Type: Venue Review
Location: Hollywood, FL
Overview: This is a very busy hotel with lots of meeting space and a great location. There are lots of ballrooms with different levels of features and challenges. The hotel is also split into two areas, the convention center with all of the large ballrooms and the main hotel with the majority of the breakout space.
Ballrooms: The main ballroom is the Great Hall on the third floor. This is a very flexible space that allows for even the largest stage design and production. Rigging is ample here and the space works great.
The next largest ballroom is the Grand on the second floor. This room features windows that run the complete length of the east section (a drape can close them off for sessions). The biggest challenge with this ballroom is that rigging is very limited. We have done some very creative stage designs in this space but it can be a challenge.
The remaining ballrooms are mostly used for large breakout rooms and they work well.
The Grand ballroom also features a nice registration area and a nice foyer.
Power and Rigging: This hotel is constantly booked, and their rigging and power rates reflect the demand. You will want to price out both power and rigging at the beginning of the budget process so as not to get sticker shock.
Power is handled by an outside vendor and needs to be ordered well in advance of the event.
Entrance to the Ballroom: The Grand ballroom is accessed by taking an escalator that exits directly into the foyer. We have done a really interesting LED arch unit at the entrance to the space. See this blog post for more details.
Producer’s Notes: This is a very large property with lots to offer mid to large size meetings.