In partnership with VenueScanner 

The EA and PA role has definitely evolved over the years. Many assistants are now expected to organise team events, leadership offsites, client dinners, and company gatherings across multiple cities, often remotely.

When faced with limited local knowledge and tight deadlines it can be hard to know where to start. Thankfully, you don’t need to know every city perfectly to plan successful events there. Having a repeatable process that you can use across all cities matters way more. 

We recently ran a webinar with VenueScanner exploring exactly this:  how EAs and PAs can confidently plan events in cities they’ve never been to. Here are the key lessons and practical frameworks that came out of that session.

Start with the Brief, Not the Venue

Did you know that most remote planning goes wrong at the brief stage, not the venue stage? Before you open a single search tool, lock down the following things with your stakeholders:

Event Objective

By aligning on your event objective, you’ll ultimately end up with better venue matches. An intimate dinner for your top clients requires a very different venue to a large networking event. Understanding the purpose of your event will help you decide what type of space makes the most sense.

Budget Reality

Speak to your stakeholders ahead of time about the budget. There’s nothing worse than being on different pages about what the budget can realistically deliver. 

A great way to understand if your budget is going to work for you is to break it down into per person costs. If your budget ends up being £50 per person vs £150 per person, you’ll be looking at two very different experiences. 

Group Size

Guest numbers will influence everything from venue choice and room layout to catering and budget. Confirming an estimated headcount early will help you narrow your options much faster. There’s nothing worse than being at an event and feeling like the room is too big or too small for your group. 

Must-Haves vs Nice-to-Haves

What are the things you must have to make your event a success? Write that list down and stick with it. Anything else is nice to have that you can add on if you have the budget later down the line.

Decision-Maker Alignment

Who is the person who is making the final decision? Is it your boss? Or is it someone higher up in your company? Is it one person or five people? Figure all of this out before you start your search to make things easier for yourself. 

By doing these things, you’ll not only find better venues but you’ll also have faster approvals, fewer compromises, less back and forth and stronger event outcomes. It’s a win-win for everyone involved in the process if you have your brief right from the start. 

Choose the Area Before You Choose the Venue

Before you start looking at specific venues do some research on the city your event is in and choose an area to host it in. Find an area that’s well connected and has good transport links. If people are travelling from other cities or countries, making sure the location is easily accessible by public transport from the airport or major train station is key. 

You’ll also want to see what hotel options the area you’ve chosen has and how accessible it is. Finally, see if there is anything cool in the area you’re interested in. 

Having cultural attractions, good restaurants, and useful amenities nearby can make your event even better. Taking the time to choose the right area first will also make venue sourcing much easier. 

How to Make Confident Decisions Without Being on the Ground

It can be pretty intimidating making confident decisions without physically being somewhere. Thankfully remote venue sourcing is now super common, so most venues are able to support organisers from a distance. 

Many venues will offer virtual walkthroughs or 3D tours. They will definitely have floorplans and recent imagery available for you to look at. You should also take a look at their reviews to see what their customers are saying about them. 

You can also ask for examples of similar events they have hosted in the past to better understand whether the venue is the right fit. During your enquiry process, keep in mind how venues are responding to you. Fast, clear communication is often one of the strongest indicators of a well-run venue.

 The Corporate Event Planning Timeline: What to Do Based on Your Lead Time

Not every event brief arrives months in advance. Here’s how to approach venue sourcing based on the time you actually have. 

If You Have 12+ Weeks

You have room to be thorough! 

• Run a full brief session before sourcing begins
• Research the city and its surroundings
• Build a longlist, then shortlist, don’t rush to three venues
• Use the extra time to get stakeholder sign-off at each stage
• Build in a site visit or virtual walkthrough before confirming

If You Have 4-8 Weeks

Move fast, but don’t skip the brief.

• Lock objective, budget, and headcount within 24 hours of receiving the brief
• Run brief alignment and venue research in parallel
• Send enquiries to 4-6 venues immediately, don’t wait until the brief is perfect
• Get provisional holds while you finalise details

If You Have 2-4 Weeks

Speed over comprehensiveness.

• Contact 3 venues, not 10, decision speed matters more than option volume
• Request holds before the brief is fully signed off
• Accept that the best available option is not the same as the perfect option
• Tell your stakeholders upfront what’s realistic at this lead time, before they ask

If You Have Under 2 Weeks

Work the phone, not the inbox.

• Call venues directly, don’t rely on email
• Narrow to venues with in-house catering and AV, every external supplier adds more complexity
• Set expectations with your stakeholders before you start sourcing, not after

What Experienced Remote Planners Look For

When you’re planning an event remotely, it’s easy to get distracted by beautiful photography and impressive venue websites. While these things can be helpful, experienced event planners tend to focus on a few practical things first. 

Flexible venues can adapt to changing guest numbers and requirements, which is especially important when plans are still evolving. 

Clear pricing makes budgeting and approvals easier, helping to avoid unexpected costs down the line. Meanwhile, strong contingency plans help minimise risk and ensure you’re prepared if things don’t go exactly as planned. 

By focusing on these things, you’ll often end up with a smoother event experience than simply choosing the venue with the best photos. 

The Right Tools Can Save Hours

If that all sounds like a lot, VenueScanner can help. VenueScanner can help you compare options quickly, has a shortlist feature which allows you to send enquiries to your favourite venues all at once, and can save you lots of time. 

The VenueScanner for Business team can also support larger or more complex briefs, helping you source venues, compare options, and save valuable time during the planning process, all at no cost to you. 

Planning an Event and Need Help Finding a Venue?

Pickle connects EAs, PAs, and operations teams with the tools and knowledge to do their jobs more confidently.

The more repeatable your process becomes, the easier it is to confidently plan events anywhere. We’ve even created a remote event planning cheat sheet for you to download.