Accessibility, food and beverage selection and airlift all play a major role when deciding where to host a convention. Courtesy Photos

When association professionals gather for an event, they are there to share knowledge, grow their business and build community. While these and other key objectives drive the agenda, choice of venue continues to become increasingly important in today’s event landscape. It’s about so much more than just the size of a space or selecting the right food and beverage. From the moment people arrive, everything about that location will set the tone — so it’s critical that planners get it right.

‘No Longer Just a Backdrop’

“The venue is no longer just a backdrop for meetings. It’s now a strategic driver of success,” says Mark Cooper, CEO of the International Association of Conference Centres (IACC). “Our 2025 research shows a significant shift: Planners are placing greater emphasis on venue characteristics than ever before.”

Selecting the right venue is one of the most consequential decisions an association planner will make, as it will dictate attendance and shape attendees’ experience, ultimately determining the event’s success.

“[In my role], venue selection is a strategic and mission-driven process,” says Andre Cholewinski, associate director of meetings for the American Physical Society (APS). “We aren’t just looking for convention centers with the right square footage, we’re selecting environments where scientists from around the world can safely and equitably come together to exchange ideas.”

APS assesses a wide range of factors when considering a host city or venue. These include capacity and flexibility to accommodate attendees, affordability (especially for students and early-career scientists) and technological capabilities to support hybrid virtual meetings. Sustainability practices are also evaluated, and accessibility — both physical and financial — is a top priority.

“We strive to select locations that reflect our values of inclusion, safety and scientific integrity,” Cholewinski adds, noting that APS has developed a comprehensive site selection questionnaire that all prospective cities and venues must complete.

“This tool asks detailed questions around public safety, including [queries about] crime rates, policing practices, human rights indices and any state or local laws that may impact our attendees’ rights or well-being. We take these issues very seriously — especially in today’s environment — and use the responses to make informed, value-based decisions,” Cholewinski says. “Our goal is to create safe, inclusive and welcoming spaces for physicists from every background, and the venue plays a foundational role in achieving that.”

The first hurdle is often location. A venue’s geographic setting can influence who shows up and who doesn’t. Centrality and ease of access — whether by car, rail or air — can be the deciding factor for members weighing the effort and expense of travel. Even a stellar program won’t overcome a poor location, so there should be hotels, restaurants, cafes, bars, attractions and more in close proximity to where the meeting or conference is being held.

Breakout sessions, exhibitor space and networking areas are all must-haves, and the physical space should support your specific goals and objectives. A venue that’s too small can lead to overcrowding, making it difficult to network, which is one of the most important reasons for gathering. Alternatively, an area that is too big can present problems as well, so the space should be adaptable.

Your Venue Must Be Accessible for ALL

Accessibility is not a checklist item. It’s a design principle that touches every aspect of the attendee experience, from the parking lot to breakout rooms. It is critical for planners to keep this in mind as they account for the needs of attendees with disabilities. Imagine arriving at a venue only to find the entrance blocked by stairs or heavy doors. For attendees who use wheelchairs or face mobility challenges, that first impression can be an immediate barrier to inclusion.

Venues that prioritize physical accessibility will offer at least one entrance with automatic doors or ramps, and wide, clear pathways inside. Elevators should be equipped with tactile and Braille buttons, as well as visual and audio indicators to assist attendees with sight or hearing impairments.

Of course, entering the venue is only the first consideration. Planners must ensure that special-needs attendees are able to move through the space with ease and dignity. Accessible parking should be available close to the entrance, and drop-off zones should have level access. Then, once inside, attendees should have access to corridors and doorways that are wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs or other mobility aids without detours or bottlenecks.

Often overlooked, restrooms must meet ADA standards with stalls wide enough for wheelchair use, grab bars, accessible sinks and easy-to-read signage. Proximity matters, too, as no one should have to leave the meeting area or navigate a maze to find a restroom. Event seating must reflect the diversity of bodies and needs in the room. Do wheelchair users have spaces with clear sightlines — not off to the side, but within the flow of general seating? Can chairs be rearranged to allow attendees to sit with companions or service animals?

For attendees with visual or cognitive impairments, a clear, predictable layout is essential. High-contrast signage with Braille, floor markings and tactile paths will help to guide them through unfamiliar spaces. To support neurodiverse attendees, planners will require adjustable lighting to reduce glare, as well a system that enables you to control sound levels. It is also a great advantage to select a venue with quiet rooms or sensory-friendly spaces.

Some events even go a step further, providing sensory kits with items like noise-canceling headphones, fidget tools or sunglasses, and while these accommodations can be subtle, their impact is profound.

Accessibility also applies to the distribution of information. That means event details should be available in multiple formats: large print, digital, audio or Braille.

Beyond that, registration desks should be designed for wheelchair access, and staff should be trained to communicate respectfully and effectively with people who have different abilities. One of the most effective ways to ensure that a venue works for everyone is to simply ask. When it comes to choosing a location, by involving people with disabilities — or simply soliciting feedback from past attendees — you can often find answers and solutions that standard checklists might miss.

Accessibility is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. It’s a mindset that acknowledges diversity and builds for it. Because associations thrive on member engagement, professional development and community building, an inaccessible venue undermines those goals by sending an unspoken message about who is welcome and who is not. As the events industry evolves, associations are uniquely positioned to lead the way in inclusive planning, and by making accessibility central to venue decisions — not just an afterthought — they can create environments in which every member can show up, speak up and take part fully.

One person taking up that cause is author, speaker and disability advocate Rosemarie Rossetti, Ph.D. Paralyzed from the waist down with a spinal cord injury in 1998, she now consults with meeting professionals and venues, stressing the importance of knowing your audience and understanding its needs.

After recently being brought in as an accessibility consultant for a 3,000-person conference meeting at the Baltimore Convention Center, Rossetti took part in a site inspection along with security/safety teams and sustainability consultants. “There must have been 25 people on the site inspection team going throughout the convention center during our visit,” she says.

Due to the makeup of the audience, Rossetti recommended that the group rent extra electric scooters and, realizing that the elevators could accommodate only one of them at a time, she suggested that the service elevator be used during the meeting. Then, after noticing that the doors closed too fast for wheelchair users, Rosetti advised event staff to slow the elevators down.

Such attention to detail is what separates an elite event from the rest.

Sustainability

Now that environmental responsibility is an event requirement, venues that implement green practices or hold sustainability certifications can help associations meet attendees’ growing expectations on the subject.

To help minimize your event’s environmental impact and align with best practices for responsible event planning, look for venues with recognized sustainability certifications such as LEED, Green Key, Green Globe or ISO 14001.

These indicate that the venue has met rigorous standards for energy efficiency, water conservation, waste management and other environmental criteria. Planners should always ask to see a venue’s sustainability policy and how it is implemented in daily operations. It is also advisable to choose venues that use renewable energy sources or have energy management systems in place, as energy use typically accounts for around 75% of a facility’s carbon footprint. Prioritize those with low-flow fixtures, water recycling systems and efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

To reduce travel emissions, it is also best to select a venue that is centrally located and easily accessible for attendees who are using public transportation, walking or biking. Consider venues that:

• Provide bike racks or electric vehicle charging stations
• Partner with local transit providers
• Use sustainable materials (such as locally sourced wood or recycled furnishings), maximize natural light and minimize paper usage with digital alternatives for event materials and communications
• Prioritize local, seasonal, and plant-forward menus, which have a lower carbon footprint and support local economies
• Use eco-friendly serviceware and bulk beverage options to reduce single-use waste
• Practice food waste prevention and participate in donation programs
• Engage with the local community and demonstrate social responsibility (supporting local charities or providing fair wages to staff)
• Contribute to environmental stewardship in the local area

When selecting a venue, planners should always ask detailed questions about the facility’s sustainability initiatives, including how progress on environmental goals is tracked and reported. To avoid the potential for greenwashing, it is also advisable to request documentation or case studies that support a venue’s claims.

Meeting planner Sue Walton, co-owner of May and Williams, says she prefers venues in second- and third-tier cities. Some of the features she looks for include: breakout areas for impromptu meetings, easily accessible parking, a nearby copy/print facility and affordable dining options, especially for her younger booth volunteers. Walton adds that walk-in registration should be located in the front of the room, rather than in the back.

The Meeting Room of the Future

IACC recently released the 10th anniversary edition of its Meeting Room of the Future Trends Report, which asserts that a venue directly influences attendee engagement, creativity and memory retention through its ambience, lighting, acoustics and flexibility of use. The report also reveals that nontraditional venues are gaining in popularity.

“A well-designed venue doesn’t just support a meeting — it elevates it,” Cooper says. “We’re seeing planners increasingly move away from traditional spaces in favor of high-experience venues — [like] vineyards and museums. These settings offer the kind of cultural connection and experiential backdrop that today’s attendees are looking for. They want places that are memorable, inspiring and aligned with the purpose of the event. It’s a clear signal that venue experience is considered by many meeting planners as even more important [than] content.”

In 2024, IACC added a new category of membership called Experiential Venue, which is seen as critical to the industry and a valuable part of the community. Sports facilities are also gaining traction as they offer scale, excitement and a built-in sense of occasion. They provide attendees with a multisensory experience that goes beyond the meeting room and can set the tone and energy for an entire event. Such venues also reflect the desire to create memorable moments and blur the line between work and social connection.

For all these reasons, the opening reception at this year’s MPI World Education Conference in St. Louis, MO, was a good example, Cooper says.

“Venue selection has become an integrated part of meeting design,” he adds. “Planners are actively seeking venues that can influence delegate behavior — spaces that encourage collaboration, spark creativity and support well-being. We’ve even seen investment in what we call ‘performance infrastructure,’ like natural-spectrum lighting [and] improved acoustics and airflow, leading to measurable improvements in delegate satisfaction. This isn’t just about aesthetics anymore — it’s about impact.”

In addition, F&B has evolved from being a service element to becoming a strategic pillar of the meeting experience.

“It affects energy levels, engagement and inclusivity,” Cooper says. “Our research shows an 18% increase in its importance among planners, now ranking second only to location. We’re seeing a strong demand for continuous refreshment concepts, creative food stations and menus that reflect health, sustainability and cultural authenticity. In many cases, F&B is being used to reinforce the tone of the event or even deliver key messaging.”

Beyond that, IACC is seeing a resurgence in requests for residential venue settings, suggesting a growing appetite for immersive, all-in-one meeting experiences. And outdoor spaces are no longer optional. Groups now increasingly expect them, especially for brainstorming and networking. Lastly, there’s growing interest in venues with strong social and environmental responsibility credentials. Some 73% of planners now consider this when choosing a venue, which reflects a deeper shift in how events are now designed: with purpose, sustainability and human experience at the forefront.

Says IACC global chair Nancy Lindemer: “We continue to recognize the challenges our … planner partners face when sourcing venues for their meetings and events. The demand for unique, engaging environments that inspire productivity across all generations has never been greater…”  | AC&F |