Sometimes you just need a cheat sheet, right? We can – and often do – go on and on about a great corporate event venue, but this time around we’re keeping things simple with a straightforward list featuring five of our favourite venues in Calgary. If you’re new in town, new to corporate events in Calgary, or any other kind of new, use this guide to browse through key details, hot tips, and links to more information on five venues you definitely want to know about.
Hotel Arts
Location: Downtown
Event spaces and capacity: See here
Quick description: Hotel Arts is a locally owned and operated boutique hotel with a unique vision to support and enhance arts, culture, and tourism in Calgary.
You’ll love:
- The very talented and creative culinary team, who is also available to cater events around the city
- A commitment to arts and culture means there is no shortage of incredible art around the venue
- Little luxuries like on-site Starbucks and valet parking
- Access to the pool
Hot tips for working in Hotel Arts:
- If you find yourself working with these ballrooms in an L-shaped formation, we’ve found that placing the dancefloor in the middle of the room is a great way to map the space for optimal flow
- Consider using the pool area for a reception; turn the pool into a work of art by adding floating orbs or similar
- Ask about the in-house furniture and LED bars
Get more:
- Check out our full venue profile
- See how we used this venue for One True North, an award-winning corporate holiday party
- Spot the venue again for the Women for Men’s Health Gloves on Gala
- See how the Hotel Arts culinary team gave a western classic an eastern spin in our Stampede series
BMO Centre
Location: Stampede Grounds
Event spaces and capacity: See here
Quick description: BMO Centre is one of Calgary’s largest venues, with five halls to work with. If you have a long guest list, you want to check out this venue.
You’ll love:
- The sheer variety and volume of event spaces; there so many different spaces to work with here that after many years and many events, we’re still finding new options
- Working in the five halls of BMO Centre is like working with a blank canvas – your imagination is the only limit
- The Calgary Stampede team is incredible; Venue Service, Event Service, Events Team, Catering, Park Ops, etc. will all come together to work with you and make sure your event is a success
Hot tips for working in BMO Centre:
- When working in this space, it’s absolutely the case that bigger is always better – the halls are so large and ceilings so tall that anything you place in the space will feel lost if it’s not matching the scale of the rooms
Get more:
- Read about the logistics marvel that is 20 grads in 21 days, taking place across four halls and including three overnight flips
- See the space in action for the PSAC Stars & Spur Gala, in support of STARS Air Ambulance
- See Hall E turned into a luxury hotel lobby for Celebrate, Shaw’s corporate holiday event
Hyatt Regency Calgary
Location: Downtown
Event spaces and capacity: See here
Quick description: Hyatt Regency Calgary is a renovated historic building with over 33,000 square feet of event space to choose from.
You’ll love:
- The incredible staff
- Proshow, the Hyatt’s in-house AV team
- Great food thanks to their culinary team
- Ample banquet space
- Spa
Hot tips for working in Hyatt Regency:
- Be sure to check out the beautiful atrium space
- You’ve got an indoor loading dock to work with here
- The LED lighting in the foyer can be changed to any colour, for a super-custom atmosphere tailored to your concept
Get more:
- See how we took a ballroom full of guests to NYC, without leaving the Hyatt, for the NCPC Gala
Studio Bell
Location: East Village
Event spaces and capacity: See here
Quick description: Studio Bell is an incredible building with five beautiful and unique event spaces. It’s also home to the National Music Centre, and houses several floors of permanent and temporary exhibitions.
You’ll love:
- The incredible architecture of the building, inside and out
- Rosso Coffee Roasters, located inside Studio Bell
- The very unique Sky Bridge space
- The King Eddy rooftop
Hot tips for working in Studio Bell:
- This is a big venue with many beautiful spaces, but in order to prevent your guests from getting lost in the sheer vastness of the building, it’s important to be strategic
- Try creating order and momentum by using each floor as a different phase of your event
- Remember that messaging on the main floor can be seen when looking down from the other floors – take advantage!
- Your guests are going to be enamoured with this venue, so build in opportunities to explore
Get more:
- See our full venue profile here
- See event producer Boom Goes the Drum’s post about Rendez-vous Canada, where we took guests through seven floors of Studio Bell, each designed to reflect another aspect of Alberta’s landscapes and cultures
Telus SPARK
Location: Bridgeland, just off of Deerfoot Trail
Event spaces and capacity: See here
Quick description: By day, Telus SPARK is a science centre filled with curious school children escaping the classroom, but luckily, the array of event spaces available means that adults get to enjoy this beautiful space too.
You’ll love:
- Unique and beautiful spaces like the atrium or outdoor park
- Windows, windows, and more windows
- Loads of easy parking, as well as convenient Calgary Transit LRT access
Hot tips for working in Telus SPARK:
- Be sure to ask about the venue’s built-in AV and lighting
- Take advantage of the convenient loading area
For more on venues, check out the Places & Spaces category here on our blog for many full venue profiles of these and other event spaces in Calgary and beyond. If narrowing down your options is feeling somewhat daunting, our How-to Series has you covered with tips on selecting a venue for your corporate event. And if you’re in need of some additional help, check out our corporate event planning services section to see how we can do great things together.