✅ Convenient Location Just Outside Knoxville, Tennessee
Just minutes from downtown Knoxville and I-40 in Middle East Tennessee, The Venue at Lenoir City is centrally located and easy to access for guests coming from all over East Tennessee. The Venue is a mere 1.2 miles from the interstate at I-75 exit #81.

There are numerous hotels, restaurants, retail establishments and attractions within 4 miles of The Venue, making it convenient for guests to stay, eat, shop and play locally. Whether you're hosting a Knoxville-area wedding reception or a corporate training session, convenience is key — and we’ve got it covered.

✅ Versatile Spaces for Any Occasion
We host:

• Weddings & receptions
• Corporate meetings, events & conferences
• Cultural events & celebrations
• Galas and awards ceremonies
• Milestone birthday & anniversary celebrations
• Graduation ceremonies and parties
• Fundraisers & banquets
• Community concerts and events
• Christmas & holiday parties
• Tradeshows and business expos
• And more!

The colors used in our spaces are very neutral, so it can be transformed for intimate celebrations or large events, with both indoor and outdoor options available.

✅ All-Inclusive Event Packages
Let us handle the details! We offer several all-inclusive packages to take the guesswork and time demands out of planning. By bundling services, packages offer the benefit of discounted pricing as compared to a la carte options. We offer:

• Wedding Package (includes everything except bar, DJ, officiant and photographer)
• Party Package (full banquet-style)
• Appetizers Party Package (for open houses, come & go events, or more informal gatherings)
• Sunday Celebrations Package (for DIY events on Sundays within 60 days of booking)
• Quinceanera or Sweet 16 Package (includes everything needed for setup and service except food)
• Multi-Day Cultural Event Package (customized for the unique requirements of cultural events)

Prefer to hand-pick every detail? We also offer à la carte pricing with the flexibility of welcoming outside vendors.

✅ Scenic & Stylish
Our venue features thoughtful design:

• 18’-20’ ceilings
• Upscale finishings, including hardwood and Italian marble tile
• Flexible spaces to accommodate 20 to 1,200 guests
• Generous, well-equipped catering kitchen
• Lovely outdoor garden ceremony site and covered patio
• Wedding suite and groomsmen’s area
• Eco-friendly features
• Top-notch amenities
• A five-star event staff

While we happily host events of all sizes, large events are our specialty. The Venue at Lenoir City is one of a handful of event centers in the Knoxville area that can accommodate up to 600 guests for a seated banquet. So, whether you're saying “I do” under twinkle lights or toasting your team’s success at a holiday party, our space provides the perfect backdrop.
 
✅ Stress-Free Planning
We know that planning an event can feel overwhelming. That’s why we offer:

• Seasoned event planners and a five-star support staff
• Personalized walkthroughs
• Customized quotes
• Flexible scheduling
• Friendly, responsive communication and service from start to finish

What Our Guests Are Saying:
“(The team) goes above and beyond to make any event a pleasure. Attention to detail, great communication and follow through are never a worry. Thank you all for helping us make our events memorable experiences.”
– Stacy S., corporate client
 
“I had my wedding and reception at The Venue at Lenoir City. (The staff was) fantastic and made sure everything was perfect for our big day(s). We had the challenge of planning through COVID, and although we had to alter our plans, everything turned out beautifully. If you are looking for a place to get married that is beautiful, coordinates everything for you, and has amazing workers that will run everything for you so you can enjoy your night, this is your place! Love, one happy bride!”
– Dallas P., wedding client
 
“The staff was very impressive. They made our event go flawlessly. We are SO pleased with our entire experience with The Venue and would definitely recommend it to friends for their event. The facility was clean, beautiful, and very impressive. We are very happy!”
– Jill M., private event client
 
“Great team that is super easy to work with! Always impeccably clean and prepared.”
– Sam F., partner vendor
 
How to Book
To learn more or inquire about booking an event, visit the "Booking" page of our website, call 865-986-8340, or email us. 

#Planning
#Wedding
#Parties
#Meetings

​A well-dressed table sets the tone for your entire event. Whether you're planning a wedding, corporate gala, or private celebration, choosing the right table sizes and linens is essential to pulling off a polished, professional look or to tying into your theme. The Venue at Lenoir City offers both in-house and third-party vendor pass-through linen rental options, or, guests are welcome to provide their own linens. This guide breaks down our table sizes and the appropriate linen sizes to fit them.

​​​Note: A full drop means the linen reaches the floor, while a 15” drop shows a bit of the table legs and is a more budget-friendly option.

A wide variety of color options are available for napkins. Table runners are available in a wide variety of colors and textures.
​
Tips for Linen Selection

• Think Outside the Box: Every table doesn’t have to be the same color. Consider alternating 2-3 colors to add more interest to the space.
• Match the Event Style: Floor-length linens look formal and elegant. Lap- or mid-length work well for more casual or informal events.
• Plan for Overlays: You can layer tablecloths or add runners to add depth and dimension.
• Rent Extra: Always have a few backup linens in case of spills or miscounts.
• Confirm Table Heights: Standard table height is 30", but confirm before ordering linens on your own, especially for custom or cocktail tables.

Now is the time to start planning your Christmas party, as the holidays will be here before we know it! Wait much longer and you run the risk of venues, caterers, and entertainers being booked up.

A well-planned corporate Christmas party can do wonders for building team morale, cementing the company culture, and sincerely sharing appreciation for employees. Whether you’re throwing a cozy office gathering or a formal evening affair, a little planning goes a long way towards creating a festive event that your team will look forward to all year long.

But a great corporate Christmas party isn’t just about the food or venue — it’s about making people feel valued, connected, and appreciated. With thoughtful planning and a little creativity, you can host a holiday celebration that strengthens your team and ends the year on a joyful note.
​
Here’s a 10-step guide to planning a Christmas party that strikes the perfect balance between professional and fun.

Step 1: Set Clear Goals
Before diving into logistics, define the purpose of your party. Perhaps you’d like to thank employees and celebrate company achievements? Or maybe you’d like to use the event to help your team bond or reinforce your company’s culture. Entertaining clients and stakeholders is another possible goal of your Christmas party. Knowing your “why” will help guide your decisions going forward.

Step 2: Establish a Realistic Budget
Your budget will influence almost every aspect of your party. Be sure to include possible costs for venue rental, food and drinks, entertainment, decorations, gifts or bonuses, and even transportation and lodging (if applicable). Even considering all of these potential costs, always set aside 10-15% for other unexpected costs.

Step 3: Choose the Right Venue
Your two basic options are to hold your party on-site, or to select an off-site venue, such as an event center, restaurant or hotel. Keeping the party on-site is ideal for smaller, budget-friendly gatherings and lends itself to DIY options for food, décor and even entertainment. But hosting on-site doesn’t always feel as special or pack the “wow” feeling of an off-site location.

Choosing an off-site venue creates an additional element of excitement and can make the party feel more special. However, securing a venue usually requires a higher budget. Also, your options for other vendors are sometimes specified by the venue. But most employees like the idea of getting away from the office for celebrations such as Christmas Parties, especially if spouses or family members are invited. If you do decide to secure an off-site venue, do it soon! December dates fill up quickly.

Step 4: Choose a Theme or Style
A theme isn't required, but it can build excitement for your party and help drive the agenda and details. Popular holiday theme suggestions include:

• Winter Wonderland
• Ugly Sweater Party
• Roaring ’20s (or any decade)
• Disco Christmas
• Casino Night
• Glitz & Glam Black Tie

A theme might not seem like a big deal, but it influences how formal/informal your event will be, as well as your catering, decor, music, dress code, and even activities.

Step 5: Pick a Catering Option
The food you select for your party can make or break the experience. Be sure to consider your group size, time of day & party timeline, and the general “vibe” you’re hoping to achieve.

• Buffet or plated dinner?
  • Buffets tend to be more casual but offer guests more choices and might even have enough food for them to go back for seconds. If you go the buffet route, be sure you have enough buffet lines set-up to accommodate your group size. The last thing you want is your guests standing in line all night.
  • Plated & served meals tend to be a bit more formal and feel a more special, but somewhat limit what your guests can eat. If your caterer allows you to select more than one entrée, be sure to have markers at each place setting indicating who ordered what to help make service more efficient.
• Appetizers and cocktails?
  • If the event is more of a come & go/Open House format, heavy hors d’oeuvres might be a better option than a buffet or plated dinner. An appetizer table is a bit more informal than passed appetizers, so this is where the “vibe” you’re going for comes into play. Or you can serve appetizers prior to a buffet or plated meal, as part of a welcome or cocktail hour.
  • One of the big considerations where cocktails are concerned is liability. If you choose to serve alcohol, make sure your caterer or bartending service demonstrates proof of liability coverage. You might also want to secure your own special event policy, specifying coverage for a cash or host bar. You can also provide bartenders with additional instructions to decrease the chances that guests over-imbibe. For example, don’t offer shots, allow one drink per person per visit to the bar, require the use of drink tickets and limit the number of tickets each guest receives, etc.. Not wanting to offer a full bar? Limit options to beer, wine & hard seltzers only. Or go further than that and offer a champagne welcome or toast, with the rest of the night’s beverage offerings being non-alcoholic.
• Themed food stations – Food stations are a great option because guests can visit each one at their leisure, so the chance of large lines forming is lessened. They also offer the opportunity of pulling in themes and/or interactive stations. For example, you could offer a Tour of the United States, with each station offering a different type of US food – Tex-Mex/Southwestern; Clean California Cuisine; Cajun Fixins’; Northeastern Seafood, etc.. To encourage interaction and more menu personalization, consider a Make-Your-Own Sundae or S’mores Bar; a Taco or Loaded Baked Potato Bar; or even a Pasta Bar with assorted pastas, sauces, meats and toppings.
• Dietary accommodations – Regardless of what format you choose to use for your catering, always be sure to instruct guests in advance to advise you of any special dietary needs (vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, other allergies, etc.). This can be done on the invitation or e-vite, with it’s importance reinforced via email to the employees. Be sure to pass this information on to the caterer IN ADVANCE; otherwise, there is no guarantee that special needs can be accommodated. As host, that’s one of the last things you’d like to see happen to guests with dietary restrictions.

Step 6: Plan Activities and Entertainment
Be brave! Move away from the standard arrive-eat-mingle-leave format of many company parties that makes attendance feel more like an obligation than a privilege. Instead, keep guests engaged with festive fun! Consider:

• Holiday trivia or games
• Awards or employee recognition
• Casino games
• White elephant or Secret Santa gift exchange
• Live music, DJ, or karaoke
• Photo booth with holiday props
• Raffle prizes or giveaways

Tip: Balance structured activities with free time for mingling. Over-structuring is just as bad as having no structure at all.

Step 7: Send Invites Early
December calendars fill quickly, so send invitations (digital are fine) 4–6 weeks in advance. In addition to the basic date, time and location information, be sure to include the theme and dress code, RSVP deadline, any gift exchange details or guest policies, and instructions for communicating dietary restrictions. Consider using tools like Paperless Post or Google Forms to easily track responses.

Step 8: Decorate Thoughtfully
Décor doesn’t need to be expensive or over the top. Simple and festive works just as well. You can rarely go wrong by adding light. Simple fairy lights and candles can provide just the right amount of sparkle for your holiday celebration. Consider using basic greenery and ornaments for centerpieces. Remember that all of the centerpieces don’t need to match; in fact, you provide more texture to the space by alternating two or three different centerpiece designs among your guest tables. Add colorful runners on top of tablecloths to pull in your theme or company colors. And don’t forget to decorate your registration, food and other tables as well!
 
Tip: Prepare a music playlist in advance to further help set the mood and support the theme.

Step 9: Recognize Your Team
A holiday party is the perfect time to celebrate your people. You can give out awards – serious or fun ones! Be sure to thank individuals and departments for their contributions (being as specific as possible will help ensure accolades are received as genuine). Consider preparing hand-written notes or small gifts to add a personal touch. Just remember, showing employees your appreciation goes further than any food or décor ever could.

Step 10: Capture the Moments
Hire a photographer, set up a selfie station, or encourage employees to share pictures with a company hashtag. After the event, share a recap on your intranet, newsletter, or social media to keep the festive spirit alive. Keep photos from previous years in order to create an employee slideshow to showcase at next year’s Christmas Party!

When it’s all said and done and the party is over, be sure to make note of what went well and what you’d like to change next year, while the information is still fresh in your mind. Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from employees and other attendees as well. The more you can engage employees in the process, the more the celebration is really about them.

#Planning # Parties Knoxville, Knoxville-Christmas-Parties, Knoxville-area-party-venues, large-party-venues-in-Knoxville-Tennessee, planning-a-company-Christmas-party, places-to-hold-a-Christmas-party-in-Knoxville, Lenoir-City-venues, Lenoir-City-events, Knoxville-venues, Knoxville-events

The nature of today’s digital world makes social media one of the most powerful tools for promoting events — from private parties and galas to conferences and fundraisers. It is fast, visual, and offers a direct line to your audience. But simply posting a flyer online won’t make your event stand out. To truly make an impact, you need a thoughtful social media strategy with tactics that drive results.

1. Start with a Strategy
Before you start posting, ask yourself these questions:

• Who is your target audience? There is a dramatic difference in approach between marketing towards millennials and senior citizens, for example. Failing to define your target audience up front virtually ensures your campaign will fail.
• What platforms do they use (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok)? Again, teenagers might be all about TikTok, whereas professionals might be more engaged with LinkedIn. Knowing where to market is just as important as who to market to.
• What is your main goal? Ticket sales, RSVPs, awareness, sponsors? Know in advance what you want to achieve with your social media campaign, as having clear objectives helps you build content that converts to sales, sponsorships, etc. and doesn’t just look nice.

2. Build a Social Media Timeline
Social media marketing for events tends to be the most effective when it is planned around the event’s lifecycle:

Pre-Event (1–3 Months Out)

• Announce the event with a teaser or “Save the Date” graphic. Not sure how to create an engaging graphic? If you haven’t met the user-friendly design program Canva, put that on your “to-do list” (and thank us later!).
• Highlight key details. This goes back to the basic “who, what, when, where and why” of Marketing 101. Be sure to share the date & time, location, theme, ticket link, beneficiaries, etc..
• Share “sneak-peaks” or behind-the-scenes content, such as venue walkthroughs, vendor meetings, planning progress, etc..
• Introduce speakers, performers, or VIP guests. Don’t be afraid to do so with some fanfare. After all, who doesn’t like a celebration?
• Create a branded hashtag and encourage early followers to use it. This will help with your content generation during and after the event as well.

During the Event

• Post real-time updates, stories, and reels. Feature guests, performances, fabulous looking food, breathtaking décor, vendors, etc.. The greater the variety of what you highlight, the more likely it is to be shared.
• Go live on Instagram or Facebook to highlight the vibe. If you are camera-shy, recruit another person who is good at ad-libbing to help you. It is ok to use bullet point notes to help stay on track, but don’t get in front of the camera and read a full script.
• Share user-generated content (UGC) by reposting attendees’ photos/videos using your hashtag. How great is it that you don’t have to do all the work? Not only do people love having their posts shared, but it is also pre-packaged content for you!
• You will want to keep track of what is posted about your event, so be sure to encourage attendees to tag your profiles. You can even up the ante and offer a small prize to the most engaging post.

Post-Event

• Share a photo/video recap or highlight reel. Don’t be afraid to re-use images or content you have already shared. Just pick the cream of the crop and run with it.
• Thank attendees, vendors, and sponsors. This ends your event on an appreciative note that those involved will remember when another event opportunity rolls around.
• Post a QR code at the event or reach out to your guest list via email to ask for testimonials or event reviews. Capturing this type of content is valuable because it can be used in a variety of ways with no expiration date, from social media platforms to newsletters and your website.
• Start teasing your next endeavor by promote future events with a “What’s Next?” post.

3. Other General Social Media Tips
Social media is a visual platform, so your content needs to stop the scroll. Focus on branded graphics, short videos/reels, countdown stickers, and polls. Be sure to use consistent fonts, colors, and logos to ensure your content is recognizable.

Strategically use hashtags and tagging. Create a unique branded hashtag, or research what’s local and/or trending that relates to your event. Encourage guests and vendors to tag your profiles and use your hashtag(s) in their posts.

Cross-promote with vendors, speakers and even influencers. Ask them to share your event promotions and to post during the event (tagging you, of course). Cross-promoting is an organic way to extend your social media reach.

While you can run a successful social media campaign without spending a dime on paid ads, throwing even a small budget at ads can be very powerful due to the targeting abilities of social media. Paid ads allow you to target by location, interests, age, event type, and other demographics to reach your ideal audience. Spending even $50-$100 can increase awareness and your RSPVs or ticket sales. Create a sense of urgency by promoting early bird deadlines or limited seating. You can even drive traffic to your website for additional engagement.

Don’t just post…be sure to engage with your audience. Interaction is a powerful driver on social media platforms, so reply to comments and direct messages, share attendees’ posts, ask questions, and/or run a giveaway to build hype.

No social media campaign is perfect, so be sure to analyze your campaign’s effectiveness. Social media is inherently rich with analytics and data. Which posts received the most engagement? Did traffic to your ticket page increase after certain posts? Which platform performed best? The goal of this analysis should be to learn what worked, what didn’t, and what to do differently next time. Use this data to improve your strategy for future events.
​
Social media marketing is not just about posting pretty pictures. It’s about creating genuine connections, driving excitement, and building community around your event. When approached strategically, it can turn your event into a buzzworthy experience that people talk about long after it’s finished.

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