A site-visit checklist from a production company that works Colorado rooms every week. The
questions below are the ones that change a budget or a floor plan after the contract is
signed — vendor policy, real capacity, power, rigging, load-in, and the cost model. Every one
of them maps to a field on the 453 venue profiles in this directory, where it
is either confirmed or marked ask us.
1. Vendor policy — the question most venue lists skip
This is the one field that moves a budget by a five-figure line item, and the one most directories omit. Ask it first, and ask for it in writing.
Can we bring our own AV and production team?
Answers range from "welcome" to "in-house exclusive". Exclusive means their rate card is your AV budget; "preferred" often means a supervision or facility fee on top of an outside crew. Get the policy on paper before you compare venues.
If in-house AV is preferred, what exactly is the fee for using an outside crew?
A flat "patch fee", a percentage, or nothing — the answer decides whether an outside quote is even comparable.
Can we bring our own caterer, or is there an approved list or in-house-only rule?
Approved lists are fine if your caterer is on them; in-house-only usually comes with a food-and-beverage minimum. Ask what the minimum is and whether AV or room rental counts toward it.
Is there a house sound system, and are we allowed to plug into it?
Some rooms let you use the house PA for a fee; others require their tech to run it. Either is workable — surprise is not.
2. Capacity — by layout, not by brochure
A single capacity number hides the layout it assumes. The number that matters is the one for your seating plan, minus the stage, screens, and registration you have to fit in the same room.
What is the capacity for our layout — theater, rounds of eight or ten, classroom, reception?
Rounds cut theater capacity roughly in half; classroom cuts it further. A room sold as "300" is often 300 theater and 150 at rounds.
Does that number include space for a stage, screens, camera positions and a registration table?
Production takes floor. A 16-foot-wide screen at the front of a ballroom removes a row or two of seats; a camera riser at the back removes another.
What is the ceiling height, and is it the same across the whole room?
Screens, lighting trusses and projection throw all need height. Chandeliers and soffits lower the usable ceiling well below the quoted figure.
3. The technical facts a production crew asks on the site visit
These decide whether a room can host your format at all. Ask them even if you plan to use in-house AV — the answers tell you what you're paying for.
Where is the power, and how much? Dedicated circuits or wall outlets?
Lighting and video need clean, dedicated power; sharing a circuit with the coffee station drops a stream. Ask for the panel location and whether a tie-in is allowed.
Are there rigging points, and who is allowed to rig?
Hanging screens, lights or a projector needs certified points and often the venue's rigger. No points means everything goes on floor stands, which costs floor space and sightlines.
Is there a dedicated hardline internet connection for streaming, and what upload speed does the venue commit to in writing?
Hotel guest Wi-Fi is not a broadcast link. A hybrid event needs a wired line with a real upload figure, not "high-speed internet".
How is the room lit, and can the house lights be dimmed by zone?
Presentations need the stage lit and the screens dark; a room that only does "all on / all off" fights you all day.
What does the room sound like when the HVAC is running, and is there a shared wall with another event?
Air-handler roar and a wedding band next door are both audible on a recording. Ask to stand in the room with the system running.
4. Load-in, hours and the day-of logistics
Most cost overruns come from access, not from the room. Load-in windows, docks, elevators and union rules are all things a venue knows and rarely volunteers.
When can we load in and when must we strike — and what does an extra hour cost?
A 6 a.m. load-in for a 9 a.m. start is a production reality; a venue that opens at 8 makes it impossible or expensive.
Is there a loading dock, a freight elevator and a path to the room without stairs?
Road cases don't climb. If the only route is a passenger elevator through the lobby, plan for time and a scuffed carpet clause.
Are there union or in-house labor requirements for load-in, rigging or electrical?
Some Denver venues require house labor for specific tasks. It's fine — it just has to be in the budget before you sign.
Is there storage for cases during the event, and secure overnight storage for multi-day programs?
Empty cases need to live somewhere that isn't the back of the room.
What is the parking situation for crew, and is there a vehicle bay for a production truck?
Downtown venues may have neither; a shuttle plan or a nearby lot becomes a line item.
5. The money questions — asked before the proposal, not after
Ask for the full cost model, not the room rate. Venues price in different currencies: rental, food-and-beverage minimums, service charges, labor, overtime.
Is this a room rental, a food-and-beverage minimum, or both — and what counts toward the minimum?
The same venue can be cheap as a rental and expensive as a minimum, depending on your format.
What service charges, taxes and administrative fees are added, and to which lines?
A 22–25% service charge on F&B is common; applied to AV it changes the comparison.
What insurance certificate do you need from us and from our vendors?
COI requirements with specific coverage limits are standard; your outside AV crew will need to provide one too.
What are the deposit, payment and cancellation terms, and what happens if the headcount changes?
Attrition clauses on room blocks and guarantees on F&B are where flexibility lives or dies.
6. The one-page checklist
Print this, or paste it into the venue email. A venue that answers all of it in writing is a venue you can budget.
Can we bring our own AV and production team?
If in-house AV is preferred, what exactly is the fee for using an outside crew?
Can we bring our own caterer, or is there an approved list or in-house-only rule?
Is there a house sound system, and are we allowed to plug into it?
What is the capacity for our layout — theater, rounds of eight or ten, classroom, reception?
Does that number include space for a stage, screens, camera positions and a registration table?
What is the ceiling height, and is it the same across the whole room?
Where is the power, and how much? Dedicated circuits or wall outlets?
Are there rigging points, and who is allowed to rig?
Is there a dedicated hardline internet connection for streaming, and what upload speed does the venue commit to in writing?
How is the room lit, and can the house lights be dimmed by zone?
What does the room sound like when the HVAC is running, and is there a shared wall with another event?
When can we load in and when must we strike — and what does an extra hour cost?
Is there a loading dock, a freight elevator and a path to the room without stairs?
Are there union or in-house labor requirements for load-in, rigging or electrical?
Is there storage for cases during the event, and secure overnight storage for multi-day programs?
What is the parking situation for crew, and is there a vehicle bay for a production truck?
Is this a room rental, a food-and-beverage minimum, or both — and what counts toward the minimum?
What service charges, taxes and administrative fees are added, and to which lines?
What insurance certificate do you need from us and from our vendors?
What are the deposit, payment and cancellation terms, and what happens if the headcount changes?
Shortlist rooms that already answer these
Every profile in the finder shows the vendor policy, catering policy and capacity band we could confirm — and says ask us where we couldn't.
Browse by region, by venue type, or filter the full directory.
Want a second pair of eyes on a site visit?
Earth Coast Productions walks Colorado rooms for clients every week — power, rigging, sightlines, and what the AV policy does to your budget — before you sign.