Home Meeting Planner Resources 5 Ways Off-Site Venues Add Value

5 Ways Off-Site Venues Add Value

June 18, 2025

Every destination has creative, unique, cool off-site venues that can create memories, enhance participation, create FOMO and immerse attendees in the local culture.

While it can be tempting to stay at your headquarters hotel or convention center for all your food and beverage and activations, there are plenty of reasons to venture to unique off-site venues that make it well worth the cost of providing shuttle service. While on a recent press trip to Calgary, I got to experience first-hand just how much going off site can add to a meeting or event.

Let me count the ways…

Memorable, authentic and engaging experiences. On our first day in Calgary, we went to Smithbilt Hats, which not only provides a cool in-store shopping experience, but also can give group tours through its on-site hat-building area, complete with some of the same hat-building equipment that founded the company more than a century ago. Not only did we get to see how the hats are made, we also had a White Hat ceremony that explained the history of the Smithbilt-founded white hats that have become a ubiquitous symbol of the city’s hospitality, especially during its signature Calgary Stampede event — and we got to snack on local delicacies while sampling the area’s finest beverages. It helped to coalesce a disparate pack of journos instantly into a cohesive group.
Unique settings for thematic activities. I would hazard a guess that many meetings hosted in Calgary lean into the Stampede theme, and what’s more representative of cowboy culture than cowboy boots? On our visit to Alberta Boot Outfitters, we experienced an immersive tour into the art of boot-making in a beautiful, bright space in the store’s downtown Calgary location. Especially interesting was how they could easily and quickly customize boots, belts, pretty much any accessory with a corporate and/or event logo. A corporate group was in house at the same time we were, so we got to watch them indulge in luscious food and beverage while awaiting their custom-made mementos from the venue. Talk about walking literally in the locals’ footsteps.
Immersion in local culture without having to spend a lot to create ambiance and aesthetics. Calgary’s SAM Centre, opened last spring on Stampede Park, is a perfect example of how a unique off-site venue can immerse attendees in the local culture. Located near Calgary’s BMO Centre, the venue showcases the 112-year history of the Stampede through interactive storytelling, cool artifacts and immersive art. Arguably the best part was the 12-minute immersive experience in the Center’s 270-degree space that told the story of the Stampede, complete with haptic floors and life-size images. We also then could insert ourselves, either individually or as a group, into some of the Stampede’s historic posters, which we then could download and share via social media. And all the bells and whistles are included in the cost of rental — you don’t have to spend a lot to try to create the experience from scratch in a hotel ballroom.
Photo credit: Neil Zeller

Visually striking and “instagrammable backdrops. Unusual venues — from art galleries, museums and historic sites to repurposed warehouses — offer visually compelling settings that attendees can’t wait to snap and share on their socials. Not only do they create “Instagrammable” moments, these venues help amplify the event’s reach as guests post images and videos across platform. In addition to the SAM Centre, we went to Calgary’s Studio Bell, which is so much more than just a music museum. The five floors of the museum — the structure itself is a work of art — tell the story of music in Canada as you rock your way through interactive instrument installations, learn how music interacts with the human mind and spirit, and test your vocal range in the sound booths. I can guarantee attendees will pose for selfies with Elton John’s red piano and the Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Studio.
Let attendees go wild as they network and build their teams. Zoos may not be for every group, though Calgary’s Wilder-Institute/Calgary Zoo just may be the exception. In addition to drop-dead gorgeous meeting spaces, delicious catering and more than 4,000 animals ranging from polar bears to white-handed gibbons, the facility offers a host of interesting ways to interact, from exclusive after-hours otter interactions followed by a four-course dinner, to an escape game where attendees have to find clues hidden around the zoo to navigate challenges, solve puzzle and crack codes. Another fun activity is the ZooDunnit, a murder mystery game where participants gather clues, engage with a shady cast of characters, and enjoy food and drinks throughout the zoo.

Need a few more reasons to go off site? Showcasing off-site venues brings both attention and revenues to local attractions and businesses, which benefits the local economy. They also often can offer greater flexibility for customizations, offer a refreshing change of pace, and let you save on décor and setup time since the design elements are built in. Many even come with lighting, seating and AV, as well as in-house catering options.