Amidst the recent explosion of venues in Milwaukee, The Cooperage stands out as a space with its own voice. They are a dedicated event space and specialize in weddings, corporate events, and music concerts. We had a chance to sit down with Director of Operations Emily Dell Revord to hear more about what makes The Cooperage such a unique space.
To see so much more about The Cooperage, please check out their website!
To see more of our wedding work, please check out our portfolio!
Adult beverage of choice? I am a beer girl. I love all kinds of beer. But every once in a while I like Tom Collins or a light refreshing cocktail
Junk food of choice/guilty pleasure? I love Cheez-Its and Puppy chow.
Favorite animal? I love dogs! I always loved zebras growing up. Because they are cute!
Best trip you ever went on and why? I studied abroad in Paris for a few months. I felt like I lived there and got to really immerse myself in the culture.
What music makes up your favorite playlist? Best concert you’ve ever been to?
I love soft indy music playing in the background. The best concert I’ve been to is Bon Iver at The Pabst
Tell me about your family & friends – what do you like to do together?
My family lives all over the place. Thus, we usually just get together for lunches or dinners. With my friends, we like to go to concerts, dinner, or have a few drinks.
Tell me about the history of the venue.
The building itself was built in late 1800. It was The Cooperage which is a barrel maker. After that, when prohibition happened the business shut down and a race car frame manufacturer moved in. It was closed down from the 60’s on. Then recently the building became a salsa dancing night club. After that, we bought it a year ago and did some decor change.
Why are companies drawn to your space?
I think companies really like us because we are a little bit different. We are an industrial-style warehouse venue. Therefore, though it may sound funny, we are kind of the barn house of the city. Thus we attract companies with a casual vibe. Because they want something different and unique and on the water, they come to us!
What is a fab feature companiess might not know about?
We are on the water with a view of the Hoan Bridge! Because of this, you can take photos on our roof with the Bridge as a backdrop. In addition, we have a ton of outdoor space as well as indoor space.
What services are available in-house?
We are kind of an all-inclusive venue and try to make everything easy for our couples. For instance, with the rental, you get your tables and chairs and linens. We provide all the plates and the glassware. We have a full bar, we provide all the alcohol and bar packages. In addition, we have our own in house catering by Mitch, who is an owner of Taco Moto and Snack Boys. He came up with the menu. A lot of our appetizers come from the Snack Boys. Therefore, our food is not the typical wedding banquet style, it’s pretty different!
What is your favorite dish on the in-house catering menu?
One thing that we do, which is super popular, is called Moto Waterfall. It’s a really big charcuterie board. We put it up along the bar area. There are different cheeses, meats, and pickles and fruits, spreads, shrimp. Just all great stuff. People love it!
Can companies bring in their own caterers?
We do also allow companies to bring your own catering, however, there is a fee for that.
Before picking a venue, I suggest…
I’d suggest knowing your number of guests because it really determines which venues may work for you. Because the details can vary from venue to venue tremendously, it’s important check what’s included to the price.
What types of corporate events do you host?
A little bit of everything! We’ve done a lot of holiday parties. We also do annual meetings. We’ve done all-day meetings and then turned it in happy hour with cocktails and food. We’ve done whole dinners with a holiday theme.
What services do you have available?
We have AV including a screen and a projector. We provide all the tables and chairs, linens, food, and drinks.
Do you have special packages?
Our corporate packages are pretty flexible. Oh, there is one very fun thing we’ve done for corporate clients. We hooked up with a pedal tavern. People come here and have a drink and some food, then they go do some peddling and back here for more food and fun.
Do you do corporate event planning too? If a client doesn’t have an event planner on staff? Or do you suggest hiring a local planner?
I do corporate planning! If they have a huge production corporate event, I’d suggest they hire someone, but if it is a small party, we can take care of all their needs.