(Photos courtesy of Open Space Event Studios)
Open Space Event Studios sits in the heart of Bend’s Central District, and as the district continues to develop and morph into a more urban and lively collection of city blocks, filled with mixed-use developments, Open Space will be remembered as one of the original businesses to help forge the way.
Open Space provides a contemporary and flexible setting for all kinds of events, from business gatherings and retreats to parties, live performances, farmers markets, wine tastings and so much more.
Before it was Open Space, the building was used as a grassroots community theatre. It was a meeting hub for local creatives to write, perform, share and gather. When the current owner bought the space, they didn’t want to take that away; they wanted to expand upon its original concept. They wanted a space in the center of town that did everything.
The goal of Open Space is to be a diverse intersection of community activity in Bend, both literally and figuratively; they welcome events of all kinds, and literally sit near the exact middle of town in the burgeoning Central District.
A major draw to Open Space lies in accessibility. Central Oregon has a wealth of meeting and event space, but many of the options are not viable for most people and groups in town. Big businesses and wealthy groups can make any space work, but what about the people who used to use this space as a community theater? The team at Open Space wanted to offer their space to everyone, without cutting off the community that created this gathering space in the first place.
As a result, Open Space stands as an affordable and viable option for many groups that would otherwise have to look much further out of town for any space to gather. That being said, Open Space provides high quality and much sought after gathering space with the capabilities to make nearly any event come to life. It is rare to find a space that hosts community theater and live DJ sets one week, followed by events run by EDCO, Bend Outdoor Worx and Cultivate Bend the next week
This provides prospective events and planners the chance to unveil creative, new ideas and test them out before expanding to other spaces. An example is the local Bend Moonlight Market. This event has grown to regional popularity and can now be found across town on certain dates, but they were first introduced to the community through Open Space.
Something else that sets Open Space apart, while also keeping their costs accessible, is their attitude towards throwing and planning events with their clients. In the past, they were much more hands-on with setup and planning, but found that they would have to increase their costs to maintain that level of involvement. To keep the space open and accessible to everyone, they now operate somewhere closer to a brick and mortar Airbnb. They welcome guests, tell them everything they need to know, give them access to everything they may need, and let them handle things from there. This lets event planners have full creative freedom with the space, while also maintaining the accessibility of the space.
The team at Open Space believe it is important to welcome all sides of Bend, from cultural celebrations and live theatre to business and civic events, understanding that serious conversations around local governance can be intimidating to people, and a welcoming space can help alleviate that issue.
Looking into the future, Open Space plans on continuing this balanced path that highlights every part of Bend culture. They will continue to offer nonprofit rates to help keep the space accessible and pursue the highest quality possible for every event.
