If you are looking for corporate event venue ideas, the Hilton Convention Center in Branson, Missouri is an excellent choice. The hotel staff and convention services were both top notch. From management to the staff, everyone went out of their way to make sure that everything was suitable for the client and their event.
As a corporate entertainer, I get to see things clients do not. I’m generally setting and sound checking while the room is being set. With no clients around, you will sometimes hear disgruntled or unhappy employees complaining about something. Not at the Hilton Convention Center. That speaks very highly for their dedication to making convention clients happy.
The convention center is conveniently attached to the hotel via the second floor walkway. There is a bar/lounge on the corner where attendees could meet and talk over a drink following seminars.
A grand escalator led down to the convention center lobby and ballrooms. I’m not certain when this venue was built or renovated but everything was in top shape and absolutely gorgeous. The ballroom is available in several configurations. The corporate event I entertained was sectioned into Taneycomo B, which held about 250 people with room to spare.
The ballroom lighting is state of the art, with programmable LED lighting to set the mood. It looks great, but beware of your choices. The client had decided upon an orange light for their casino night. The lights made their entire buffet look like Salmon. No one could determine what the food was before taking a bite. On the evening of my performance, they selected a blue to set a subdued tone. It definitely added to the ambience.
In my rider, I require sound for the stage. The Hilton Convention Center features Bose speakers in the ceiling. At some point, my rider was ignored and a decision was made to use the “house system”. Ordinarily, Bose would be a suitable system, but not when ceiling mounted. Their ceiling mounted system is excellent for short announcements during a trade show or banquet. Not for entertainment.
The system has multiple inputs that all operate on one channel. Basically, that means that everything plugged into their inputs will operate at the same level. My music input is designed for line, not mic inputs. They had no way of increasing the volume, which effectively removed my musical accompaniment from the program.
The system was also not designed with convenience in mind. The level controls were in another room. It took two staff members to set the level, talking to each other by cell phone. I am not sure what happened between sound check and show time, but the volume changed. (Possibly a result of the ceiling speakers all being connected, but only one room in use.) At show time, the client informed me they had to increase the volume and he wasn’t sure if my level would be correct when I went on-stage.
As a result of this, I take no pride in saying the show suffered. For the expense of renting a top-notch venue it made no sense to me. Trying to save money on the correct audio to make the corporate entertainment successful, cost this client.
The AV staff at the Branson Hilton Convention Center did their best to make the situation work. They too were top notch. Unfortunately there was little they could do with a system that wasn’t designed for the purpose of show entertainment.
I would like to pass along one last thought to event planners considering this venue. Make certain you are aware of any other events that will be taking place around yours. The night of my performance, there was an event happening in the other section of the ballroom. That client had brought in a musical group from one of the Branson theaters. During their sound check, they deafened the room. The “air wall” that separates the ballroom is definitely not sound proof. Luckily, my program was scheduled to end before their entertainment started. Staff told me of several instances where unhappy clients had their meetings drowned out by something happening on the other side of the wall.
Over all, I would have to give the Hilton Convention Center an A+ . It you are looking for a venue that is gorgeous, works hard to make you happy and is conviently located, give them a call. You will be glad you did.
Looking for corporate entertainment for your Branson, MO event? Contact my office now. If I am not the right match for your needs, I am happy to make some recommendations that will help you achieve event success. I look forward to discussing your corporate event ideas.
