Corporate Event Venues Your Guests will Actually Love
Photo Credit: Mitch Tobias
Welcome to Part 2 of our series on Kennedy Events’ favorite venues in San Francisco! We love this city (and beyond) and we’re thrilled to share these gems with you.
All of these venues have been vetted by our team, so we’re well acquainted with all the quirks and perks of each. We’re experts in planning corporate events, especially in San Francisco, and if you’ve been to any of these fabulous venues, let us know! We hope you love the places on this list as much as we do.
Be sure to check out Part 1 of this series for even more great spots.
Photo credit: City View at Metreon and Julio Duffoo
Best Views of Downtown, from Downtown: City View at METREON
Centrally located in San Francisco, City View at METREON is a newly renovated event venue capable of hosting receptions, conferences, and everything in between. Remodeled to be more flexible and upscale, City View boasts over 31,000 square feet of divisible space that can accommodate 200 or 2,000. We love that the floor-to-ceiling windows offer an unobstructed view of San Francisco's magnificent skyline, and the expansive outdoor terrace provides an open-air experience that will delight your guests both day and night. We have transformed the terrace into an evening reception, breakout room, and expo hall. The venue’s flexibility is key for event success.
Photo credit: Mitch Tobias
Most Beautiful / Iconic: Palace of Fine Arts
The Palace of Fine Arts is one of the reasons we love San Francisco so much. This venue reminds us of everything we love about this city: the history, the elegance, and the old world atmosphere that still lingers (if you only know where to find it). Built in 1915, it’s the last building still standing from San Francisco’s Panama Pacific International Exposition (similar to the world’s fair). This large space may be less flexible than other venues with its single giant hall, but it can accommodate up to 500 people with theatre seating and comes with giant stone angels overlooking the stage. We get such a thrill when this space is perfect for our clients because it truly is one of the most special places in the city. There are many quirks to this space, and we’re fairly certain we’ve uncovered them all. From galas to conferences to roller derby (we only attend, not skate), the Palace can fit it all.
Photo credit: Mitch Tobias
Best Out of Town: Devil’s Canyon Brewery
One of the best parts about living in San Francisco is the surrounding areas. Sure, everyone has heard of Napa and Monterey, but what about something unique right in the middle of Silicon Valley? When we’re planning an event off-site that has to be within a stone’s throw of the client’s HQ, yet feels like it’s miles away, we turn to Devil’s Canyon Brewery. We love that this venue has a stage and on-site brewing, plus it’s flexible enough to host a 350-person meeting. (By the way, the craft beers are delicious!) The flexible staff is so accommodating; they make the lives of our team and our clients so easy during the planning process. We love a venue that makes our clients shine!
Photo credit: Maggie Braff
Best Out of Town: 1440 Multiversity Retreat Center
Of course, we couldn’t pick just one favorite for out-of-town venues. If a brewery isn’t your taste for your multi-day retreat, how about something completely different: 1440 Multiversity Retreat Center. When we’re hosting an event where focused engagement is the goal, this 75-acre campus, beautifully nestled in the California redwoods near Santa Cruz, could not be more perfect. Originally a camp, 1440 Multiversity is now a state-of-the-art retreat center; complete with an outdoor amphitheater, teaching kitchen, and meeting rooms. The space exudes peacefulness; providing an opportunity for attendees to really focus. The hiking trails are the perfect setting for exploring the next big idea while you experience nature. Kennedy Events is currently working on an event that will host scientists from around the world to discuss eliminating plastic debris in our food system and oceans. We couldn’t imagine a better setting for such an important environmental topic.
Where will you host your next event?
Feeling inspired? So are we! If you’re hosting an event in 2019 or 2020 and want an expert on your side, you know where to find us.
Maggie Kennedy is the co-owner of Kennedy Events; a large-scale event management company based in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City. Our team creates stress-free conferences and events with a positive impact, which allow our clients to resonate with their audience. Kennedy Events specializes in producing flawless product launches, award ceremonies, fundraisers and multi-day conferences while keeping our eye on retention and engagement goals.
maggie kennedy
