Group of six women wearing cowboy hats looking into camera during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
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Hotel Van Zandt Corporate Event

ByKelly Williams, Photographer

Creating a chic event that nails the cowboy aesthetic without appearing completely cheesy is challenging. But my client accomplished just that with an event at one of Austin’s hippest hotels. In today’s blog post, I’ll take you behind the scenes with this Hotel Van Zandt corporate event to explore all the vendor booths, special VIP area, and even rock with the two bands that played during the evening. Yes, the evening was a little bit country and a little bit rock n’ roll.

View of the front entrance of the Hotel Van Zandt

The Hotel Van Zandt

Let’s start off with a little introduction to the Hotel Van Zandt. Located right in the heart of the Rainey Street Historic District, this boutique hotel is situated at the center of the area’s bar and restaurant scene. The hotel opened in 2015 and was originally part of the Kimpton brand before it was purchased by Host Hotels and Resorts in 2022. The general theme of the hotel is music, and you can see it in the musical instrument details found in the lobby. In 2018, the Hotel Van Zandt was named number nine in the US Conde Naste list of best hotels.

Two women sitting at registration table with sign to the right and string holding silk scarves in the front during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event

Hotel Van Zandt Corporate Event – Registration

The night began for guests with a greeting in the lobby at a registration table. Here they received silk scarves emblazoned with sponsor logos. They were also given wrist brands, indicating if they were VIP or not, and sent up in the elevator behind the registration desk to the party. The event was held on the fourth floor, and took up both the pool deck and Geraldine’s Restaurant.

Male guests at the bar wearing cowboy hats during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event

Hotel Van Zandt Corporate Event – The Bar

Once upstairs, guests had access to a full bar. A special cocktail was created for the evening to honor one of the sponsors. A Manhattan was creatively renamed, and cocktail napkins and a special drink stirrer were also created. Mirror decals were placed throughout the bar and bartenders were wearing a special pin, indicating the name of the sponsor.

Man in white shirt wearing cowboy hat handing a black cowboy hat to a woman across a table of belts during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event

Hotel Van Zandt Corporate Event – Customized Cowboy Hats

This crowd was definitely a fan of the customized cowboy hats offered during the party. Each guest was given a certificate good for one hat, which could be personalized with feathers, belts, or any other variety of accessories. The hats were created right there in front of the guest by the hat ateliers from Allens Boots. The black or white hats had the sponsor’s logo on the back of the hat. I can tell you this was by far the most popular vendor station of the night.

Ibrahim Ruiz, cigar roller, during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event

Hotel Van Zandt Corporate Event – Cigar Rolling

One other very unique vendor at the party was a cigar rolling artist, Ibrahim Ruiz. He was offering cigars which were wrapped with labels, printed with the sponsor’s name. During the evening, he was also hand-rolling cigars, which was fascinating to watch. As the evening progressed, cigar smoking became very popular with guests, and a small crowd began to form around his station.

London Calling band and Goldford playing on stage during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event

Hotel Van Zandt Corporate Event – The Bands

The two bands which performed during the event were London Calling and GoldFord. Both bands were high energy and really got the crowd moving. GoldFord in particular was a fantastic new band for me to discover and I’ll be looking for his music in the future.

Large container of ice with two champagne bottles sticking out next to table with several champagne glasses

Hotel Van Zandt Corporate Event – VIP Section

There was a VIP section in the back of the event space, but note that for most of the evening it was not used. The CEO did invite a few guests into the corner, but most of the guests chose to mingle together in the larger venue space. Still, it was nice to have a special section to offer to sponsors.

Asian man and blonde-haired woman smiling while looking at strip of photo booth photos in front of photo booth during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event

Hotel Van Zandt Corporate Event – Photo Booth

Finally, you can’t have an event without a fun photo booth. For this event, the event planners went with an old school photo booth that produced an old-fashioned strip of photos. Guests thoroughly enjoyed climbing into the booth and checking out the retro photos.

View of the front entrance of the Hotel Van Zandt

Final Thoughts

I can’t say enough good things about the staff at the Hotel Van Zandt. From my own interaction with the front desk staff to the parking lot attendants, it was a joy to work here. The pool deck and the Geraldine Restaurant were both easy spaces to photograph. Furthermore, with the hotel’s location in downtown Austin, it makes it an easy choice for corporate events in the future.

Enjoy the images, and I’ll have more photo adventures for you next week!

Vendors

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If you find this article on the ‘Hotel Van Zandt Corporate Event’ useful, then please check out these articles:

Looking to book a corporate event in Austin or San Antonio? Drop me a line and let’s chat about how I can help you. I have hourly rates, and all event photography includes editing and high-resolution files.

To view more images from my corporate event photography portfolio, please visit my website – KellyWilliamsCorporate.com

View from the ground up of the front entrance of the Hotel Van Zandt
Registration desk and lights in the form of musical instruments in the lobby of the Hotel Van Zandt during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Silk scarf and guest wristbands given during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Pool deck with sponsor signage during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Bar with sponsor decals during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Lights in the form of musical instruments in the lobby of the Hotel Van Zandt
Lights in the form of musical instruments in the lobby of the Hotel Van Zandt
Photo booth with woman seated inside showing yellow skirt and brown cowboy boots peeking out during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Woman holding a silk scarf outstretched with man wearing denim shirt standing next to her during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Close up of woman handing a ribbon to another woman during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Frame showing available drinks next to printed cocktail napkins and glass holding cocktail stirrers on bar during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Man wearing white cowboy hat and white shirt putting special belt around white cowboy hat during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Man wearing large classes accepting a white cowboy hat during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Stage full of black and white cowboy hats during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Guest holding white cowboy hat in front of two other male guests during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Guests talking on pool deck during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Close up of box of cigars with name of sponsors on cigar labels during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
VIP Corral sign next to round lit sign showing sponsor name during corporate event at Hotel Van Zandt
Guests mingling on the pool deck under string of lights at the Hotel Van Zandt during corporate event
Ibrahim Ruiz preparing cigars during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Couple smiling while seated in the photo booth during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Male guests at the bar wearing cowboy hats during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
View over liquor bottles of guests wearing cowboy hats during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Wide view of pool deck at Hotel Van Zandt as guests mingle during corporate event
Man wearing white cowboy hat and silk scarf with lights in background talking to another man during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Bartender with black hair pouring contents of bottle into glass at bar during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
London Calling band performing on stage with Geraldine's sign in back of stage during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Bald man wearing white shirt and black jacket laughing and talking to two other men during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Asian woman wearing black cowboy hat and sleeveless beige sweater during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Two men wearing white cowboy hats and silk scarves around their necks during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Smiling man with black hair wearing blue blazer and white shirt holding drink talking to man wearing plaid shirt during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Man wearing beige shirt and brown cowboy hat behind man wearing white cowboy hat during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Ibrahim Ruiz lighting a cigar for a man wearing a white cowboy hat during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Ibrahim Ruiz rolling a cigar at a table during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Ibrahim Ruiz rolling a cigar at a table during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Close up of man holding cigar being lit by hands holding blue flame during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Small glass with Manhattan cocktail drink with cocktail pick and cherry on top and frame behind drink on bar during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Woman with long blonde hair turned around wearing white cowboy hat during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Man wearing black cowboy hat holding cell phone and beer bottle in the air talking into microphone with man and woman behind him during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Goldford musician playing black guitar in front of two guitarists and curtain during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Man with black beard and mustache holding cigar and drink and wearing white cowboy hat and blue blazer during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Blonde-haired woman wearing white cowboy hat in between people during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Couple wearing white cowboy hats talking in front of string lights holding drinks during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Woman kissing man wearing white cowboy hat in photo booth during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Man wearing black cowboy hat holding cigar being lit by flame held by man wearing brown apron over cigar rolling station during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Man wearing black cowboy hat blowing smoke while holding cigar during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event
Two women with long hair wearing white cowboy hats and holding drinks during a Hotel Van Zandt corporate event

 

Hi! My name is Kelly Williams, and I am a wedding and family photographer serving San Antonio and Austin, Texas. I love telling the story of someone’s love, life, and happiness in one frame.

I proudly call San Antonio home, but I have lived in NYC for the past 21 years.

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