Summary
You book a venue knowing where the van unloads, what time you are out including strike, what the bar minimum actually counts, and which charges appear if you run late.
Venue sourcing and due diligence gets you a shortlist you can actually run, with holds placed, charges mapped, and the non-obvious constraints written down. Next, I’ll book the intake call and start holds.
I start with a tight constraints list, then I pull a shortlist that matches headcount, layout, and access. I request availability holds and negotiate the date terms with venue managers. After walkthroughs, I write up measurements, power, noise limits, load-in, and strike, then I build a cost schedule so you can compare venues line by line.
Who you are working with
I’m Hannah Pritchard, Venue sourcing lead. I do venue sourcing and due diligence for company events where the room has to work in real life, not just in photos. Most of my work starts with the same problem: a venue looks perfect online, then load-in, sound limits, or staffing rules make the plan fall apart.
I’m picked for the unglamorous checks that keep an event running. I ask for the written wording on curfews, staffing, bar spend rules, and overtime. I measure the parts that catch people out, like door widths, lift size, loading route, and power. You get a recommendation you can defend internally, with costs and constraints laid out in plain English.
Recent work
These are recent venue sourcing and due diligence bookings where the goal was simple: the room had to run the schedule, the load-in, and the sound plan as written.
Portfolio
Company party shortlist. Built a five-venue shortlist for a 180-person party, then reduced it to two by confirming bar minimum terms, staffing rates, and a hard midnight out time including strike. Holds went in within 48 hours.
Panel night venue check. Vetted three central venues for a talk with live Q&A and recording. The deciding factor was noise and mic policy, confirmed in writing, plus where cameras and a mixer could sit without blocking fire routes.
Client event booking pack. Negotiated a date move inside a two-week window and held pricing while headcount finalised. Produced a booking pack with access times, supplier set windows, and a cost schedule covering staffing, security, and overtime.
“The venue ran exactly to plan, and the final bill matched the schedule.”
Office manager, a fast-growing company
How the day comes together
Once you give me the date window and headcount range, I work backwards from the event date. Holds go in early so you are not competing with other bookings while we check access, timings, and costs.
1. Intake and constraints 4-8 weeks out I run a brief intake call and turn it into a constraints list you can circulate internally. I’ll confirm the headcount range, event format, AV and band needs, load-in method, and the non-negotiables like finish time and bar rules. 2. Shortlist and holds 3-6 weeks out I produce a shortlist matched to headcount, layout, and access, then I request availability holds and ask venues to confirm key policies in writing. You tell me which options to keep in play, and I book walkthroughs. 3. Walkthrough and cost map 2-4 weeks out I walk the spaces with an operations lens and write up measurements, power, noise limits, loading route, lift sizes, set times, and strike times. In parallel I build a venue hire cost schedule with staffing, bar, security, and overtime assumptions. 4. Recommendation and booking 1-2 weeks out I give you a final recommendation with the booking pack you need to commit. If you choose to proceed, I’ll handle date negotiation, confirm what is included, and make sure the written terms match the plan before you sign with the venue.
Venue shortlist
A curated shortlist matched to your headcount, layout, access, and finish time. Each option includes the key constraints that affect run-of-show, not just photos and a room description.
AVAILABILITY HOLDS
Hold requests placed with venue managers for your chosen dates, plus written confirmation of the hold duration and what changes if the date shifts inside your window.
WALKTHROUGH NOTES
On-site notes covering room measurements, power, noise limits, and loading. You’ll also get set and strike timings written the way your suppliers will ask for them.
Venue cost schedule
A line-by-line schedule of hire costs for spaces, staffing, bar minimums, security, and overtime. I list the assumptions behind each figure so the final invoice does not surprise you.
SUPPLIER ACCESS PLAN
A practical access plan that answers where the van unloads, the loading bay route, lift sizes, and when suppliers can be on site for set and strike.
LICENSING AND COMPLIANCE CHECK
A check of the venue’s licensing position for alcohol, music, and late finish, plus PAT notes and any venue-specific rules that affect your AV supplier or band.
What it costs
Pick the level based on how tight your date window is and how many venues you need me to check in person.
Priced items
Next steps
If you want me to start holds and build the shortlist, sign below and I’ll send the intake call link.
1. Sign the agreement to book me in for venue sourcing and due diligence. 2. Pay the 50% retainer so I can hold your date window in my diary. 3. Send your headcount range, date window, and any must-haves, and I’ll start holds.
Signature
Fee summary
Retainer
I book the work in once the agreement is signed and the 50% retainer is paid. That retainer holds the date for venue sourcing and due diligence and starts the shortlist and hold requests.
Balance and invoices. The remaining 50% is due before the event, on the final numbers, by a date I set. I invoice as the work progresses. Every invoice is payable within 14 days of its date.
Final numbers. You will give me a final headcount by a deadline I set, because the venue cost schedule and bar and staffing assumptions depend on it. If numbers change after that, I will update the schedule with the venue’s revised charges.
Changes after sign-off. Once you’ve signed off the shortlist or the final recommendation, changes to the brief can mean new venues, new holds, or a repeat walkthrough. I’ll confirm the added work and the price before I do it.
Availability and holds
Holds are time-limited and controlled by the venue. I will request holds in writing and record their expiry, but I cannot guarantee a date stays available if the venue releases it or takes another booking.
Venue information and third parties. My notes and schedules are based on what venues and managers confirm in writing and what I can verify on a site visit. If a venue changes its policies, staffing model, or charges after that, I will pass the update on as soon as I receive it.
Cancellation or moving the date. If you cancel venue sourcing and due diligence or move the event date, the amount I keep depends on how close we are to the booked date and how much work is already completed. I’ll confirm the cut-offs I use in writing when you book.
