How to choose a venue for your matchmaking event

Choosing the venue looks like a matter of taste and is, in fact, a matter of arithmetic. The room defines how many tables fit, how many tables define how many participants, and how many participants define how many rounds the event supports. Getting this wrong contaminates everything that comes after.

The arithmetic that decides the size of the room

Start with the space, not with the number of guests.

Each round table of 6 seats takes up, with the chairs pushed back and room for a person to stand, something around 9 square metres of usable area. Add to that the circulation aisle, the registration desk, the coffee area and the operator's space. A rule of thumb that works: allow around 2 square metres per participant for the total area of the room.

With 60 participants and tables of 6 seats, you need 10 tables and something close to 120 square metres of room. If the space available is 80 square metres, the answer is not to squeeze the tables in: it is to reduce to 40 participants or find another room. A cramped room seizes up the table change, and a slow table change eats the time of the following rounds.

What to check on the visit, with the room empty

Go to the venue before signing. Take this list.

• Acoustics. Six tables talking at the same time produce a lot of noise. If

the ceiling is high and there is no treatment, people will shout and leave hoarse. Ask whether there is carpet or curtains.

• The audible signal. Test whether an alert is heard in the furthest corner.

It is the alert that commands the table change. If it does not reach the back of the room, the event loses its rhythm.

• A projection point. Is there a white wall or a screen visible from every

table? The instruction for the moment has to be visible, not only said.

• Power sockets. Where is the operator's socket? How many metres of

extension will you need to bring?

• Columns. A column in the middle of the room is the most expensive defect,

because it blocks the view of the screen from some of the tables.

• Toilets and circulation. A queue for the toilet in the break delays the

next round. Count the cubicles.

• Parking and access. If parking is difficult, some of the audience arrives

late, and lateness dismantles the schedule.

The types of space, with the real pros and cons

Universities and entrepreneurship schools. Tables and chairs already exist, the cost tends to be low or zero in exchange for a partnership, and the academic audience adds something. The downside: an inflexible calendar and internal rules that only appear the night before. Ask in writing for the time the room is released.

Catering venues and function rooms. A ready-made setup, sound installed, a kitchen on site. It is the most comfortable format. The downside is the cost and the tendency for the space to be too large for small groups, which leaves the room looking empty.

Business associations and unions. Alongside the space, they bring the membership list, which is half the recruitment work. See business matchmaking at a business association.

Coworking spaces and virtual offices. They suit groups of 20 to 40 people well and gain from the footfall generated. The detail is in business matchmaking for coworking spaces.

Restaurants at a quiet hour. Low cost and a gain for the partner, who takes the food and drink. The downside is the fixed layout: tables of 4 seats change all the arithmetic of the event. See monetise your space with business matchmaking.

Venue mistakes that only appear on the day

• Signing without seeing the room set up. A floor plan deceives. Ask for a

partial setup or go to an event in the same space.

• Ignoring the fixed layout. If the venue's tables are for 4 people, your

event is 4 seats per table, and that changes the number of rounds needed.

• Contracting with no clause on timing. Overrunning tends to cost dearly and

you only find out the amount when you overrun.

• Forgetting the registration area. A queue at the door delays the whole

start.

• Not confirming the day before. Go to the venue a day ahead. Last-minute

changes happen and you want to know about them before the participants do.

How to test the design before signing

Before closing the contract, test the design with the number of tables the room supports. In Rodada de Sucesso, you enter participants, tables and seats and the planner shows the best measured configuration, with alternatives alongside. If the room only supports 8 tables, you see immediately how many rounds that design delivers and how many people each participant is going to meet.

It is also worth using the simulation to compare scenarios side by side: room A with 10 tables of 6, room B with 8 tables of 8. Both take 60 people, but they deliver different experiences, and you decide with a number instead of intuition.

When the venue causes a problem on the day

Always have two things ready: the table map printed and a plan for reducing the tables. If half the room could not be used, you reduce the number of tables, recalculate the distribution and carry on. A table with one person alone is the worst possible scenario, and it is exactly what the recalculation avoids.

The right venue is not the prettiest. It is the one where the table change happens in under two minutes, the alert is heard at the back of the room and nobody has to shout to be understood. Complete the preparation with the matchmaking event checklist and with the ideal environment for a matchmaking event.