When many event planners consider theatres, their first impression is to offer group tickets to performances and shows, and possibly host a pre-event function. While that's certainly a great appreciation event, theatres offer many other unique venue spaces.
Take a look at the exterior of theatres. Have you ever thought about hosting a private rooftop event? Or maybe you could think about holding an outdoor buffet in the courtyard as the lunch break between using the main concert hall or some of the other meeting spaces on property?
From converting theatre lobbies into an all day conference spaces to using rehearsal studios for private fund raising dinners, event planners look to theatres for finding creative and unique venues to host a variety of programs. And it doesn't hurt to bring your guests to a live performance at the end of your program.
Concert Halls for Events
In Barcelona, Spain, Palau de la Musica is a Catalan modernist concert hall in Barcelona built by architect Lluis Domenech I Montaner, and its first performance was in 1908. Its concert hall is perhaps one of the most stunning auditorium designs, featuring Palau de la Musica's signature stained glass skylight - which fills the room with light and seats 2,200 people.
Palau de la Musica was originally built to serve as a concert hall for the people, and its concert hall is filled with symbolism - from its outdoor entrance to the concert hall's foyer, staircases and other venue spaces.
And today, Palau de la Musica also offers several spaces for private hire, including the main concert hall, a new auditorium built in 2004 that offers excellent acoustics for chamber music concerts, and a small chamber music hall that seats 120. Event planners use the foyer floor to accommodate dining for up to 320 people.
When booking an event at a theatre, inquire about how much flexibility the theatre may have with reconfiguring its seating arrangement. For example, the Petit Palau is a smaller, more modern auditorium that seats up to 538 people, so the space may also be transformed for banquet, cabaret and standing room options.
Benefits of Using Concert Halls for Events
For those who may be holding a corporate, association or other event that includes a larger audience, concert halls offer three great benefits for hosting an event in the concert hall itself:
- Theatre staging.
Whether it's for a keynote presentation, opening general session, awards ceremony or other purpose, concert halls will have offer perfect staging options to maximize visibility for the room.
- Theatre seating.
Seating options vary dramatically at hotels and conference centers, but a concert hall theatre seating is designed to comfortably seat guests for extended periods of time.
- Theatre audio/visual.
After selecting an event venue space that offers sufficient staging and seating for attendees, event planners focus next on sound and lighting options. Again, perfect conditions typically exist within a concert hall that will also save money on the setup expenses required at other kinds of facilities.
Theatre Meeting Rooms for Events
Many theatres offer private reception and meeting room spaces for corporate events, tradeshows, weddings and other receptions. The Fox Theater in Atlanta, for example, has four private event spaces which are used on performance days and non-performance days.
Its Egyptian Ballroom and Grand Salon are both historic spaces that incorporate Egyptian and Moorish décor from when the building was built in the late 1920s as the Yaarab Temple Shrine Mosque. But as the Great Depression hit, the Shriners worked out a deal to generate revenue as a movie theatre. Today, it seats up to 4,678 people, and about 750,000 people visit each year for musicals, plays, concerts, ballets and, yes, movies.
The Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Germany, is perhaps another example of how a theatre may be used for corporate and association conferences. By moving between different recital rooms, its two main concert halls and using the restaurant on premises, event organizers hold meetings and events at different times throughout the year at this Frankfurt landmark.
But those who seek a unique meeting experience that incorporates a theatre program, Las Vegas is home to 150 shows. And it seems that every hotel offers its own stage and theatre options. While some theatres will not be available for private hire, Las Vegas is known for having some of the best event and meeting rooms in the U.S.
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