Food event locations

When I took my Special Event Management Course one of the first rules to Event planning is Location.  Just like Real Estate, in Events is all about Location, Location, Location.   When is it time to re evaluate your venue location... umm maybe when people that have paid to get in can't get in because there are too many people.  That might be a good time to rethink it unless you like to see people walk away dissappointed like I did at the Toronto Underground Market which was held at the Evergreen Brickworks.   I finally had a chance to go and check it out but I was going there from another event at the Distillery District so I was driving there.  I got there before 7 pm and drove all through the parking lot and couldn't find a parking spot.   I stopped in the zip car spot while my friend attempted to see what she could do.   She spoke to one of the event staff who told her that we should drive away and back to where the shuttle departed from and then take the shuttle to the event and then have to return by shuttle.  That process would probably waste at least another half an hour if the shuttle departed right away.  By the time we drove around there were already about 50 plus people in line trying to get into the event and the actual enclosed event was jam packed.    Keep in mind that this is a ticketed entrance fee event that you have to pre purchase tickets for at a cost of $10 and that doesn't include parking or the cost of food.   It hardly seems worth it to pay a fee to stand in line for an hour to get into an event that you had to also drive around and find and pay for parking only to then stand in lineups to get and pay for your food.   You could probably just go to some of the vendors restaurants where you can park and order stuff that will be served to you at a table.   I couldn't even gather if there was any seating at this event even.     This is an extremely popular event where the entrance tickets get sold out within days.  It's like an exclusive club you want to get in to but have to stand in a lineup on a cold day and hope the bouncer lets you in.   Maybe I am getting too old to waste my time at an event like that and decided that my time was a lot more valuable than the $10 I wasted buying the entrance ticket.   I won't be going back and think it may be time for other people to make some changes in food events if this is the way of the future.

I may decide to finally put my Event Management Certificate to good use and construct a better event.   Who knows...

so if you have lots of time and money to waste you can try and go to the next TUM event and see if you get in.   Tip... don't take your car.   http://yumtum.ca/