VENI, VIDI, VICI THE VENUE // EVENT PLANNING & CATERING
Downtown’s Barcelona Tavern is a fun, hip restaurant and popular event venue. Within the high-ceilinged interior splashed with Mediterranean blue and vibrant murals on exposed brick, guests flirt with the different spaces as they flow throughout its multi levels. The wrought-iron balcony on the upper floor is a perfect perch to sip sangria while observing the festivities below. An exclusive restaurant buyout can host 500 guests for cocktails and 250 for a seated dinner, or gather privately in the Bodega, Cava, Chef’s Table and Terrace rooms. Enjoy tapas at the Spanish tavern. Its culinary team is committed to sourcing local ingredients for the Mediterranean-inspired dishes. Barcelona’s wine collection is displayed in Cava’s floor-to-ceiling bookcase complete with a rolling library ladder. And if the event calls for it, the two golf simulators on the second level can be rented for driving practice or a full game. And, there’s always the establishment. Throughout the Calgary Petroleum Club’s 71-year history, landmark deals have been inked and powerful connections made, lending an august ambience to any occasion. While preserving its rich past, the membership-only club completed a $7-million renovation last year modernizing esthetics, amenities and services. To adapt to rapidly-changing business practices, a new audio system was installed as well as high-tech visual and data services in all meetings spaces. Of its 11 private rooms, the chandelier-lit subterranean Wine Cellar featuring 7,500 bottles from its wine collection is an impressive dining space for 20 guests. An additional 400 bottles carries over into the Trophy Room on the main floor facing 5th Avenue and showcases a floor-to-ceiling display of golf trophies won by the Canadian Energy Executive Association (formerly the Oilmen’s Association). It’s a naturally-lit room with a cosy fireplace for a capacity of 60. On the top floor is the club’s elegant and largest event space, the Devonian. “This is where Calgary does business,” says general manager Toni-Marie Ion-Brown, referring to its daily functions accommodating up to 500 for cocktails and 250 for a seated event. There are no room rental fees, and minimum food and beverage spends depend on the time of day and room size.
Menus can be customized for an event; for example, when the Filipino consulate dined there they enjoyed a sumptuous spread of Filipino food and desserts. A function coordinator accompanies every booking, and the club is proud of its in-house artisans such as its butcher, pastry chef, baker and table-linen collection. “Gatherings are important, and businesses are beginning to understand the impact of the experience they’re giving their guests,” says Miller. “So whatever venue people select, it should maximize value and experience.” ABOVE: THE DEVONIAN ROOM (TOP) AND THE TROPHY ROOM (BOTTOM) AT THE CALGARY PETROLEUM CLUB. PHOTO SOURCE: THE CALGARY PETROLEUM CLUB
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OCTOBER 2019 // BUSINESS IN CALGARY // BUSINESSINCALGARY.COM