What makes a convention venue “distinctive?”
Distinctive convention venues aren’t your conventional assembly areas; they stand out. Whereas some venues are actually one-of-kind and actually offbeat, others have one or two distinctive traits that set them aside, similar to:
A number of the most distinctive occasion venues on this planet don’t seem like conventional convention facilities from the skin. Though they give the impression of being and function like separate companies, many breweries, artwork galleries, museums, arcades, and eating places host high-quality company occasions.
Venues that look distinctive are simple to select of a lineup. They seize consideration and draw the viewer’s curiosity. Does your venue function spectacular structure, intricate inside design, or inventive landscaping?
Whether or not offering distinctive onsite eating providers, high-tech assembly rooms, or occasion staffing, distinctive convention facilities provide providers that outshine rivals. From valet parking to hybrid occasion expertise, probably the most memorable venues present services that set them aside.
Internet hosting occasion after occasion at conventional convention facilities can get slightly boring. For busy planners or repeat occasion organizers, reserving extraordinary venues is a terrific option to combine issues and forestall occasions from getting stale.
What are distinctive convention venues so interesting?
Occasion organizers hunt down unconventional venues for a lot of causes. They could have tight budgetary limitations, an unconventional private fashion, or a want to do issues in another way. Distinctive convention venues entice the eye of planners who need to combine issues up and—
- Generate occasion buzz. Reserving a novel or sudden venue is a superb option to drum up pleasure for an occasion. Planners can promote the venue’s one-of-a-kind design, distinctive providers, and different facilities to generate on-line engagement, which may increase occasion registration and attendance.
- Create extra memorable advertising and marketing. Selling a novel host venue to create occasion advertising and marketing that sticks in viewers’ minds. Create an occasion picture that differentiates your convention from competing occasions and leaves viewers with a long-lasting picture.
- Enhance the attendee expertise. Similar to they stand out from basic convention venues in fashion and providers, distinctive convention venues create an unforgettable attendee expertise that competing venues can’t recreate. They assist planners give shade or chill out the environment of many kinds of company occasions.
What challenges do distinctive convention venues face
In case your venue primarily features as a non-conference enterprise (i.e., restaurant or museum), planners and potential shoppers might not learn about it or that it provides occasion providers. Moreover, distinctive convention venues may face challenges because of—
- Lack of identify recognition
Smaller, unbiased, and distinctive venues are likely to have much less advertising and marketing cash than their big-name company rivals. Due to this fact, they could discover it tough to get their names to stay in customers’ minds, particularly in crowded markets.
Relying on the kind of venue you use, customers might have already got preconceived notions about your enterprise. For instance, for those who function a bar recognized for dwell music or rowdy occasions, planners in all probability don’t affiliate it with enterprise luncheons or company conferences. They could hesitate to ebook massive, skilled, or high-end features.
Easy methods to make your occasion venue extra distinctive
Establish extra funds in your venue’s finances. Use that cash to focus on what makes your venue distinctive and enhance your convention heart. Take into account sprucing up the inside, upgrading the outside, switching up advertising and marketing methods, and making a superior buyer expertise.
- Spotlight what makes your venue particular
Set up the kind of picture—model id—that you simply need to painting. Take into account what differentiates it from close by venues.
- What specialised onsite providers does your venue present?
- What is going to your target market discover probably the most interesting about it?
- Do you provide dwell or hybrid occasion packages?
- How do you incorporate distant assembly instruments?
- Do you serve espresso, snacks, or full meals?
- Do you present totally catered meals or snacks and boxed lunches?
Develop distinctive promoting factors to focus on. Showcase them in venue advertising and marketing supplies and promotional campaigns to assist unfold the phrase about your enterprise.
- Associate with native distributors
Construct a community of dependable, respected native companions who can mix specialties and occasion providers. By partnering collectively, locations can present extra interesting and inclusive reserving packages. For instance, create an in a single day occasion package deal with an area lodging accomplice or domesticate a fascinating convention expertise with high-quality native delicacies. Collaborate with vacation spot entrepreneurs and different hospitality business associations to entice massive companies to go to your location.
- Select a memorable theme
In case you’re on the lookout for a option to flip your convention heart the other way up and provides it a breath of recent air, contemplate redecorating your house with a memorable theme. Do you need to attraction to artistic-focused occasions? If that’s the case, create a stylish, gastro-pub environment for laid-back conferences. If company journey is an enormous money-maker in your market, contemplate changing into your city’s most well-connected, tech-friendly venue. Generate buzz and entice company celebration planners with a speakeasy-themed occasion room or luxurious red-carpet-inspired entrance corridor.
- Incorporate interactive components
Video partitions, dwell polling, touchscreen menus, digital actuality, and different interactive occasion instruments assist in-person hosts higher join with their on-line viewers and increase the attain of hybrid occasions. Along with elevating the expertise of occasion attendees, putting in interactive assembly components may also help your lodge workers, taking over time-consuming information entry processes and offering guests with further help.
- Velocity up on-line reserving
The Gartner Way forward for Gross sales 2025 report predicts that 80% of B2B gross sales interactions between patrons and suppliers will happen by way of digital channels. Moreover, 85% of planners who responded to Cvent’s 2023 Planner Sourcing Survey mentioned they’re extra prone to choose a convention heart, lodge, or venue if they’ll full the method totally on-line with no need a consultant’s help. Capitalize on shifting reserving preferences by investing in digital channels and directive promoting, making it simpler for occasion planners to ebook an occasion at your venue shortly.
- Revitalize your lighting technique
For repeat occasion planners and skilled enterprise vacationers, assembly places mix as time passes. Finally, all of the venues they go to start to look alike. Nonetheless, distinctive lighting components, like vintage wall fixtures and touchscreen management boards, may make your convention heart extra memorable.
Considerate lighting elevates any occasion house and may considerably influence your venue’s environment. Whereas investing in showstopping options may also help entice flashier, inventive conferences, putting in dimmers or spotlights can enhance venue flexibility and allow you to host a broader vary of company occasions.
- Create customized signage
Set up customized venue signage that captures your model picture and imaginative and prescient. Create an attention grabbing design for avenue indicators, digital shows, and on-line campaigns. Directional signage will present guests find out how to discover your venue and information them to important amenities as soon as they arrive. Vibrant roadside signage will make recognizing your venue simpler for passersby and touring occasion attendees. Discover distinctive occasion indicators that match the venue’s non-traditional fashion.
- Design an unforgettable entryway
An inviting venue entrance will assist occasion attendees and conferencegoers really feel welcome once they arrive. Create an entryway that embodies your venue’s environment and lets guests know what to anticipate.
Are you going for a hip and stylish creative vibe? If that’s the case, contemplate selecting vibrant colours or patterned wallpaper. To greet friends coming into a extra relaxed, wellness-focused surroundings, line the doorway with lush greenery, cool tones, and calming fragrances.
- Change up seating preparations
Along with conventional assembly room layouts, together with boardroom, u-shape, and theater-style occasions, contemplate providing extra distinctive setup choices that make your atypical house extraordinary. Characteristic picnic-style luncheon setups or patio breakout house to draw open-minded occasion planners. The extra versatile your structure choices, the extra conferences your venue can host.
- Embrace the artwork scene
Domesticate a convention environment that celebrates artwork and tradition. Beautify the halls with pictures or work from notable newcomers to help rising artists. Take into account putting in a sculpture backyard, reserving dwell native bands, or promoting handcrafted artisanal items. Renovate historic areas and embrace modern fashion, like Gallery NK in Washington, DC. Initially a carriage home, the renovated 85-person occasion house now options hardwood flooring, high-end artwork, and distinctive delicacies.
- Assume outdoors of the field
Company conferences don’t must happen in stuffy boardrooms. Think about internet hosting a brainstorming session with your enterprise’s brightest minds whereas having fun with brunch beside a butterfly backyard. Assume creatively and search for outside-of-the-box alternatives to supply customized, memorable occasion experiences.
How do convention venues create photo-ops for attendees?
With a dangling signal, standing show, or flashy digital signage, venues can construct a beautiful photograph sales space that advertises their property. By incorporating their emblem, identify, and different model id components, convention venues can create recognizable signage that doubles as a photograph backdrop. Create a heat, inviting place the place occasion attendees can snap photographs, and encourage them to tag your venue on social media.
Discovering distinctive convention venues close to you
In case you’re on the lookout for a novel convention venue however are uncertain the place to begin, kick off the sourcing journey together with your preferrred host vacation spot. Search distinctive venues in your goal vacation spot and analysis the convention facilities that attraction to you, or contact a vacation spot advertising and marketing group to get an concept of what’s accessible. Earlier than consulting a venue director or convention supervisor, write an inventory of questions you need to ask to make sure you don’t neglect any essential particulars you need to cowl, similar to:
- Venue capability
- In-room expertise
- Setup/teardown insurance policies
- Noise restrictions
- Vendor choices
Put these distinctive convention venue concepts to intelligent use!
Now that why planners and attendees are flocking to distinctive occasion venues, you possibly can capitalize on what units your property aside. In case your occasion venue consists of in a single day guestrooms, contemplate incorporating a number of inventive lodge concepts that actually work.
