How to Choose the Right Corporate Event Venue

The Perfect Venue

When planning a corporate event, you want to wow your guests and give them an out-of-office experience they are excited to attend. While it may seem difficult to find a venue that is perfect for your corporate event, it is certainly possible—especially with RedWater. You may be in need of a great venue for:

• Departmental training: Have a full day of specialized training to accomplish? Bringing it out of the office ensures you can fully focus on the tasks at hand while enjoying a change of space. 
• Company-wide conference: For companies with multiple departments, utilizing a spacious meeting venue for your conference needs is vital to bringing everyone together in a safe way.
• Fundraising gala: The venue you choose to hold your fundraising gala at is incredibly important. Providing a stellar experience is the key to success. Set a professional tone by ensuring your venue allows for easy communication with those in attendance via high-quality audio/visual equipment and has ample, close parking.
• Holiday party: The holidays are a great time to celebrate the year’s achievements, welcome the new year with a glass of champagne, and have an ugly sweater contest. Let loose (just a little) and let RedWater take care of the food and decor so you can focus on finding the perfect white elephant gift. 
• Networking event: Make connections with like-minded folks and build prosperous relationships in a welcoming, professional space.
• Employee bonding retreat: Have some much-needed fun to build office morale by bringing the team to a beautiful venue overlooking one of West Michigan’s glistening lakes or rolling golf courses. An especially fun venue for teams who enjoy practicing their swings is our LiveGolf Studios in Holland.
• Retirement celebration: Is a beloved member of your organization getting ready to retire? Celebrate their success in style. Choose between a brightly lit vaulted ballroom for large parties or a cozy, intimate environment, like the Cottage in Saugatuck, for smaller teams.

RedWater Events offers many incredible spaces all over West Michigan to host your corporate event. From extravagant ballrooms that fit large groups to cozier rooms with beautiful views, RedWater has corporate event spaces to fit all of your needs, and then some.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Corporate Venue

Your Budget

The budget for your corporate event is determined by how many people will be in attendance. From there, you can decide how much you are willing to spend on your venue rental fee (which at RedWater includes table and chair setups), food and beverage, and any other extra amenities you require, like audio/visual equipment and decorations. Finding an event space that provides all of this (and more) is made easy with RedWater. There are no surprise fees, as we are a comprehensive event space with a variety of amenities at each of our venues. Our business events program is a great way to get more for your money. When you spend $5,000 or more annually with five or more events, you will receive a credit toward the following year’s events to celebrate more milestones and company growth.

The Location

Ambience is important! Choosing a location with beautiful surrounding scenery (as opposed to a lackluster room with no windows or view) provides a calm backdrop for your event, heightening the experience and giving it more of a retreat feel. If you want to increase the amount of people who attend your event, you should host it at a venue that has a comparable drive time to the office. RedWater provides meeting spaces all over West Michigan—Muskegon, Plainfield Township, Cascade, Caledonia, Grandville, Grand Rapids South, Holland, downtown Holland, and Saugatuck.

Size & Layout Accommodations

Choose a venue that is appropriate for however many people you have attending your event, whether 5 or 400. It is important to ensure you are able to comfortably fit all of your attendees in your space as well as create breakout areas for activities or group-specific training. RedWater has venues for both large and small gatherings to accommodate any corporate function.

Food & Drink 

A venue that provides catering is the way to go. In-house catering saves you the extra work of planning and transporting food. RedWater offers a variety of catering options. Having the ability to choose between appetizers, plated meals, or buffet-style catering means you can customize your event depending on how many people are attending and how long they will be staying for. RedWater offers incredible corporate event catering, so your event will not only be easy to plan but also memorably delicious. Check out the meeting and events menu to learn more about all the amazing food we have to offer. From plated breakfasts like granola crusted stuffed french toast to a buffet of chicken and waffles to a taco fiesta or backyard BBQ buffet to plated dinners like herb grilled mahi mahi, we have something for everyone to enjoy and rave about at work next week.

Reliable A/V Capability

Audio and visual equipment is necessary for most corporate functions. Check with your venue ahead of time that they not only have reliable high speed internet but also have all the hookups you require for your welcome video, award presentation, or other form of digital training. Every one of our corporate event spaces is complete with the technology needed to make your event informational and entertaining.

How It Fits with Your Brand

Your event space should be a reflection of your values as a business. When your guests arrive, whether they are your colleagues with their spouses or members of the community, find a venue that showcases how much you care about their experience with your company. Each of our RedWater event spaces has something special to impress your guests, from the beautiful views to the attention to detail with decor to the five-star meals to the courteous, warm service.

Previous Reviews

A great way to determine if an event venue is right for you is by their reviews. A venue with stellar reviews can help you make your final decision. Here are a few reviews on our RedWater spaces: Susan B. on Watermark Country Club: ★★★★★  “We used this venue for a small kickoff party for work and it was perfect.  From beginning to end, the service was wonderful and on time, the communication was great, food was amazing, and parking was so easy.  I would certainly book again.” Grand Rapids Women’s Golf Association on Thornapple Pointe: ★★★★★ “Great facility to host an outing! The staff was very accommodating and efficient. The facility is perfect for outings with a large gathering place for your group after your round with sandwiches and brats/dogs plus a full bar to enjoy. The view from the gathering area is magnificent, raised a level from the course for beautiful views of several holes. Would definitely return; thank you Thornapple Pointe for making our event a big success!” Susanna G on Boatwerks: ★★★★★  “Thank you Boatwerks team for EXCEEDING my very high expectations in every area. The communication with you during the planning was fantastic! I got answers to my questions in a timely manner. You were simply amazing, flexible, and so accommodating! The day was simply PERFECT, from the delicious menu selections expertly prepared, flawless service, expert attention to even the smallest detail, it was a GLORIOUS evening enjoyed by all! Boatwerks is a stunning venue perfect for any event!”

The Setup

The planning of a corporate event is a job in itself. Make it easier on yourself with RedWater. In addition to having an aesthetically beautiful venue to enjoy for the day, one of the biggest reasons to choose an out-of-office meeting space for your corporate event is that we will take care of the setup and takedown for your day. Let us handle the table arrangements, buffet station, and any extra accouterments you require, so you can show up and get to work welcoming your guests without any extra prep.

The Staff

An upbeat, helpful, courteous staff can be the difference between a memorable, smooth event and one that feels disorganized and unprofessional. At RedWater, we are passionate about creating experiences that allow you to grow as a company and enjoy one another’s presence, all within the luxurious comfort of our venues. From providing timely assistance with planning to delivering excellent meal service, we are happy to guarantee an event at RedWater will be one full of thoughtfulness, and as a result, great times.

How to Find a Venue For an Event

Whether for a holiday party, company training, or retirement gathering, it is always a great idea to have your corporate event away from the office. Your colleagues will appreciate a break from the norm, and you as the planner will greatly appreciate having an incredible party where everything from the setup to the catering to the breakdown is taken care of, so you too can fully enjoy yourself. Find a perfect corporate event space near you with RedWater Events. Send us a message today to learn more about our venue availability.