Pictured: The venue offers both indoor and outdoor event space. Photo provided by Amber Bixby.

Amber Bixby opened ALEUR Event Collective earlier this year, inspired by her past experiences and passion for connecting people. Aleur offers a private event space with planning, design and dining elements included as additional options. The venue is available for a variety of events, including weddings, rehearsal dinners, galas, corporate retreats and networking events.

With a “soft industrial” style, the venue has a neutral, bright main space with an additional library and garden, providing both indoor and outdoor spaces. Bixby notes that the neutral colors allow clients the flexibility to make the event their own.

Owned and operated by Bixby, her husband and her parents, Aleur brings a unique atmosphere to the Sarasota event-venue industry. “We were always on the lookout for a downtown industrial-type space,” she says. “So once we saw this building come up for sale, we acted on it quickly, and we just completely renovated the whole space.”

Bixby brings more than eight years of experience in the event venue industry, having previously owned a venue in Parish. “I definitely value making that personal connection with people,” she says. “These big events, especially with weddings, only happen once. So I try to make that personal connection and really work with them through the process. A lot of venues are very corporate, but we really walk our client through the whole process, through their whole event.”

Looking ahead, Bixby says she is excited to help clients make lifelong memories. “It’s wonderful to become a bigger part of the community now. Being downtown, we get to support all the other local businesses, help people with their missions and provide a space where they make core memories.”

ALEUR Event Collective, 1001 Central Ave, Sarasota, www.aleursrq.com

Pictured: The venue offers both indoor and outdoor event space. Photo provided by Amber Bixby.