This Week in Event Venues: Temperature-Taking Tech, Holiday Party Planning, and More

As hotels and event spaces begin to cautiously reopen after coronavirus-related shutdowns, we're here to round up the biggest news of the week—in one convenient place. Got a tip? Get in touch!  

In Case You Missed It
On BizBash.com this week, we highlighted new venues for events in New York and Orlando/Central Florida. We also rounded up some cool tech tools that can safely bring back live events—including Relay, a service robot from Savioke that has seen increased demand by hotels during the pandemic. Click here to learn more.

Here are six more things you need to know this week...

1. NIVA has launched a new foundation focused on preserving live performance venues. 
The National Independent Venue Association—better known as NIVA—this week announced the formation of The National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF). The nonprofit organization's goal is to gather individual, corporate, and foundation donations that can expand on NIVA's mission to preserve live performance venues throughout the United States, and to help create a transparent marketplace that serves a diverse and inclusive community. 

"While NIVA remains the advocacy, sponsorship, and membership trade organization branch of the cause, the foundation has been created to focus on separate, supplemental initiatives, such as the Emergency Relief Fund,” explains Hal Real, president of NIVF. Vice president Tobi Parks adds, “While we wait for congressional support [from the Save Our Stages Act] that would allow our industry of independent venues and promoters to survive, I’m excited to be working with the National Independent Venue Foundation on next steps that, once we are back in business, will allow every member of our community the equal opportunity to thrive." 

Burbank, Calif.’s Hotel Amarano has 2,200 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space.Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Amarano2. A Los Angeles hotel debuted an innovative new way to take temperatures.
Following a full-scale property renovation that debuted in September, the Hotel Amarano Burbank-Hollywood is turning its attention to safe meetings and events. The 132-room hotel recently teamed up with Knoxville, Tenn.-based Inspectra Thermal Solutions to incorporate non-invasive technology that can read body temperature from up to 40 feet away. Hotel Amarano is the first hotel in the U.S. to use the infrared thermal imaging and fever-detection system, which automatically scans guests and staffers who enter the hotel's lobby.

“We are committed to providing the safest environment for our guests and staff. This groundbreaking technology allows us to deliver a message of reassurance in real time,” says Tom Whelan, the hotel's general manager. “The system represents the best of what technology can offer for the wellness of all who visit the property.”

The Hampton Inn in Silver Spring, Md., is set in a city known for its East African influence and Ethiopian cuisine, so Booking.com will outfit it with Ethiopia-inspired decor.Photo: Courtesy of Booking.com3. Booking.com's latest promotion celebrates the diversity of America—and encourages domestic travel. 
Inspired by the 2020 presidential election, Booking.com has launched its "America is for Everyone" campaign. "We believe that what unites Americans is ultimately stronger than what divides us and that travel, even if only domestic, and the experience of different cultures, have a restorative role to play in bringing us closer together," says the company.

The brand has created a travel list that identified 10 destinations throughout the country that evoke international culture and communities. Starting Nov. 16, designated hotels in those cities will be priced at $50 for a two-night stay (a nod to 50 states), and each accommodation will be designed to amplify the international inspiration. For example, Cottages El Porto is set in Miami's Little Haiti neighborhood, so the hotel rooms will feature Haiti-inspired decor. In Jersey City, N.J., the Hyatt House will have India-inspired decor to evoke the surrounding area, while Factors Row Sextant in New Orleans will draw from Vietnam. See the full list here. 

Allegiant Stadium’s Coors Light Landing, which typically holds 2,500, can be rented for holiday parties with plenty of space for social distancing.Photo: Courtesy of Allegiant Stadium4. Venues are advertising space for safe, in-person holiday parties.
While many companies are moving forwards with plans for virtual holiday parties, some venues are advertising their services for safe, in-person events this December. One such space? Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium, the new home of the Las Vegas Raiders that opened in August. The property has 10 different event spaces that can host a wide variety of gatherings—including large areas that offer plenty of room for social distancing. The stadium is offering turnkey packages for holiday parties, which include audiovisual technology, reception-style furniture, and holiday menus from exclusive hospitality provider Silver & Black Hospitality.

“We have developed a plan for each event space to be safely operated while still delivering a unique atmosphere to end the year in a big way,” explains Samantha Johnson, the stadium's director of sales. “Typically reserved for large groups, this year we are allowing small groups to book the Field and Coors Light Landing to accommodate social distancing needs.”

5. Venues are making the best of new COVID-related shutdowns.
As COVID-19 cases surge around the country, indoor dining in cities such as San Francisco and Chicago has been shut down again—causing venues to find new ways to pivot once more. Nobu Hotel Chicago, for example, is now offering in-room dining and takeout for the first time; guests can order cuisine from the upscale Nobu Restaurant directly to their rooms. The 10,000-square-foot on-site restaurant also boasts two private dining rooms that can accommodate groups of 14 people each, and the hotel's 11th-floor rooftop is still open for al fresco dining. Want to host a safe getaway for the whole family this Thanksgiving? Nobu Hotel is also offering a new "family gathering" package, which includes a special Bento Box experience that can be enjoyed from the hotel's suites.

At Bryant Park's new Curling Cafe, all gaming equipment and tents are sanitized by a dedicated team between each booking. Customers must wear a face-covering when not inside their designated tents.Photo: Courtesy of Bryant Park6. New York's Bryant Park is offering a unique activity venue. 
Speaking of creative holiday ideas, how about a safe and socially distancing curling event? In New York, the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park—the Manhattan park’s annual holiday experience—officially opened the “Curling Cafe” this week. The temporary, ice-less set-up includes curling lanes that end with a “bubble” tent housing tables and chairs; guests can book a lane and a tent for 90 minutes for groups as large as eight people. Catering includes kid-friendly options such as chicken fingers and brownie pops, or adult packages with wine or beer, beef sliders, and more.