Austin has grown significantly over the past few years, especially when it comes to the world of tech and corporations. Today, it may still be the heart of Texas, but it’s also become a premier corporate event destination since its now vibrant business culture sits squarely in a town filled with fun. From live music every night to the vibrant dining scene, Austin is the perfect location to hold your next corporate event. As a commercial photographer who has been working within the Austin corporate event photography space for a decade, I’ve seen and worked at a wealth of Austin corporate event locations, and here are ten exceptional corporate event venues in Austin that I promise will elevate your meeting and provide you with a memorable and impactful event. I can say with assurance that Austin offers a variety of options to suit every style, size, and type of corporate event.
10 Exceptional Locations for Your Austin Corporate Event
1. The Driskill Hotel: A Historic Gem
The Driskill Hotel remains one of my favorite not-so-hidden gems in downtown Austin and one of my favorite corporate event venues in Austin. It exudes charm and sophistication and their second floor bar is always an amazing spot to tuck away for an intimate and cozy nightcap. After any night of Austin corporate event photography, you will probably find me there with a glass of wine basking in the warm diffused ambiance. The Driskill has timeless design details but is outfitted with modern technology. It boasts 18,000 square feet of elegant ballroom spaces and offers a private balcony for event use which would be perfect for networking or happy hour events. With a hotel right above it, the Driskill is a one stop shop for moderately sized events.
2. The Contemporary Austin – The Jones Center
The Contemporary Austin, Jones Center location is perfect for smaller corporate event gatherings. The Community Room at the Jones Center is fully A/V capable and overlooks Congress Ave. With a seating capacity of 65 people, it’s perfect for lectures, meetings, workshops and more. If you would like to hold a larger corporate event reception, the outdoor roof deck is 3,300 square feet and offers a built in bar, in house chairs and bistro tables and a dramatic panoramic skyline view.
3. Fair Market
Fair Market is large, open and versatile. At SXSW, where I work each year focused on Austin corporate event photography, I’ve seen it transformed into any number of brand installations that truly wow. Their claim to fame is that they are a one-of-a-kind venue and they are the only venue on this list that resides in Austin’s fun, funky and eclectic east side. The property offers 12,000 square feet of flexible, warehouse space connected to a 10,000 square foot lawn.
4. Fareground
Experience the versatility of Fareground, which has a large expansive patio for corporate events of any size. The location has diverse outdoor spaces on multiple levels, which allows it to adapt seamlessly to team-building activities and open-air gatherings. All told Fareground offers a whopping 30,000 square feet of unique event space with 6 eateries and 2 bars along with their outdoor space, allowing them to host groups from 10 to 400+ and everything in between.
5. Austin Convention Center
Boasting spacious event areas and cutting-edge amenities, this is Austin’s go-to for the largest of events: conferences, exhibitions, trade shows, and business gatherings of all sizes. ACC is conveniently located right in the heart of downtown, which allows your attendees to stay in any of the nearby 12,000 hotel rooms that Austin now boasts. The convention center itself offers five contiguous, column-free exhibit halls with a whopping 247,052 sq. ft. of space.
6. AT&T Hotel and Conference Center
If your event is too large for one of Austin’s other smaller, more intimate spaces, but too small for the likes of the Austin Convention Center, then the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center adjacent to the UT campus may be your spot. Their 85,000 square feet of meeting space is multi-functional and can be setup in a variety of ways. They offer ballrooms, tiered classrooms, breakout rooms and amphitheaters, along with an outdoor courtyard that’s perfect for hosting your attendees meals outside.
7. Vuka
Vuka is a combination of coworking and event space serving Austin in two locations. It’s a creative hub that’s perfectly positioned to host workshops, meetings, and networking events. Vuka maintains that their creatively designed and styled space is going to set a far more unique tone and inspiring location for your team building needs.
8. Barr Mansion
Barr Mansion is a unique and timeless event space just 15 minutes outside of Austin that will showcase the beauty of the Texas hill country. Although it’s frequently used for weddings, Barr Mansion is a perfect location for holiday parties, galas, team-working events and corporate retreats. The open air Farmstead Pavilion is a great location for presentation style conferences for up to 300 guests during the spring and fall, which it’s pleasant to be in Texas.
9. The Fairmont Austin
Adjacent to the Austin Convention Center, the Fairmont also boasts an impressive 140,000 square feet of total meeting space to accommodate events of any size. In addition, the hotel itself offers over 1,000 guest rooms, a rooftop pool, and convenient access for guests to the famed Austin hike and bike trail on Lady Bird Lake.
10. JW Marriott Austin
Looking for the most high-end location in Austin that also offers expansive space? Head to JW Marriott Austin, providing a sophisticated backdrop, upscale amenities, and modern technology they have a staggering 42 event rooms and 115,609 square feet of total event space. The largest convention hall can hold 3,550 people.
Although this is a list of my personal top 10 corporate event venues in Austin, it is by no means an exhaustive list. Looking for a corporate event photographer for your Austin event? I’ve been servicing the Austin, TX community with corporate event photography for over 10 years now so reach out today! Looking for more info on my commercial and event photography services? I have additional work from various commercial events here.
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