Location, Location, Location: Rotating Monthly Meeting Venue vs. Establishing One Meeting Venue

Event Planning

Rotating Monthly Meeting Venue vs. Establish One Monthly Meeting Venue

If you oversee organizing monthly events for your club, county party, political organization, this blog is for you. Monthly events establish consistency for your club or organization by keeping attendees engaged and active. You have the option on if your monthly meetings will be at the same location or different locations. There are pros and cons to both. Let’s break it down.

ONE LOCATION

ADVANTAGES:

An advantage of establishing one monthly meeting location is that you do not have the task of deciding on multiple locations each month. You do not have to worry about attendees getting lost driving to a new venue.

DISADVANTAGES:

A disadvantage of one location is that could hinder membership growth for your organization. This drawback mostly effects organizations in large cities and large counties. One meeting location might be too far away or too remote for new people to attend. One monthly meeting location prevents community outreach.

What to Consider:

If you do choose one location, make sure that space is available each month. Ideas for one meeting location should be centrally located, especially if your club or organization is city wide or county wide. If you choose a restaurant, you can host your monthly meetings in a private room. If your organization is a College Republicans organization, find an empty classroom for your meetings on campus.

ROTATING LOCATIONS

ADVANTAGES:

An advantage of rotating meeting locations is community outreach. I used to organize monthly community outreach happy hours for Dallas County Republican Party and I reserved restaurant spaces in different suburbs in Dallas County. Rotating meeting locations throughout the city or county draws new attendees, who may be local candidates.

DISADVANTAGES:

Disadvantages of rotating meeting locations is it takes more work to research and reserve a new location. Rotating locations might not be ideal if you have a busy schedule, however, you could ask another officer in your club or organization to plan a new location.

What to consider:

I recommend reading reviews of the new location. If you find a new venue, consider doing a dry run to the new venue to familiarize yourself with the location, parking, and space for your meeting. Note if the new space is private or semi-private at a restaurant. Consider noise levels of the new space too.

Final Considerations

Before your monthly meetings, call and confirm the date, time, and location if you choose a restaurant or a meeting space at an event venue. Ask who you are speaking with as you confirm your reservation. Check to see if your location charges an event space fee. When you announce your monthly meetings on your website, email blasts, and social media, please include the address. Indicate on the event details if the meeting location is on a second floor or in the private room at a restaurant. Be as specific as you can.