Event Spaces
10.24.2019
From events for Spotify x Billie Eilish, Seth Rogan’s Hilarity for Charity, a massive celebration dedicated to everyone’s favorite food: Tacos! and intimate spaces for the perfect Holiday party, Skylight Studios at ROW DTLA is here for you. Meet Helen Anda, Skylight’s LA Lead—your guiding light to all of the spaces available, and some hot tips on how to plan a party that sets the bar for all the rest.
Skylight is a placemaking and venue development firm that oversees unique event spaces in LA, NY, SF, CHI, and most recently, Ontario, Canada! We focus on adaptive reuse of historic and underutilized assets to create a diverse venue portfolio.
I’m Skylight’s LA lead, and I’ve been on the team for a year and a half.
For me, it’s all about the bones of the space and the story behind it. In today’s oversaturated cultural landscape, a strong narrative is a key differentiator.
There is simply nothing like ROW DTLA for many reasons—the scale, the walkability, the variety of use, the 100+ year old history, the multitude of shared outdoor space, and of course, the vibrant collective of shops and restaurants. There’s not many places in LA you can exercise, work, eat, drink, and experience elevated cultural programming, all in one place.
I don’t think you can go wrong weaving artistic elements into the guest experience—lighting installations, biophilic design, live painting. These touches always add substance and can be applied across a variety of event types.
Don’t make me pick a favorite! I love them all equally! I will say that highlights from this year included The Billie Eilish Experience (an incredible multi-sensory show) and Seth Rogen’s Hilarity for Charity County Fair. I’ve worked my fair share of events over the years, but a comedy-themed celebrity carnival, complete with bumper cars, was a delightful first— and a great cause benefiting Alzheimer’s research.
ROW DTLA’s rooftops are perfect for an awe-inspiring holiday affair. The drama of the downtown LA skyline serves as an unmatched backdrop, while the spaces’ blank canvases allow for a truly customizable holiday vision. The built-in gift shopping at ground level also adds to the festivities, and will save you a trip to the mall!
The North & South lots are expansive in scale and perfect for high production builds (Refinery 29’s 29 Rooms, Budweiser Live), and festivals (All My Friends, Taqueando, and the upcoming LA debut of West Coast Craft). Meanwhile, the rooftops are ideal for private events, and are particularly appealing for clients prioritizing content and consumer engagement (TBS’s Team Coco Loves LA, SONY Be Alpha, Spotify Fans First). The 8th Street Produce Stalls located across the street from ROW DTLA are prime for art exhibitions and immersive experiences (SPRING/BREAK Art Show, The Billie Eilish Experience). And the district as a whole is a producer’s dream for film and photo shoots, with a plethora of location options and basecamp spaces available on the surface lots.
We’re in LA, so parking is naturally a big one. With 4,000+ spots available onsite in close proximity to all of the event spaces, guest arrival is a seamless experience. I’d also consider the flexibility of the site an amenity in itself—privately-owned roads, open lots, a nice blend of indoor/outdoor space. There’s a lot to play with!
At Skylight Studios, we believe in the power of events and filming as a way to inject destinations with creative energy. There is a palpable buzz within the district when our clients are getting ready to open doors, or start rolling on their shoots. We love to see film crews in line for coffee at Cafe Dulce, or producers dining at Alameda Supper Club after a scout. We also like to sprinkle in tenant engagement with our events where applicable. It’s connections like these, whether big or small, that build community and define a sense of place.