Distinctive Occasion Venues: A Information for Planners & Occasion Organizers

Switching issues up often is essential, even for occasion organizers and company planners. Whether or not you’re employed in public, personal, or company occasions, altering the surroundings can depart occasion attendees feeling refreshed and impressed. So, for those who’re searching for distinctive occasion venues that supply one thing new and thrilling, you’ve come to the fitting place. This information explores the great world of non-traditional occasion venues and their countless potentialities.  

What makes a venue really 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 varied surprising locations, like stadiums and aquariums, and study how they’ll function distinctive occasion venues.  

Uncover why you need to think about distinctive occasion venues in your subsequent perform 

Earlier than diving into explicit places and the occasions they host, let’s take a better take a look at what makes some venues genuinely distinctive. How are they totally different from different varieties 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 commonplace venues), different companies on our record 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 workforce 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, area, and nature.  

Different distinctive occasion venues, just like the places on our record, primarily function as one other enterprise, providing occasion companies on the aspect. Aquariums, artwork galleries, botanical gardens, and comedian guide outlets are only a few examples of distinctive venues that present occasion area as a secondary service. Though a comic book guide retailer’s first objective is to promote comedian books, many often host native occasions, touring bands, and different occasions.  

9 distinctive occasion venues planners ought to find out about 

In the event you’re artistic sufficient, you’ll be able to host an occasion nearly wherever. The record of distinctive occasion venue choices is very large, however planners are additionally restricted by their location and what’s in it. Though particular choices could differ from place to position, think about internet hosting your subsequent occasion at non-traditional venues you’re more likely to discover close by, like—  

1. Eating places and bars 

Whilst you could already think about eating places and bars the proper locations to satisfy family and friends, they may also be glorious 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 could provide a separate flooring, patio area, bar space, or the whole restaurant for bookings. With built-in décor and the kitchen shut by, internet hosting at a restaurant will help minimize prices whereas making certain the meals arrives piping scorching.  

2. Nightclubs 

Are you searching for someplace a bit 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 area 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 capabilities. 

3. Museums 

Boasting educated, skilled workers and expansive indoor areas, museums are fabulous venues for internet hosting varied occasions, together with events, seminars, conferences, and fundraising occasions, like galas and auctions. Moreover, each museum is exclusive, holding totally different artwork or artifacts. Due to their individuality, museums provide an incomparable occasion ambiance. 

4. Historic places  

Impress purchasers and occasion attendees by choosing a venue with a wealthy, highly effective historical past. Historic places, like protected landmarks and century-old estates, are incredible places to host neighborhood meals, personal company capabilities, weddings, and different occasions. Show your in-depth vacation spot experience whereas offering company with an unforgettable and impactful occasion expertise.  

5. Artwork galleries  

Artwork galleries are distinctive, trendy, and stylish places to host after-work occasions, similar to networking mixers, glad hours, and much more elevated capabilities, like black-tie galas and charity auctions. For recurring occasions, search for artwork galleries with rotating displays to maintain issues contemporary and thrilling. You additionally gained’t have to fret about adorning the area! 

6. Aquariums 

Along with being entertaining and academic sights, most aquariums host particular occasions. From varied company occasions, together with vacation events and team-building periods, to non-public capabilities, like vow renewals and birthday celebrations, aquariums are versatile and distinctive occasion venues with heaps to supply.  

7. Stadiums 

Once you consider attending a stadium occasion, you would possibly image a crowded soccer sport or live performance. Whereas most stadium arenas can be found for reserving—at remarkably excessive charges—they normally maintain smaller, specialised occasion areas throughout the stadium as nicely. Extremely various venues, a single stadium could have an auditorium, boardrooms, eating places, and different specialised occasion areas.  

8. Amusement parks  

In the event you’re looking for 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.  

9. Public areas  

Are you searching for a venue that’s accessible and inexpensive? If that’s the case, think about reserving a low-cost public area. 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 guide distinctive occasion venues?  

From ambiance and dimension to location and price, planners guide non-traditional venues for a lot of causes. Along with having access to distinctive area and sources, selecting a non-traditional venue in your subsequent occasion may— 

• Saves you cash. Conference facilities, full-service motels, and comparable places are go-to occasion venues for a lot of, and their pricing displays the demand. Reserving a non-traditional venue will help minimize prices, particularly if they’ll meet your vendor wants. For instance, reserving a restaurant for a rehearsal dinner or company convention will help save on further prices incurred from buying exterior catering.  

• Make sourcing simpler. Throughout wedding ceremony season, the vacations, and different high-demand occasion intervals, it’s a lot more durable to seek out an inexpensive venue with availability. By considering exterior 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 purchasers. Whether or not you’re a marriage or company occasion planner, you’ll be able to pleasantly please purchasers by displaying them occasion areas they weren’t anticipating. Make a powerful impression by proving your self an professional on all issues native; safe your house because the go-to particular person 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 identical all yr 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 all the time simple, however decided planners can discover what they’re searching for by— 

• Asking round. Make the most of your native hospitality community and its experience. Ask space planners which venues they counsel, or seize a venue listing that covers your locale. In the event you’re uncertain the place to begin, your native Chamber of Commerce or vacation spot administration group (DMO) will help.  

• Utilizing on-line directories. On-line venue directories are a invaluable useful resource for sourcing planners. Providing profiles, pictures, and pricing estimates for a spread of potential venues, free sourcing instruments like Cvent Provider Community present all the knowledge planners want to seek out their subsequent occasion area. Whereas some directories embrace many various 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 seek out neighborhood pages you’ll be able to be part of. Ask for recommendation, reply questions, and have interaction with different members to uncover new venues and different insider info. 

• Checking networking web sites. Websites like Eventbrite and Meetup make it simple to uncover the place networking occasions happen close to you. Even for those who don’t attend the occasions, you would possibly uncover a venue you didn’t know existed.  

• Taking note of your environment. Is there a constructing you drive by each day that makes you assume, “Wow, that place appears so cool. What’s it?” If that’s the case, think about stopping by someday to ask. They might have further studio area, auditorium seating, or a built-in stage. In the event 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 gaggle of mates and make it a day-long affair, or spend the day exploring independently.  

Suggestions for working with distinctive occasion venues  

Whether or not reserving a nightclub, stadium, or upscale restaurant in your subsequent occasion, the method could differ from what you’re used to. Comply with these tricks to navigate and streamline the method.  

1. 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 searching for venues that suit your imaginative and prescient. 

• What number of attendees do you anticipate?  
• How a lot area do you want?  
• Is it a single or multi-day occasion?  
• What’s your preferrred occasion structure?  
• Will you serve meals?  

2. Tour potential venues  

If potential, go to the area in particular person 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 seem like, even in an area you’ve visited. 

3. Create a listing of inquiries to ask the venue coordinator  

It’s simple to get distracted when touring distinctive occasion venues, so take a guidelines or record of questions. Write down the whole lot you need to cowl with the venue coordinator, similar to deposit necessities, cancellation insurance policies, setup restrictions, and so forth. Right here’s a website inspection guidelines and planner’s information that can assist you keep on observe and discover the proper venue in your occasion.  

4. Hold your occasion targets in thoughts  

Search for venues that suit your occasion targets and goals. How formal or informal is the occasion? Are you internet hosting efficiency opinions or a vacation social gathering? 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 capabilities. 

5. Evaluate and distinction potential venues 

After exploring just a few venues, evaluate their pricing, facilities, and companies. What makes a selected venue higher suited in your occasion than others? How does it outshine the others? What particular companies does it provide? Is the value proper? 

6. 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 food and drinks exterior? Focus on all insurance policies and rules intimately earlier than making a last resolution.  

7. Select staging and décor that pertains to the venue 

Relying on the venue’s inside design and decor, particular setups or décor selections would possibly look misplaced, so discovering a location that matches your imaginative and prescient for the occasion issues. We additionally advocate searching for places that match your occasion’s elementary themes. In the event you’re internet hosting a high-energy, technology-focused occasion, a stoic, historic property is probably not the most effective location to take action.  

8. Learn on-line opinions 

Many individuals are uncomfortable voicing their issues or highlighting a difficulty in particular person. As a substitute, many of those people flip to on-line evaluate websites like Yelp, Google, and TripAdvisor to explain their experiences. Learn opinions from former patrons if you would like an trustworthy, unfiltered look right into a venue’s companies.  

Now you understand how to seek out and guide distinctive occasion venues! 

When you’ve explored a few of 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 developments impacting the business this yr.