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No matter the event, the bar is the place to be. It’s busy from the event start to finish, and every attendee will visit it at least once. Unfortunately, bars often don’t receive the care and creativity the rest of the venue does.
Which is why portable bars are so great. It’s the perfect opportunity to create a bespoke bar experience and take your event to the next level. Here are the best portable bar ideas for private events.
What is a Portable Bar?
A portable bar, also known as a mobile bar, is a bar that you can move around your event venue. It’s often on wheels, or it’s a small, normal bar that can be built at specific locations.
Unline traditional venue bars, which have a set location and theme, mobile bars can be moved around and decorated to suit your specific taste. They’re especially great for hosting an outdoor event, where a bar isn't readily available.
Mobile bar service also offers mobile bartending i.e. a bar that can move around the event. It also allows you to install multiple bars on the event floor.
All in all, mobile bars are the perfect solution for all your venue bar and decorations woes. They’re customizable, efficient, and one of a kind.
15 Mobile Bar Ideas for Your Next Event
There are many portable bars on the market, but they can be a tad generic. Consider these portable bar ideas to elevate your mobile bar and make it unique to your event.
Creative Signage
Signage is a great way to draw attention to a specific name, brand, or message, no matter the event type.
For example, your signage can advertise your brand name. If you’re hosting a wedding, it could congratulate the couple. For a corporate meetup, the signage could showcase brand partners or provide advertisement space.
Whatever the event, signage offers a great way to get creative. So, decide what word, brand, or idea you want to be the focal point of the mobile bar, and add the signage on any overhead space.
Thrift Dishes and Glassware
Thrift stores are a veritable treasure trove of dishes and glassware and a fun way to add personality to your mobile bar. Browse local thrift stores and antique shops for glassware and dishes. The pieces don’t need to match as long as they follow a semi-consistent theme.
Not only is it going to be a unique experience for your guests, but thrifting is also a great way to save on rental costs. You can keep the dishes for future events as they’re sure to make a splash.
Choose the Right Color Palette
Before you purchase decorations for your mobile bar, you need to establish the color palette. The palette should fit the scenery and the event.
If you are hosting your event outside, surrounded by nature, lighter tones and pastels work best. Inside, you can be more bold, and use everything from super bright tones to deep burgundies. Of course, you can be as creative as you want.
Whatever you choose, it should create a seamless blend between the event theme and the venue.
Add a Small Seating Section
Mobile bars are known for being social hot spots. Guests often stand around the bar area after getting their drinks, so it’s only natural to add a small seating section for them to congregate.
Add a few seats and small tables around your portable bars. You can use ottomans, decorated lawn chairs, bean bags, or formal dining chairs. Just make sure it matches the event theme.
If it’s too clustered, it’s going to be a mess. There needs to be enough space between the chairs and the front of the mobile bar. There should also be a clear line between the seating area entrance and the bar front, with enough space in between for people to move around and converse comfortably.
Play Around With Balloons
Ballons are affordable and offer versatile decoration options. Strew them around the mobile bar or create a cascade down the bar area's side. Or create a balloon arch entrance to the section of the mobile bar and the seating area.
Balloons also come in a variety of colors, including more elegant neutrals and blacks–which work great as fun detailing without breaking the formality of the event.
Picket Fence Detailing
If you’re dealing with a big event space, especially one that’s outside, sectioning off the mobile bar is a unique way to create order on the event floor. It’s also an effective way to elevate your mobile bars.
Event picket fences are a great way to do this. They’re easy to set up and move around. Place them around your mobile bars, leaving enough space in between for seating and comfortable movement.
If you’ve got the budget, you can splurge on fences with geometric designs or event-specific detailing.
Create Signature Craft Cocktails for Cocktail Hour
Celebrate cocktail hour at your portable bars with a signature event cocktail. Work with your catering company or local brewery or restaurant to create a cocktail fit for the occasion. Wow with fresh herbs, a fresh taste, and a cocktail aesthetic and name that matches the event.
Dazzle With Fringe
Fringe is dazzling, especially on portable bars. It’s an affordable decoration that can be strung up all around your event. It also comes in a variety of colors and finishes, like sparkly and matte options.
Head to your nearest Party City or purchase fringe by the yard online, and decorate the edge or underside of your bar top. You can hide any rope tethers around the bar with a healthy covering of fringe.
Incorporate Decals or Vinyl Tiles
The front panel of your bar is the perfect place to add some finishing touches, including decals or vinyl tiles.
With decals, you can add your brand name or the event name to the front of the bar. You can also create custom patterns or front panel detailing.
Otherwise, you can use vinyl tiles. There are many options to choose from. Use them to create a front panel that suits your event theme or use patterned tiles as front panel detailing.
Offer Shade
If your event is inside, you don’t have to worry about shade. But if your event is outside, you’ll need to offer shade around your portable bar. People will be spending a lot of time there, and it won’t be comfortable if there’s no shade.
Add umbrellas around the portable bar and the seating area. Or set up a canvas tent over the entire event or just the bar. Decorate it with string lights, balloons, etc., and make sure it matches the event theme.
Decorate the Backsplash
The backsplash–the section behind the bartenders–is valuable real estate. Add your brand name, the event name, and the drinks menu, or continue with the front panel decoration and add patterned vinyl tiles.
Add Flowers
Flowers are going to bring your portable bar to life. Add flowers around the bar area and on the tables in the seating area.
Add them to the bar backsplash or bar top, or braid them into the fringe. Hanging planters or flower arrangements are also an awesome way to take advantage of the vertical space of the mobile bar.
Display the Drinks Menu Clearly
The drinks menu should be visible to the people right at the bar, and those in line. If people can see the menu ahead of time, they’ll also be much faster at ordering once at the front.
Display your menu on the bar counter or the backsplash. And for those in line, put a pretty announcement board further down the line with the bar items listed.
Finish Off With a Quote
Whether it’s a formal business event or a wedding, congratulations are likely in order. So, finish off your mobile bar decorations with a congratulatory quote.
Add the quote to your front panel, the backsplash, or on the announcement board. You can even print the quote on custom balloons and hang them around the bar.
Whichever you choose, a congratulatory message is a great finishing touch and helps set the mood for your guests.
Consider the Bar Placement
Lastly, when it’s time to set up your mobile bar, be considerate of your guests and the event space.
Keep the mobile bar close to the thick of things, especially the event dining section. Drinks, food, and comfortable seating should be connected and near each other. Don’t put the bar at the event entrances or exits, as it’ll cause people to cluster around the doors and make moving around the event a hassle.
Conclusion
Bars tend to be the most social spot at events and present a great opportunity for you to showcase your event theme and message. Whether you’re hosting a business get-together or a wedding, mobile bars are an awesome way to elevate your private events.
Use the above mobile bar ideas to create the perfect mobile bar for your next private event.
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