We’ve hosted events for Avalara for over ten years. Different locations, different years, same result: they keep coming back. Most recently, that’s meant Cornet on Bourbon Street. When a corporate relationship lasts a decade, you learn what actually makes a venue work for business groups, and what sends planners chasing the wrong location entirely.

Every planning conversation starts the same way. Date, time, number of guests. Those three answers tell me which location can actually hold the group without cramming people in or leaving a room half empty. Skip that step and you end up trying to force a 300-person group into a space built for 75. Or the reverse, a small executive dinner rattling around a room meant for a conference afterparty.

The Convention Center Mistake

Here’s the one I watch corporate planners make over and over. They book near the convention center to “capture” attendees as they leave sessions.

It doesn’t work that way. Most people leave a conference wanting to freshen up, answer their emails, and check in with their family before they head out. And by the time they’re ready to go out for the night, most hotels have already put them closer to the French Quarter anyway, so nobody wants to walk back toward the convention center. You’re not capturing anyone. You’re asking them to backtrack.

Cornet or Prohibition solves that problem before it starts. Our venues are within walking distance of every major hotel in the city. Bourbon Street is a pedestrian promenade, so guests aren’t fighting traffic or hunting for rideshares between their room and the venue; they’re strolling past the architecture and the neon lights, taking in the sights on the way. That walk is part of the night. It’s iconic New Orleans on World Famous Bourbon Street, and corporate guests notice it even if they’d never admit they’re tourists for the evening.

What Makes a Venue Actually Corporate-Ready

For corporate groups, we have options. Let’s start with Cornet. It’s a restaurant, so the infrastructure is already built for hosting. It has the biggest balcony on Bourbon Street. The second floor splits into three separate rooms, meaning we can host anywhere from 30 to 300-plus guests upstairs alone: a small leadership dinner, a mid-size networking reception, or a full conference-scale takeover, all in the same building depending on what the group needs. Planning for a larger group, we can accommodate 600 guests with a buyout of Cornet. We can always add our adjacent venue, which connects internally, to accommodate 700+ guests.

Cornet is more upscale than our bar venues. It’s versatile, and everyone loves the gigantic gallery balcony.

The Exclusive Feeling People Actually Want

Being above the street is the exclusive part. Beyond the balcony, there’s plenty of interior space. Guests enter the party in a room with live music, meander out to the balcony, or wander into another room that’s a little more ambient for people who want to sit and chat. This also offers a great space for added entertainment. We can help coordinate whatever entertainment a client wants, from tarot card readers, bone or stone readers, to a roaming photo booth or magician. We will refer you to the most reliable vendors to book directly and then take over the coordination once you have booked, so the client’s job is basically just to arrive.

One thing we do for almost every corporate group is suggest branding. Flags for the balcony, accented with beads and boas in the client’s colors, and we carry those same colors into table centerpieces with beads. It threads the branding through the whole space. We can use the TV screens at Cornet to brand the interior.

For those looking for a more bar-like atmosphere, we have Prohibition. The second floor offers the classic New Orleans architecture with a mantle and chandelier, or it can be more of a bar vibe. Either way, this location also offers the coveted Bourbon Street balcony, ideal for displaying your brand’s flags.

Your guests arrive at a party in motion and ascend to their VIP balcony suite for 50-150+ guests. Need more space? We can always offer a buyout of Prohibition. Need even more space? We can include the adjacent courtyard and accommodate 700 guests.

Why Companies Like Avalara Keep Coming Back

When we’re planning a corporate event, I always ask how many guests were invited and assure clients I am not asking for an increased guarantee. I find our clients tend to come closer to the actual number of guests they invited versus their RSVPs. People bring friends they run into at the conference, or a spouse or partner along once the sun goes down. Guests will even call other conference attendees to tell them to come on over to the balcony party, as it’s the most fun. It’s not unusual for a party to run past its guaranteed count, and we always flex to accommodate. This is exactly why a client sticks with you for ten-plus years instead of jumping around to other companies.

---

Corporate Event FAQs

How far in advance should we book a corporate event on Bourbon Street?

If it’s a busy date or your company is in town for a big convention, it’s never too early to call. For most corporate groups, I’m booking somewhere between three and twelve months out, and where you land in that range depends on how competitive your conference date is. If everyone in your industry is booking hotel blocks the same week you are, everyone’s chasing the same balconies too.

Can Cornet or Prohibition handle a group of over 300 people?

Both venues handle 300 guests without a problem. At Cornet, that’s the second floor alone, so the rest of the restaurant keeps running underneath you. At Prohibition, a group that size means a full buyout of the venue.

What’s the difference between a balcony party and a full venue buyout?

Space. A balcony party puts your group on the second floor with the rest of the venue open to other guests. A buyout means the whole building is yours.

Do you help with branding or entertainment for corporate events?

We suggest it, and we install it. Branding on Bourbon Street is priceless, and during your event, that balcony is yours alone to display it. We’ll point you toward the vendors we trust for flags, entertainment, or anything else you want to add, and once you’ve booked them, we take over coordinating with them so you’re not managing vendors on the night of your own event. Beads are part of that too. We show clients what gets them the best look for their money, pick everything up ourselves so nobody has to deal with shipping or storage, and set it up to carry your company colors throughout the whole space. Your only job is to arrive and welcome your guests.