Polygon (@polygonatl) is the newest event space dedicated to web, tech and creative groups in Atlanta. We caught up with J Cornelius, the Polygon (& also Nine Labs and AWDG Meetup) head honcho, to give you the inside scoop.
Background:
We’ve been using space at Hypepotamus and rooms donated by sponsors. Since Hype closed we’ve had to rely more heavily on our sponsors, and we didn’t want to wear out our welcome. Many other group organizers feel the same way so it makes sense to have a neutral dedicated space where all the Atlanta area web, tech, and creative groups can hold their events without having to worry so much about the logistics.
Expected opening date:
10/6 We’re planning to host some events for SouthWired, then the first AWDG event is 10/9.
Location:
As we looked all over central Atlanta for space, we found a few issues. We all know traffic is a problem no matter where you go, but it becomes an even bigger problem on the surface streets. Since most of our members live or work in Midtown and the Westside we wanted a location the would be easy for them to get to.
The second (and perhaps bigger) problem is parking. It seems the only buildings which have enough space for an event center either don’t have enough space for 150 people to park, or charge too much if they do.
Then if you get far enough out of Midtown to find a place that has enough room to hold events and ample parking for attendees, there’s nothing else around so you have to get back into your car to find food or a beer.
Atlantic Station solves all of that nicely. First off, unlike a lot of other spots everyone knows where it is so you don’t really have to explain how to get there. It’s easy to get to from Midtown, the Westside, and either direction on the connector. Plus there’s a free shuttle from Arts Center Station for anyone taking MARTA. There are over 7000 parking spots, so capacity isn’t an issue, and parking is free for the first two hours. It really makes it easy for both organizers and attendees to have an event without dealing with the pain of Buckhead traffic or Midtown parking costs.
Plus – with 17 different places to find food and drinks there are plenty of options for before and after any type of event.
Types of events you plan to host:
The space will be open to all tech, web, and creative events. That could be anything: meetups, lectures, workshops, small conferences, training sessions, breakfast series, lunch-n-learns, photo shoots, film screenings, art shows… you get the idea.
How do you cater to early stage business and the tech/creative class:
Another one of the big challenges with other event spaces is cost. It’s hard for a meetup to reserve a room at a hotel or restaurant because they want you to guarantee you’ll spend $X on food and drinks. Rental rates on larger events centers start in the thousands. We’re making it affordable. You’ll be able to rent the space for a few hours (which works for most meetups) starting at $150. You’ll be able to rent the space all day starting at $1000. And that’s including a stage, projector, screen, microphones, and chairs for people to sit in. Just show up and turn things on. We’ll also offer services for people and groups who what help with stuff like catering, specific seating arrangements, special audio/video needs and other requests.
We’re really looking forward to opening our doors to the Atlanta tech community and creating a central space for things to happen. If you’re interested in hosting an event or sponsoring the space we’d love to hear from you. Check out polygonatl.com or email stacey@polygonatl.com.
[Photo Credit: Polygon]
