Introduction
Locations across the South West have been used in a variety of recent and forthcoming Netflix productions, including Bridgerton, Persuasion, and Robin Robin.
To celebrate their investment in the region and as a thank you to those involved, Netflix held a “Made in the South West” event at the Assembly Rooms, which had been one of the filming locations for the highly successful series, Bridgerton. As well as being a perfect setting for period drama, the Assembly Rooms was also a stunning venue for their contemporary celebratory event.
Exhibition in the Great Octagon, NETFLIX
Close up for Bridgerton costumes, NETFLIX
The Ball Room ready for guests to arrive, NETFLIX
Mirrored bar in the Ball Room, NETFLIX
Requirements
Netflix needed an impressive venue that was able to accommodate up to 300 guests for drinks and networking.
AV and staging were required for speeches from company executives, a short video presentation and musical entertainment. Additional space for an exhibition of props and costumes from recent productions was also essential.
In light of Covid-19 restrictions, Netflix were also looking for a venue that would be flexible in this uncertain time. At the time of booking Netflix were not sure what the final guest numbers would be, and there was the possibility of new Covid-19 Government restrictions coming into force.
Solution
With interlinking and spacious rooms, the Assembly Rooms offered versatile space for the event Netflix had envisaged and provided an impressive backdrop for the evening.
- The exterior of the venue was themed, with the Netflix logo projected on to the building and a red-carpet entrance complete with ropes and poles and lit trees, giving guests the feeling of arriving at a premiere
- Once inside, guest registration was located in the Small Octagon. Guests were then able to move through to the Great Octagon, passing through the exhibition as they entered. In here there was also space for a Netflix backdrop and red carpet, allowing for movie premiere style photos of guests.
- On arriving in the impressive Ball Room, guests were offered a reception drink and positioned under one of the chandeliers was a stunning mirrored, freestanding bar. Staging and screens were in the centre of the room, allowing plenty of space for circulation and networking. The space in the Ball Room also allowed for some occasional seating, comfortable sofas and statement golden trees to add to the glamour.
- AV and production crew were able to set up discretely on the Ball Room balcony, opposite the stage and had a crew base in the Card Room, so they were on hand if needed.
- The Bath’s Historic Venues team offered practical and technical support throughout the planning process, both virtually and on-site. Our team liaised with both Netflix and their suppliers at each stage ensuring that all venue requirements were taken care of.
- We also offered Netflix the option of moving to the smaller Tea Room if acceptances were low, which had been difficult to gauge with so few live events in recent months. We kept in touch with Netflix throughout the process, ready to make any last-minute changes if necessary.
Catering
Catering was provided by Searcys, our contracted caterers at the Assembly Rooms.
Bowl food and canape desserts were served to guests, with beautifully presented items such as braised beef with baby onions, bacon, red wine and creamed potato and a rich chocolate pot with orange confit. Also on the menu were nut, gluten free and vegan options. To fit with the stylish theme, arrival drinks were served in elegant Champagne saucers.
Conclusion
Guests from across the region involved in the production process gathered alongside local representatives and businesses who had supported Netflix during filming in Bath and the event was a complete success. The feedback from the evening was very positive and with more shows in progress, and the popularity of Bridgerton, we hope to work with Netflix again very soon.
Interested in holding an event at the Assembly Rooms?