Most Charlotte event hosts walk into a venue tour with one question in mind: “Is it pretty?” Here is every other question hosts should be asking and the red flags most people miss until it’s too late.
When you look at an event space or venue, you’re likely looking at aesthetics: the accent walls, the natural light, and where the bar will go. When I look at an event space, I’m looking for missing electrical faceplates, the expiration date on the fire extinguishers, and the capacity limit stamped on the Fire Marshal’s permit.
I spent two years working as a Environmental Health Specialist in Tennessee (A.K.A. a health inspector), walking into food service establishments and public facilities and asking the kinds of questions most people never think to ask. I then moved to North Carolina and worked as an OSHA compliance officer, looking at workplaces through the lens of what could go wrong and what business owners did or did not do to prevent injuries and illnesses.
Even a few months into my new career as an event planner, I have seen beautiful venues fail to maintain basic safety standards, and I’ve heard stories of event hosts getting burned in the process. I’ve personally seen event spaces with no posted occupancy limit, daisy-chained extension cords running under tables, and floors and bathrooms that had not been cleaned since the last event. Meanwhile, the venue’s photos on Instagram didn’t show any of that.
When I became the certified event planner of Ovation Event Solutions, I didn’t lose the inspector’s eye I had built through my career. Every venue I work with or recommend is always evaluated through it. And in this series, I am handing my clipboard over to you, so when you’re planning your wedding, birthday, community event, or corporate gathering, you know exactly what to look for, what to ask, and when to walk away.
This first post covers the foundation: whether a venue can legally, safely, and practically host your event. Everything else like how beautiful it is, how convenient the parking is, whether the vibes are right is secondary to this – let’s put a pin in those concepts and revisit them in a future week. If a venue fails this safety and logistical test, your decor, music, and food won’t save your event.
I want you to remember that your evaluation of a venue starts before you park and step out of the car. As an OSHA compliance officer trying to figure out where to go to find live construction violations happening near me, the first step my colleagues and I took was opening the terrain view in Google Maps and searching for patches of land with red “scars” (usually indicative of acres of clear-cut land where new communities would be built). Were some sites already built by the time we drove by? Of course! Were real safety violations happening sometimes? Absolutely! Regardless of the end result, always take time to do research before committing to visit anywhere in-person.
As a host, you likely found your prospective venue by Googling “event spaces near me” and scrolling through potential event spaces on sites like Peerspace or Eventective. Maybe, if you were really curious, you read through some of the Google or Yelp reviews and took notes. However, I’ll tell you right now (from experience) that you can still be mislead and misinformed. Always, always, ALWAYS book a tour to see the space before you sign anything. Okay, let’s dive in.
1. Physical Safety: Can your guests actually get in and get out safely?
This section is where most hosts overlook, usually because venue tours happen during the day with no guests present. You’re seeing the space at its absolute best. It’s clean, it’s lit, and it’s mostly empty. However, your event will likely happen at night, at capacity, with some guests who may have mobility limitations, and with the chaos of an active celebration in progress. Before you go through the front door, ask yourself these questions:
“Can guests easily find the venue from the street?“
Is the address clearly marked? Is the entrance visible from the parking area? Are there signs if the entrance is non-obvious? At night, will first-time visitors be confused? Pull up the Google Maps directions yourself and note where they would send someone who has never been there before.
🚩 Red flag: Venues in industrial parks, alleys, or secondary building entrances with no visible street signage. While they’re great for parking and reduced chances of noise violations, they aren’t so great for guests trying to be there on-time.
“Is the entrance ADA accessible?“
If any of your guests use a wheelchair, walker, or have mobility limitations, the path from parking to entrance to event space must be free of stairs, high thresholds, or uneven surfaces. This is not a nice-to-have. It is a legal requirement under the Americans with Disabilities Act for places of public accommodation. Ask specifically: “Is your entrance and event space fully ADA compliant?”
🚩 Red flag: Steps at the entrance with no visible ramp, narrow doorways, or bathroom facilities that cannot accommodate a wheelchair.
“Is the lighting adequate at night?“
In your mind, imagine walking from the farthest edge of the parking area to the entrance path. Are there lights? Are they functional? Poorly lit parking lots are a safety and liability concern, particularly for events that end late.
“Are emergency exits clearly marked and unobstructed?“
This is a fire code requirement. Emergency exit signs must be illuminated and visible. Exit doors must open outward and must not be blocked by decoration, furniture, or equipment at any point during the event. As your decorator and planner, this is something I check during every setup, but you should look for it during your venue tour as well.
🚩 Red flag: Exit signs that are off or missing, doors that are propped with furniture, or layouts that block the path to any exit.
“Is there security, and who is responsible for providing it?“
For events with alcohol, large guest counts, or ticketed admissions, security is not optional. Security is a responsible hosting standard. Ask if the venue provides security staff and whether it is required by their contract. If security is optional, ask if it’s allowed and who is responsible for arranging it. If you provide your own security, mention this to the venue coordinator and ask if they have policies or restrictions on weapons being present while on-site.
When you’re finally beginning your tour, imagine walking through the venue as your least mobile guest, and go slooooooow. Ask your guide any of the questions above if you’re unsure of the answers.
2. The Legal Foundation: Can this venue legally hold your event?
Before you fall in love with a space, you need to confirm that it is legally permitted to operate for the type of event you are planning at the guest count you are expecting. This is not pessimism. This is the question that prevents you from hosting 150 people in a building that is only permitted for 49.
Ask the venue directly:
“Can you show me your Certificate of Occupancy and your posted occupancy limit for the specific room or space we are considering?”
A Certificate of Occupancy (CO) is issued by Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement and confirms that a building has been inspected and approved for its intended use. The occupancy limit on that certificate is a fire and life safety number. It is not a suggestion. If your guest count exceeds it, you are creating a legal and safety liability that falls on both the venue and on you as the event organizer.
To explain exactly what I mean, here is a documentary on exactly what can happen when occupancy limits are ignored and fire accidentally breaks out.
If the venue has a posted CO and their occupancy limit comfortably covers your guest count: Proceed with caution.
If the venue cannot produce a CO or is vague about their occupancy limit: Request the document in writing before signing anything. A legitimate venue will not hesitate to provide it.
If the occupancy limit is at or below your guest count: This is a hard stop. Do not negotiate around it. An over-capacity event is a fire code violation and a personal liability.
One of the most overlooked safety items in any event space is the fire extinguisher. Every event space is required to have charged and accessible fire extinguishers. When you tour a venue, look for them. Are they mounted visibly? Is the pressure gauge in the green zone? Is the inspection tag current (Have they have been professionally inspected within the last year?) An expired or uncharged fire extinguisher in an event space is a code violation. If you see one, it tells you the venue is not staying current on their safety inspections. And you should be thinking to yourself, “What else they are not staying current on?”
3. Operational Reality: Does the venue actually operate the way they say they do?
This is the section where the inspector in me really comes out . The operational reality of a venue is rarely visible during a sales tour. It is revealed in the questions you ask and the answers you get. Sprinkle some of these questions in while you’re there:
“When were the bathrooms last cleaned, and by whom?“
This is not a rude question. It is a reasonable one. Ask to see the bathrooms during your tour. Check the grout lines, the fixtures, the soap dispensers, and the trash. A venue that does not maintain its bathrooms between tours is not maintaining them between events. Also, check and see if they have a Spill Kit and First Aid Kit available.
🚩 Red flag: Visible mold around fixtures, empty soap dispensers, trash cans that are full, or a coordinator who seems surprised or defensive when you ask to see the bathrooms.
“Who is your venue coordinator on the day of the event, and what (else) are they responsible for?“
This is one of the most important questions you can ask and one of the least asked. Many small independent venues are operated by a single person who is simultaneously the owner, the venue coordinator, the bartender, and the cleanup crew. If that person is your only point of contact on the day of your event, you need to understand their full scope of responsibility before you sign. A venue coordinator who is also pouring drinks at the bar is not available to help you solve a vendor problem, respond to an emergency, or manage a situation on your behalf.
🚩 Red flag: “I handle everything” without further detail. Press them. “If you are bartending during my event and a vendor has a problem at the loading dock, who handles that?” The answer will tell you everything.
“What is your cleaning and sanitation process between events?“
If your event is on a Saturday and another event ended Friday night, how are the tables, linens (if provided), and common areas cleaned before your guests arrive? Do they use a professional cleaning service or does staff clean? What is the turnaround window between events?
🚩 Red flag: “We do a quick clean between events” with no detail about what that means or who does it.
“Walk me through your electrical setup.“
This is where my OSHA background is most directly relevant to event planning. Daisy-chaining extension cords (connecting multiple extension cords in sequence) is a fire hazard and a serious OSHA violation. Outlet faceplates that are missing, cracked, or improperly installed are real electrical hazards. Ask the venue coordinator to walk you through where your vendors will plug in DJ equipment, catering warmers, and decoration lighting. Ask how many circuits are available and what the amperage is.
🚩 Hard stop: Visible daisy-chained extension cords during your tour, missing outlet faceplates, power strips with multiple heavy-draw appliances plugged in, or a coordinator who is unfamiliar with their electrical setup.
The electrical standard that matters most for event spaces is no daisy-chaining. An extension cord is designed to run from an outlet to a single device, not from an outlet to a power strip to another extension cord to another power strip. Each connection point in a daisy chain is a potential failure point and a potential fire ignition point due to heat buildup. I have seen this in event venues, covered by tablecloths so it is not visible during setup.
4. The Community Question: Will your guests be genuinely welcomed here?
This section really hits home for me. Ovation Event Solutions is a wife-and-wife led, LGBTQ+ owned-and-operated business. The communities we serve (LGBTQ+ couples, families of color, immigrant communities, first-generation celebration hosts) have all been made to feel unwelcome in certain spaces. Sometimes overtly, but more often in small, difficult-to-articulate ways.
I ask venues about community directly. Not because I am looking for a rehearsed diversity statement, but really because I’m looking for evidence. Here’s some questions to throw-in during the walk:
“Tell me about the communities you typically serve.“
This is an open question. Are the examples they give diverse? Do they speak with genuine familiarity about different types of celebrations — quinceañeras, Nigerian weddings, same-sex ceremonies, Eid celebrations, Juneteenth events? Or do they describe a narrow, homogeneous client base?
“We will be bringing [your guest community]. Has the venue hosted similar celebrations before?“
Be specific. “We are planning a same-sex wedding.” “Our guest list is predominantly Black and Nigerian-American.” “We will have guests who speak Amharic and Spanish.” Watch the reaction. A genuinely welcoming venue will not pause or recalibrate. They will speak to their experience naturally.
🚩 Red flag: Hesitation, over-reassurance, or a sudden shift to discussing policies rather than experience.
“Are you money-motivated or mission-motivated?“
You will not ask this one directly. But each of the questions asked until this point should give you a good clue about the answer. A money-motivated venue owner is primarily concerned with maximizing revenue from the space. They will push add-ons, be inflexible on terms, and become difficult or absent when problems arise in the moment. A mission-motivated venue coordinator is invested in your event’s success because it reflects on them. The difference is observable in how they conduct the tour, how they answer your questions, and whether they are still engaged after you ask about the bathrooms and the electrical load.
5. Contract Clauses Gone MIA
Venue contracts are written by the venue, for the venue first and for you second. Your job as the host is to read every word and press on every ambiguity before you sign and pay a deposit. Once the deposit clears, your leverage to make changes decreases significantly. Ask:
“Does your contract define “ticketed events” as restricted or requiring separate approval?“
Many venue contracts contain language that restricts or prohibits ticketed events, public events, or events that involve a ticket purchase or entry fee. If you are planning a birthday party where guests pay for their own ticket, a community fundraiser, or any event with paid admission, read this section carefully. Some venues classify any event where money changes hands at the door as a “commercial event” requiring separate licensing with the county and a potentially different fee structure with the venue.
“What is your force majeure clause, and what does it actually cover?“
Force majeure means “superior force”. It is the contract clause that addresses what happens when an unforeseeable event prevents the agreement from being fulfilled. Ask the venue if it cover power outages, flooding, or other situations (like police encounters) where the venue loses its operating permit. Does it cover a scenario where the venue coordinator is ill or unavailable on your event day? The COVID-19 pandemic taught every event host in the world that force majeure clauses matter. Read yours.
🚩 Red flag: a force majeure clause that applies to the venue’s inability to perform but contains no provision for your refund if they cancel.
“If the venue fails to deliver what was promised, what is your refund policy?“
This is not about your cancellation. This is about theirs. What happens if the venue is not set up correctly on your event day? What if the air conditioning fails in August? What if the sound system they promised is not operational? What if the previous event ran late and your setup window is compromised? What remedy do you have? Pressure them on this. A venue that cannot answer clearly is telling you they have not thought about it, which means they have not planned for it either.
🚩 Red flag: The owner responds, “We do not offer refunds under any circumstances” as a blanket policy. A professional venue should have a documented process for vendor-side failures. Some owners think they’re just selling space. Smart owners know they’re also selling integrity and security.
🚩 Red Flag Summary
- Cannot produce Certificate of Occupancy
- Verbally stated occupancy limit changes based on your event
- Visible daisy-chained extension cords and/or damaged receptacle outlets
- Missing or expired fire extinguisher tags
- Single operator doing everything — especially bartending
- Defensive when asked about bathrooms or cleaning procedures & timelines
- No force majeure refund provision for venue failures
- Hesitation or over-reassurance when you describe your community
- No clear answer on who manages day-of problems
✅Green Flag Summary
- CO and occupancy limit produced without hesitation
- Dedicated event coordinator separate from bartending staff
- Clean bathrooms visible during unscripted tour moment
- Charged fire extinguishers with current inspection tags
- Clear electrical layout with no daisy-chaining
- Speaks naturally about diverse client communities
- Contract includes remedy provisions for venue-side failures
- Can answer your questions without consulting anyone else
The right venue will answer every question in this post without hesitation. They will not be surprised that you are asking. They will not be defensive. A venue that has been operating professionally knows these questions are reasonable and expects them from informed hosts.
If a venue coordinator is bothered by the questions in this post, consider what that reveals about how they will handle things when your event is in-progress and something goes wrong.
Next in this series: Part 2 covers alcohol and liquor licensing, BYOB policies, and what to know about the ABC permit before your guests arrive. Part 3 covers technology, AV systems, and the electrical standards every Charlotte event host should understand.
Are you planning a Charlotte celebration? Let us vet the venue with you.
Ovation Event Solutions offers vetted venue sourcing as part of all planning package and as a standalone consultation through The Assistant at $125/hour. You don’t have to do this alone. You bring your vision, and we’ll bring our clipboard.
Zepher Barber AKA “Inspector Z”, Co-Founder and Event Planner, Ovation Event Solutions | Charlotte, NC | ovationeventsolutions.com | Former Environmental Health Specialist, Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County Government | Former OSHA Compliance Officer, North Carolina
