College dorms used to be synonymous with bland architecture, hallway water fountains, and those long, twin mattresses that sheets never fit on.  UCLA is changing that perception, though, with a new fleet of suites that are making meeting and event planners stop in their tracks.  Are these really today’s dorm rooms?

According to Jason Walley, Director of Conference Services, the answer is yes.  “We’ll have 100 of these rooms available beginning in June 2012,” he says.  “And there’s more to come.”

The Courtside Collection, designed by Walley and his colleagues, feel much more like a hotel room than your traditional dorm room.  “We had  recently  renovated one of our buildings, and after we crunched the numbers, it really was within our reach to offer something unique .”

The suites come complete with modern-day amenities, like a 24-hour front desk, flat screen televisions, free WiFi, usage of recreation areas, and daily house cleaning.  The cost? “It’s just $150 per room, per night, and that includes a hot breakfast,” says Walley.

Even more of a reason, because groups are staying at a university as opposed to a hotel, they save by not having to pay an occupancy tax or a service charge. Additionally, the revenue generated offsets student housing costs during the academic year.  It’s really a no brainer.

Also included in UCLA’s renovation was a new ballroom (see design on right) with three breakout rooms, which pairs perfectly with the new suites for groups, associations, or even special events.

To learn more about UCLA Conference Services, visit them on uniquevenues.com.

Halloween’s fast approaching, and if you’re in charge of planning a Halloween event or party, there’s certainly a ton of options for you.  In fact, the fall event has its own association, the Halloween Industry Association, a trade organization begun in 2005 to represent businesses involved in the Halloween industry.

While there’s no shortage of fake spider webs and plastic pumpkins at stores, you may be on the hunt for something a bit more… unique.

For that, we have these three suggestions.

Bat Mobile: Create your own version of the bat mobile (not Batman’s, but Martha’s).  Create a simple bat pattern out of cardstock and trace 10 or so onto black construction paper.  String them with fishing wire from your ceiling at different heights.  

Costume on a stick: Don’t have time for Martha’s cupcake masterpieces? Print out these do-it-yourself costumes for guests.  Paste them on popsicle sticks and scatter them throughout your venue.  Having a photobooth or photographer?  Keep these handy for those who dared to come without a costume.

Up the classy creep factor: Instead of streaming Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” on loop every twenty minutes, pop in classic, black and white horror flicks from the 50s or 60s.  There’s nothing like the “look out behind you!” moments that get guests yelling at the TV.  Just be sure to keep the volume down and music up; no one likes a zombie guest watching movies and not talking.

Find the perfect, creepy venue: Look into mansions, guesthouses, or even castles to host your Halloween party.  These places don’t require much to pull off a great Halloween party.

Enjoy!

As summer begins to fade, one of the Fall greetings most people welcome is the changing of leaves’ colors. One of the best places to see fall foliage is in central Pennsylvania, home to great Fall activities like hiking and biking trails, historic sites, and festivals.

If you’re looking for a large space to hold an event or meeting, the Blair County Convention Center in Altoona has these great scenes as the backdrop of their convention center. The facility boasts over 50,000 square feet of indoor meeting space, 11 meeting rooms, and an 1800 capacity theatre to accommodate groups up to 2000.

Equipped with high-speed & wireless Internet, full service business center, in-house technicians, computer communications room, and built in screens, your meetings will run efficiently and effectively with Blair County Convention Center’s team.

For special events, their full-service culinary staff can cater all of your dining needs for your guests or attendees. Take advantage of their indoor and outdoor space to truly create a unique event.

With a walkway to a Courtyard Marriott, your guests can easily extend their stay and take the time to explore what Blair County has to offer. For example, just a short drive away is Horseshoe Curve, a horseshoe-shaped railroad track built in 1854. Guests can take a funicular to the top to watch trains roll through this engineering marvel.

After your day of meetings, your guests can also take in an Altoona Curve game, whose season extends into September. The minor league baseball team’s home stadium is under a 10-minute drive from the convention center.

Explore what Altoona, PA and Central Pennsylvania has to offer at the Blair County Convention Center.

If taking a step back in time is your thing (or if you’re just looking for a really cool venue), The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum in Springfield, IL is more than a place to soak up some history.

With all the modern day amenities of a meeting and conference space and a place to hold a special event, you get the best of both periods.

This juxtaposition is carried throughout the museum, where your attendees can experience modern marvels like Ghosts of the Library, a state-of-the-art holographic program bringing visitors behind the scenes of a great presidential library.

Modern day meetings find their place in the Governor’s Conference Room, a light and natural toned meeting room for up to 20 people. For larger groups, the Exelon Union Theatre has a capacity of 250 people, perfect for annual meetings, private performances, lectures, and awards ceremonies.

To round out your experience, The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum also offers function spaces for small to large receptions. We love this open-concept holiday reception and the idea of a using the trees and lights to fully utilize the high ceilings.

Learn more about what this unique venue has to offer.

When the last floor has been swept after your event, you probably want to kick your feet up way more than evaluate your event’s success. But measuring what worked and what didn’t is an integral park in evaluating your event’s ROI.

Here are some key tips for how to incorporate evaluations into your next planning process…

Map it out from the beginning: When you’re planning, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the enjoyable details, like choosing your venue or picking a theme, but be sure to establish how you’ll evaluate your event’s success off the bat.

Choose a method: Do you have the emails of all your attendees? Use Survey Monkey to email them all a short evaluation of the event 24 hours after. Make it easy for them to select what they liked the most and least, and be sure to give them a comment box.

Automate it: Write your survey before the event and have it timed to send 24 hours after its completion. If you leave writing the survey until after, it probably will be rushed.

Keep an open mind: Your results will probably follow a bell curve, with 10% of people loving your event, 10% with not-so-nice comments, and about 80% somewhere in the middle. Focus on those 80% and what you can do to get them to become more like the 10% who loved it.

Follow these simple tips, and you’ll have the facts to back you up when someone asks, “So… how did it go?”

It’s that time of year again. The air’s getting crisper, school’s starting, and NFL football season will soon be upon us.

But before those NFL teams hit the field, they have to find some place to practice.  Did you know that some NFL teams call colleges and universities home in the late summer?  These venues’ fields are the perfect location for these professional athletes AND for corporations or groups looking to include outdoor activity into their retreats.

In fact, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA has hosted the Superbowl winning Pittsburgh Steelers for 45 years during their training camp.  Consider following in their footsteps if you need to plan some sort of outdoor teambuilder and look into a college or university.

Cornhole at the Unique Venues summer staff party

If you’re looking for a more subtle way to capture the NFL spirit, check out these three tips for creating your own tailgate-themed event.

Cornhole. This game may go by many names, but the concept is simple: toss the beanbag into the holes in the boards to accumulate points.  Set up a tournament for your guests and watch the competitive spirit come through.

Have you had a cakepop yet?

Think on a stick: Your guests will have to be able to munch on something while they toss the beanbags, so keep food travel-friendly. Think kabobs, fruit skewers, or cakepops.

Unique references: You don’t need to scream tailgate with grills, footballs, and potato chips. Carry the theme into unexpected touches, like cupcakes for desert that mimic the field.

Great football cupcakes from Joys Chef Service

Keep these tips in mind when selecting a location or planning the details of your Fall events or parties.  Take a few risks, and you’ll be sure to leave a memorable impression on your guests.   Whether you explore a unique venue or serve up a themed snack, you’ll be sure to stand out.

Maison Biltmore: Washington, D.C.

Comfort is on a comeback.  Mansions, homes, bed and breakfasts, and other residential venues are key for summertime events, and they’re not just for casual parties or receptions.  Corporations looking for a unique place to meet or gather can make use of these spaces and deliver a memorable experience.

Some of these venues are even historical sites, which adds an extra layer of uniqueness to your event.  Guests can take in the history and have something to discuss and explore.  Having that element in your venue also bodes well for word of mouth marketing, as they’ll be likely to post to Facebook or Twitter that they’re there.

Here are some tips for capitalizing on using these residences:

• Take advantage of these venues’ gardens for garden parties.  Let guests explore the grounds, or set up different stations both inside and outside to maximize use of these spaces.
• Consider warm and homey food stations.  Home-style food has made a big comeback, with finger-food size grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese being big hits.

• If you’re a corporate planner, leave your branding at the door and use subtle ways of infusing your brand, like punch drinks or bouquets of your brand colors.

To check out historical and cultural venues for your next “comforting” event or meeting, explore Unique Venues.