You are in charge of finding the next venue for your company’s annual customer meet-up. This year attendees may bring their families along.
The last event was held at the Boring Big Box Hotel, whose décor was an orchestra of beige, off-beige and off-off-beige hues. The food and amenities did not hit a high note either.
Where to go from here?
Head South to Mobile
Consider the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico for your next corporate event. The Mobile-based museum, formerly known as GulfQuest, is billed as “the only museum in the world dedicated to the rich history and traditions of the Gulf of Mexico.”
According to its website, the museum features more than 80 immersive exhibits on eight “decks” covering a variety of maritime topics such as famous shipwrecks, the Atlantic slave trade and catastrophic hurricanes. Plus, attendees can use the many museum balconies to view the Port of Mobile activities on the Mobile River.
“Our views are very interesting,” says Karen Poth, the museum’s executive director. “We are right on the port. Huge container ships go by all day long. And when we have kids [outside], the tugboats will honk their horns as they go by and show off by doing doughnuts.”
With about 60,000 square feet, the museum offers meeting attendees and their families plenty to do. “There are a lot of buttons to push — it’s very interactive,” Poth says.
Attendees have full access to the museum, according to Jason Ladner, special events coordinator. Companies may choose to incorporate museum visits into the day’s events or allow visits during meeting breaks. “It’s where entertainment and business are tied into one event,” Ladner says.
Outside, it is hard to miss the building shaped like a ship. Once inside, that unusual vibe continues. “The rotunda rises three levels, which makes a big splash at the entrance,” Ladner notes.
The venue accommodates 20-500 people. Different room sizes and configurations are available. Holding your event on the riverbank is possible, too.
The Maritime Museum has hosted a variety of corporate clients, from maritime and aerospace to health care, real estate and more.
Even companies with a presence in Mobile have booked the museum. “They may have customers in Mobile but no office. It’s a lot cheaper than going from place to place to visit each customer individually,” Ladner explains.
The museum is conveniently located downtown, right off I-10, and is centrally situated between Florida and Mississippi.
If your event is slated for 2026, you can celebrate a native son of the Gulf. The museum will open a Jimmy Buffett Experience next year, Poth says. The new exhibit will be an immersive concert-type experience with surround video.
“Jimmy Buffett’s parents lived across the bay from us [the museum], and his grandfather piloted a ship on this river. That’s what Buffett’s song ‘Son of a Son of a Sailor’ is about,” Poth explains. “This exhibit should get everybody’s attention who is a Parrot Head.”
Other things to know:
Catering: In-house is available, but companies may bring in their favorite caterer.
Parking: Free in the adjacent lot shared with the cruise line terminal.
AV: On-site audiovisual equipment is available.
Head North to Huntsville
If you are looking for an out-of-this-world meeting venue, take off for Huntsville in North Alabama. The city is home to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
The sprawling venue “is the most comprehensive U.S. manned spaceflight hardware museum in the world,” according to its website. It features a large rocket and space hardware collection housed both indoor and out. The center is the official NASA Visitor Center for the Marshall Space Flight Center.
“If you want a place that people remember, this would be it,” says Patricia Ammons, the center’s senior director of PR and media relations. “It never fails to impress people. It is just fascinating.”
Particularly impressive, Ammons says, is the Saturn V Hall. Longer than a football field, it houses the 363-foot Saturn V moon rocket and other Apollo era artifacts. The Saturn V is one of only three worldwide and the only Saturn V named a National Historic Landmark.
The Saturn V Hall has been used for various events, from trade shows with vendor booths to corporate dinners, Ammons says. Reception capacity is a thousand people.
The Rocket Center’s special events coordinator remembered an especially emotional day at the Saturn V Hall:
“On a site visit, a recently engaged bride brought her fiancé to the Rocket Center as a potential wedding venue. As soon as they walked into the Saturn V Hall, the fiancé saw the huge Saturn V Rocket and actually had to sit down. He was so taken with Saturn V, he broke down in tears. It is truly breathtaking to walk up this sweeping staircase and then be greeted by an authentic Saturn V Apollo moon rocket!”
The Space Camp Operations Center is also available for booking, Ammons notes. However, summer is not a good time for corporate events as that venue hosts up to a thousand kids per week during Space Camp, she says.
Other available settings range from the 350-seat National Geographic Theater to the newly renovated Rocket Park, which accommodates a thousand.
The Rocket Center has hosted a number of industries, from aerospace and defense to health care and tourism. “We do a lot of opening receptions for events to wow attendees who come in for a ‘fam tour’ to learn what Huntsville has to offer,” Ammons says.
Other things to know:
Catering: Catering is provided by the Rocket Center. Outside caterers are not allowed.
Parking: Free at the site and includes spaces for RVs and buses.
AV: Audiovisual equipment is available for use in indoor spaces. Clients needing AV for outdoor use must supply it themselves.
Stay Central in Birmingham
Need a more central location for your company’s event? Birmingham is home to the McWane Science Center, a science museum and research center downtown. The McWane Science Center Collection includes some half-million specimens and artifacts concerning the natural history of Alabama, according to the center’s website.
On the lower level, the World of Water aquariums dive into Earth’s marine and freshwater life via four display tanks. Levels one through three offer interactive science exhibits, information on Alabama dinosaur fossils, bits about birds and bugs, and more.
“McWane Science Center isn’t your average meeting space — it’s an experience!” says Annie Strong, creative director for marketing and communications. “What really sets us apart is our ability to transform your meeting into something extraordinary. Imagine letting your guests rediscover their inner child in our museum,” Strong says.
McWane can accommodate groups of various sizes, from 25 to 2,500 guests. Its Special Event Center can host up to 250, Strong says. Flexible table configurations are available.
“Whether you’re planning a laid-back team-building session or a family day for employees and their loved ones, our venue adapts to your vision,” Strong explains.
For example, last year’s Mercedes-Benz family day focused on dinosaurs. “We pulled out all the stops with decorations, customized our science programs to fit the Jurassic vibe, and even offered attendees the chance to watch a dinosaur documentary in our IMAX dome theater,” she says.
STEM-focused industries or nonprofits, especially those aimed at children, are many of McWane’s clients, according to Strong. “With a science museum as the backdrop, our space naturally attracts those who value creativity and innovation.”
Corporate clients have included the Alabama STEM Council, the Society of Women Engineers and United Way, among others.
It’s the “uniqueness” of McWane that makes it memorable and results in repeat customers, Strong says. “Once people experience how much fun and flexibility we bring to the table, they’re hooked.”
Other things to know:
Catering: No in-house catering except for on-site Bean Sprouts Café (only breakfast and lunch); outside caterers are allowed.
Parking: Attached parking deck; parking is included in booked event pricing.
AV: AV is included for every group booked; electrical outlets available on McWane’s outdoor plaza.
More Cool Venue Choices
American Village, in Montevallo, allows attendees to step back into America’s history. With more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space, groups of up to 500 can enjoy the Liberty Hall or tour the grounds, where interpreters share pivotal moments in the country’s beginnings.
Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, in Birmingham, offers 36,000 square feet and a vast collection of motorcycles, as well as views of the motorsports track. Groups of up to 750 can enjoy five meeting rooms.
Birmingham Zoo offers space for corporate parties, sit-down dinners, meetings and picnics. Groups up to 2,500 can be accommodated. In addition, the zoo offers on-site catering.
Hoover Met Complex, in Hoover, has 83,000 square feet, with more than 4,000 parking spaces and includes the Hoover Met Stadium, site of baseball, soccer, volleyball and other sports. This venue is equipped to handle business and trade events, as well as sporting events and concerts.
Lodge at Gulf State Park, in Gulf Shores, can host up to 800 people in its 30,000 square feet of space. Nestled along Alabama’s sandy shore, the lodge has 350 guest rooms available, as well as several dining options onsite and within the Gulf State Park. Many of the other state parks can accommodate meetings and conferences, as well.
Nancy Randall is a Tuscaloosa-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.
This article appears in the March 2025 issue of Business Alabama.
