accomplish their goals.

For more information and guidance about special event and ballroom design, contact Design Alternatives at 732-224-7778. To see examples of ballroom and special event venues, visit our portfolio page.