One of the most common questions we’re asked is, ‘what makes a venue unique?’ With so many amazing venues up and down the country, each offering various event solutions – we recognise it can be a challenge for event planners. ‘Unique’ is defined in the dictionary as being the only one of its kind, or more generally, unusual and special in some way.
A truly unique venue needs to have something that no other venue possesses. Whether it’s in a space that doesn’t exist anywhere else, or there is something unusual about it that can only be found in that venue.
Offering something different
We have always described a unique venue as one that has something ‘different’ to its clients. When a venue has something distinctive to offer, the physical space itself doesn’t have to be something completely out of the box.
Take Hotel Football in Manchester as an example. From the outside, some may say, it’s difficult to see how another hotel can be a unique venue, but it's what the hotel offers that makes it stand out. On the 9th floor, there is an amazing function space which offers panoramic views of the city, a retractable roof and Astro-turfed floor. It’s the features of Hotel Football, and the variety of options on offer that make it a unique venue, and it’s this that we look out for when finding the venues we think event organisers will love.
It’s what’s on the inside that counts
When people imagine a unique venue, often they will picture a building with distinctive architecture or a space that transports them to another country or another world altogether. Although we love these venues, what’s on the outside isn’t always what makes it unique.
A unique venue needs to add value and complexity to an event. It needs to be able to be a key part of the experience and not just the backdrop. Another example would be a meeting being held within an art gallery or museum. Not only is the space ideal for bringing everyone together, but it also offers people the chance to experience an exhibition or a display.
Mathew from Unique Venues of Great Britain previously worked at Vinopolis, London. The venue was described as a wine-tasting visitor attraction, visitors could sit on a Vespa, watching a video of the Italian wine-growing countryside, whilst tasting wine based in old Victoria railway arches. As a venue, it is unique in both its offer and its spaces. The team would also collaborate with Neal’s Yard Dairy based just around the corner, to create cheese and wine evenings, or work with event agencies to create fabulous, themed dinners to make the event unique as well.
Knowing when to get creative
If client objectives are clear, venue teams can use these to work with planners to think outside the box. We’re proud to work with creative venue teams that come up with solutions and recommendations that will allow their clients to create events that are engaging and exciting.
Another more recent example of how unique venues can truly add value was a recent event hosted at The Lowry, Salford Quays. Their corporate client was looking at a way to support its senior management in communicating its priorities. So, rather than using meeting rooms, the venue teams encouraged the client to hire the Learning and Engagement classrooms and studio spaces. The team introduced the client to Laughology, a fantastic training and consulting organisation built around the psychology of humour, laughter, and happiness, who delivered engaging workshops around alternative storytelling. This was derived from really understanding and then supporting the needs of the client and making the best use of spaces and resources within the venue to meet those needs.
To answer the question ‘what makes a venue unique’ it’s its ability to support and lift an event. To add extra layers that would not be possible without the space itself and to inspire creativity and innovation.
If you’d like to find a unique venue for your next event, explore event spaces in your desired city or contact our friendly team today.
