Every creche that runs smoothly on the day was planned weeks before anyone set out the toy boxes. The single most useful habit you can build into that planning is a proper conversation with the venue team — the people who know which fire door sticks, when the cleaners arrive, and whether the sockets in the corner actually work.

Book a Site Visit, Not Just a Phone Call

Floor plans and booking confirmations tell you very little about how a room will feel with twelve toddlers, three staff and a buggy park in it. Wherever possible, visit in person at a similar time of day to your event. If that isn't realistic — say you're running a creche in Inverness on Saturday and another in Dumfries the following weekend — ask the venue for photographs and a video walk-through of the exact room.

Come with a checklist and take notes you can share with your team. Confirm who your named venue contact will be on the day, and get a mobile number rather than a general reception line. Ask whether that person will be on site for the whole event, or whether shifts change mid-afternoon.

Access Times and the Venue's Day

Your booking may say nine o'clock, but that rarely means you can drive up at nine and start unloading. Ask specifically:

• What time can we access the room for setup, and is there an earlier slot if we set up the night before?
• Is another event using this space immediately beforehand, and how long does their turnaround take?
• When do cleaners come in, and by what time must our equipment be out?
• Is there a service lift or loading entrance we can book, and does it need a key or fob?
• Who do we call out of hours if an alarm sounds or a door won't open?

Allow far more setup time than feels necessary. Setting out soft play, checking toys, wiping surfaces and sorting registration takes longer than most people expect, especially in an unfamiliar room.

Space, Layout and the Things You Can't Move

Ask for the room's dimensions in metres rather than a description like "seats forty". A room that hosts forty seated delegates may be awkward for a creche once you've factored in a nappy changing area, a quiet sleep corner and a buggy park.

Walk the space with your layout in mind. Are there fixed pews, a stage, a bar, or a grand piano you cannot shift? Is the floor carpeted or hard? Hard floors need mats for the youngest babies. Do the windows open, and are there blackout blinds if naps are on the agenda? Are there child-height toilets, or will you be supervising visits to adult facilities?

Ask what you may and may not attach to walls — many venues in Scotland's older buildings have heritage restrictions, so plan on freestanding signage and screens rather than tape and pins. Confirm which furniture the venue will provide, and whether you may move it yourself or need a member of their team to do so.

Power, Water and Practical Facilities

Count the sockets and check their locations before you commit to a layout. Ask how many are on each circuit, whether extension leads are permitted, and whether the venue requires any portable appliance testing evidence for your equipment. A slow cooker, a bottle warmer and a sound system on one circuit is a recipe for a tripped breaker.

If you're warming bottles or serving food, confirm access to a kitchenette with a sink, running hot water and a fridge where milk can be stored and labelled. Ask whether a microwave is available and whether the venue is happy for you to use it. Check where the nearest accessible toilet and baby change facility are, and whether there's somewhere discreet for a staff break.

Catering, Allergies and Food Storage

If the venue's catering team is providing food, ask early — ideally a fortnight ahead — about child-sized portions, allergen information and a nut-free approach. You'll need a clear process for recording dietary requirements and allergies at booking, and for making sure the right plate reaches the right child.

Ask where children will eat, whether the venue will store and label food for you, and what notice they need for final numbers. Where you're bringing your own snacks, confirm this is acceptable and where they can be kept. Keep hot drinks for adults well away from the creche area, ideally in a separate room — a jug of tea at toddler height is the most common avoidable incident at any event.

Parking, Drop-Off and Weather Contingencies

Ask about a designated drop-off point that keeps parents off a busy road, and about the nearest loading bay or short-stay space for unloading your kit. In Edinburgh and Glasgow city centres, parking is tight enough that a fifteen-minute bay makes a real difference. For rural venues, check the access road and whether it is gritted in winter.

Scottish weather deserves its own plan. Where is the covered entrance, and is there somewhere dry for children to wait? If outdoor play is part of your day, agree in advance what conditions would move it indoors. Finally, walk the fire evacuation route with venue staff, agree an assembly point, and think through how you would move babies and non-walking children quickly. Ask to see their risk assessment and share yours — a venue that has read it in advance is a venue that will help you on the day.