Select a Location

There are several options for planning an event outside of your church. There are hotels, conference centers, retreat centers, schools and universities, convention centers and arenas (hey - you might as well think big). And, if your church is too small or doesn't have the facilities you need for the event you are planning, consider area churches. Many churches have a life center building or fellowship hall that they "rent out" as a source of income to help support the church. This option is usually cost-effective.

An advantage of holding an event at a hotel is that everything is usually provided for you... for a cost. You have sleeping rooms, meeting rooms, and meals all in one location. (And, someone else will make your bed!) If you are thinking about holding your event at a hotel, consider the type and locations of the hotels in your area. A downtown hotel is typically a business hotel. They will be busier during the work week therefore, their prices will be higher during the week and lower on the weekends. Tourist hotels are usually higher during the weekends. If you are planning a weekend retreat, you may want to consider a downtown hotel for your event. They are usually willing to negotiate on rates so they can fill rooms on the weekends.

Other things to consider when planning an event in a hotel:

• Parking - Is there parking available and, if so, at what cost?

• Meeting room rental fees - the hotel makes money from food. If you are providing a meal for your guests, ask to have the meeting room rental waived. 99% of the time, the hotel will waive the room rental fee if they are providing a meal in the room. You just have to ask.

• Audio/Visual and other Equipment - a hotel can add on a rental fee for every piece of equipment you use during your event, including extension cords! This is a service that they provide and using their equipment can be very convenient. Just don't forget to ask about the all-inclusive cost of using this equipment!

• Taxes, Service Fees, and Gratuities - when putting your budget together or when determining the registration fee for your event, make sure you ask the hotel to give you the all-inclusive fees for every service (sleeping rooms, meeting room rentals, equipment rentals, meals, etc.). The rates that they quote you will not include the taxes and gratuities that are typically 30% and higher on top of the quote. This difference can spell disaster if not accounted for in advance.

Many retreat centers provide the same amenities as a hotel but at a lower cost. However, retreat centers are usually at more remote locations and may not be as convenient as a hotel. Consider the driving distance and possible weather-related travel concerns when looking at possible retreat center locations. You may find the perfect retreat center - one that provides you with the perfect atmosphere for your event - but it is a four hour drive away. If this is a weekend retreat or conference and you want to begin on Friday afternoon, keep in mind that many people have to work and wouldn't arrive until very late and... they will be exhausted from the drive. My general rule of thumb is that a retreat location shouldn't be more than a two hour drive. This allows you to begin early enough on Friday evening to make that Friday night cost-effective. You don't want to pay for a night that you really aren't using.

Other things to consider when looking at retreat centers are their specific usage policies. Many retreat centers have church affiliations and are governed by church policies. For example, I recently booked a women's retreat at a Baptist retreat center. They do not allow alcohol on the premises therefore, unless they give us permission, we cannot use wine for communion on Sunday morning. We will use grape juice.

When looking at potential retreat centers, or other off-site facilities, consider the actual layout of the location. Is everything in one building or is it spread out? If the areas that you will use are located on more than one floor, is there an elevator? Basically, you want every aspect of your event to be convenient for everyone. If you know that you will have someone attending who is confined to a wheelchair or has difficulties walking, you do not want to choose a location that will leave them out. You do not want buildings divided by rough walking trails. you do not want meals on one floor and meeting rooms on another if there is no elevator. Try to think of every possible scenario. If anyone would be excluded based on the location, you need to choose another location.

Other location options include schools and universities. Many times they are willing to rent classrooms and dorm rooms as a source of income for the school. Research local Christian colleges as they are most likely to offer this type of set up.

Don't rule out members of your church. You may have members that own cabins in the mountains or homes at the beach. If you are planning a small weekend retreat, these may be good options for your group.

Selecting a location may go hand-in-hand with determining the size of the event. If your location is not a choice and is already determined (perhaps you are using your churches Fellowship Hall) then you already know the number of people you can hold. If not, then you need to consider the expected number of attendees when selecting your location.