Citylights Studio
Photo: Courtesy of Citylights Studio
In-house furniture rentals: Event designer Marc Wilson’s offices in Long Island City include Citylights Studio, a 3,000-square-foot venue that Wilson calls a “boutique event space” because of its smaller size (it can hold about 75 for receptions) and his personal attention to every detail. In addition to providing lighting designers and caterers, Wilson offers custom furniture rentals from his own prop house. Items include light-box coffee tables, chrome side tables, and sofas and chairs upholstered to match any color scheme.Custom-size stage: West Village comedy club Comix offers lots of desirable features: a 5,000-square-foot, 320-seat amphitheater-style space; four bars; broadcast-ready acoustics designed by SIA Acoustic’s Sam Berkow. A lesser-known perk that’s equally useful is the club’s stage, designed with detachable sections that allow it to expand from 15 to 25 feet. When fully extended, it reduces the number of seats by 50 but can accommodate full bands and larger-scale presentations—perfect for big or small performances.
Charitable tie-ins: Pure Project’s studio in NoLIta has 20-foot ceilings and loads of natural light, but what’s more unique is that the venue gives planners an automatic charitable tie-in for events, without any legwork. In an effort to promote sustainability and positive change, Pure Project donates a percentage of any revenue—whether from rental fees or proceeds from, say, an in-house art show—to an organization of the client’s choosing. Past charities include SaveDarfur.org and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. As an added altruistic bonus, staffers will also donate leftover food to the neighborhood homeless shelter, the Bowery Mission.
Design-friendly software: Helen Mills Theater offers a 4,000-square-foot event space and 140-seat theater and screening room, as well as other perks such as street-level signage and two dedicated 200-amp power-supply sources (eliminating the need for a generator). Another helpful—and less publicized—feature is the venue’s CAD (computer-aided design) software, which creates a digital layout of the theater. A Helen Mills staffer who is also an architect used the program to create a floor plan that a planner can load to his or her computer to play around with design elements without having to take measurements or create drawings of the space.
Mega marquee: For large events, Nokia Theatre is a draw for lots of reasons, namely its size (45,000 square feet) and its state-of-the-art sound system. But the venue’s 85-foot-long high-tech marquee, one of the largest on Broadway, is a sizable added bonus. The high-definition sign can display live and digital video and has the ability to broadcast events live from the stage directly to the marquee. An additional media-friendly amenity: Five media panels placed throughout the venue allow electronic outlets to plug directly into the marquee to access live footage from inside the theater for broadcast or recording, eliminating the need to run wires through the space.
Charitable tie-ins: Pure Project’s studio in NoLIta has 20-foot ceilings and loads of natural light, but what’s more unique is that the venue gives planners an automatic charitable tie-in for events, without any legwork. In an effort to promote sustainability and positive change, Pure Project donates a percentage of any revenue—whether from rental fees or proceeds from, say, an in-house art show—to an organization of the client’s choosing. Past charities include SaveDarfur.org and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. As an added altruistic bonus, staffers will also donate leftover food to the neighborhood homeless shelter, the Bowery Mission.
Design-friendly software: Helen Mills Theater offers a 4,000-square-foot event space and 140-seat theater and screening room, as well as other perks such as street-level signage and two dedicated 200-amp power-supply sources (eliminating the need for a generator). Another helpful—and less publicized—feature is the venue’s CAD (computer-aided design) software, which creates a digital layout of the theater. A Helen Mills staffer who is also an architect used the program to create a floor plan that a planner can load to his or her computer to play around with design elements without having to take measurements or create drawings of the space.
Mega marquee: For large events, Nokia Theatre is a draw for lots of reasons, namely its size (45,000 square feet) and its state-of-the-art sound system. But the venue’s 85-foot-long high-tech marquee, one of the largest on Broadway, is a sizable added bonus. The high-definition sign can display live and digital video and has the ability to broadcast events live from the stage directly to the marquee. An additional media-friendly amenity: Five media panels placed throughout the venue allow electronic outlets to plug directly into the marquee to access live footage from inside the theater for broadcast or recording, eliminating the need to run wires through the space.
