The corporate events market is undergoing a dynamic transformation, according to Sydney’s leading venue and hospitality group, Navarra Venues.
Latest industry insights by Navarra reveal that businesses are increasingly seeking expansive outdoor settings and grand venues for their events, prioritising immersive experiences and lifestyle-focussed elements over traditional corporate gatherings held within enclosed hotel spaces.
Family-owned and operated since 1973, Navarra is also adamant of the corporate events market’s increasing appetite for more diverse and customisable menu offerings to cater to evolving tastes and expectations.
“Italian-inspired dishes will always feature on our menus – not just because we’re so proficient in Italian flavours given our heritage but also simply because Italian food is so popular and there’s no indication of a decrease in its popularity,” explains Sal Navarra, CEO of Navarra Venues.
“However, corporate event clients today expect more. They expect all the staples for a great corporate event, which today includes access to a full suite of cutting-edge technology and Artificial Intelligence tools for ease but moreover, they further expect to be able to customise their event.
“They expect more variety, more unique, more memorable, more sustainability than years past and indeed, more diverse menu offerings too. So much so that Navarra is actively staying on top of food trends with menu tasting dinners and guest chef pop ups for menu development to deliver on this demand to ensure that the team can make every event request a possibility,” adds Mr Navarra.
Navarra’s revamped catering packages for corporate clients include more interaction through live cooking stations and food theatrics, corporate cooking classes, as well as more ‘social media friendly’ food with a highly visual ‘wow’ factor, sustainable food with guaranteed minimal waste, more paddock-to-plate offerings with premium quality, locally sourced ingredients, and more customisable menus. Navarra also donates between 200 and 400 meals per week to charity partners across all venues, making a powerful impact on the community.
“We’re noticing a huge increase in demand for customisable menus which does put added pressure on our chefs and staff but frankly, catering to the growing demand for customisation is a must in corporate events today.
“Beyond basic modifications such as a vegetarian alternative, corporate clients today have more dietary-specific demands than ever before and expect premium quality in these alternative dishes that are dairy-free, nut-free or gluten-free for example.
“We’re finding that it’s not uncommon today for up to 40 per cent of an event’s guests to have specific dietary requirements and so, we’ve implemented best-practice procedures to fulfil this efficiently and to premium standards,” says Mr Navarra.
As part of its concerted effort to ‘up the ante’ on its competitors within the booming corporate events market, Navarra has invested several millions of dollars within the past year alone upgrading all its venues to deliver impactful, experience-driven corporate events across its Sydney-based portfolio of venues and its soon-to-open first regional venue, the Villa Navarra located within the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales.
To commence taking bookings from March and planned to officially launch this June 2025, the Villa Navarra a magnificent Tuscan-style estate on 116 acres, with stables, olive vineyards, a stunning Victorian-style gazebo to its promenade and to an incredible marquee (which alone cost in excess of $2m), lush gardens and more ‘country luxury’ attractions.
“The changing face of the corporate events market – which has grown bored of ‘traditional’ and ‘clinical-feel’ corporate event spaces – is one of the chief reasons we opted to purchase the estate. The Villa Navarra presents country luxury that’s simply unmatched by our competitors.
“From corporate conferences to fashion shows, photoshoots, parties, seminars and awards ceremonies, the Villa Navarra transforms you to world of enchantment from the moment of arrival and it’s within reasonable distance of Sydney to-boot – making it an ideal setting for contemporary corporate events.
“It’s a venue that’s perfectly suited to satisfy the corporate market’s appetite for paddock-to-plate high-end catering and thanks to our unrivalled experience in weddings and celebratory events, Navarra is now perfectly poised to really sweep the corporate events market off its feet.
“Although the corporate events market is booming, it’s certainly within tougher economic conditions. Corporate procurement teams are working to tighter budgets yet want more ‘bang’ and a ‘wow factor’ in event spaces.
“We’ve got an edge on our competitors with over 50 years of event expertise, inimitable styling and event planning services, high-quality catering and truly grand venues with terraces, water views, gardens and natural light which are now all in high demand.
“As businesses rethink how they bring people together, we are committed to offering innovative and flexible solutions that align with emerging trends of the market. Corporate events today are about more than just presentations – they are immersive experiences, and what we’re all about at Navarra,” adds Mr Navarra.
Navarra’s venues – which in addition to the Villa Navarra include the hugely popular and recently refurbished Le Montage waterfront property, the heritage-listed and recently renovated grand historic Oatlands Estate, the spectacular Curzon Hall castle on the Upper North Shore of Sydney and its very first venue, Conca D’oro, which opened in 1973 and still attracts high patronage in Southwest Sydney – each possess an element of Sicilian flair, elegance, glamour and now, upgraded offerings for the corporate events market.
To-date, Navarra Venues has hosted more than 24 million guests tendered to by more than 30,000 staff at more than 350,000 events, where more than 17 million main courses have been served. Navarra Venues also donate between 200 and 400 meals per week to charity partners
For more information about Navarra Venues – including the soon-to-launch Villa Navarra and the company’s revamped corporate events packages – visit navarravenues.com.au.
