Finding the right venue for your private event in New York City is no easy task. After all, a simple search on Google returns over 150,000,000 results. The process can definitely be overwhelming, as getting answers to even the most basic questions regarding pricing, availability and appointments is sometimes like pulling teeth. What we’ve done here since 2005 is present you, the event planner, with a much more manageable number of NYC event spaces – those that we can vouch for as reliable and planner-friendly.
For example, Venfino member venues are required to respond to your inquiries within 1 business day, and many locations are likely to respond the same day, even on weekends. Believe it or not, one of the biggest complaints we hear from event planners when it comes to other New York venues is a complete lack of customer service. Responses often take days, are incomplete or show very little interest (e.g. “Hello Planner”). Last but not least, feedback from both casual and professional event planners, whether local, national or international, is just as important when making sure our venues are consistently delivering a great overall experience.
We hope you enjoy browsing our venues here in New York City and want to leave you with a few tips on getting a great deal as you start your search:
Don’t be afraid to consider ‘part-time’ NYC event spaces.
Some of our most popular venues weren’t even initially built to host events. They just happened to run their primary businesses out of very attractive spaces and have since embraced space rentals as a secondary form of income. Many of these properties offer highly competitive pricing, are easier to work with and can also introduce you to related vendors (caterers, designers, furniture rental companies, etc.), much like full-service locations.
Ask venues what months/seasons they view as their ‘peak dates.’
You’ll be surprised by the answers you receive from various venues, as each one has very different target events in mind. One venue’s schedule may not fall in line with others that we view as similar locations (by venue type, neighborhood, features, etc.). Off-peak dates bring great rates.
Ask event spaces about their ‘target’ event types.
NYC event spaces that are run by smart and savvy operators know the types of events they are actively looking to book and are well-aware of both the tangible (revenues) and intangible (press, great review, introductions) benefits to their venues. These could be weddings, fashion shows, fundraisers, pop-up stores and many others, depending on the venue. It really doesn’t hurt to ask, and you may end up getting a much better deal in the end.
