What to Ask on a Venue Site Visit or Video Walkthrough

Photos can only tell you so much, and a site visit or a live video walkthrough is where you actually catch the details that make or break an event. Here is what to focus on, whether you are there in person or on a call.

Ceiling height and natural light, in person not just in photos

Photos routinely make rooms look bigger and brighter than they are. On a walkthrough, look up at the actual ceiling height, and check how the natural light looks at the time of day your event will actually happen, not just whenever the photos were taken.

Background noise you can't hear in a photo

Ask the person walking you through to pause and let you listen: traffic from a nearby road, sound from a neighbouring unit, HVAC noise. This is one of the biggest gaps between how a space looks and how it actually feels during an event.

Walk the actual layout you're planning, not just the empty room

An empty room looks spacious in almost any photo or video. Ask the venue to talk you through where furniture, a stage, or a dance floor would realistically go for your specific event, so you are judging the space against your actual plan, not its emptiest state.

Check the details that don't show up in a listing at all

Outlet locations, the state of restrooms, whether the walls show wear that a wide-angle photo hides, and the condition of any AV equipment are all worth asking about directly or seeing on camera, since none of these reliably show up in a standard listing.

Ask to see the space at a comparable time to your event

If your event is in the evening, ask for a walkthrough or recent photos taken in the evening, not just daytime shots. Lighting, ambience, and even noise levels can change significantly between day and night at the same venue.

Questions worth asking on every walkthrough

  • What does the space actually sound like during a normal day
  • Where would furniture or equipment realistically be placed for an event like mine
  • Can I see the space at a time of day comparable to my actual event
  • What condition are the restrooms, outlets, and AV equipment in right now
  • Is there anything about this space that doesn't come across well in the listing photos

You can request a video walkthrough for verified venues listed on ShiftsDeal before you commit to a booking.