Location scouting is the most critical foundational first steps to any event. The locations we choose ultimately set the tone for our guests. Pick great locations and host great events, guests leave with amazing memories and positive brand association. Pick lame locations and the guests leave underwhelmed.

Events must be special. Events must be memorable. With the right location, this is possible.

WHO SCOUTS?

• One core events team will lead the scout, especially for top tier events.
• If the scout is too far for core team to travel to, a judgement call is made to have the lead use an ambassador as their eyes and ears.
• In order to scale, use ambassadors where you can for lower level events, maintaining a core team member as the lead scout via proxy.

WHAT DO I DO AS A SCOUT?

• The scout has three main objectives
  • DO YOUR RESEARCH: Contact local “tastemakers” to make a shortlist of the best the city has to offer BEFORE YOU EVEN SHOW UP
    • Who is a tastemaker? In Paris, France, it could be someone involved in Fashion... Where does Louis Vuitton hold their activations? In Berlin, Germany it could be someone who knows the music scene... where does Diplo perform? In NYC it could be someone involved in the art scene... where do all the top NFT artists host their popups? A tastemaker could even just be a local native that has lived in the area for 10-20 years...
  • Make appointments to view potential “Harmony Hubs” (hacker houses),
  • music venues, art houses, funky off the wall locations, TGI dinner spots, etc based on standard Google searches and your “tastemaker” contacts.
    • Create a time management plan to view multiple venues in one day. Keep in mind rush hour traffic and try not to overbook so you don’t miss an appointment
  • Gather information:
    • Price breakdowns
      • How much is alcohol? How much is just the venue? Is sound and lighting a separate charge? What does the food situation look like?
    • Availability (dates)
    • Capacity of the venue
    • Take videos of the entire property (see: “Filming the venue” below)
    • Can we film the event?
    • If they have LED panels or tv screens, get the contact info for whomever runs audio/video so that we can display our own content on the screens.

FILMING THE VENUE:

• For EVERY venue, you MUST film (horizontally) an entire walkthrough of the ENTIRE venue. Each video needs to be a complete walkthrough, roughly 2-5 min in length.
• Identify where main activation zones are and highlight them by talking to us while you film
• Any special areas that require added attention, please take high quality photos.
• Upload all videos and photos in LABELED folders in a Google Drive link.
• Attach the Google Drive link for all the events staff to view.

WHAT MAKES A GREAT VENUE?

• Location location location
  • Most people attending the conference will not have a car or be reliant on Uber/Lyft’s to travel. Be mindful of people’s ability to travel to your event. Try to keep it under 5-10 blocks MAX for walking, and less than 1-3 miles for any venue that is slightly outside. Essentially, travel time for either walking or cab should be no more than 15 min each way.