Are you planning a conference or convention and want to make sure your event stands out as both professional and stylish? Look no further than Southern Events for on-trend event furniture! Whether it’s comfortable seating, stylish staging, lounge areas for networking, or cocktail hour essentials, we have everything you need to create a memorable and successful event. Let’s dive into the must-have event furniture for conferences and conventions that will make a lasting impression on your guests and boost attendance in the years to come.

Comfortable Seating

Comfort is a crucial aspect of any conference or convention. Attendees can spend hours seated, listening to speakers or presentations. Ensure they have a pleasant experience with our extensive range of comfortable seating options. From ergonomic Acrylic Ghost Arm Chairs to simple Folding Chairs with padding, we have a variety of seating solutions to suit your event’s needs and theme. If your conference includes workshops or requires attendees to take notes, don’t forget about the importance of providing sturdy and spacious tables. Our inventory boasts a diverse selection of event tables, including classic rectangular ones and contemporary round tables, perfect for taking notes and supporting laptops or other materials. Hosting a sizeable convention? Not to worry! We stock plenty of furniture rentals for large events.

Stylish Staging & Podiums

Impress your attendees and elevate the overall look of your event with our stylish staging and podium options. A well-designed stage not only provides a focal point for speakers and presentations but also adds a touch of professionalism. Especially our Acrylic Podium! We can also provide skirts, for a more cohesive look. And to make the stage even more captivating, consider using pipe and drape as backdrops – to avoid the mundane corporate vibe. However, they can also be customized to feature event sponsors or display important branding elements. As well as serve as a photo opportunity!

Lounge Areas for Networking

Networking is one of the primary benefits of attending a professional conference or convention. To give your attendees ample opportunity to foster connections, encourage mingling in lounge areas. Our event furniture includes plush sofas, cozy armchairs, and elegant accent tables. Perfect for attendees to unwind or mingle and network between sessions or during multi-day events. These pieces will allow them to take a break and recharge before diving back into the conference. Take a look at our curated Lounge Packages, or mix and match pieces to create a one-of-a-kind lounge. Just don’t forget to complete the look with a rug!

Cocktail Hour Essentials

End your conference on a high note with a stylish cocktail hour! Our event furniture for conferences includes bars and storage that are functional and will add a touch of sophistication to your gathering. Consider our contemporary Sorrento White Bar or the elegant Collins Black Wood Bar. Either of which paired beautifully with the Black Barback Shelf or Gold Bookcase. To complement the event bar, ensure you have on-trend glassware that suits your menu. From modern wine glasses to bold beaded tumblers, we have a wide selection to choose from. If needed, add on a set of cocktail tables where guests can comfortably enjoy their drinks.

Planning a successful convention requires attention to detail, and event furniture for conferences can make all the difference! From seating to staging and cocktail hour essentials, Southern Events has everything you need. Contact our team to start planning or for additional event ideas and inspiration.

In 2021 we saw a shift towards organic event design, featuring natural yet timeless colors and vintage-inspired rentals. A theme that we hope will carry over into the new year, especially for galas, fundraisers and other formal events! If this is a trend that you favor or a style you aim to embrace, check out the details from the annual Heritage Ball for some organic luxe gala inspiration.

A Lush Grand Entrance

A great way to set the tone for an event is with a coordinated grand entrance. Guests were welcomed to the Heritage Foundation Ball with a lush Boxwood Wall Backdrop. Here, sponsors of the event were featured. However, it also doubled as a photo opportunity! The lush green wall beautifully tied into the organic luxe theme that awaited guests.

Green & Gold Tablescapes

As the Heritage Ball is based around a formal seated dinner so beautiful tablescapes are a must. To create an organic look at this event, we featured mismatched tables and place settings. Starting with both round and rectangular tables, dressed in a range of green and ivory tablecloths, as well as subtle floral patterns. A touch of velvet here and there lent a luxe look, as did our classic Chiavari dinner chairs. Each place setting consisted of a Glass Charger with a Gold Rim, Abby Flatware, Ophelia Salad Plates, and Pure Glassware.

Custom Stocked Bars

Personal touches are essential to make any event memorable. And for this organic luxe gala, we featured our custom Harpeth Bar with a fun floral print across the front! To accommodate the large guest count, the bar was flanked by Franklin White Antique Bars and Franklin Black Antique Bars. And as always, each bar was well stocked with a beautiful selection of glassware, including a mix of wine glasses and our Davis Glassware.

Luxe Retro Lounge Areas

Surrounding each bar was a mix of comfy luxe lounge areas. By strategically placing these throughout the event space, guests were encouraged to mingle! They starred a mix of retro and modern rentals. Including our Every Sofa and Chair, Fern Velvet Sofa, and Blanche Coffee Table. Meanwhile, our Charleston Bistro Tables with marble tops were a great option for those who preferred to remain standing.

Elegant Staging for Live Entertainment

Of course, we can’t forget staging, as this event had several speakers and live entertainment. A facade was created with beautiful green and gold drapery, and for the podium, we opted for a contemporary Acrylic piece. And if you have live music you have to have a dance floor! So to complement the luxe look, we decided to feature our classic Black and White Dance Floor.

Thank you to Mindy Thornton Photography for sharing the photos from this event with us!

Love this organic luxe gala inspiration? We would love to help you recreate this look, or alter it to suit your event style. Contact us for design or layout assistance for your next event in Nashville or Franklin, TN, at info@southerneventsonline.com. Or for more formal event inspiration, check out this Gold & Ivory Gala at Cumberland University.

One of the premier charity events in Tennessee, the Phoenix Ball is a black tie gala benefiting Cumberland University. This year’s theme was Draped In Decadence: Masked in Mystery, featuring our luxe gold & ivory gala rentals. Keep reading to get inspired for your own fundraiser or gala.

A Grand Event Entrance

Upon arriving at the venue, guests were welcomed inside via a red carpet. To create a more elegant entrance, the walls were lined with white draping. Our Loren Gold Bistro Table was set up to greet guests, along with some bubbly! The Gold Boxwood Wall was decorated with white shelving for flutes and a custom neon sign, making for a fun photo op.

Gold & Ivory Tablescapes

Matching the theme, the dinner tables were created using gold and ivory serving ware. To make the most of the space, we used a mix of round and rectangular tables, along with our classic Gold Chiavari Chairs. They were dressed in coordinated linens, including Gold Furrow, Ivory Pearl Shalimar, and Victorian Gold Luxe. Each place setting featured a gold or silver charger, along with our stunning Ophelia or Hamlet China, and Austin Flatware.

Luxe & Comfy Lounges

For any fundraiser or gala to be a success, you need comfy areas for guests to relax and converse. Throughout the event space, we created a range of small and large lounges. The largest being our neutral Pearce Lounge, complemented with the sleek Blanche Coffee Table. Smaller areas included a pair of Fantasma Acrylic Chairs and a trio of Cheval Gold Mirror Side Tables. And our always popular white leather Mercer Collection!

Spaces for Entertainment

The focal point of the gala was an expansive white dance floor set to our Harpeth Stage Facade. Set to the beautiful white drapery and crystal curtains, it was a stunning setting for dancing & celebrating. On either side, bars were also accessible. And they were stocked with a variety of classic glassware, including Martini and Highball Glasses, plus Champagne Flutes.

Custom Bar & Food Displays

With such a large event space, we wanted to ensure that food and drinks were easily accessible from any point. In addition to being welcomed with champagne, guests could access a bar both indoors and outdoors. Our elegant white Harpeth bars were outfitted with a custom insert to match the gold & ivory gala theme. A pair of gold bar back shelves were also used to display some sweet treats and was adjacent to a small coffee bar.

A special shout out to Phindy Studios for sharing the photos from this fabulous event!

Ready to plan your gold & ivory gala? For help planning and creating the layout for your event in Nashville or Franklin, TN, email us at info@southerneventsonline.com.

Nashville is nicknamed Music City for a reason – the city is filled with amazing creative voices and so much musical talent! And here at Southern Events, our vast catalog of party rentals helps enhance your chosen design, and for songwriter in the round events, our rentals can help create the relax vibe these private events demand. With dozens of distinct event rentals to choose from, there are so many ways to style a singer-songwriter event in Music City!

Looking to dazzle at your next singer-songwriter event? Southern has all you need for your next Franklin, Nashville or Middle Tennessee event. Reach out to info@southerneventsonline.com to reserve any of the items you see! 

Bennett Couch

The dark leather and tufted details of our popular Bennett Couch is a great event rental for your Nashville songwriter in the round event. The stylish tufting and dark leather finish creates a comfortable seat for guests to relax and take in the music.

Phindy Studios

Vintage Rugs

Our Vintage and Cowhide Rugs create a distinct stage or performance area, making it the perfect rental for an intimate singer-songwriter event in the round. As seating surrounds the “stage” area, our Vintage Rugs create a focal point and boho vibe customary of these events.

Twila Photography

Urban Metal Barstool

Musicians need somewhere to sit, and our Urban Metal Barstool is the perfect solution. Looking unique and industrial, it exudes the perfect city vibe for Music City’s best singers and songwriters to showcase their music.

Chocolate Poof

A comfortable addition to a musician’s design is our Chocolate Poof.  They match our Leather Bennett Couch, working as an unexpected accent piece while still being functional as another spot to sit or a great place to rest your feet.

SHEHEWE Photography

Granger Nesting Tables and Rivet Accent Tables

Great additions to the rustic-artist design are our new Granger Nesting Tables and Rivet Accent Tables. Metal legs and an urban look coupled with a solid wooden top make these rentals architecturally unique while still being functional.

Staging

If you’re interested in creating a more traditional stage setting, Southern’s Staging rentals are perfect. You can design your venue to elevate the musicians on a true stage and create stadium seating to allow listeners to comfortably view the artists at work.

Votive Candles and Lanterns

Nothing sets the mood like lighting! If your Nashville artists are performing an intimate, unplugged set then be sure to create an ambiance that matches. Votive Candles and Lanterns on various side tables, or even on the floor surrounding the stage area are the perfect answer to setting the mood at your Music City event.

Jen and Chris Creed Photography

Urban Wood Side Table

Musicians will need somewhere to place their water, and guests will want somewhere to set their drinks. The popular Urban Wood Side Table brings dark, rustic wood front and center making it a great addition to your Music City singer-songwriter showcase.

Auditorium Seats

Our Vintage Auditorium Seats create a nostalgic music experience for listeners while retaining that unique Nashville vibe.

Farm Bistro & Crossback Stools

Give listeners somewhere to sit and enjoy their drinks while taking in the music – our Farm Bistro tables are great high-top tables (perfect for creating stadium seating behind lower couches and sofas), while our Crossback Stools add a rustic Nashville touch to a musical experience.

Courtney Davidson Photo

Phindy Studios

Company Retreats and Corporate Summits are an important and exciting part of any company’s culture. Whether you’re having a creative brainstorming summit with a small team, or a large conference with hundreds of attendees, Southern has great rentals and a huge quantity of everything you need!

Staging

Whoever is speaking at your company’s next event, you’ll want them to have a stage to share from. And if you’re looking at a creative location, sometimes it’s not obvious where exactly to have someone deliver their presentation. We provide staging for all kinds of venues, whether indoor or outdoor, to make it easy for all attendees to be able to hear and see.

Pipe and Draping

Add elegance and grandeur to your event with pipe and draping – a bonus when you add it in your company colors! We love how pipe and draping instantly elevates the design of any event, and when you’ve planned a large conference in a neutral space, it easily adds personality and reflects your company culture.

Lounge Furniture Packages

Lounges are the perfect way to break up an oversized space or provide your colleagues with a comfier place to mix and mingle. Create a professional looking lounge area with one of our many Lounge Packages – all of which can be added on seamlessly to any event’s design.

Photos by Phindy Studios

Red Carpets

Rolling out the Red Carpet is a fun way to express gratitude to your team to show them how much you appreciate their work. We love how much fun guests have when they walk down – such a fun added touch!

Folding Screens and Stanchions

Folding Screens and Stanchions are another great way to break up a massive room design and control foot traffic. Think about different stations being set up (check in station, information station, etc) and how you’ll want to create good foot traffic flow and obvious signage. Prevent long lines from overwhelming with stanchions placed strategically, and have folding screens act as the backdrop to various stations creating a “room within a room” look without setting up a wall.

Unique Stage Seating

Looking for a way bring beautiful design to your company event? We love how our Bennett Sofa, Eiffel Chairs, Adeline Chairs, or other Vintage Chairs look on stage, or placed throughout key points.

Whatever corporate event your company is throwing next, Southern can help! Send us a shout at info@southerneventsonline.com and we’ll show you all the ways we can upgrade your next Nashville, Franklin, or Middle TN event.