As hybrid events grow in popularity, an increasing number of convention centers, hotels and other event venues are implementing creative, tech-forward solutions to accommodate both a virtual and in-person audience. BizBash brought you a sampling of hybrid studios back in September; scroll down to learn about 15 more spots in the United States and Canada that are ready to host your next virtual or hybrid event.
Worre Studios

New to Las Vegas is Worre Studios, a 25,000-square-foot studio for hybrid events that opened for public booking in April. The tech-forward venue has the ability to connect as many as 250,000 live, interactive participants virtually. On-site highlights include a 360-degree, 4K LED stage; real-time chat and audio communication; a livecast control room; production offices and green rooms; a media village with 48 iMac workstations; and a social media management dashboard. An added bonus? Half of the LED walls are on a track system, so event hosts can easily expand the wall to allow room for a live audience; the space can hold as many as 250 people in person.
Photo: Jerry Metellus
Anaheim Convention Center

In April, the Anaheim Convention Center in Southern California unveiled new studio options for hybrid and virtual events. The mobile studio is designed to serve as a hybrid solution or an offsite studio for full-service virtual event production; features include a custom digital backdrop, live streaming and video broadcast abilities, access to top-of-the-line video and audio equipment, assistance with audiovisual and lighting, support for presenters with timers and cue lights, recording/web interface features and more. The venue can also coordinate access to a technician, camera operator, stage manager, video/broadcast engineer or audio engineer.
Photo: Courtesy of Anaheim Convention Center
Experience Factory

Two Western Canada-based companies have teamed up to open Experience Factory, a 7,000-square-foot private broadcasting studio and hybrid event space. Opened in February by Dustin Westling of OneWest Event Design and Pierre Marleau of Orange Frog Productions, the new venue in Calgary is fully customizable and features top-of-the-line audiovisual, staging and light capabilities, plus multicamera and multistage capabilities, a private loading dock and entrance, and green rooms and production offices. To ensure a safe experience, Experience Factory also features dedicated health and safety coordinators, UV light sanitation of all products and surfaces, a UV air purifier, a variety of sanitation stations and more.
Photo: Courtesy of Experience Factory
George R. Brown Convention Center

In August, Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center unveiled a new, 5,250-square-foot broadcast studio inside the venue called the Avenida Houston Virtual Studio; the permanent space is available for virtual, in-person or hybrid meetings. Individual presenters can be integrated from any location, while groups, panels and audiences can be included from a studio location or multiple live locations. Other capabilities include chat, polling and interactivity options across various platforms. The convention center is also the first in the country to implement biodefence air filtration technology, plus 15 thermal scanning devices inside the building and electrostatic sprayers that clean up to 54,000 square feet of surface area per hour.
Photo: Courtesy of George R. Brown Convention Center
Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley

In November, the Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley in East Palo Alto, Calif., repositioned part of its main ballroom as a virtual event studio. The space features an LED stage and a BackDrop Pro stage, as well as studio-quality lighting, broadcast-quality cameras and audio, a green room for presenters, an onsite full production team, a color-customizable studio backdrop stage and a 24-foot LED screen. Since the studio is on site at the 200-room hotel, in-person event attendees can have access to luxury accommodations, cuisine from chef Martin Morelli and other Four Seasons amenities. Overall, the hotel has 10,484 square feet of event space.
Photo: Courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley
AREA15

Part of AREA15—a 40,000-square-foot event, entertainment, retail and dining complex that opened near the Las Vegas Strip in September—is The Portal, a unique space with floor-to-ceiling projection mapping. The 6,584-square-foot room offers a blank canvas for immersive gatherings, including hybrid events where the faces of digital attendees can be mapped onto the walls. At full capacity, The Portal will be able to host 400 in-person attendees for seated gatherings or 900 for standing receptions. Overall, AREA15 offers 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, plus an on-site events team.
Photo: Courtesy of AREA15
Walter E. Washington Convention Center

The Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., opened Studio 801 in September. The 19,000-square-foot production facility is equipped with rigging, enhanced audiovisual and lighting capabilities, and dynamic LED screens; it can also host in-person experiences that complement, and are integrated into, the virtual environments. To offer a seamless, turnkey experience for event organizers, Events DC, the city’s official convention and sports authority, has launched its own virtual platform called GATHER, which has been hosting events like the RAMMYS and DC Jazz Fest.
Photo: Courtesy of Events DC
Esports Stadium Arlington & Expo Center

The recently renovated Esports Stadium Arlington & Expo Center in Arlington, Texas, which bills itself as the largest dedicated Esports facility in North America, is now available for hybrid events and meetings. The 100,000-square-foot venue is part convention center, part international destination for competitive gaming—meaning it’s well-equipped to seamlessly include virtual attendees. It features a 90-foot LED stage, a state-of-the-art broadcast and production studio, a gaming center with fully furnished PCs, a full-service banquet kitchen and seating for 2,500 on-site attendees. An added bonus? Its onsite gaming center and VR arcade can offer team-building space for both live and virtual attendees. There’s also a 48,000-square-foot attached exhibit hall.
Photo: Courtesy of Esports Stadium Arlington & Expo Center
Palais des Congrès de Montréal

In Canada, the Palais des Congrès de Montréal is available for hybrid events through partnerships with Encore and GES. All rooms at the convention center have been reconfigured to comply with the 2-meter distancing measures, and a team of technicians and producers can add a variety of virtual components. Want a more unique hybrid experience? In December, the venue debuted Oasis Immersion (pictured), a 24,000-square-foot, permanent area dedicated to immersive technology. There are three sections available for private event bookings and public walk-through exhibits, and each section includes 105 laser projectors and 119 surround sound speakers to enable a 360-degree visual experience. Two sections each hold 30 in-person attendees while one holds 60, all complying with current distancing rules. Event organizers can work with the venue's operators to customize hybrid or in-person conferences, gatherings, team-building activities and more.
Photo: Courtesy of Palais des Congrès de Montréal
Orange County Convention Center

The Orange County Convention Center in Orlando opened a digital broadcast center called the OCCC Executive Studio in November. Designed for hybrid events, conventions and trade shows, the studio is a partnership with audiovisual company LMG and offers flexible and interactive technology tools and an inventory of state-of-the-art equipment. Located in the center’s Lecture Hall in the West Building, the studio also features classroom-style seating to accommodate a physically distanced audience and customizable options for lighting, audiovisual production and digital solutions. Other hybrid event options at the center include the Linda W. Chapin Theatre, which has a 97,000-watt audio system and a full proscenium stage, and the Destination Lounge, which can be used as a virtual studio.
Photo: Courtesy of Orange County Convention Center
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center

Another convention center with a new broadcast studio is the Javits Center in New York, which opened a 30,000-square-foot space in August. Equipped with advanced technology and equipment including a 50-foot LED wall, two studio cameras, wireless connectivity and wireless mics, the space can also host up to 300 in-person attendees in a comfortable, socially distanced setting. There’s also a private green room, an experienced on-site production team and opportunities to seamlessly connect live and remote attendees.
Photo: Courtesy of Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center

After a $480,000 renovation, Virginia’s Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center now offers hybrid and virtual meeting capabilities, including built-in audiovisual equipment and connectivity throughout the venue’s 63,000 square feet of meeting space. The property’s wireless HSIA network can now handle connections of more than 2,000 unique devices, and virtual broadcast via Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Webex is fully supported with a simple HDMI connection. The space also provides an on-site meeting concierge and a team of technology professionals to guide clients through hybrid event planning, and advanced video conferencing capabilities include built-in audiovisual equipment, multicamera recording options, mobile video conferencing resources and more.
Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
Québec City Convention Centre

In April, Canada’s Québec City Convention Centre debuted a new multifunctional broadcasting room designed for hybrid and virtual events. Designed in partnership with Encore, the space is located in one of the four sections of the center’s 25,000-square-foot Multipurpose Hall 2000. It’s equipped with a large stage, LED screens, stage and technical equipment, and a lighting and sound system. The versatile room can also accommodate 250 participants while respecting the city’s 2-meter physical distancing requirement.
Photo: Courtesy of Québec City Convention Centre
America's Center

At America's Center in St. Louis, the new StreamStage hybrid-meeting solution debuted in October. Located inside the 1,400-seat Ferrara Theatre, the offering includes a production manager, internet bandwidth for livestreaming, an HD camera, a studio backdrop with lighting and projection capabilities, and audio and streaming technology from Encore and Smart City. It is available to rent for either a half day or a full day, and in-person attendees can socially distance in the large theater. America’s Center recently achieved the GBAC STAR accreditation and is currently undergoing a $175 million renovation that includes touch-free doorways, a new 60,000-square-foot ballroom, extensive outdoor space, enhanced ventilation and an additional 92,000 square feet of exhibit space.
Photo: Courtesy of America's Center
Monterey Conference Center

California’s Monterey Conference Center plans to launch a new hybrid meeting service in May. The offering will be a first-of-its-kind collaboration with the CANVAS technology platform and Immersive Design Studios, which is most known for servicing business strategist Tony Robbins’ 20,000-attendee virtual events. The center’s adjoining hotels, including the Monterey Marriott, have also launched hybrid event capabilities. Altogether, the waterfront conference center and hotels offer 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, 19,150 square feet of exhibition space and 700 hotel rooms.
Photo: Courtesy of Monterey Conference Center