Corporate event planners relish the opportunity to swap horror stories about problems with a venue at the last minute and how their MacGyver-like instincts kicked in to help them salvage the situation.
Jeffrey Cesari’s voice still conveys the panic he felt when an event for a regional sales meeting he developed for a financial services firm began to unravel. Cesari, president and creative director of Shimmer Events, booked the group of about 150 into a high-end resort near Dallas. Unfortunately, another financial services firm’s larger event was also using the resort and both groups had a main ballroom booked for the same day. The bigger spender won out, and Cesari wound up zipping around the facility in a golf cart with a resort manager looking for a suitable alternative. They wound up at a nightclub on the property that wouldn’t be used until that evening.
“I was nervous how it was going to come off, but it turned out great,” Cesari says. The space was fully equipped with sound and video capabilities. The small tables and nice view provided a welcomed break from a windowless meeting room. Many of the participants enjoyed the space so much during the day, they returned to the club that night.
These days, say planners of offsite events, the venue for a meeting is considered as carefully as the agenda, the technology needs and the menus. “The right venue brings a different element to a meeting. It can bring a lot of energy,” says Jayna Cooke, CEO of EventUp (eventup.com), a Chicago-based company that matches companies with unique venues nationwide. EventUp’s stable of venues includes vineyards, art galleries, mansions and yachts.
Cooke cautions that you can’t go with a unique venue in every instance. The participants and the purpose of the meeting must always be considered. A buttoned-down financial firm’s annual conference may not be well-suited for a Hollywood Hills castle in Cooke’s offerings that has hosted Playboy and Penthouse shoots and was the set for Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl” video.
The collection of distinctive locations for corporate events that we have assembled here merely scratches the surface of what is available. It’s evident, however, that whether your event is regional, national or international, there is a lot more than a conference room in your future if you want one.
The Grand Theater, Tracy, Calif.
The Grand Theatre opened on August 11, 1923, as a premiere vaudeville half-house. Today, it combines some of its original Art Deco look with modern architecture. It offers space for entertainment including music, concerts, theatrical performances, movie screenings, and comedy shows. Events can be held in the Theatre’s art galleries, ETK Theatre (seats 547, on-stage dinner seating for 100), Studio Theater (seats up to 104, or on-stage dinner seating for up to 50), or grand lobby. www.atthegrand.org/ rentalinformation
San Francisco City Hall
The 24 karat gilded dome gracefully soars 360 feet above the ground and is actually the fifthtallest dome in the world—taller even than the U.S. Capitol Building. Although public buildings are often associated with austerity and bureaucracy, this building is a spectacular example of the height of Beaux-Arts architecture. “Since the space itself is so remarkable, only a light touch with décor is needed to create a fully branded ambiance,” says Jennifer Mazza, senior manager at Dittman Incentive Marketing (dittmanincentives.com), which used the venue for a 400-guest program for Vantiv, a payment processing company. www.sfgsa.org
The Venue Las Vegas
Revitalization has made Downtown Las Vegas a destination once again. New restaurants, stores, and bars draw people away from the Strip. Among the most recent to break ground is The Venue Las Vegas, opening this spring. This versatile state-of-the-art mixed use facility offers 38,430 square feet of customizable special event space, including a main floor ballroom with a built-in stage, a first-level lounge and bar that will be open to the public, a second level with three multifunctional event spaces and outdoor patio, and a rooftop lounge and bar that overlooks the Fremont East Entertainment District. www.thevenuelasvegas.com
U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Offers the inspirational surroundings of an elite athletic training environment and the Olympic movement. Features more than 20 meeting rooms on 32 acres of land, plus reception spaces in both the Visitor’s Center Hall of Fame Rotunda and various gym locations. The OTC can accommodate groups up to 1,000 for dinners and 275 for meetings. Corporate groups have the opportunity to participate in sport experiences or view sport demonstrations. www.teamusa.org
Willis Tower, Chicago
Ninety-nine floors high in Chicago’s most iconic skyscraper (known as Sears Tower to the uninitiated). The flexible venue space can be set up theater, classroom or reception style, and can seat 50 to 300 guests or even up to 400 for non-seated receptions. You have the option for private VIP access to The Ledge, glass-floor balconies that extend four feet outside Willis Tower 1,353 feet over Chicago! www.theskydeck.com/private-events
The Firehouse at The Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge, Mass.
Featured in a Norman Rockwell painting, this turn-of-the-20thcentury firehouse was in use until the 1950s and has now been converted to a meeting space in a desirable meeting setting in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts. The Firehouse offers high ceilings, natural light, an open floor plan, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, and a farmhouse table with seating for up to 15 people. The upstairs loft is complete with a light-filled bedroom, deck, king-sized bed handcrafted by a local artisan and a spacious full bathroom with a double whirlpool bath. All Red Lion Inn amenities extend to the Firehouse, including complimentary Wifi and room service. www.RedLionInn.com.
NASCAR Hall of Fame, Charlotte, N.C.
An interactive entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR, there are more than 1,000 artifacts and 50 interactive exhibits that chronicle NASCAR’s beginnings to present day. A stunning backdrop for a special event or meeting in Charlotte with a “speed” or “high octane” theme. Opened in 2010, the modern, sleek design of the building has won numerous awards and is connected to the Charlotte Convention Center. Five meeting rooms, banquet-style seating for up to 250, theater seating for 278 and classroom-style seating for 200. www.nascarhall.com/rent
Carnegie Hall, New York
How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Host an event in the concert venue on Seventh Avenue two blocks south of Central Park. The newly opened May Dining Room has a fireplace and French doors that open to a giant roof deck. The elegantly appointed Weill Terrace Room adjacent to the roof terrace on the ninth floor features skyline views, polished hardwood floors, and classic architectural details. The Weill Music Room on the 10th floor features grand windows with skyline views of New York City and Central Park, soaring ceilings and a unique catwalk overlooking the main floor. Customize a food and drink menu by Stephen Starr Events, operator of renowned restaurants such as Upland, Buddakan and Morimoto. www.starrevents.com
The National WWII Museum, New Orleans
A hidden gem in a city full of them, the National World War II Museum was founded by historian and author Stephen Ambrose. It tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world—why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today. The museum showcases the large artifacts of the war and exhibits on D-Day at Normandy, the home front and the Pacific. The Solomon Victory Theater shows the exclusive Tom Hanks production, “Beyond All Boundaries.” The music and entertainment of the Greatest Generation comes to life at the Stage Door Canteen, and the American Sector restaurant and Soda Shop offer delicious onsite dining options. www.NationalWWIIMuseum.org/rentals
Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Clearwater, Fla.
A nonprofit working marine rescue center located half a mile from Clearwater Beach, CMA is home to rescued dolphins, sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, nurse sharks and more. Groups can enjoy music, food and a fun atmosphere with an outstanding marine facility as an overlay. Treat guests to a private dolphin presentation and relish the view from the waterside deck. www.seewinter.com
INTERNATIONAL
Villa Cappelli, Terlizzi, Italy
Immerse your team in Italian indulgence in this historic villa that sits on the shoulders of the ancient Via Appia northwest of Bari, just seven miles from the Adriatic Sea. The land, filled with fossils from 10 million years ago, is covered by ancient olive groves, vineyards and fruit trees. The 22,000 square-foot structure features 10 bedrooms and six full baths. It accommodates 20 or more guests. www.st8567.wix.com/vcvilla
