What makes a conference venue “unique”?
Unique meeting spaces are not traditional meeting spaces; They stand out. While some venues are truly unique and offbeat, others have one or two unique features that set them apart, such as:
Some of the world’s most unique event venues don’t look like traditional conference centers from the outside. Although they look and operate like independent businesses, many breweries, galleries, museums, malls, and restaurants host high-quality corporate events.
Unique-looking venues are easy to pick out of the lineup. They attract attention and interest the audience. Does your venue have impressive architecture, intricate interior design or creative landscaping?
Whether it’s offering exceptional on-site catering, high-tech meeting rooms or event staffing, unique conference centers offer services that go above and beyond the competition. From valet parking to hybrid event technology, the most memorable venues offer products and services that set them apart.
Hosting event after event in a traditional conference center can get a little boring. For the busy planner or organizer of repeat events, booking an extraordinary venue is a great way to mix up your events and prevent them from becoming boring.
What unique meeting venues are so appealing?
Event organizers seek out non-traditional venues for a variety of reasons. They may have strict budget constraints, an unconventional personal style or a desire to do things differently. Unique meeting venue captures attention of planners looking to hybrid meetings and—
- Generate event buzz. Booking a unique or unexpected venue is a great way to build excitement for your event. Planners can promote a venue’s unique design, exceptional service and other amenities to generate online engagement, thereby increasing event registration and attendance.
- Create more memorable marketing. Promote unique host venues and create event marketing that resonates with people. Create an event image that differentiates your conference from competing events and leaves a lasting impression on your audience.
- Improve attendee experience. Just as they stand out from classic meeting spaces in style and service, unique meeting spaces create memorable attendee experiences that competing venues cannot recreate. They help planners add color or relaxation to many types of corporate events.
What are the challenges of a unique meeting venue?
If your venue is used primarily for non-conference business (i.e. a restaurant or museum), planners and potential clients may not know it or that it offers event services. In addition, unique meeting venues may face challenges such as:
- lack of visibility
Smaller, independent and unique venues tend to have less marketing dollars than their big-name corporate competitors. As a result, they may find it difficult to keep their name in consumers’ minds, especially in a crowded market.
Depending on the type of establishment you operate, consumers may already have preconceived notions about your business. For example, if you run a bar known for live music or rowdy events, planners may not associate it with business lunches or company meetings. They may be hesitant to book a large, professional or high-end event.
How to make your event venue more unique
Identify excess funds in the venue budget. Use this money to highlight the unique features of your venue and improve your conference center. Consider beautifying interiors, updating exteriors, changing marketing strategies and creating a superior customer experience.
- Highlight what’s special about your venue
Establish the type of image you want to portray (brand identity). Consider how it differs from nearby venues.
- What professional on-site services does your venue offer?
- What does your target audience find most appealing about it?
- Do you offer live or hybrid event packages?
- How to integrate remote conferencing tools?
- Do you serve coffee, snacks or meals?
- Do you offer full meals or snacks and packed lunches?
Develop unique selling points to stand out. Display them in venue marketing materials and promotions to help promote your business.
- Work with local suppliers
Establish a reliable and reputable local partner network to combine professional services with event services. Through collaboration, destinations can offer more attractive and inclusive booking packages. For example, create an overnight event package with a local accommodation partner, or create an engaging meeting experience with high-quality local cuisine. Work with destination marketers and other hotel industry associations to attract large businesses to your location.
- Choose a memorable theme
If you’re looking for a way to completely transform your conference center and breathe some fresh air into it, consider redecorating your space with a memorable theme. Would you like to attend an art-focused event? If so, create a stylish gastropub atmosphere for laid-back meetings. If business travel is a big moneymaker in your market, consider becoming the most accessible, tech-friendly venue in your town. Create a buzz and captivate corporate party planners with a speakeasy-themed event room or a lavish red carpet-style entrance hall.
- Incorporate interactive elements
Video walls, live voting, touch-screen menus, virtual reality and other interactive event tools can help live hosts better connect with online audiences and expand the reach of hybrid events. In addition to enhancing the event attendee experience, installing interactive meeting elements can help your hotel staff handle the time-consuming data entry process and provide additional assistance to visitors.
- Speed up online bookings
Gartner’s 2025 Future of Sales report predicts that 80% of B2B sales interactions between buyers and suppliers will occur through digital channels. Additionally, 85% of planners in Cvent’s 2023 Planner Procurement Survey said they would be more likely to choose a conference center, hotel or venue if they could complete the process entirely online without the help of a representative. Make it easier for event planners to quickly book events at your venue by taking advantage of changes in booking preferences by investing in digital channels and targeted advertising.
- Reinvigorate your lighting strategy
For repeat event planners and seasoned business travelers, meeting locations blend in over time. Eventually, all the places they visit start to look alike. However, unique lighting elements, such as antique wall fixtures and touch screen control panels, can make your conference center more memorable.
Thoughtful lighting can elevate any event space and can significantly impact the ambience of a venue. While investing in eye-catching features can help attract flashier, more creative meetings, installing dimmers or spotlights can increase venue flexibility, allowing you to host a wider range of corporate events.
- Create custom signage
Install custom venue signs that reflect your brand image and vision. Create eye-catching designs for street signs, digital displays and online events. Orientation signage will show visitors how to find your venue and guide them to basic facilities once they arrive. Vibrant roadside signage will make your venue easier for passersby and traveling event attendees to find. Look for unique event signage that matches the venue’s unconventional style.
- Design a memorable entryway
An attractive venue entrance will make event attendees and meeting attendees feel welcome upon arrival. Create an entryway that embodies the atmosphere of the venue and lets visitors know what to expect.
Do you want a stylish and artistic atmosphere? If so, consider choosing brightly colored or patterned wallpaper. To welcome guests into a more relaxed, wellness-focused environment, decorate your entryway with lush greenery, cool colors, and calming scents.
- Switch seating arrangement
In addition to traditional conference room layouts, including boardrooms, U-shaped conference rooms, and theater-style events, consider more unique setup options to turn your ordinary space into something extraordinary. Feature a picnic-style lunch setting or patio seating space to appeal to open-minded event planners. The more flexible your layout options are, the more meetings your venue can accommodate.
- Embrace the art scene
Create a meeting atmosphere that celebrates arts and culture. Support emerging artists by decorating the halls with photos or paintings of famous newcomers. Consider creating a sculpture garden, booking a live performance by a local band, or selling handmade items. Renovate historic spaces and embrace modern styles, like Gallery NK in Washington, DC. Originally a carriage house with seating for 85 people, the remodeled event space now features hardwood floors, high-end artwork and unique cuisine.
- Think outside the box
Company meetings don’t have to be held in stuffy boardrooms. Imagine hosting a brainstorming session with the brightest minds in the business while enjoying brunch next to a butterfly garden. Think creatively and look for outside-the-box opportunities to deliver a personal, memorable event experience.
How to take group photos of attendees at the conference venue?
Through hanging signs, standing displays or flashy digital signage, venues can build an attractive photo booth to promote their property. By integrating logos, names and other brand identity elements, meeting spaces can create recognizable signage that doubles as a photo backdrop. Create a warm, inviting place where event attendees can take photos and encourage them to tag your venue on social media.
Find unique meeting spaces near you
If you’re looking for a unique meeting venue but aren’t sure where to start, start your purchasing journey with your ideal hosting destination. Search for unique venues in your target destination and research convention centers that appeal to you, or contact a destination marketing organization to learn about available convention centers. Before consulting with the venue director or conference manager, write down a list of questions you want to ask to ensure you don’t forget any important details you want covered, such as:
- Venue capacity
- indoor technology
- Setup/teardown strategy
- Noise limits
- Supplier options
Get creative with these unique meeting space ideas!
Now that you know why planners and attendees flock to unique event venues, you can take advantage of your hotel’s unique advantages. If your event venue includes overnight rooms, consider incorporating some creative hotel ideas that really work.
