Playing to Win
Photos: Shae Huth
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We’ve all been to our share of meetings, conferences and events.
You know the drill – Ballroom. Tables. Chairs. Maybe some flowers or a step-and-repeat if someone is feeling fancy.
Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati is taking that typical setup up a notch with their new immersive event options.
The folks there offered up a sneak peek – and immediately – you could see and feel the difference.
Hard Rock has started offering immersive environments for private events, meetings and conferences, and they are one of those things that look good in photos but so much better in person.
The idea is to take a traditional event space and completely transform it around a theme. And I mean transform.
There’s a Garden Oasis that feels like you’ve stepped into another space entirely, complete with ambient noise that makes you feel like you’re in the tropics. An Old-World Butcher Shop is filled with smoke projections that surround you and somehow make their delicious Wagyu tenderloin even better. There’s even an interactive Campfire Experience where you can roast your own s’mores – and make it your own with cookies, candies, fruit and of course, massive marshmallows. It really brings the outdoors inside, without the mosquitoes and questionable sleeping arrangements.
And those are just starting points.
This is where it gets fun
The part I found most interesting is the ability to customize these environments for a specific event, company or group.
Instead of walking into a ballroom that could be hosting anyone, guests walk into something that feels like it was created for them.
Company branding can become part of the environment. A theme can be carried through the decor, food and experience. A corporate meeting can suddenly feel like an actual event rather than something you attend because Outlook told you to. Breakfast meetings can feature a mimosa bar with fresh juices and garnishes. Afternoon get togethers mean mocktails or make-your-own protein bowls. And if you love charcuterie, imagine it in a room with a French marketplace projected on the walls, and towers of meats and cheeses taller than you.
If you have a theme in your head, the Hard Rock team can work with you to figure out how to bring it to life.
Hard Rock has more than 50,000 square feet of flexible event space, so this isn’t limited to one particular room or size of gathering. The spaces can accommodate everything from a smaller celebration to a large conference.
They also have the practical stuff covered: an in-house audiovisual team, event staff, customizable chef-driven menus, not to mention complimentary parking and valet service.
Plus, you’re at Hard Rock. Restaurants, bars, gaming and entertainment are already downstairs when the official part of the evening wraps up.
That’s a pretty good answer to “So... what are we doing after this?”
People are used to walking into ballrooms.
They’re probably not expecting to walk into a garden, stumble upon an Old-World Butcher Shop or gather around a campfire inside Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati.
And that’s exactly why they’ll remember it.
If you’re planning something in Cincinnati and want your guests to walk through the door and immediately pull out their phones, this is worth seeing in person.
– Kathrine Nero