Whether you’re trying to find a venue for your daughter’s Sweet 16, or a place for your band to play, or a stadium for your touring show, finding the right venue can be tough. We know. We’ve been there! To help you out, we tapped some of the best and brightest minds here at the Brown Paper Tickets HQ to come up with a checklist of everything that needs to be considered when scoping out venues for your event. Download the checklist (PDF) here.

We’ve broken venue considerations into three categories: Specifications, Amenities and Logistics.

Specifications: When looking at the specifications of a venue, walk through the process as if a time-lapsed version of event night. Where do you load in? Where will the stage be? Where are the outlets? Will it be standing room only, or will there be seating? Is it big enough? Too small?

TIP: We’ve found that with any kind of event, a big crowd in a small room is always better than a small crowd in a big room. Patrons feel more comfortable around people and are more likely to participate or mingle. Big rooms with not many people can feel isolating and cold.

Amenities: Nice to have, but not every venue provides them. Think of amenities as extras. Different venues have different extras. Find out what those extras are, and identify which are most important to you. Are you looking for a venue for a band showcase? Ask if the venue provides the staff to check I.D.s and bouncers (just in case). Maybe you’ll have to staff some of these positions yourself. It’s better to know ahead of time rather than getting stuck working the door at your own event. When touring a facility, look around. Go in all the rooms. Do you need coat check? Is a huge, stocked backstage important to you? Is it important the bathrooms are graffiti free? Look around for these things.

Logistics: Like everything else, venues are a business. They have policies, fees, and restrictions. Find out what these are before signing the contract. When will you get paid out? If you need to pay performers that night, find out if you get paid from the door that night. Show needs to get canceled? Make sure you know your venue’s cancellation policy. There’s nothing worse than having to cancel a show but still pay for the venue in full. All venues have fees of some sort. Ask about them outright and request a printed list of all possible fees. It’s better to know ahead of time than to be surprised.

With so much to keep in mind while checking out a venue, it’s easy to forget something. Print out this checklist (PDF) and take it along with you. Need more help picking out a venue? Contact our Venue Specialist, Connor! He can help identify some of the venues in your area. He can be reached at Connor@BrownPaperTickets.com.