How to Use AI for Venue Sourcing: Find and Shortlist Venues in Half the Time

You are an experienced event planner. Create a detailed venue requirements document for the following event.

Event type: [e.g. corporate conference, product launch, team away day]
Expected guests: [number]
Date: [date or date range]
Location: [city or area]
Event format: [in-person / hybrid / evening only]
Budget for venue hire: [amount]
Key sessions: [e.g. plenary for 200, 3 breakout rooms for 40 each, networking area]

List all the things the venue must have, should have, and would be nice to have. Organise into sections: Space and Capacity, AV and Technology, Catering, Accessibility, Location and Transport, Contract and Flexibility. Format as a table with a Must Have or Nice to Have column.

Pro tip: Share this document with every venue you contact. Ask them to tick off each requirement. This makes it much easier to compare venues when the responses come in. It also saves you time on follow-up questions.

Write a professional venue enquiry email for the following event.

Event name: [name]
Event type: [type]
Date: [date]
Expected guests: [number]
Event format: [in-person / hybrid]
Key requirements: [list 3 to 5 key needs]
Budget for venue hire: [amount or range]

The email should: introduce who we are, explain the event briefly, list the key requirements, ask the venue to confirm availability and provide an initial quote, and give a deadline for the reply. Keep the email under 200 words. Tone: professional and friendly.

Pro tip: Save this email as a template. Each time you contact a new venue, just change the venue name at the top. You can also ask ChatGPT to write a follow-up version for venues that do not reply within 5 days.

Create a venue scoring scorecard for a [type of event] with [number] guests. The most important factors for this event are [list your top 3 priorities, e.g. accessibility, AV quality, catering flexibility]. Create a table with columns: Criterion, What to Check, Weighting (percentage), Score out of 5, Weighted Score. The weightings should add up to 100%. Include 10 criteria. Put the most important ones at the top.

Pro tip: The weighted score is the most useful column. A venue that scores 4 out of 5 on your top priority is better than one that scores 5 out of 5 on something that does not matter much. Weighting forces you to be honest about what really counts.

You are a professional event planner. Write a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) for a venue for the following event.

Event name: [name]
Organisation: [your company or client]
Event type: [type]
Date or date range: [dates]
Expected attendance: [number]
Location required: [city or area]
Budget range for venue hire: [range]
Key spaces needed: [list rooms and sizes]
Catering requirements: [brief description]
AV requirements: [brief description]
Accessibility requirements: [any specific needs]
Proposal deadline: [date]

The RFP should include: an introduction to the event and organisation, a clear list of requirements, what we need the venue to include in their proposal, our evaluation criteria, the timeline for decision making, and contact details. Format professionally with clear headings.

Pro tip: Sending an RFP instead of a casual email gets you much more useful proposals. Venues know you are serious. They also know you are comparing them against other venues, which often improves the price and terms they offer.

Create a complete list of questions to ask during a venue site visit for a [type of event] with [number] guests. Organise the questions into these sections: Capacity and Layout, AV and Technology, Catering and Suppliers, Accessibility, Logistics and Access, Contract and Pricing, and Sustainability. Include at least 5 questions per section. These are questions a professional event planner would ask, not a first-time visitor.

Pro tip: Print this list before your site visit. Walk through it methodically. Take photos of each area as you go. When you get back to the office, you will have everything you need to make a clear recommendation.

I have received proposals from [number] venues for a [type of event] with [number] guests on [date]. Here is the key information from each proposal.

Venue 1: [paste key details, price, included items, key terms]
Venue 2: [paste key details, price, included items, key terms]
Venue 3: [paste key details, price, included items, key terms]

Compare these venues side by side. Create a comparison table with the key criteria. Then write a short paragraph on each venue covering the main strengths and the main concerns. Finally, give a recommendation on which venue best fits the event requirements and explain why.

Pro tip: Do not just accept the AI recommendation. Use it as a starting point. You know things about the client, the event, and the venues that AI does not. The AI summary saves you time. The final decision is still yours.

Write a professional venue shortlist document for my client. The event is [event name] on [date] for [number] guests. I am recommending the following 3 venues.

Venue 1: [name, location, capacity, price, key features]
Venue 2: [name, location, capacity, price, key features]
Venue 3: [name, location, capacity, price, key features]

For each venue write: a 2 sentence description, 3 reasons it is a good fit for this event, and 1 thing to be aware of. End with a clear recommendation and the reason. Keep the whole document under one page. Tone: professional and confident.

Pro tip: A one page shortlist is much easier for a client to read and act on than a long report. If they want more detail, they can ask. Start with your recommendation, not your favourite venue to write about.