Before you begin booking your talent and selling out your vendor spaces, there’s one key factor that should be considered early in your event planning process: transportation. The ease and overall accessibility of transportation to and from your event can make a big difference between a sold-out show and a less-than-stellar turnout.
Our event experts have put together four considerations to help ensure transportation doesn’t turn into a roadblock between your attendees and your venue doors!
Venue Location
From the get-go, you can help to mitigate transportation challenges by choosing a venue with convenient access to parking, proximity to public transportation access points, and ease of access to ridesharing services like Lyft or Uber. In urban centers where street parking may be scarce, some venues may have a dedicated parking garage or lot, as well as designated pick-up and drop-off spots for rideshare services. Request this information from potential venues, research nearby bus and train routes to aid your selection process, and inform your customers well in advance of your event.
Competing Events
You’ve found a great venue with plenty of nearby parking and public transportation options to accommodate your event’s attendees, but have you factored in traffic from other events that are happening simultaneously? Not only could this impact parking lot capacity, it could also quickly turn into a traffic gridlock, slowing your admission process by keeping people en route to your event longer! It can also drive up Uber and Lyft costs and slow down their operations. Be sure to scope out the competitive landscape as much as possible before officially committing to a date.
Rideshare Discount Codes
Help to provide alternative transportation options for your attendees by partnering with a specific ridesharing app or limousine service to offer a discount code. Consider proposing an exclusive sponsorship agreement that could mean extra revenue for your event, more attendees through the door, and more parking availability to those who drive (win/win/win!) Utilize social media to share the discount code(s), and watch the potential benefits roll in.
Shuttle Services
If your event is set to take place in a more remote area (i.e. a large amphitheater housed miles outside city limits) or in an area where parking is simply scarce, you may want to consider the benefits of offering shuttle services to and from the venue. By setting up one or more designated pick-up/drop-off points located in a more easily accessible area (or even an off-site parking lot), you can alleviate excessive onsite traffic and the need for long-distance personal transportation to your event, and address concerns surrounding parking availability in a way you can control. Just be sure to have plenty of shuttles available to make trips at peak times, specifically after your event lets out for the night!