ZINC

Located on the riverfront edge of Federation Square, ZINC is a slickly run and adaptable event space which is perfect for corporate entertaining.

With a view out to the river, MCG  and Southbank, the venue is just a stones throw from Flinders Street Station so is very convenient as a city based venue.

Although located in the heart of the city, the venue somehow always feels more relaxed than being in the city with it’s views of the river and adjacent parkland.

This is also one of the reasons it’s works well for corporate events during the day as there is plenty of natural light available as well as an outside deck which is great for breaks, lunches or networking.

Large enough to entertain up to 1000 guests, the venue can also be scaled down into separate and more intimate spaces that don’t hint at it’s potential for larger events and conferences.

The food is always excellent and the service from the friendly staff is consistently good.

White Lane, Flinders Lane

Owned and operated by Melbourne based caterers food&desire, White Lane on Flinders Lane is also popular as a city wedding venue (without the pomp!).

White Lane is increasingly popular for corporate functions with companies that want to have a cool city vibe without being too edgy and scaring their clients off!  White washed brick walls and a studio or art gallery feel it offers something of a blank canvas for your event.

Located at the top end of town, the venue has a subterranean feel, located just below street level, but with views of pedestrians legs visible as they wander by, usually totally unaware that an event is happening below them.

The catering is usually the most memorable aspect of this venue, with food&desire outdoing themselves at each event we attend!

QT Melbourne

QT Melbourne is a boutique hotel located on Russell Street in Melbourne CBD,  which is probably best known by event photographers for it’s rooftop space for events during the summer months as it’s very popular with clients entertaining groups of up to 185 guests.

With great views across the immediate Melbourne CBD area, the rooftop has a really relaxed feel, with it’s comfortable furniture and sophisticated design.

Although the rooftop event space is most well known, the hotel has several event and functions space available, ranging from the King which is similar in style to the Pascale Bar & Grill for small private dining events or board meetings through to the Barclay Room which can welcome up to 60 guests for a cocktail function.

The floor to ceiling windows of the Barclay Room offer great views and make for an interesting meeting room as well as a larger private dining space.

Looking for something a little different?  How about your own private bar for the night, in which to entertain your guests?  Hot Sauce can host up to 60 guests in a private cocktail style event.

Do you need to impress just a handful of guests and maybe add a green or sustainable edge to the evening?

The Secret Garden may be just the event space you’re looking for.

Cultivated by executive chef Andy Harmer, the Secret Garden is relatively unknown to many, high above the busy city below.

Featuring string lights, wandering vines, herb and vegetable planters, this is a working garden used by the resident chefs on a daily basis and allows your guests to explore the rooftop garden while enjoying canapes, drinks and socialising or networking.

A unique chef’s table and camp fire experience is also available for up to 25 guests.

Royal Exhibition Building

With more than 11,000m2 of space, the Royal Exhibition Building, located in Carlton Gardens is a World Heritage listed site.

A large and versatile building, it has the ability to host both large and small events, ranging from expos and trade shows through to fashion shows, consumer events, awards nights and gala dinners.

It is the oldest surviving from the Great Exhibition era that is still operating as an exhibition hall which is a pretty good claim to fame!

Although the venue is large, smaller events work well in the space too, with areas that aren’t being utilised sectioned off with drapes so the space still feels intimate rather than cavernous.

For event photographers it’s a great building to work in, as the historic and grand building has some fantastic angles and shapes with which to frame a photo.  The balcony level is useful for wide shots from above which are great for conveying a sense of scale when the event is large and always look impressive on social media feeds.

Catering is often provided by the excellent Peter Rowland for large scale dinner events and fashion shows.

Plaza Ballroom

Located at 191 Collins Street, beneath the Regent Theatre, Melbourne’s Plaza Ballroom is an impressive function space with space for up to 1200 guests.

It’s small gated entrance on Collins Street doesn’t hit at the large faux-grand space below street level, with it’s imitation balconies, towering columns and giant chandeliers.

Well suited to large corporate dinners and awards nights, the catering from the hatted executive chef is always on point.

Like most Melbourne event photographers, the Plaza Ballroom doesn’t top our list of favourite venues as it can be quite a challenging space to photography with it’s dark, high ceilings and low light levels but we know several corporate event videographers who absolutely love working there as it offers them some texture and atmosphere which they don’t always get on corporate events.

Myer Mural Hall

Myer Mural Hall is another impressive venue suited to large (and swanky!) corporate functions.

Luminare

If you’re on the hunt for a contemporary venue with a roof garden or deck to enjoy cocktails on summer or autumn evening while watching the sun disappear behind the Westgate Bridge; Luminare could be of interest.

Located in South Melbourne, the rooftop venue offers an alternative skyline view of Melbourne and the decked outdoor area works really well for summer and autumn evening events. Perfect for pre-dinner cocktails and canapes!