Why 3 Birmingham event planners love the venue rentals at this downtown arts campus

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Few event venue rentals anywhere can deliver a dramatic impression quite like Birmingham’s Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus.

While theatre patrons rejoiced when the 60,000-square-foot arts destination opened in 2021 for performances, local event planners also joined the rounds of applause.

Read on to hear from event organizers about why they love this cool spot’s venue rentals in downtown’s vibrant Parkside District. Plus, learn about the unique features the venue offers.

Showing off the best of Birmingham

Julia Gordon had attended several community events at the Arts Campus before booking it for Teach for America Alabama’s largest event, the Alabama Opportunity Summit.

As managing director of partnerships and impact for TFA Alabama, Gordon works with her counterparts at A+ Education Partnership to produce this day-long, statewide conference.

For a conference welcoming 350 to 400 people, Gordon’s wants list included:

• Large space for the entire group
• Several breakout rooms for small group workshops
• Space for a casual breakfast reception

After a full tour of the Arts Campus revealed spaces Gordon and her colleagues had not yet discovered, they left feeling “thrilled” to find a location that checked every box.

“Something else we really liked about Red Mountain Theatre is the location. When we are bringing experts from across the state and nation, we want to show them the best of Birmingham. We have so many restaurants in the area and Railroad Park. It’s in such a great spot and that really does impact the experience and set the tone from the beginning. We got a lot of positive feedback from attendees aligned to that.”
_{Julia Gordon}

Suited for events of all sizes

Another nonprofit that has enjoyed the venue rentals at the Arts Campus is its neighbor, Children’s of Alabama.

Kate Willingham, community development coordinator for the hospital, says they’ve hosted multiple events for groups of 40 to 400, from lunches and receptions to conferences.

“Red Mountain Theatre is a great partner of ours here at Children’s of Alabama. We are very grateful for them to be right behind us and love that when you attend an event you have a great view of our beautiful hospital. As both non-profits in the community, we love being able to support each other.  

“We love the staff at Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus, they make you feel welcome and are great communicators and planners. They are always very accommodating, we feel lucky to have them as a great partner in our community.”

_{Kate Willingham}

Creating immersive experiences

When DeeDee Mathis envisioned a party centered on the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, she wanted guests to enter an immersive, Moulin Rouge-themed experience the moment they arrived.

The Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus venue rentals team answered the call with cancan dancers and costumed actors greeting guests at the valet stand before ushering them down a hallway of Parisian-themed decor.

Once inside the Moulin Rouge-themed party, they met mingling magicians, musicians and dancers doing spontaneous “street performances.”

Mathis, the local sales manager for Hearst Television, hosted the event for 65-70 customers to celebrate NBC as the home of the summer games. She discovered the Arts Campus venue rentals after working with RMT Director of Institutional Advancement Keith Cromwell during The World Games in 2022.

“By the time people even got into our party, they were saying ‘Wow!’ They just took my words and just absolutely created the exact image that was in my mind.”
_{DeeDee Mathis}

Venue rentals by the numbers

Here’s a snapshot of venue rentals at the Arts Campus:

• RMT Mainstage: Seats up to 459 in the audience and 150 people seated or 200 reception-style onstage; great for events with larger technical or space needs.
• Discovery Theatre: This fully tech-equipped black box theatre seats up to 150 people.
• Grand Lobby: This open and airy space has two bars and can hold up to 300 people and seat up to 200. Courtyard space can be included.
• Keys on Third: This cozy space holds up to 50 folks, seats as many as 30 and includes a bar, AV setup and soft banquettes.
• Breakout Rooms: These spaces vary, with one large enough to seat 150 people and three others that can accommodate up to 40.

Also consider: Like the Moulin Rouge experience noted earlier, the Arts Campus offers much more than event space. Ask about the many special services to suit your event needs, from valet service (with a red carpet if you choose!) to mobile bartenders, musicians, performing artists, actors, costumes and sets.

Make your next event truly memorable by choosing the Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus venue rentals and services. Visit the RMT Arts Campus website to book a tour today.

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