Hiring an events venue with the benefit of outdoor space may not be your first thought when planning an event. In fact, the utilisation of outdoor space is often overlooked, however, there are a variety of reasons why making outdoor space a feature of your event could prove beneficial for your guests. Read on to find out why.
Indoor and outdoor event spaces - the best of both worlds
It’s easy to forget that having one event incorporating indoor and outdoor space is a viable possibility when event planning. However, there are venues that can offer you the best of both worlds. The most obvious reason for wanting to have this as an option, is the weather!
For instance, choosing to hold an event entirely outdoors, with a venue that doesn’t also have indoor space, could mean your event is at risk of being poorly attended, or even cancelled if the weather is even predicted to be less than ideal on the day.
In contrast, events that are entirely indoors may see a lull in attendee engagement; particularly as the hours go by, due to lack of fresh air, space, eye strain caused by lighting; and even allergies.
The science behind being outdoors
Giving your guests some time outdoors, not only serves to break up their day and provide some variety. There are also a host of health benefits that arise from time in the great outdoors that are now being widely recognized.
Coming in at number one on the list is that your guests can expect an increase in vitamin D levels - even if the weather is cloudy, rather than gloriously sunny. It may only take 10-15 minutes of sun exposure a few times a week to generate all the vitamin D you need.
It also helps boost your creativity, as giving yourself a change of scenery and sensory input can give you the headspace (and literal space) to create fresh new ideas.
There are many additional health benefits that arise from spending time outdoors, such as improved sleep, increased movement, a decrease in poor mental health, and an improved immune system.
In recent years, we have seen an increased awareness and promotion of well-being - making choices for your event that resonate with this can add an additional string to your promotional bow for your event - evidencing your own awareness and commitment to the well-being of your guests.
Outdoor activities to incorporate into your event schedule
Another great benefit to hiring an events venue that has outdoor space is the possibility of different event activities. In addition to your indoor activities, you can excite your guests by having them move location and take part in more energetic activities such as ice breakers, or even physical refreshers in between parts of your programme.
Depending on the running order and format of your corporate event, having additional space for guests to roam and network could prove hugely popular, providing guests with greater space, this may also allow for higher noise tolerance. If your event has fixed seating indoors, providing networking space outdoors may encourage shyer guests to roam more freely, without the pressure of changing seats to speak to someone new.
Unique and unusual entertainment may also be served best outdoors for your guests; for instance, magicians using large-scale props and stilt walkers (to name a few!) may be best enjoyed and viewed in outdoor spaces. At the HAC, we like to save you the trouble of finding the best entertainers, so let our events team know what you would like (or that you are open to suggestions!), and we will do the rest in tandem with our suppliers, who provide the best in entertainment for our events.
An often overlooked consideration when event planning is providing space for guests to enjoy some “quiet time”. While you want guests to be fully engaged for the entirety of your programme, attention spans and concentration fatigue may say otherwise! Provide your guests with some tranquillity, a space to make some private calls or decompress - they will appreciate it!
If you’re planning a product launch, showcase; or even sponsoring an event where some guerilla marketing is planned - a venue with outdoor event space could be the perfect option for you there’s no need to worry about ceiling heights, ventilation, or restrictions due to the heritage status of the building, giving your organisation, and maybe even your sponsors; more room to play with.
Similarly, the value a venue with outdoor space can provide for productions is quite great. Film and TV recordings, as well as photoshoots, can benefit from the diversity of backdrop provided, and even having the option to use rooms to store and protect more sophisticated equipment inside, while filming/shooting outside - minimizing the risk of equipment damage, as well as providing welfare facilities & catering for the team.
Weather contingency
You may be planning an entirely outdoor event, and that could be risky if you don’t have a contingency plan. Imagine going through months of planning, preparing, and promoting your event - only to be let down by the Great British Weather - that would be a shame!
However, choosing to hire a venue that has indoor, as well as outdoor space to expertly utilise can easily resolve that dilemma - allowing your event to go ahead with some minor adjustments if any! Take a look at our gallery to see some of the spectacular indoor and outdoor events we are known for!
If you’re looking for a venue in London with diverse spaces, and a team that can bring your vision to life - get in touch to book your show round and/or hire our venue via email at
