Hard Rock Café
With 49 locations in the United States, no Hard Rock Café is the same. Some have private rooms, some have mezzanine space, and some have concert stages. The Las Vegas location is hopping most of the night, but the Mall of America location may close at 10 p.m.
All of them are the same in two respects, though: They’re fun, which makes them great late-night options, and they offer after-hours options for meeting and convention groups.
“That’s what our model is built on; it’s what we do,” said Tara Hippensteel, national sales manager of tour and travel North America for Hard Rock International. “We tend to own that late-night scene in many of the markets.”
Hard Rock Café can customize any event, from the menu to the music. They’ve done fundraisers and fashion shows, brought in dueling pianos and live-band karaoke, set up comedy shows and multimedia displays. After-hours events range from a post-theater cocktail reception for theatergoers or a cast party to a get-together for businesspeople in town for an agriculture convention. A group from Chicago can customize their event with Chicago-themed music and food, she said.
“We have a lot more flexibility than people realize,” Hippensteel said. She added, “The sky’s the limit; everything is so customizable.”
The company also has an “after-dark campaign,” a specific approach to its late-night business, she said. An on-site “vibe host” adjusts lighting and music to make sure the atmosphere of the room fits the event, and nearly every Hard Rock Café location has an “AVDJ” digital music system that allows for easy and extensive customization.
Wicomico County, Maryland
“More and more, groups are not only looking at facilities you offer but what else there is to do in the community during the off-hours,” said Kristen Goller, director of marketing and public relations for the Wicomico County Recreation, Parks and Tourism department.
Wicomico County is tucked into Maryland’s southeastern corner between the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay. The county works with incoming events to offer discount tickets to area festivals and to get groups to enjoy local happenings, something the staff call “plus-ing up” meetings and conferences.
Groups can hit up the annual Pork in the Park Festival for barbecue in late April or early May, and October brings both the Good Beer Festival, which showcases craft brews, and the Autumn Wine Festival, which features more than 20 wineries.
Groups can also hit up the Camden Avenue Farmer’s Market that’s held every Tuesday throughout the year. Downtown Salisbury has Third Friday events, where artists, artisans and musicians set up along the Main Street plaza in the summer and during good weather in the winter. When the weather isn’t great, a variety of special events, such as gallery shows and performances, are held indoors at downtown stores and venues.
