Switching issues up sometimes is vital, even for occasion organizers and company planners. Whether or not you’re employed in public, personal, or company occasions, altering the surroundings can go away occasion attendees feeling refreshed and impressed. So, if you happen to’re on the lookout for distinctive occasion venues that provide one thing new and thrilling, you’ve come to the fitting place. This information explores the fantastic world of non-traditional occasion venues and their limitless potentialities.
What makes a venue actually distinctive? The place do planners discover one-of-a-kind occasion areas? How do you’re employed with unorthodox venues? We reply these questions and extra as we discover numerous surprising locations, like stadiums and aquariums, and look at how they’ll function distinctive occasion venues.
Uncover why you must think about distinctive occasion venues in your subsequent perform
Earlier than diving into specific places and the occasions they host, let’s take a more in-depth have a look at what makes some venues genuinely distinctive. How are they completely different from different forms of occasion venues, like motels and convention facilities?
What makes a venue distinctive?
Many companies—just a few of which can shock you—double as distinctive occasion venues. Whereas a few of these locations primarily perform as occasion venues (that won’t look or function like normal venues), different companies on our checklist host occasions as a secondary service.
For instance, the Home of Everlasting Return in Santa Fe, New Mexico, operates as an occasion venue, however its artistry and design make it utterly distinctive. Famed writer George R.R. Martin (Recreation of Thrones) bought a vacant bowling alley and leased it to a staff of greater than 130 artistic professionals. The artists labored collectively to design the Home of Everlasting Return, one of many world’s most original and artistically spectacular occasion areas—a venue that slips by time, house, and nature.
Different distinctive occasion venues, just like the places on our checklist, primarily function as one other enterprise, providing occasion companies on the aspect. Aquariums, artwork galleries, botanical gardens, and comedian e book outlets are just some examples of distinctive venues that present occasion house as a secondary service. Though a comic book e book retailer’s first objective is to promote comedian books, many recurrently host native occasions, touring bands, and different occasions.
9 distinctive occasion venues planners ought to learn about
When you’re artistic sufficient, you may host an occasion nearly anyplace. The checklist of distinctive occasion venue choices is huge, however planners are additionally restricted by their location and what’s in it. Though particular choices might differ from place to position, think about internet hosting your subsequent occasion at non-traditional venues you’re prone to discover close by, like—
- Eating places and bars
When you might already think about eating places and bars the right locations to fulfill family and friends, they can be wonderful places for conferences, enterprise lunches, personal events, and different occasions. Some eateries have separate areas, like banquet rooms, devoted to internet hosting personal occasions; others might supply a separate flooring, patio house, bar space, or all the restaurant for bookings. With built-in décor and the kitchen shut by, internet hosting at a restaurant might help reduce prices whereas guaranteeing the meals arrives piping scorching.
- Nightclubs
Are you on the lookout for someplace somewhat extra titillating than a conventional bar or restaurant? If that’s the case, think about reserving a nightclub in your subsequent occasion. Along with dance house and loud music, nightclubs can accommodate a broad spectrum of occasions, from unique personal events and company retreats to high-energy reunions and close-knit neighborhood features.
- Museums
Boasting educated, skilled employees and expansive indoor areas, museums are fabulous venues for internet hosting numerous occasions, together with events, seminars, conferences, and fundraising occasions, like galas and auctions. Moreover, each museum is exclusive, holding completely different artwork or artifacts. Due to their individuality, museums supply an incomparable occasion environment.
- Historic places
Impress shoppers and occasion attendees by choosing a venue with a wealthy, highly effective historical past. Historic places, like protected landmarks and century-old estates, are unbelievable places to host neighborhood meals, personal company features, weddings, and different occasions. Show your in-depth vacation spot experience whereas offering company with an unforgettable and impactful occasion expertise.
- Artwork galleries
Artwork galleries are distinctive, fashionable, and classy places to host after-work occasions, resembling networking mixers, pleased hours, and much more elevated features, like black-tie galas and charity auctions. For recurring occasions, search for artwork galleries with rotating reveals to maintain issues recent and thrilling. You additionally received’t have to fret about adorning the house!
- Aquariums
Along with being entertaining and academic sights, most aquariums host particular occasions. From numerous company occasions, together with vacation events and team-building classes, to non-public features, like vow renewals and birthday celebrations, aquariums are versatile and distinctive occasion venues with tons to supply.
- Stadiums
While you consider attending a stadium occasion, you may image a crowded soccer sport or live performance. Whereas most stadium arenas can be found for reserving—at remarkably excessive charges—they often maintain smaller, specialised occasion areas throughout the stadium as properly. Extremely various venues, a single stadium might have an auditorium, boardrooms, eating places, and different specialised occasion areas.
- Amusement parks
When you’re trying to find a enjoyable place to host a retreat, household reunion, company convention, or tradeshow, look no additional than the closest amusement park. Providing meals, enjoyable, and festivities, they provide the whole lot you want for an epic occasion.
- Public areas
Are you on the lookout for a venue that’s accessible and inexpensive? If that’s the case, think about reserving a low-cost public house. Reserve public gardens for a marriage, plan an organization picnic in your native park, or rope off just a few streets in your neighborhood for neighborhood occasions. Contact your native parks division to test availability, reserving insurance policies, and occasion restrictions.
Why ought to planners e book distinctive occasion venues?
From environment and measurement to location and value, planners e book non-traditional venues for a lot of causes. Along with having access to distinctive house and sources, selecting a non-traditional venue in your subsequent occasion might—
- Saves you cash. Conference facilities, full-service motels, and related places are go-to occasion venues for a lot of, and their pricing displays the demand. Reserving a non-traditional venue might help reduce prices, particularly if they’ll meet your vendor wants. For instance, reserving a restaurant for a rehearsal dinner or company convention might help save on extra prices incurred from buying outdoors catering.
- Make sourcing simpler. Throughout wedding ceremony season, the vacations, and different high-demand occasion durations, it’s a lot tougher to search out an inexpensive venue with availability. By considering outdoors the field and redefining what an occasion venue could be, planners have a significantly better probability of discovering an obtainable, inexpensive, and unforgettable host—even in the course of the busiest seasons.
- Impress your shoppers. Whether or not you’re a marriage or company occasion planner, you may pleasantly please shoppers by exhibiting them occasion areas they weren’t anticipating. Make a robust impression by proving your self an skilled on all issues native; safe your home because the go-to individual for distinctive venue concepts, restaurant suggestions, and different hidden gems.
- Create a extra memorable occasion expertise. Sitting in the identical assembly room week after week or attending month-to-month occasions on the similar all 12 months will get boring. Assist your occasions stand out by internet hosting them in new and distinctive places. Combine issues up and guarantee your subsequent particular occasion is further particular by internet hosting it at an amusement park, botanical backyard, or live performance corridor.
How do planners discover distinctive occasion venues?
So, you need to discover a distinctive venue off the crushed path, however the place do you begin? Discovering lesser-known occasion places isn’t at all times simple, however decided planners can discover what they’re on the lookout for by—
- Asking round. Reap the benefits of your native hospitality community and its experience. Ask space planners which venues they recommend, or seize a venue listing that covers your locale. When you’re not sure the place to start out, your native Chamber of Commerce or vacation spot administration group (DMO) might help.
- Utilizing on-line directories. On-line venue directories are a priceless useful resource for sourcing planners. Providing profiles, photographs, and pricing estimates for a spread of potential venues, free sourcing instruments like Cvent Provider Community present all the data planners want to search out their subsequent occasion house. Whereas some directories embody many alternative venue sorts to accommodate a variety of occasions, others tailor their content material to draw particular audiences, like weddings or wellness teams.
- Becoming a member of on-line teams and boards. Search for native occasion teams on social media and discussion board websites, like Fb and Reddit. Seek for group names like “Roanoke occasions” or “Jacksonville hidden gems” to search out neighborhood pages you may be a part of. Ask for recommendation, reply questions, and have interaction with different members to uncover new venues and different insider data.
- Checking networking web sites. Websites like Eventbrite and Meetup make it simple to uncover the place networking occasions happen close to you. Even if you happen to don’t attend the occasions, you may uncover a venue you didn’t know existed.
- Taking note of your environment. Is there a constructing you drive by day by day that makes you assume, “Wow, that place appears so cool. What’s it?” If that’s the case, think about stopping by in the future to ask. They could have further studio house, auditorium seating, or a built-in stage. When you don’t ask, you’ll by no means know.
- Getting out and exploring. Get to know your vacation spot, in and out. Be part of a strolling tour to find components of your metropolis you’ve by no means seen earlier than. Collect a bunch of associates and make it a day-long affair, or spend the day exploring independently.
Ideas for working with distinctive occasion venues
Whether or not reserving a nightclub, stadium, or upscale restaurant in your subsequent occasion, the method might differ from what you’re used to. Comply with these tricks to navigate and streamline the method.
- Decide which venues are greatest suited in your occasion
Establish your important occasion wants so that you don’t waste time falling in love with a charmingly unorthodox venue that may’t accommodate it. Define the fundamentals, then start your search by on the lookout for venues that suit your imaginative and prescient.
- What number of attendees do you anticipate?
- How a lot house do you want?
- Is it a single or multi-day occasion?
- What’s your perfect occasion structure?
- Will you serve meals?
- Tour potential venues
If doable, go to the house in individual to see it up shut. Schedule a tour with the venue’s coordinator, who can spotlight the facilities and traits that make it so distinctive. Distant organizers and long-distance planners will profit from digital excursions, which allow you to finish immersive on-line walkthroughs in photo-realistic 3D. Search for venues that make the most of interactive planning software program, making it simpler to visualise what an occasion will actually appear like, even in an area you’ve visited.
- Create an inventory of inquiries to ask the venue coordinator
It’s simple to get distracted when touring distinctive occasion venues, so take a guidelines or checklist of questions. Write down the whole lot you need to cowl with the venue coordinator, resembling deposit necessities, cancellation insurance policies, setup restrictions, and many others. Right here’s a web site inspection guidelines and planner’s information that can assist you keep on observe and discover the right venue in your occasion.
- Maintain your occasion objectives in thoughts
Search for venues that suit your occasion objectives and targets. How formal or informal is the occasion? Are you internet hosting efficiency evaluations or a vacation get together? Is it for family and friends, residents, or your workplace? Take into consideration the timeline and included actions. Is it a participatory or seated occasion? Will attendees want room to maneuver or dance? The big open areas museums and artwork galleries present are good for neighborhood and networking occasions, whereas restaurant banquet rooms are perfect for extra intimate, private features.
- Evaluate and distinction potential venues
After exploring just a few venues, examine their pricing, facilities, and companies. What makes a specific venue higher suited in your occasion than others? How does it outshine the others? What particular companies does it supply? Is the value proper?
- Focus on venue restrictions
How early does the venue enable occasion organizers to arrange? Are there noise or leisure limitations? Are there any restrictions on foods and drinks outdoors? Focus on all insurance policies and rules intimately earlier than making a remaining choice.
- Select staging and décor that pertains to the venue
Relying on the venue’s inside design and decor, particular setups or décor decisions may look misplaced, so discovering a location that matches your imaginative and prescient for the occasion issues. We additionally suggest looking for places that match your occasion’s elementary themes. When you’re internet hosting a high-energy, technology-focused occasion, a stoic, historic property will not be the most effective location to take action.
- Learn on-line evaluations
Many individuals are uncomfortable voicing their issues or highlighting a problem in individual. As an alternative, many of those people flip to on-line assessment websites like Yelp, Google, and TripAdvisor to explain their experiences. Learn evaluations from former patrons if you’d like an trustworthy, unfiltered look right into a venue’s companies.
Now you know the way to search out and e book distinctive occasion venues!
When you’ve explored among the distinctive venues in your space, you’ll have creative places to host occasions in each season. As your calendar begins to fill, keep forward of the sport by maintaining with different assembly and occasion traits impacting the business this 12 months.
