CinemaCon is held each year at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. Sony Zoo Keeper Screening created a grand entrance for show attendees on March 30, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Photo: © Ryan Miller/Capture Imaging
When it comes to off-site venues, theatres shouldn’t be overlooked because they can offer a full range of options beyond group tickets. Certainly shows are important for group events, but these event spaces are perfectly built accommodate small or large groups – with sound systems, lighting, stage, comfortable seating and more. They are used for event planning, creating galas, product launches, corporate announcements, general sessions, special events and other celebrations.
Theater events should leverage these built-in capabilities to create theatre screenings, business theater and corporate productions. The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, for example, allows event planners to turn ordinary meetings into business theater. While the Colosseum was custom designed for Entertainer Celine Dion’s show, and it can also be booked, depending on availability, for groups of up to 4,100.
The ancient Colosseum in Rome is the basis for the design of The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, and you can almost hear the ancient Roman crowds – or your attendees – roaring roaring their approval. It features a half-acre stage with state-of-the-art technology. The LED screen is one of the world’s largest and the largest in North America (costing $10 million alone). The video screen gives the illusion of 3D stage scenery.
CinemaCon at the Colosseum
CinemaCon 2011, a conference for movie theatre owners, was held at the Colosseum. For four days, the Colosseum was used as the venue for general sessions, movie screenings, top secret trailers, red carpets and the inaugural CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards.
For the screening of a zoo-themed movie, props were brought in to make the entrance and main level corridor look like a central park zoo. There were even exhibits with live animals for guests to stroll past while waiting for the screening.
What about food and beverage? Those items were setup in the lobby/corridor area due to the sloped walkways and narrow aisles in the seating area.
Creating Theater Events
Event ideas at theaters can be endless. From toga party to black tie affair, if you can imagine it, consider organizing it in a theatre. Caesars’ meetings and theater management team to leverage access to talent from theaters in Vegas that are part of Las Vegas Meetings by Caesars Entertainment, or book your own entertainment through a local Las Vegas talent agency, such as Jaki Baskow at Baskow & Associates.
To be sure, you can still wow a smaller group by taking advantage of the big names already booked on the stage from Celine to Elton John, and reserve a block of seats.
Planners are often drawn to the heart of the Las Vegas Strip and an architectural marvel for over 40 years, Caesars Palace. With more than 4,000 rooms and 300,000 square feet of meeting and convention facilities, Caesars Palace offers a unique opportunity to host any type of event. With 340 days of sunshine and average temperature of 84 degrees, Las Vegas provides the perfect weather for business travel, meetings and special events.
Research by Diana Rowe.
