Media Kit

614 N. Railroad Avenue Opelika, AL 36801 (334) 705-5466

-Fact Sheet-

Event Center Downtown 2010: At A Glance

Event Center Downtown is one-of-a-kind venue located in the heart of historic downtown Opelika, Ala. The center is housed in the former Coca-Cola building and retains much of the building’s original charm by having a unique warehouse atmosphere with added modern amenities. History: Lisa Beck bought the former Coca-Cola Bottling Company building on the corner of North 7 and Railroad avenues in Opelika, Ala. in 2009. She and her husband, Chris, financed the venue with help from various donors throughout Lee County and run it with the help of Dale Downing and Mindy Street. Information: All rentals include-tables & chairs, white linens, glassware and catering kitchens First Floor Rooms: Ballroom A (B+C)-7712 sq.ft. Ballroom B-4213 sq.ft. BallroomC-3499 sq.ft. Prefunction Area/Bar-1203 sq.ft Prefunction Area-921 sq.ft. Meeting Room A-523 sq.ft. Courtyard-9289 sq.ft. Second Floor Rooms: Meeting Room B-603 sq.ft. Roof Top Terrace-545 sq.ft. Lounge-617 sq.ft. Bridal Suite-172 sq.ft. Green Room-306 sq.ft. Further information on the location, events and booking prices can be found at www.eventcenterdowntown.com

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Contact: Janet Marie Gunnels (678) 378-7516 ([email protected])

Information from the “A Dream in Brick and Mortar” article in Lee Magazine


Biography-Lisa Beck

Originally from Boston, Lisa Beck spent most of her life in Oklahoma being raised by a

single mother. Becoming a mother at 16 years old, Beck could not then imagine that she would be able to raise her son while continuing her education, let alone be the owner of a company and lead of a $3 million dollar venture.

Beck attended school at a community college in Tulsa, Okla. before transferring to

Oklahoma State University. She juggled two sons and multiple jobs including working for Big Brothers Big Sisters, as a nanny and at Mazzio’s Pizza inTulsa. All these things pushed school to the background at times, and Beck’s grades suffered. She continued to work hard, receiving better grades each year she was in school, and graduated in 1998 with a degree in human environmental sciences.

Beck married her first husband soon after and they, with her sons, Zackery and Trey,

moved to Auburn in 2001. She worked with Auburn University temporarily where she made contacts and honed her event planning skills. Beck became friends with Dale Downing, the woman who would eventually be a part of Event Center Downtown, while they wre both working with the Auburn University Letterman’s Club.

In 2003, Beck created her first company, Professional Event Planning Services LLC, and

realized Lee County’s need for an event center. After divorcing her husband, Beck moved the company and her family to downtown Opelika, Ala. and knew that it was time to seek out the venue about which she had only dreamed.

On March 25, 2008, Beck passed by the Coca-Cola Bottling Company warehouse and

scheduled an appointment for her and her fiancé, Chris, to see it. The economy was quickly going downhill, but Beck persevered through rejections for loans, building permits and other financing. Her instincts paid off and Beck became the owner of Event Center Downtown in 2009, which opened on April 15, 2010, and she runs with the help of Downing and her newest employee, Mindy Street.

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Contact: Janet Marie Gunnels (678) 378-7516 ([email protected])


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Information: April 24,2010 Janet Marie Gunnels Office: (678) 378-7516 Email: [email protected]

Venue now available for event booking EVENT CENTER DOWNTOWN UNLIKE OTHER VENUES IN LEE COUNTY

Event Center Downtown, which celebrated its grand opening April 15 in Opelika, Ala., is

officially available to be booked for events. Until now, sororities and fraternities used country

clubs or hotels for their social events, businesses held conferences at the local university’s

venues and concerts were performed either outside, in bars or the university’s basketball arena.

Lee County’s newest venue can provide the space and equipment for all these events.

“People are really excited to have a venue like this in the area,” said Lisa Beck, owner of

Event Center Downtown. “We’ve already booked a sorority’s fall formal and two weddings for

this summer.”

Some may wonder what makes Event Center Downtown different from other venues in

Lee County. According to Beck, it is because the center can offer whatever is needed for

virtually all events. The warehouse structure allows for anything from a wedding to a car or boat

show. It can even accommodate small concerts or performances not only because of space, but

also because of the center’s state-of-the-art light and sound equipment. Event Center Downtown

also has the largest conference space available in Lee County.

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Event Center Downtown has not finished all of its construction, but once everything is

complete, the second floor of the venue will house a public lounge and bar with a roof top

terrace. This way, the center can be used by the community all the time rather than having to

book it solely for special events.

Local caterers will benefit from the two fully equipped catering kitchens, and event

planners say they can’t wait to promote the center to their clients because it provides the

flexibility other venues lack, according to an article in the Opelika Observer.

Beck believes that the most important aspect of the venue is the contribution it will make

to the revitalization of the historic downtown area of Opelika, Ala.

“The center is going to be a great addition to the city of Opelika,” said Beck.

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4/12/10 **MEDIA ADVISORY** Event Center Downtown ribbon cutting and open house to take place April 16 What: Event Center Downtown’s grand opening When: Friday, April 16, 2010 at 4 p.m. Where: Event Center Downtown in Opelika, Ala. Who: Chris and Lisa Beck, owners of Event Center Downtown, will be performing the ribbon cutting to commemorate the opening of the center. Members of the news media are invited to take pictures of the ceremony as well as participate in a guided tour of the new center and its facilities. After the ceremony, Event Center Downtown will be open to the general public during Opelika’s “On the Tracks” event. Drinks will be served as part of the “On the Tracks” wine trail, and food from various caterers in Lee County will be available. Local band, Crossroads, will provide the entertainment.

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Contacts: Lisa Beck, (334) 705-4393 (lisa@eventcenterdowntown) Janet Marie Gunnels (678) 378-7516 ([email protected])


Contact Information: LENGTH :60 Janet Marie Gunnels Office: (678) 378-7516 Email: [email protected]

EVENT CENTER DOWNTOWN VENUE FINALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

EVENT CENTER DOWNTOWN: IS YOUR ORGANIZATION TRYING TO FIND AN

EVENT VENUE? ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED BUT CAN’T FIND A LOCATION?

EVENT CENTER DOWNTOWN IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR YOU! NO MATTER

WHAT YOUR EVENT IS, WE CAN ACCOMMODATE IT. LOCATED IN THE HEART OF

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN OPELIKA, EVENT CENTER DOWNTOWN HAS SPACE FOR

ANY EVENT FROM A SMALL GATHERING IN THE LOUNGE TO A CONFERENCE OR

CONCERT IN ANY OF OUR THREE AVAILABLE BALLROOMS. THE LARGEST

BALLROOM EVEN HAS A RAMP THAT CAN BE USED FOR CAR OR BOAT SHOWS!

EVENT CENTER DOWNTOWN IS LOCATED IN THE FORMER COCA-COLA

BOTTLING WAREHOUSE AT THE CORNER OF NORTH RAILROAD AND 7TH

AVENUES AND RETAINS MUCH OF THE BUILDING’S ORIGINAL CHARM. NEXT

TIME YOU’RE THINKING OF PLANNING AN EVENT, THINK OF EVENT CENTER

DOWNTOWN. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EVENT CENTER DOWNTOWN,

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.EVENTCENTERDOWNTOWN.COM OR CALL

LISA BECK AT (334) 705-5466.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Information: April 27, 2010 Janet Marie Gunnels Office: (678) 378-7516 Email: [email protected]

Guests enjoyed food, friends and an evening of entertainment EVENT CENTER DOWNTOWN GRAND OPENING IS A HIT

OPELIKA, Ala.—Musicians were playing, people were socializing and Lisa Beck was reveling

in the success that is Event Center Downtown. Getting funding in place to finish the main rooms

merely weeks before the venue’s private opening party was stressful and trying to oversee

construction while also beginning plans for future events was time consuming, but everything

came together just in time.

The private opening of Event Center Downtown, an invitation only party, took place on

April 15, 2010. It is a date most people dread, but Beck chose it on purpose.

“I knew people would want to relax after sending in their taxes,” she said. “Plus, A-Day

was that Saturday so members of the [Auburn University] Letterman’s Club would be in town

and able to come.”

What a way to relax. Beck invited family and close friends, people who contributed

financially or otherwise to the center and members of organizations that indicated interest.

According to her, the invitees didn’t realize how much fun they would have, or that there would

be so much entertainment.

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“There was a great band,” said Carly Knowles, member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority at

Auburn University. “They were really versatile and so fun to watch perform.”

The band to which Knowles is referring is Glow, a band Beck had previously seen

perform at Camp ASCCA, a camp for people with disabilities where she used to volunteer. Beck

also hired a second band, brought to the South by a man she met during a trip to Boston, to open

and close for Glow.

“I was on a flight back to Alabama after seeing family and sat next to someone who

turned out to be a multitalented musician. When I told him about the opening, he said he’d love

to be a part of it,” said Beck.

The entertainment didn’t stop with music; Beck had a special surprise for her guests. A

friend of hers, who is a choreographer, taught a dance to the members of her Zumba class at the

Opelika Sports Plex. The class then performed with Glow during the opening.

Though the grand opening was a hit, Beck’s work isn’t over. Sorority functions,

weddings and a charity event have already been booked at Event Center Downtown.

“The grand opening was a relief but it’s time to get back to work,” said Beck.

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Contact Information: LENGTH :30 Janet Marie Gunnels Office: (678) 378-7516 Email: [email protected]

NEW EVENT CENTER OPENING IS PART OF “ON THE TRACKS” WINE TRAIL

EVENT CENTER DOWTOWN: EVENT CENTER DOWNTOWN WILL BE OPEN TO

THE PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A STOP ON OPELIKA’S “ON THE TRACKS”

WINE TRAIL FRIDAY, APRIL 16TH FROM 5 O’CLOCK UNTIL 9 O’CLOCK P.M. THE

WINE TRAIL IS FROM 6 O’CLOCK P.M. UNTIL MIDNIGHT, SO MAKE SURE THAT

EVENT CENTER DOWNTOWN IS ONE OF YOUR EARLY STOPS! IT IS ON THE

CORNER OF NORTH RAILROAD AND 7TH AVENUES IN DOWNTOWN OPELIKA AND

WILL HAVE FOOD, DRINKS AND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT.

DON’T FORGET TO MAKE IT TO EVENT CENTER DOWNTOWN FRIDAY, APRIL 16TH

BETWEEN 5 O’CLOCK AND 9 O’CLOCK P.M.!


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Information: April 27, 2010 Janet Marie Gunnels Office: (678) 378-7516 Email: [email protected]

Former Coca-Cola Bottling Company warehouse is revamped

EVENT CENTER DOWNTOWN ADDS TO DOWNTOWN OPELIKA’S HISTORIC CHARM

OPELIKA, Ala.—In the 1980s, Alabama’s Historical Commission created the Main Street

Program, which was designed to restore the state’s historic towns. On the list was Opelika, Ala.,

a small town that, other than a scene in a movie in the late ‘70s, wasn’t known to outsiders.

Now, historic downtown Opelika offers restaurants, shops, bars and the newly opened Event

Center Downtown, a multifunctional facility housed in the former Coca-Cola warehouse in the

heart of downtown.

“I think that’s what gives the building so much of its charm,” said Lisa Beck, owner of

Event Center Downtown. “People are interested in the history.”

Understanding others’ interest has helped Beck on her journey to creating the venue of

which she “had only dreamed.” Deciding the Coca-Cola building was what she wanted was just

the first step. Part of her contract required Beck to preserve much of the original structure while

keeping the area environmentally safe, so she had to keep constant tabs on the renovations.

Because of the addition Event Center Downtown would be to the town’s historic area, the City of

Opelika helped encourage the contract agreement with Coca-Cola and even waived some fees

and granted permits to make renovations possible.

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According to its website, Event Center Downtown is able to hold more than 2,000

people. The first floor has a 7,712 square-foot ballroom that can be divided in two, a pre-

function area with a bar, a meeting room and an outdoor courtyard with a waterfall constructed

with salvageable items from the original structure.

“Whatever was in good-enough condition to reuse, was reused,” said Beck.

The second floor of Event Center Downtown offers another meeting room, a bridal suite,

a green room that can also be used as a waiting area for grooms and a lounge with a bar and roof

top terrace. The hardwood floors in the lounge area are the original floors, and the brick

throughout the interior and exterior of the building is from the original building. Refurbishing

these aspects of the building adds to its charm, but it was hard work, according to Beck.

Also being reused are the light fixtures in the main ballroom, second-floor lounge and the

warehouse’s basement, although for a different function. Originally, the basement was used as

Opelika’s storm shelter. Now it will be a wine cellar for Event Center Downtown’s more “high-

end” wines.

“They even had a gate specially designed for it,” said Mindy Street, an employee of the

center, in an article written by The Corner News.

Beck also opted to keep all of the existing limestone accents throughout the warehouse,

according to an article in the Opelika Observer, and the original concrete floors in the main

ballroom.

The concrete floors add to the multifunctional aspect of Event Center Downtown. Not

only does the room have the capability to host dances for local organizations, but along with the

original loading ramps, it also provides an ideal space for car or boat shows. The

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ceiling height also enables the display of commercial equipment.

One aspect of the original structure sparked a particular interest in many of the center’s

grand-opening guests. Behind the sponsor wall in the main lobby is a copper sheet, which used

to be the floor of the Coca-Cola factory’s syrup room.

“It’s the most interesting thing,” said Carly Knowles, a guest at the grand opening. “It’s

unbelievable that they used it as a floor.”

Both Coca-Cola and the City of Opelika’s most important condition was that Beck keep

the Coca-Cola signage on the front of the building. According to Mayor Gary Fuller of Opelika,

keeping the sign adds to the historic quality. As an added tribute to the original inhabitants of

Event Center Downtown, Beck framed newspaper articles from The Opelika Daily that date back

to 1938 and put them in the main lobby so anyone using the facility will know its history.

In 1987, Opelika was starting its renovation project to revamp the historic downtown

area. Now, what used to be the train depot and center of town is home to restaurants, shops and

bars; the area in front of the courthouse, according to Beck, is a “beautiful park where people can

take a break and relax” and the Coca-Cola factory has been remodeled as the flexible,

multifunctional Event Center Downtown.

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FOR EDITORIAL CONSIDERATION Contact Information: April 27, 2010 Janet Marie Gunnels Office: (678) 378-7516 Email: [email protected]

10 tips from Event Center Downtown IT’S EASY TO PLAN AN EVENT ON A BUDGET

No one wants to give up celebrating, whether it’s an important life event or a special

night for friends and family. The economic downturn has discouraged many from spending the money to have such events, so here are 10 tips from Event Center Downtown in Opelika, Ala. for people trying to plan a great party on a budget. Tip 1: Figure out what your budget is.

Though a great event on a small budget is always possible, you don’t want to end up spending more money than you have just because you didn’t plan it out. It’s possible that you may want to charge an admission fee, depending on the event, so you have some financial help. You also want to make sure you go back to the original budget list whenever you make a purchase and update it. Tip 2: Decide what’s most important to you and make a list. You would hate to spend all your money on something like napkins and then not have enough to buy the beautiful birthday cake, unless the napkins were your first priority. Whichever you prefer, you need to work it out beforehand. Start at the top of the list and work your way down, getting each thing in the order you want. Tip 3: Set a theme.

Knowing the type of party you want to throw is always helpful when planning. It will tell you what kind of food to serve, how to decorate and how guests should dress. Tip 4: Find a multifunctional event venue. Like many people, you may think that renting a venue is more costly than doing everything yourself. Surprisingly, it can be cheaper to rent as long as you use a venue that offers extras. Some have caterers on staff, tables and chairs or other things most events need, and all of it is included in the price. They can also be helpful if you can’t afford things such as a set plate minimum or a banquet menu, which are standard at other local venues but not at Event Center Downtown.

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Tip 5: Consult an event planner. Even if you don’t end up using the planner’s services, a consult can give you more ideas for your event. Planners can also help you find great deals since they are in the industry and know the best places to get flowers or who to book as the entertainment. Tip 6: Don’t invite everyone you know. They won’t all come and you will have wasted money on their invitations. Also if they never responded, you may end up wasting money on food or guest favors. Think about who would be interested in the sort of event you’re holding and go from there. Tip 7: Know that event-centered stores can cost a bit extra and there are other options. Browsing places like the dollar store or Target can provide creative items for your event but at a much cheaper price. Specialized stores are always great for ideas, though! Tip 8: If you’re able, try to do some things yourself.

There are many things you can do yourself rather than buying or paying someone else to do it. Instead of hiring a DJ or band, create a CD mix or iPod playlist. Make a cake yourself rather than going to a bakery. Many grocery stores sell shaped cake pans for a reasonable price. It is also easy to print your invitations at home. If you’re not holding a fancy event, you can make it potluck so you don’t have to worry about all the food. If you want your event to be more elegant, however, this is not recommended. Tip 9: If you’re trying to advertise as part of your budget, talk with local news media about sponsorship. It’s possible that local news outlets will be willing to sponsor your event and advertise for free if you promote them as part of the project. If it’s not possible to get their help for free, they may offer a discounted rate since it’s local. Either way, it is always beneficial to make contacts within the media. Tip 10: Always read the fine print before signing anything Nearly everyone has a contract of some sort that must be signed before work begins. Make sure you read everything, whether it’s for the venue or just for the centerpieces. The vendor could be adding on extra fees that weren’t discussed but will surprise you later, and you don’t want anything to ruin your event. Lisa Beck is the owner of Event Center Downtown and Professional Event Planning Services,

LLC, in Opelika, Ala. and has been in the event planning industry since 2001.

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