South Africa Event Planning

Universities and colleges are often used for events that are not necessarily associated with the educational institution itself. This makes them particularly useful resources as venues for a host of different functions; from product launches and seminars to exhibitions, conferences, expos, trade shows and concerts.

A university has to cater to a wide range of different people, courses and the events associated with these ones. Therefore, it usually has a number of different spaces available for event planners to explore and use. These can include an indoor sports centre, outdoor sports centre (or stadium), amphitheatre, hall, library, auditorium and a number of smaller meeting rooms.

There are many advantages to using a university for your venue. These include:

• Audio-visual equipment is usually freely available in almost every venue.
• There is ample parking as well as security for the vehicles. Specifically, universities generally have parking for a variety of different vehicles, including busses.
• The sheer variety of different venues gives you, as the event coordinator, more flexibility to choose the ideal one for you, your event type and the number of people you expect to attend.
• Most people are aware of the location and nature of their local college or university, making it a familiar venue to these ones.
• The university has an image of youth and exudes an air of education and learning. Therefore, any events that have the same ideals or connotations will be well accommodated in a university venue.
• There is usually at least one event coordinator that is based at the university, able to assist with all of your coordination requirements. This person knows the venues well and can provide useful advice.
• Computer labs are available to make interactive seminars more effective and productive.
• University venues are not generally as costly as other conferencing or event venues.
• Some educational institutions make their residence accommodation or dorms available to delegates that are using their venues for an extended period of time, saving these ones the extra cost of formal accommodation.

Of course, there are also some disadvantages to consider when using a college or university venue for your event. These may include:

• The venues available may not have much character or warmth. You will need to create this with décor and lighting, which will add to your budget.
• Some towns have placed their university far away from the city centre in order to minimise on traffic. This may make the trek to your venue bothersome for some.
• Venues may only be available at certain times of year, such as when the students are on holiday.
• These types of venues may not present enough of the glam and sophistication that you may require for your event. This will also need to be created with added décor and, perhaps, even props.

Photo Credit: Trek Earth