If you're seeking an unusual venue for an intimate corporate dinner, Melbourne has them in droves!
Here are some wonderful alternative spaces to host your very exclusive business function banquet.
Banquet Spaces For 35 Guests and Under
One of the most exclusive business dinner parties you can have is at the Arts Centre Melbourne on St Kilda Road in its Plaza Room. Treat touring opera companies, famous artists, actors and playwrights to a VIP dinner in its flamboyant gold-leafed mirror and red velvet space. The Plaza Room provides a banquet space for 18 guests or less, with the cost per head between $78-$150.
Does your company deal in wines and spirits? Why not book the exclusive Wine Cellar at the RACV City Club in Bourke Street to entertain wine editors and food writers? This intimate space with vaulted ceiling, flanked by timber wine cabinets makes for a special corporate dinner for just 20 important guests from $123.50 per head.
If your company deals in funky homewares, pop culture or has a New York office coming for business meetings, this could be the venue for you! The 29th Apartmentin St Kilda has a number of spaces each decorated as the rooms within a funky Manhattan apartment. One which would be perfect for a staff party of 35 people or less is its Bedroom, from $25 per head for finger food/bar food.
BanquetSpaces For 40-45 Guests
Most staff, if they hear your corporate dinner is at a brewery, will RSVP in a flash! And if your business has anything connected to beer or the advertising industry (as they like a drink or three), consider the Temple Brewing Company in Brunswick East. You can hire the entire venue for up to 70 people or book its Upstairs area which hosts 40 guests from $50 per head for a dinner package.
Best known for its ritzy, show-stopping events for up to 360 of your closest family and friends, the opulent Vogue Ballroom in Burwood East also has the little-known, intimate Mezzanine space for 40 guests from $70 per person. Perfect for businesses to entertain VIP guests, thank loyal customers or to have a Christmas staff function of their own!
The iconic Como House and Gardens in South Yarra is one of the Melbourne's top reception venues. Yet there is an outdoor space perfect for businesses with garden-themed products and services to hire for their corporate function called The Ellis Stones Garden. Seating up to 40 guests, it costs from $125 per person for the dinner package.
Just out of the CBD is Lord Cardiganin Albert Park. While it sounds like a pub, it is an intimate, stylish, light-filled restaurant that gets rave reviews for its breakfast, lunch and dinners. While the space itself is not quirky, its name "cardigan" of course makes it a fun venue option for fashion labels - or maybe hipster brands! You can book out the entire space to entertain up to 42 guests with a dinner package costing between $80-$120 per person.
A venue with a real point of difference is Glamp on Little Collins Street. Designed like a glamorous camping destination, you can whisk your guests away somewhere exotic which is ideal if you deal in glamping (naturally!) tourism, hospitality or anything African. Book the Tent Room to fit 44 guests from $55 per head.
Banquet Spaces For Up to 80 Guests
The Diner room is located in popular city drinking venue Trunk in Exhibition Street, making it a fun venue for a luggage or telco company ("trunk call" - geddit?). Book for up to 65 guests with a dinner package of set shared entree and choice of main for $50 each, choice of entree and main ($65 per head) and choice of entree, main and dessert ($70 per person).
Historic 19th century Labassa Mansion in North Caulfield is another enormously popular grand reception venue but you could host a very exclusive corporate luncheon for up to 60 guests in its beautiful Drawing Room from $100 per person. Perfect if you're celebrating an historic business milestone or company anniversary.
Does your company provide security products and services such as locks, grills, alarms or security guards? Why not "capture" your guests' attention with a memorable sit-down dinner for up to 60 victims, sorry guests, in the City Watch House in Old Melbourne Gaol in Russell Street? Dinner from $125 per person.
Lastly, Melbourne's famous 1920s-era Art Deco theme park Luna Park in St Kilda offers corporate executives working in leisure, gaming, childrenswear or hospitality a truly memorable venue space. Its Stardust Room, with an adjacent open-air balcony looks directly at the various rides which run on weekends, public holidays and school holidays, offering a dinner package from $80-$120 per person. 
When you're planning a corporate event. the choice of venue should reflect the theme you want to evoke. It's that much harder and much more expensive to transform, for example...
