What makes a convention venue “distinctive?”
Distinctive convention venues are usually 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:
A few of the most distinctive occasion venues on this planet don’t appear to be 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 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 companies, high-tech assembly rooms, or occasion staffing, distinctive convention facilities supply companies that outshine opponents. From valet parking to hybrid occasion know-how, probably the most memorable venues present services that set them aside.
Internet hosting occasion after occasion at conventional convention facilities can get a bit boring. For busy planners or repeat occasion organizers, reserving extraordinary venues is a terrific method 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 might have tight budgetary limitations, an unconventional private model, or a need to do issues otherwise. Distinctive convention venues entice the eye of planners who wish to combine issues up and—
- Generate occasion buzz. Reserving a novel or surprising venue is a superb method to drum up pleasure for an occasion. Planners can promote the venue’s one-of-a-kind design, distinctive companies, and different facilities to generate on-line engagement, which might 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. Identical to they stand out from basic convention venues in model and companies, distinctive convention venues create an unforgettable attendee expertise that competing venues can’t recreate. They assist planners give shade or loosen up 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 purchasers could not learn about it or that it presents occasion companies. Moreover, distinctive convention venues might face challenges because of—
- Lack of title recognition
Smaller, unbiased, and distinctive venues are likely to have much less advertising and marketing cash than their big-name company opponents. Due to this fact, they might 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, should you function a bar identified for stay music or rowdy occasions, planners in all probability don’t affiliate it with enterprise luncheons or company conferences. They might hesitate to e book giant, skilled, or high-end features.
How one can make your occasion venue extra distinctive
Determine extra funds in your venue’s funds. Use that cash to spotlight what makes your venue distinctive and enhance your convention heart. Contemplate 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 identification—that you simply wish to painting. Contemplate what differentiates it from close by venues.
- What specialised onsite companies does your venue present?
- What’s going to your target market discover probably the most interesting about it?
- Do you supply stay 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 spotlight. Showcase them in venue advertising and marketing supplies and promotional campaigns to assist unfold the phrase about your corporation.
- Associate with native distributors
Construct a community of dependable, respected native companions who can mix specialties and occasion companies. By partnering collectively, locations can present extra interesting and inclusive reserving packages. For instance, create an in a single day occasion bundle with a neighborhood lodging associate 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
For those who’re in search of a method to flip your convention heart the other way up and provides it a breath of recent air, take into account redecorating your area with a memorable theme. Do you wish to attraction to artistic-focused occasions? In that case, create a stylish, gastro-pub environment 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 entice company celebration planners with a speakeasy-themed occasion room or luxurious red-carpet-inspired entrance corridor.
- Incorporate interactive components
Video partitions, stay polling, touchscreen menus, digital actuality, and different interactive occasion instruments assist in-person hosts higher join with their on-line viewers and develop the attain of hybrid occasions. Along with elevating the expertise of occasion attendees, putting in interactive assembly components will help your lodge workers, taking over time-consuming knowledge 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 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 e book an occasion at your venue rapidly.
- 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, might make your convention heart extra memorable.
Considerate lighting elevates any occasion area and may considerably influence your venue’s environment. Whereas investing in showstopping options will help entice 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 easy methods 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 model.
- Design an unforgettable entryway
An inviting venue entrance will assist occasion attendees and conferencegoers really feel welcome after 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 inventive vibe? In that case, take into account selecting vibrant colours or patterned wallpaper. To greet company coming into a extra relaxed, wellness-focused atmosphere, line the doorway with lush greenery, cool tones, and calming fragrances.
- Swap 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 abnormal 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 environment that celebrates artwork and tradition. Embellish the halls with images or work from notable newcomers to help rising artists. Contemplate putting in a sculpture backyard, reserving stay native bands, or promoting handcrafted artisanal items. Renovate historic areas and embrace up to date model, 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 outdoors 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 offer 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 gorgeous picture sales space that advertises their property. By incorporating their emblem, title, and different model identification components, convention venues can create recognizable signage that doubles as a photograph backdrop. Create a heat, inviting place the place occasion attendees can snap pictures, and encourage them to tag your venue on social media.
Discovering distinctive convention venues close to you
For those who’re in search of a novel convention venue however are uncertain the place to begin, kick off the sourcing journey together with your perfect 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 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 may capitalize on what units your property aside. In case your occasion venue contains in a single day guestrooms, take into account incorporating a couple of artistic lodge concepts that actually work.
