Deerhurst Resort

Deerhurst is a resort on about 760 acres near Huntsville in Muskoka.

About the venue

It has over 40,000 sq ft of dedicated meeting space, with guest rooms near the meeting areas. Legacy Hall, the largest listed space at 11,000 sq ft, has a full stage with lighting and sound. Event spaces include outdoor patios and waterfront lawns. Food for events is prepared by the resort’s in-house culinary team.

On EventPlans.ca it is listed as a hotel and conference centre in Muskoka, at 1235 Deerhurst Drive, Huntsville, ON P1H 2E8.

Event spaces

The venue lists these spaces. Capacities are the venue’s own figures and change with the layout you choose.

• Legacy Hall
• Tom Thomson Room
• Waterhouse Ballroom
• Peninsula Room
• Rotunda
• Grand Hall
• G8 Executive Boardroom

Capacity

The venue does not publish a single maximum for every room, so ask for the capacity of the specific space in the layout you want: seated dinner, standing reception, theatre or classroom.

A useful rule: a seated dinner at rounds of ten needs about 1 to 1.2 square metres per guest, a standing reception about 0.7, and theatre seating about 0.6, before you add a stage or dance floor. The venue capacity calculator does the arithmetic for your room.

Events it hosts

According to its own event pages, the venue hosts conferences and meetings, corporate events, galas and fundraisers, holiday parties and weddings.

For timelines, budgets and checklists, start with the conference planning hub, corporate holiday party hub, gala planning hub.

Questions to ask on your site visit

Bring these to your walk-through. Get the answers in writing before you sign.

• Is there a minimum food and beverage spend for the date, and does it include the service charge and HST?
• Can you hold a guest-room block, and what is the release date and attrition clause?
• Is in-house audio-visual required, or can you bring your own production company, and is there a patch fee?
• Which loading dock and freight elevator will vendors use, and at what times?
• Is there a second room available as a weather or overflow backup?
• What are the parking rates for guests, and is valet available?

Planning entertainment here

Hotel ballrooms usually have the power and access for stage acts, but ceilings and rigging vary from room to room. Ask for the ceiling height under any chandeliers, and check whether in-house audio-visual must be used for performers.

Send every performer’s technical needs to the venue before you book: floor space, ceiling height, power, sound and changing room.

Getting there

Check the venue website for directions, parking rates and accessible entrances, and send the details to guests with the invitation.

Official website: deerhurstresort.com