Article last updated May 2026
Introduction
So, what does an event agency actually do when it comes to venue finding?
At MGN, venue finding is one of the services we offer as part of our wider events expertise. We search, shortlist, and negotiate venues on your behalf, then present a curated shortlist that genuinely fits your brief, guest numbers, budget, and event objectives. For most clients, the service is free because the venue pays the agency a commission once the booking is confirmed, typically around 8%. More on that below.
Now for the honest bit. Finding the right venue is a faff, and it nearly always takes longer than people expect!
You start with a clear brief, then suddenly you’re thirty browser tabs deep after Google and ChatGPT have sent you round in circles. You’re comparing floorplans, questioning whether the space still works once staging and AV go in, wondering if the breakout rooms are actually usable, and trying to work out whether the venue photos are five years out of date.
That’s the part we take off your hands.
We’ve been matching venues to corporate and private events for almost 20 years. You give us the brief: the numbers, location, dates, budget, and the feeling you want people to have when they walk into the room. Then we do the legwork. What comes back is a shortlist that genuinely works, not another pile of maybes.
And we don’t just find the venue and disappear. As a full-service events agency, we can also design, produce and run the whole event if you want us to. Or, if you simply need a brilliant venue and prefer to manage the rest internally, that works too.
How our venue finding service works
Five steps, no fuss.
- The brief. We get to know you, your audience and your event objective: delegate numbers, dates, location, budget, and the feeling you want in the room.
- The search. We draw on almost 20 years of venue relationships across the UK and beyond and do the legwork you do not have time for.
- The shortlist. You get a small curated selection that fits your brief, with the detail that matters: capacity, layout, cost and availability.
- The visits. We arrange and join site visits, and ask the questions that catch people out later, like the hidden setup costs or charges for using heavy power.
- The booking. We negotiate rates and terms on your behalf and hand over a venue that is ready to go.
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Why use a venue finding agency?
Searching for a venue or off-site location yourself is slower and usually more expensive than it looks. A good events agency saves you the hours and often the money too.
- Time back. We do the searching, the calls and the site visits, so your team does not have to.
- Buying leverage. We book venues every week, so we negotiate rates and terms from a stronger position than a one-off booker.
- Impartial advice. We are not tied to any single venue, so the recommendation is the one that fits your brief, not the one with a room to fill.
- Real knowledge. We know which venues photograph well, and which ones actually work on the day.
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How is venue finding free of charge?
Yes. The cost to you is Zero. Zilch. Nada. We promise!
Yes. The cost to you is zero. Zilch. Nada. We promise!
In almost every case, our venue finding is completely free to you. Venue finding agencies are paid a commission by the venue once a booking is confirmed, so the service costs you nothing, and it does not inflate your venue price. The commission comes from the venue’s side, not your budget.
To be completely transparent, that commission is usually around 8% of the total venue hire (8% Net of VAT). Sometimes a venue will offer agents an enhanced commission during quiet periods to help fill dates and when that happens, it’s a chance to grab a deal.
For corporate events, the quieter months tend to be January and August. One catch: if a venue is popular for weddings, you are unlikely to get a deal on an August weekend. These nuances are hard to capture in an article, which is exactly why it pays to speak to an event agency like MGN who specialise in venue sourcing for corporate events.
Because we work with venues right across the market, our advice stays impartial. We put forward the venue that fits your brief, not the one paying the most. And if you want us to manage the wider event too, we will always agree any fees with you up front and in writing.
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Finding a venue abroad
Venues across London, the UK and worldwide
We can find your perfect venue wherever your event needs to be. We know London inside out, from rooftop bars and blank-canvas warehouses to townhouses, members’ clubs and grand livery halls. We have strong relationships in every major UK city, including Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff, Sheffield, Nottingham, Edinburgh and Liverpool. And when a brief calls for somewhere further afield, we have sourced venues across Europe and beyond.
We know the perfect villas in the south of France, to the best hotels in Dubai, conference venues in Las Vegas, and cool locations in New York. Drop our team a message with your brief and we’ll do our best to help!
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- Dubai conference we planned for a Middle East Roadshow for Tech client
- VIP customer event in Cannes, South of France
Venue finding for corporate events
Conference venues, kick off venues, incentive locations, president club locations... You name the event type, we have your location covered.
Most of our venue finding is for corporate teams who need a location that does a job: a conference location that keeps hundreds of delegates engaged, a sales kick-off that sets the tone for the year, a leadership offsite that gets people thinking, a brand activation that earns attention, or a summer or Christmas party that people actually talk about afterwards.
We match the venue to the outcome you are looking to achieve, not just the delegate number. And because our creative and production teams sit in-house, we know early on whether a space can take the staging, AV, power and flow your event will need.
From off-sites groups of 50 to venues for more than 1,000 delegates, we will find the right fit for you and your brief.
Further Reading:
Tip from the venue finding expertsIf you are looking for a venue that holds 800 people, and you find a venue that holds 800 people, be sure to check if the capacity is still 800 when you have included a stage and AV team! Often the main space capacity has to be reduced to include these items, so a tip is to always search for locations slightly larger than your intended group size. 50-100 people more is usually enough.
Kat
Head of Event Management
Why clients choose MGN Events for venue finding
We are a family events business with almost 20 years of event experience, big enough to deliver and small enough to care.
We always like to say we at MGN are creative event partners, not just event organisers, so venue finding is rarely where we stop. Planning, creative, production and management all sit under one roof, with the same team from first brief to final night. That means the venue we find is one we already know we can deliver in.
If you want a venue and nothing more, that is exactly what you will get. If you want a partner to take the whole event off your hands, we are ready for that too.
Tell us about your event and we will start the search. Contact us today
FAQs
1. Is your venue finding service really free?
Yes, in almost every case. The venue pays us a commission when you book, so our venue finding service is free to you and does not add to your venue costs. If you ask us to manage the wider event, we agree any fees with you in advance.
2. How does the venue finding process work?
Five steps: we take your brief, search our network, send a curated shortlist, arrange and join site visits, then negotiate and confirm the booking. You stay in control at every stage and we do the legwork.
3. How quickly will I get venue options?
For most briefs we come back with an initial shortlist within a few working days. If your event is time-sensitive, tell us and we will prioritise it.
4. Which locations do you cover?
London, every major UK city, and international destinations when an event calls for it. We have venue relationships across the whole of the UK and have sourced spaces across Europe and beyond.
5. What types and sizes of event do you find venues for?
Mostly corporate: conferences, sales kick-offs, leadership offsites, brand activations and company parties. We also find venues for premium private celebrations. Capacities range from small boardrooms to venues for more than 1,000 guests.
6. How do you choose which venues to recommend?
We match venues to your brief and your budget, not to whoever pays the highest commission. Because we work across the market, our advice stays impartial, and we check each option for capacity, layout, AV and production fit, access and availability.
7. Can you manage the whole event, not just find the venue?
Yes. We are a full-service creative events agency. Planning, creative, production and management are handled in-house by the same team, so we can take on as much of the event as you want.
8. Do you charge if we do not book a venue?
No. There is no cost and no obligation to use our venue finding service. We would rather find you the right venue and earn the wider event than push something that does not fit.
Mike Walker,
Managing Director
Mike is Managing Director at MGN Events and has spent the last 20+ years helping companies and private clients bring ambitious events to life. From global conferences and all-company festivals to once-in-a-lifetime milestone parties, he’s passionate about combining bold ideas with seamless delivery. Colleagues and clients know Mike for his big-picture thinking and relentless drive…he’s loud on the phone, louder with ideas and never short of a one-liner to keep things fun!
Connect with Mike on LinkedIn
