The Innovation Quarter features accessible indoor and outdoor event spaces designed for community building. Access unique spaces—for small meetings to large events—including Wake Forest Biotech Place Conference Center, Bailey Power Plant and Bailey Park. Explore all the available spaces below.
Wake Forest Biotech Place, a former tobacco manufacturing facility, now drives technology and medical innovation. Home to Wake Forest School of Medicine research labs and Innovation Quarter offices, it also includes a conference center on the first floor. The conference center offers 11 event spaces, including a 120-person auditorium and a large atrium that can accommodate up to 500 people.
For detailed information on management, equipment, floor plans and policies, please review the Wake Forest Biotech Place Conference Center Guidelines.
The 7,500-square-foot atrium offers flexible seating and room capacity dependent on configuration. A 14-foot screen with stereo sound is ideal for large group presentations or videos. The three-story high glass ceiling transforms the space into a modern and airy environment.
The auditorium is designed for large group meetings and presentations with fixed theater-style seating. It holds 120 people and is equipped with video teleconferencing and standard A/V capabilities.
The Conference Center offers nine conference rooms with flexible and fixed seating. There are five 20-person flexible suites (which can be turned into two 50-person rooms) and four 12-person boardrooms. Each room is equipped with full A/V systems.
To reserve conference center space at Wake Forest Biotech Place, please submit your request through our online reservation request form.
Room reservations are requested one month in advance of event and are subject to approval on a case-by-case basis. Please allow up to three business days for a response to your reservation request.
Please do not send out notices, invitations or publicize the event before obtaining an executed license agreement.
Bailey Park encompasses 1.6 acres of green space located on N. Patterson Avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets. Park amenities include a covered stage, restrooms, a food truck court and a large lawn, creating a flexible outdoor space for a variety of events, including business or community events.
To reserve space at Bailey Park, please submit your request through our online reservation request form. Reservations must be requested one month in advance of event and are subject to approval on a case-by-case basis.
Please allow up to three business days for a response to your reservation request and do not send out notices, invitations or publicize the event before obtaining an executed license agreement.
For general information and guidelines pertaining to Bailey Park events, please review the Bailey Park Guidelines.
The Crane Room at Turbine Hall, located on the second floor of Bailey Power Plant, offers rentable space, including an open area, which can accommodate up to 300 people and four meeting rooms. The rooms, named after historical Bailey Brothers tobacco products, offer a variety of styles and capacities.
Another nod to the building’s history, Turbine Hall once housed the turbines that captured the electricity generated by the boilers used to power the building and surrounding R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. manufacturing facilities, and The Crane Room still houses the 40-ton crane that serviced these turbines. The Crane Room is also the home of Venture Café Winston-Salem’s Thursday Gatherings.
The Crane Room includes two shipping-container-like pods that feature flexible seating for up to 25 people. The pods are available in half- or full-day rentals and come equipped with LCD screen with HDMI hookup.
The Crane Room includes two conference rooms that feature flexible seating for up to 50 people. The rooms are available in half- or full-day rentals and come equipped with LCD screen with HDMI hookup.
Located just outside The Crane Room, this U-shaped upper lobby provides beautiful east-facing views of Bailey Park, Bowman Gray Center for Medical Education and Wake Downtown. Available in half- or full-day rentals, the Overlook is a great location for event check-in or registration. The space can accommodate up to 85 people, but doesn’t have A/V capabilities.
To reserve any of the spaces in Turbine Hall and the Crane Room, please submit your request through our online reservation request form. Reservations must be requested one month in advance of event and are subject to approval on a case-by-case basis.
Please allow up to three business days for a response to your reservation request and do not send out notices, invitations or publicize the event before obtaining an executed license agreement.
What type of events can be held at Biotech Place, Bailey Park and The Crane Room?
The Innovation Quarter reserves the right to limit the use of conference space to those organizations hosting programs or events that are consistent with our mission of driving economic growth and building a vibrant community. Typical events include, but are not limited to, those focused on life science research, technology development and commercialization, entrepreneurship, business development, and community affairs.
Are there approved vendors?
For a list of approved vendors at Biotech Place, Bailey Park and The Crane Room, please contact iqevents.nc.amer@cushwake.com for more information.
Where can I park?
Parking availability is limited and will be discussed as a follow-up to the reservation request. Parking availability is determined based on day and time of event and may require the use of public parking decks adjacent to the Innovation Quarter.
How much does it cost to reserve a space?
Space rates vary per event. Please complete our reservation form to receive a quote.
Do you offer discounts on event space rentals?
Yes. Event space rental discounts are offered on a case-by-case basis to potential event licensees and are determined by the following criteria:
Who do I contact with general inquiries about Innovation Quarter?
Contact the Innovation Quarter here.
Get familiar with available parking options in the Innovation Quarter.
