2018 was the “Year of the New Event Venue” for the Nation’s capitol with new venues popping up all around the city. 

Here is a Washington, DC Insider’s list compiling some of our favorite outdoor and waterfront venues, as well as the latest venues to newest newer venue—perfect for any time of year! 

The Dockmaster Building sits waterfront in DC’s new Wharf District and nearby District Winery puts you close to the Anacostia River and Nat’s Park in Navy Yard.

As a sponsor, the most important outcome of an event is to receive maximum visibility. This seems like a no-brainer, but it can be challenging finding ways to change up the traditional branding tactics to something that physically engages your audience.

Keeping in mind that social media has become the key player in visibility, here are our thoughts on how to create a unique and memorable event experience for both your attendees and your sponsors. Read about how to incorporate your sponsors in a virtual event.

This past year was a banner year for LAI Live. We partnered with incredible organizations who trusted us with their visions and missions to create dynamic, game-changing events. Nothing makes us happier than solving an event-related problem that has been plaguing a client for years, whether it's solving timing issues, bringing new energy to an event that feels tired, or finding a way to incorporate new voices into a program. We were honored to do just that for five amazing clients.

Last week, Leading Authorities put on their biggest event of the year, the 2019 Inspire Conference. The LAI Live team helped execute on a big vision and our events director’s goal of carrying one cohesive theme throughout the entirety of the event: everything from the first invitation that went out, to the stage, linens, and dynamic videos carried out the same bold, graphic element that was meant to symbolize the advent of big, new ideas.

Event planning is the fundamental building block of a great event, whether it's a convention, summit, or meeting. To ensure that your event resonates with your target audience and doesn't feel like it's just going through the motions, it's essential to prioritize experience design. By crafting an immersive and engaging experience that considers the needs and preferences of your attendees, you can create a memorable event that leaves a lasting impression.

Our clients are always on the search for great ice-breakers to facilitate networking, get attendee energy up, and set the tone for a conference packed with fresh, exciting ideas. And there’s nothing like a little competitive spirit to bring out the best in your attendees.

We have worked with several clients to include fun games into their programming, and always hear the same thing: “I’m so glad we were willing to give that a try.” Here are a few ideas you can incorporate into your next event agenda:

We are constantly being asked by clients how they can make a big impression on attendees, without spending a large chunk of the budget. Whether ideating from scratch, or reimagining an interaction seen elsewhere, LAI Live loves to jump in and brainstorm cool, cost-saving solutions. We always aim to find a fix that works for your specific event and budget, working with you from the early stages of an event until execution to stay on trend and on budget.

Starting another round of destination search? If you are in the market for updated, modern, large venues, take a look at this list of newly redesigned and elegantly updated convention centers undergoing venue renovations.

Walking into a room full of hundreds of people can be, well, intimidating. It is our natural inclination to retreat from uncomfortable situations where we feel out of place or self-conscious, but it is in these situations that we have the most potential to grow. In order to ease the anxiety of large conferences, offer your guests fun and engaging ways to get them excited about your mission. It is important to have an environment that is conducive to communication and relationship building.

As part of our production process we participate in numerous site visits for our clients’ events. Yet – venues still manage to throw us curve balls! To minimize the surprises, here are a few things to ask when on a site visit: