Switching issues up sometimes 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, should you’re searching for distinctive occasion venues that provide one thing new and thrilling, you’ve come to the suitable place. This information explores the great world of non-traditional occasion venues and their infinite prospects.
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 varied sudden locations, like stadiums and aquariums, and study how they’ll function distinctive occasion venues.
Uncover why you need to take into account distinctive occasion venues on your subsequent operate
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 sorts of occasion venues, like accommodations 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 operate as occasion venues (that won’t look or function like normal venues), different companies on our listing 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 fully distinctive. Famed creator George R.R. Martin (Sport 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 listing, primarily function as one other enterprise, providing occasion companies on the aspect. Aquariums, artwork galleries, botanical gardens, and comedian ebook outlets are just some examples of distinctive venues that present occasion area as a secondary service. Though a comic book ebook retailer’s first goal is to promote comedian books, many commonly host native occasions, touring bands, and different occasions.
9 distinctive occasion venues planners ought to learn about
Should you’re artistic sufficient, you may host an occasion nearly anyplace. The listing of distinctive occasion venue choices is huge, however planners are additionally restricted by their location and what’s in it. Though particular choices could differ from place to put, take into account internet hosting your subsequent occasion at non-traditional venues you’re more likely to discover close by, like—
- Eating places and bars
When you could already take into account eating places and bars the right locations to fulfill family and friends, they may also 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 could provide a separate flooring, patio area, bar space, or your complete 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 sizzling.
- Nightclubs
Are you searching for someplace slightly extra titillating than a conventional bar or restaurant? In that case, take into account reserving a nightclub on 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.
- 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 completely different artwork or artifacts. Due to their individuality, museums provide an incomparable occasion environment.
- Historic places
Impress shoppers and occasion attendees by deciding on 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 capabilities, 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, trendy, and stylish places to host after-work occasions, corresponding to networking mixers, completely happy hours, and much more elevated capabilities, like black-tie galas and charity auctions. For recurring occasions, search for artwork galleries with rotating reveals to maintain issues contemporary and thrilling. You additionally gained’t have to fret about adorning the area!
- 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 tons to supply.
- Stadiums
If 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 inside the stadium as nicely. Extremely numerous venues, a single stadium could have an auditorium, boardrooms, eating places, and different specialised occasion areas.
- Amusement parks
Should 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 every little thing you want for an epic occasion.
- Public areas
Are you searching for a venue that’s accessible and reasonably priced? In that case, take into account 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 examine availability, reserving insurance policies, and occasion restrictions.
Why ought to planners ebook distinctive occasion venues?
From environment and dimension to location and price, planners ebook non-traditional venues for a lot of causes. Along with having access to distinctive area and assets, selecting a non-traditional venue on your subsequent occasion may—
- Saves you cash. Conference facilities, full-service accommodations, 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 exterior catering.
- Make sourcing simpler. Throughout wedding ceremony season, the vacations, and different high-demand occasion intervals, it’s a lot tougher to search out an reasonably priced venue with availability. By considering exterior the field and redefining what an occasion venue could be, planners have a a lot better probability of discovering an accessible, reasonably priced, 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 displaying them occasion areas they weren’t anticipating. Make a powerful impression by proving your self an skilled on all issues native; safe your home 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 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 overwhelmed path, however the place do you begin? Discovering lesser-known occasion places isn’t at all times straightforward, however decided planners can discover what they’re searching for by—
- Asking round. Reap the benefits of your native hospitality community and its experience. Ask space planners which venues they counsel, or seize a venue listing that covers your locale. Should you’re uncertain 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 beneficial useful resource for sourcing planners. Providing profiles, images, and pricing estimates for a variety of potential venues, free sourcing instruments like Cvent Provider Community present all the data planners want to search out their subsequent occasion area. Whereas some directories embrace many alternative venue varieties 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 straightforward to uncover the place networking occasions happen close to you. Even should you don’t attend the occasions, you would possibly uncover a venue you didn’t know existed.
- Being attentive to your environment. Is there a constructing you drive by each day that makes you suppose, “Wow, that place appears to be like so cool. What’s it?” In that case, take into account stopping by someday to ask. They could have further studio area, auditorium seating, or a built-in stage. Should you don’t ask, you’ll by no means know.
- Getting out and exploring. Get to know your vacation spot, inside and outside. Be part of a strolling tour to find components of your metropolis you’ve by no means seen earlier than. Collect a bunch 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 on your subsequent occasion, the method could differ from what you’re used to. Comply with these tricks to navigate and streamline the method.
- Decide which venues are greatest suited on your occasion
Determine 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 superb occasion structure?
- Will you serve meals?
- Tour potential venues
If attainable, 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 appear to be, even in an area you’ve visited.
- Create an inventory of inquiries to ask the venue coordinator
It’s straightforward to get distracted when touring distinctive occasion venues, so take a guidelines or listing of questions. Write down every little thing you need to cowl with the venue coordinator, corresponding to deposit necessities, cancellation insurance policies, setup restrictions, and so on. Right here’s a website inspection guidelines and planner’s information that will help you keep on monitor and discover the right venue on your occasion.
- Preserve 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 occasion? 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 excellent for neighborhood and networking occasions, whereas restaurant banquet rooms are perfect for extra intimate, private capabilities.
- Evaluate and distinction potential venues
After exploring just a few venues, evaluate their pricing, facilities, and companies. What makes a specific venue higher suited on your occasion than others? How does it outshine the others? What particular companies does it provide? 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 exterior? Focus on all insurance policies and laws 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 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 basic themes. Should you’re internet hosting a high-energy, technology-focused occasion, a stoic, historic property is probably not the most effective location to take action.
- Learn on-line evaluations
Many individuals are uncomfortable voicing their considerations or highlighting a problem in particular person. As an alternative, many of those people flip to on-line evaluate websites like Yelp, Google, and TripAdvisor to explain their experiences. Learn evaluations from former patrons if you need an sincere, unfiltered look right into a venue’s companies.
Now you understand how to search out and ebook distinctive occasion venues!
When you’ve explored a few of the distinctive venues in your space, you’ll have ingenious 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 tendencies impacting the trade this 12 months.