Special events business news

Venue News 

The Matrix Club, the highly anticipated multi-cultural convention, banquet and performing arts venue is poised to open late summer 2022 in Naperville, Illinois. Within The Matrix Club’s extraordinary 75,000 square feet of space, guests will find everything from banquet halls, a performing arts center and world class restaurant to an art gallery, yoga studios and a state-of-the-art music sound lab. “The Matrix Club will challenge the way people think about designing, planning and executing events. When someone entrusts us with their special day–be it a wedding, birthday, corporate gathering, school proms or concerts–our goal is to transcend their expectations,” says conceptualizer Madan Kulkarni. Features include The Matrix Room, an eclectic and immersive fine dining experience with a live music stage, and the Dhrishti Center, a 210-seat cultural arts venue. 

Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City, the first Hyatt Regency hotel in Utah, is set to debut October 2022. The hotel’s arrival will bring 60,000 square feet of meeting space, including one of the largest hotel ballrooms and most expansive outdoor rooftop event terraces in the city. The top floors will be comprised of 700 spacious guestrooms and suites, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows with breathtaking views of the skyline and surrounding mountain peaks. The space will also feature three dining venues offering a variety of ambiance from casual to lively, including Contribution, an upscale street-facing bar; The Salt Republic, a spacious open-kitchen American bistro; and Market, a local artisan grab-and-go store. Event spaces will include two expansive ballrooms, breakout rooms, pre-function space, an outdoor event terrace, and a Broadcast Lounge, one of the first of its kind to debut across the Hyatt Regency brand enabling meeting guests to experience their event in a hybrid manner. 

People on the Move 

Area15, the immersive art and entertainment district located minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, has announced its new corporate event sales team. Campbell Smolen has been named Director of Event Sales, leading strategic planning and business initiatives while implementing a client-focused approach to sales. Dustin Fangman is the new Associate Director of Sales, where he will be developing new opportunities for AREA15 to grow and expand. Jessica Briggs is the new Senior Sales Manager; Veronica Peterson the new Sales Manager; and Brenda Girard the new Event Services Manager. 

Products on the Market 

A new ice-breaking and team-building product, JabberYak, is available to enhance events and create connections. These products, designed for events, team building, and customer experience, are formulated to ease social tension and start conversations using a unique “7 degrees of interest” concept. Products include badges, t-shirts, name tags, data analytics, and more. 

Founded in 2018, Planned is a quickly-growing event planning platform. Planned connects industry professionals to venues across North America, provides online classes and vendor listings, and streamlines processes to create an easier event planning experience. Major clients include Amazon, Google, Airbnb, and Samsung. 

Hot off the Press 

The Special Event Company (TSEC), an event planning company that has handled high-profile projects, transformed business as the pandemic lockdown occurred through building a digital studio. Located in Apex, North Carolina, the studio uses state-of-the-art recording equipment, streaming technology, sets and acoustics, and carved a way for TSEC to thrive during the pandemic. Using the studio’s technology, TSEC produced a wide range of virtual events and continues to thrive today.