Top 7 Event Venues in Vancouver and Why You Need to Host There
An event organizer knows just how important finding the right venue is. Here’s a list of the top venues in Vancouver to ease the burden of event planning.
Makena Marshall
April 22nd, 2024
Vancouver is admired by locals and tourists alike for its dazzling bays, snow-capped mountains, and towering trees. It is also home to the “fastest-growing and most diverse metropolitan economy in Canada” (Vancouver Economic Mission). Vancouver’s powerhouse economy is a diverse marketplace full of competitive sectors, including film and television, digital entertainment, the green economy, and, in particular, technology.
In 2023, Vancouver was globally ranked #30 among the world’s top startup ecosystems, and in 2022, it was leading North America’s tech job growth rate (Vancouver Economic Mission). Vancouver boasts an impressive startup pedigree, having nurtured notable successes such as Hootsuite, Visier, and Slack—the latter hailed as the fastest-growing business app of all time. The city is home to over 1,000 tech startups, from small companies to unicorn companies like AbCellera and Trulioo.
Vancouver is a hotspot for innovation, bubbling with tech events, creative meetups, and career workshops where like-minded creatives and innovators can discuss the next big breakthrough. From mountain-top restaurants to football stadiums and sandy beaches, Vancouver has plenty to offer event organizers looking to make an impression.
If you’re planning on organizing an event in the city, here’s a list of event venues in Vancouver ranging from intimate networking cafes to convention centres.
1. Coffee Bar
Location: 10 Water Street, Vancouver BC
Capacity: 10-30 people
The Coffee Bar is well known by techies and Vancouver locals who frequent entrepreneurial meetups. It’s conveniently located in Gastown, part of Vancouver’s downtown area, and it’s closeby to many bus routes, the sea bus connecting the North Shore, and various Skytrain locations. It’s the perfect event venue for a morning coffee social, with tall windows for sunlight, delicious baked goods, and hot coffee. Even more, Water Street gets turned into a pedestrian walkway during the summer!
2. Steamworks Brewing Co.
Locations: 375 Water St, Vancouver and 2275 Main Street, Vancouver
Capacity: Varies by location and room
SteamWorks Brewing is the perfect location for after-work drinks, grab a beer and chat away with fellow networkers. SteamWorks offers versatile event spaces tailored to suit your needs, whether you’re seeking a wine room’s elegance or an outdoor patio’s inviting ambiance. It provides a great social atmosphere, with 20 rotating tap features and everyone’s favourite pub appetisers and meals to snack on. Leave the hassle of catering behind and choose SteamWorks as your venue of choice. Enjoy your event without the stress of food and drink arrangements!
3. The Penthouse Event and Business Suite
Location: 333 Terminal Ave #800, Vancouver
Capacity: 60 people
The Penthouse event and business suite is the location for you if you really want to make a splash! A brilliant panoramic view of Vancouver’s north shore awaits your guests during the day, at night they’ll be stunned by Vancouver’s city lights. The penthouse can host up to 60 people, with both an outdoor setting and an indoor dancefloor to keep the party going. There’s a small kitchen area, plenty of rain cover provided, an option to include catering, and you can ask for a DJ!
4. The Vancouver Art Gallery
Location: 750 Hornby St, Vancouver, BC
Capacity: 70-155, varies on the room
The Vancouver Art Gallery displays a dramatic exterior and beautifully crafted interior, this former provincial courthouse building offers an affordable event venue in the heart of the city! If you’re looking to impress your guests, the gallery’s soaring dome and twin marble staircases will certainly leave a mark. When the sun is shining, you can also set up outside on the Gallery’s Rooftop Pavilion. The Vancouver Art Gallery is a unique cultural location, certain to get creative juices flowing for all entrepreneurs.
5. The Pipe Shop at the Shipyards
Location: 115 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver, BC
Capacity: 360 standing, 250 seated
White walls and heritage wood pillars await your guests at The Pipe Shop at the Shipyards in North Vancouver. This industrial-chic warehouse space, dotted with heritage and style, also offers an open kitchen and a beautiful portside backdrop. Bring a DJ or line the side with tables for an exhibition, and you’ll certainly get guests chatting in this charming space.
6. The Vogue Theater
Location: 918 Granville St, Vancouver
Capacity: 1,280
The Vogue Theater is frequented by Vancouver indie music lovers for its concerts, but it is also open to private events. If you’re looking to host speakers or get your community together, the Vogue Theater will give you a fashionable glimpse into the Vancouver of the 1940s. You’ll also be supporting a local business!
7. Vancouver Convention Center
Location: 1055 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC
Capacity: The largest room can hold 5,988 people.
The Vancouver Convention Center spans 466,500 ft over two buildings with ballrooms, exhibition halls, meeting rooms, and outdoor plazas. If you’re looking to host startups from around the world, organize motivational speakers, and display various businesses with hundreds of guests, the Convention Center is the event venue for you. You won’t be limited to one room, as an event organizer you can host guests in multiple rooms and optimize the space provided to best fit your event.
Hosting an event is a complicated task, from choosing an event venue to coordinating vendors and making sure all your attendees are engaged. Common is an event management tool that can help improve your guest’s experience and make your event stand out. It provides hosts with demographic data and attendance analytics, allows guests to view a digital schedule of your event, and supports attendees to make long-lasting connections. If you want to simplify event planning and optimize guest experiences, join the Common waitlist and learn more. As you’re selecting an event venue in Vancouver, opt for one that reflects your event strategy and will enhance every guest’s experience.