Prepare your venue for winter events

Winter may be considered the “slow season” for events, but it presents a unique opportunity to stand out. With the right atmosphere, comfort touches, and thoughtful winter event planning, your venue can become a cozy and sought-after destination for winter gatherings. From intimate winter weddings and corporate holiday parties to community celebrations and outdoor winter wedding ceremonies, there’s still plenty of business to be had, if your space is ready for it.

Here are a few smart ways to make your venue more welcoming, comfortable, and safe for winter events:

Heat it up

You don’t necessarily need a fireplace to warm up your space, although it’s a nice touch. If your venue is big and difficult to heat, consider placing console heaters inside. Some console heaters are designed to look like a fireplace for added ambiance. For outdoor winter wedding setups or winter event planning that includes exterior spaces, think fire pits, patio heaters, blankets, lanterns, and heated seating.

Fix drafts and retain heat

Seal and insulate windows and doors to prevent drafts and reduce heat loss. Consider thick drapes not only for an elegant look but also to retain heat. Placing rugs in your space can also insulate the floor, an essential step in winter event planning for both indoor and outdoor winter wedding comfort.

Plan strategic seating arrangements

Seating placement plays a big role in guest comfort, especially during winter weddings and seasonal events. Avoid placing chairs or tables near drafty entryways, large windows, or poorly insulated walls. Instead, cluster seating in the warmest areas of the room, and consider adding portable heaters or fireplaces nearby to maintain a cozy atmosphere.

For extra comfort, offer throw blankets or add cushions to hard chairs. A few thoughtful layout choices can make your venue feel warmer, more welcoming, and winter-ready - perfect for any winter event planning strategy.

Create an inviting environment

Every season has elements that make decorating fun, and winter is no different. Low lighting from candles or strands of mini-lights can give a romantic, intimate feel to your space, ideal for winter weddings. Offer your clients crystal icicles, shimmery linens, and silver and gold accents to lend a magical aura. If you’re hosting events around the holidays, it’s the perfect opportunity to decorate your space and entice guests to hold their winter events or outdoor winter wedding celebrations at your venue.

Be prepared for snow

Help ensure your clients that you have a set protocol if Mother Nature decides to dump 8 inches of fresh powder the morning of an event. Your winter event planning checklist should include alternate routes to your venue, emergency response procedures, and your snow removal protocol - plowing, shoveling walks, and applying melting salts prior to the event.

Additionally, provide extra mats to absorb moisture and have a process in place to promptly remove any snow or sleet tracked inside by guests. This helps protect attendees from slipping and falling, ensuring a safe and successful winter wedding or seasonal gathering.

Protect your clients

We hope these tips help you bring in more business during the winter slowdown, and it could be worth mentioning event insurance from Markel as a way for clients to protect their plans.

With seasonal staffing handled, this can be a great opportunity to encourage your clients to explore event insurance. Guiding clients through coverage matters can help ensure their big day is protected, no matter what comes up.

Markel offers event liability insurance to hosts and honorees, to help protect from incidents such as property damage to the venue or injury to a guest. Up to $2 million in event liability insurance can be purchased by your client from Markel any time at least 1 day before the event. Event Liability Policies start as low as $75.

By offering event insurance, it may help protect your clients, but it can also protect you by potentially decreasing your own business liability risk for accidents due to negligence of the event host or honoree. Markel's event liability insurance is an easy and affordable solution for your clients – a free event insurance quote takes only a few minutes online or on the phone – that may help protect your clients.

Free client materials!  We can provide you with free brochures to help raise your clients' awareness of the benefits of event liability insurance.