Finding the right space to host a corporate event, video production or wedding party can sometimes be tough.
But what if you could secure a venue through an online platform that allowed you to choose from a variety of spaces that were not only functional but unique?
Welcome to Splacer, an online marketplace for event spaces.
SPLACER’S ONLINE PLATFORM FOR BOOKING EVENT SPACE HAS COME TO THE LA AREA
The New York-based business has already curated and listed thousands of spaces in New York City and San Francisco through its browse-and-book marketplace and the company just expanded its footprint into the Los Angeles market.
Think Airbnb for event spaces.
BREWERIES, BOXING GYMS AND EVEN FORMER CHURCHES CAN BE RENTED
Splacer’s roster of available spaces is diverse, ranging from breweries, art galleries and boxing gyms to lofts, former churches, shuttered factories and upscale homes and apartments. The company also provides a management platform to make listing and renting spaces easier and more efficient. It allows space owners to conduct their entire event business from one intuitive dashboard. They can manage leads from multiple sources while also tracking and processing payments.
“People think of Los Angeles as the entertainment capital of the world, but it also has an incredible art scene, beautiful architecture and a vibrant tech industry,” said Adi Biran, who co-founded Splacer along with business partner Lihi Gerstner. “As architects, we’re excited to start curating LA’s spaces to provide unique event experiences for our users.”
Splacer has already amassed more than 140 available listings in the L.A. area, ranging from a 1928 Italian villa to chic industrial lofts and historical museums and theaters.
“If you’ve ever done events it’s always a problem finding space and you often end up with something that’s very simple, like a room in a Sheraton or Hilton,” Biran said. “We were looking for spaces people might not have known about and that’s why we provided the venue for this kind of search.”
PRICES VARY, DEPENDING ON THE VENUE
Splacer’s website at www.splacer.co lists a variety of available spaces in the Los Angeles area with varying prices. A raw studio/event space in downtown L.A. goes for $345 an hour, for example, while a 1910 neighborhood cinema with a tropical garden rents for $230 an hour. But things can get pricier. A 1928 villa in downtown L.A. rents for $780 an hour.
“We’re not the ones who price them,” Gerstner said. “You could have one rooftop area that’s pretty expensive next to another place with empty, raw space that’s just $100 an hour.”
THIS EAGLE ROCK PHOTOGRAPHER RENTS OUT HIS SPACE THROUGH SPLACER
Lee Cherry, a photographer and owner of Cherry Soda Studios in Eagle Rock, has used Splacer to rent out his 1,850-square-foot warehouse loft space for photo shoots, music videos and other events.
“It all comes down to finding the right space,” he said. “I have a two-walled cyclorama with a white wall that curves down to the floor. It’s used for photos when you want a clean white portrait with no crease where the wall meets the floor. The space also includes a production office and outside area.”
Cherry said Splacer has been an effective marketing tool.
“I don’t really advertise publicly anywhere else,” he said. “I do it all through word of mouth and social media.”
NEW YORK USERS SING ITS PRAISES
Andrew Matusik, a New York-based photographer, also uses Splacer. He offers up his 1,600-square-foot live/work space in Manhattan for three to four events a week.
“It’s a good partnership,” he said. “I rent it out for anywhere from $1,200 to $2,500 for an eight to 10-hour day, depending on the type of event. It’s been used for photo shoots, wedding rehearsal dinners, baby showers, video productions and infomercials.”
Lisa Lovaglio, a location manager for reality TV productions in the New York area, has turned to Splacer on several occasions.
“We found a dance studio rehearsal space that has a gorgeous brick wall and other characteristics that make it much more than a typical dance studio,” she said. “It’s been fantastic.”
Lovaglio said she’s cultivated a direct working relationship with a Splacer representative which speeds up the process even more.
“We often have very fast turnaround where we will need a space within 24 hours,” she said. “So I can get notifications about available spaces even faster.”
