Written by Kevin Choa / Photos by Paolo Pareno and Franchesca Collantes / Graphics by Elena Salazar

What’s an event without a venue or space? Next to people, this is one of the few things an event can’t do without. That being said, there are always great events spaces that will truly match the theme of the event and make it stand out. There are also less-than-stellar spaces – some that might be too small, too formal, or too casual. We, however, know of a space that has everything you could possible need for your event.

A projector and a screen

There aren’t many ways to get your message across to everyone more efficiently than with these two tools. Whether it’s cutting big speeches up into easy-to-digest segments or showing your guests photos and videos, any event will be better off with them. It’s also a matter of presenting content more smoothly. As much as hosting or presenting depends on the content of your script or speech, presentation is always the key to making sure everyone tunes in.

A proper sound system

On that note, there’s no point in speaking up if no one else can hear you. Also, there’s no point in showing videos with no audio, unless it’s really meant to be a silent film (but even a lot of those have background music). Finally, there’s got to be some form of music to remove any dead air (which is a major hosting nightmare in itself).

This is where the sound system comes in. There are generally no rules to this; some places are small enough not to need microphones, while others need booming speakers that are loud enough for the people at the back.

A photo booth

There aren’t many ways to truly remember an event, but photos do it well. Whether it’s with friends, family, or even some celebrity who just happened to be there, most pictures are great for looking back at the memories and the experiences of being at an event. A wall with themed decorations can suffice, but any good wall or place for photos should have both good lighting and a picturesque background of the theme of the event. It’s not just good for promos, but also for social media.

Tables, seats, and maybe a couch

Let’s start with the practical stuff. It’s easier to take control of any event if everyone’s seated at the right place instead of having to deal with people walking around all at once.

That being said, you can express the theme of your event this way. Be it as formal as a black-tie dinner or as casual as a regular meeting, seats can help set the tone and mood of the place. As with the other options, there’s no definite answer to how the seats must look, but any good space should have a wide variety of options for you to choose from.

A kitchen and/or a bar

An event is never great without food or drinks. Besides being something to bond over and enjoy, it’s also a great way to entertain guests and give you some breathing room. A kitchen and a bar are your best friends here. Whether it’s showing off your skills or trying to fix something wrong with the catering, you can never go wrong with these. Size doesn’t matter too much here; focus on something that can handle the amount of food and drink that you’ll need.

A fast and reliable Wi-Fi connection

As much as phones are a huge no-no in mingling and socializing, there’s just no way of telling exactly when an emergency will come up. That being said, a lot of us are either dependent on the Internet or just want to cut down on mobile data, which makes Wi-Fi the only way to survive. It doesn’t really matter who runs or provides the Wi-Fi here, but a great one should be fast and reliable (not to mention safe to use).

A stage or large central space

There’s no better way of keeping control of the event than with a stage. This is where all the action happens, where all the big names speak and fancy things make their entrance. As a host, this is the one place you have to not only speak up, but to also let you and your event stand out from the rest. There’s a lot of flexibility to go around here in terms of styling and appearance. Having said that, any good stage should be right at the heart of the event, where everyone can see and be seen.

A convenient location

What’s the use of any good space if no one can find it? It’s an unbelievable amount of work and an avoidable load of stress trying to deal with so many guests getting lost trying to find the venue. With that in mind, there are many things to consider for a good venue: the traffic, the entrance(s), general accessibility, and so on. While a good space might not have the best of all of these, such a space would always have a good mix of anything and everything most people would ideally try to avoid whenever going there.

Any good events space should have these 8 elements, but what separates the good from the great is balancing everything out and being versatile and flexible to host many different events.

With that in mind, my pick for the best one of the bunch is Penbrothers. With its convenient location in the heart of Makati, multi-purpose layout, and creative feel; it’s easily one of the best spaces that anyone can rent out right now. What really sets them apart, though, is their multi-faceted approach to events. They don’t just stop at providing the space; they also use the space as a creative hub for everyone to not just learn but also work.

With their endless roster of creative-oriented events, as well as their innovative approach to co-working spaces, there’s always something for everyone.

Penbrothers

6th Floor, OPL Building, 100 C. Palanca St. Legaspi Village, Makati

541 5840

Website: https://www.penbrothers.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penbrothers/