What makes a convention venue “distinctive?”
Distinctive convention venues should not your conventional assembly areas; they stand out. Whereas some venues are really one-of-kind and really offbeat, others have one or two distinctive traits that set them aside, reminiscent of:
Among the most distinctive occasion venues on this planet don’t seem like conventional convention facilities from the skin. Though they appear 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 pick of a lineup. They seize consideration and draw the viewer’s curiosity. Does your venue function spectacular structure, intricate inside design, or artistic landscaping?
Whether or not offering distinctive onsite eating providers, high-tech assembly rooms, or occasion staffing, distinctive convention facilities supply providers that outshine opponents. From valet parking to hybrid occasion know-how, essentially the most memorable venues present services that set them aside.
Internet hosting occasion after occasion at conventional convention facilities can get a bit of boring. For busy planners or repeat occasion organizers, reserving extraordinary venues is a terrific option to combine issues and stop occasions from getting stale.
What are distinctive convention venues so interesting?
Occasion organizers search out unconventional venues for a lot of causes. They could have tight budgetary limitations, an unconventional private fashion, or a need to do issues otherwise. Distinctive convention venues appeal to the eye of planners who wish to combine issues up and—
Generate occasion buzz. Reserving a novel or surprising 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 enhance occasion registration and attendance.
Create extra memorable advertising. Selling a novel host venue to create occasion advertising that sticks in viewers’ minds. Create an occasion picture that differentiates your convention from competing occasions and leaves viewers with an enduring picture.
Enhance the attendee expertise. Similar to they stand out from traditional convention venues in fashion and providers, distinctive convention venues create an unforgettable attendee expertise that competing venues can’t recreate. They assist planners give colour or chill out the ambiance of many kinds of company occasions.
What challenges do distinctive convention venues face
In case your venue primarily capabilities as a non-conference enterprise (i.e., restaurant or museum), planners and potential purchasers could not find out about it or that it presents occasion providers. Moreover, distinctive convention venues might face challenges attributable to—
Lack of title recognition
Smaller, impartial, and distinctive venues are inclined to have much less advertising cash than their big-name company opponents. Subsequently, they could discover it troublesome to get their names to stay in customers’ minds, particularly in crowded markets.
Relying on the kind of venue you use, customers could have already got preconceived notions about your corporation. For instance, in case you function a bar recognized for reside music or rowdy occasions, planners in all probability don’t affiliate it with enterprise luncheons or company conferences. They could hesitate to ebook giant, skilled, or high-end capabilities.
Learn how to make your occasion venue extra distinctive
Establish extra funds in your venue’s funds. Use that cash to focus on what makes your venue distinctive and enhance your convention middle. Contemplate sprucing up the inside, upgrading the outside, switching up advertising methods, and making a superior buyer expertise.
Spotlight what makes your venue particular
Set up the kind of picture—model id—that you simply wish to painting. Contemplate what differentiates it from close by venues.
What specialised onsite providers does your venue present?
What’s going to your target market discover essentially the most interesting about it?
Do you supply reside or hybrid occasion packages?
How do you incorporate distant assembly instruments?
Do you serve espresso, snacks, or full meals?
Do you present absolutely catered meals or snacks and boxed lunches?
Develop distinctive promoting factors to focus on. Showcase them in venue advertising supplies and promotional campaigns to assist unfold the phrase about your corporation.
Companion 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 companion or domesticate a fascinating convention expertise with high-quality native delicacies. Collaborate with vacation spot entrepreneurs and different hospitality business associations to entice giant companies to go to your location.
Select a memorable theme
When you’re in search of a option to flip your convention middle the other way up and provides it a breath of contemporary air, take into account redecorating your area with a memorable theme. Do you wish to enchantment to artistic-focused occasions? If that’s the case, create a classy, gastro-pub ambiance for laid-back conferences. If company journey is an enormous money-maker in your market, take into account changing into your city’s most well-connected, tech-friendly venue. Generate buzz and appeal to company social gathering planners with a speakeasy-themed occasion room or luxurious red-carpet-inspired entrance corridor.
Incorporate interactive components
Video partitions, reside 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 help your resort workers, taking up time-consuming information entry processes and offering guests with extra help.
Pace 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 through digital channels. Moreover, 85% of planners who responded to Cvent’s 2023 Planner Sourcing Survey stated they’re extra more likely to choose a convention middle, resort, or venue if they’ll full the method solely 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 areas 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, might make your convention middle extra memorable.
Considerate lighting elevates any occasion area and may considerably affect your venue’s ambiance. Whereas investing in showstopping options may help appeal to flashier, artistic 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 how one can discover your venue and information them to important services 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 ambiance and lets guests know what to anticipate.
Are you going for a hip and stylish creative vibe? If that’s the case, take into account selecting vibrant colours or patterned wallpaper. To greet friends getting into a extra relaxed, wellness-focused atmosphere, 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, take into account providing extra distinctive setup choices that make your strange area extraordinary. Characteristic picnic-style luncheon setups or patio breakout area 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 ambiance that celebrates artwork and tradition. Enhance the halls with pictures or work from notable newcomers to assist rising artists. Contemplate putting in a sculpture backyard, reserving reside native bands, or promoting handcrafted artisanal items. Renovate historic areas and embrace up to date fashion, like Gallery NK in Washington, DC. Initially a carriage home, the renovated 85-person occasion area now options hardwood flooring, high-end artwork, and distinctive delicacies.
Assume exterior of the field
Company conferences don’t should happen in stuffy boardrooms. Think about internet hosting a brainstorming session with your corporation’s brightest minds whereas having fun with brunch beside a butterfly backyard. Assume creatively and search for outside-of-the-box alternatives to supply personalised, 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 horny picture sales space that advertises their property. By incorporating their brand, title, 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 images, and encourage them to tag your venue on social media.
Discovering distinctive convention venues close to you
When you’re in search of a novel convention venue however are not sure the place to begin, kick off the sourcing journey together with your best host vacation spot. Search distinctive venues in your goal vacation spot and analysis the convention facilities that enchantment to you, or contact a vacation spot advertising group to get an thought of what’s obtainable. Earlier than consulting a venue director or convention supervisor, write an inventory of questions you wish to ask to make sure you don’t neglect any essential particulars you wish to cowl, reminiscent of:
Venue capability
In-room know-how
Setup/teardown insurance policies
Noise restrictions
Vendor choices
Put these distinctive convention venue concepts to intelligent use!
Now that you realize 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, take into account incorporating just a few artistic resort concepts that actually work.