Pine Street Inn and Party Slate Transform the AFH EpiCenter

Event: Partyslate • Photo Credit: Stephanie Berenson Photography

Located in South Boston, the Artists For Humanity (AFH) EpiCenter provides an innovative and flexible environment for functions ranging from weddings to fundraisers to corporate events, from small intimate gatherings of 40 to parties of 700. The EpiCenter offers an industrial space sustainably designed with 18-foot high ceilings, natural lighting, and an optional 48-foot moveable wall that opens to expand the event space by an additional 1,200 square feet, offering a total of 8,200 square feet of event space.

In recent months, we have been the proud host of Pine Street Inn’s “Summer Inn the City” and PartySlate’s “Cloud 9” networking event. 

On July 25, Pine Street Inn’s annual fundraiser “Summer Inn the City” returned to the AFH EpiCenter for the third consecutive year to share and celebrate the tangible steps it takes toward ending homelessness. Pine Street Inn is the largest homeless services provider in New England, working to make safety and security a reality for people experiencing homelessness. 

Event: Pine Street Inn

Ross Condit, the Director of Communications at Pine Street Inn, shared, “Artists For Humanity is a fantastic venue that shares Pine Street’s vision for a stronger community that lifts up everyone who calls Boston home, works here, or visits our city.” Both Pine Street Inn and AFH are actively breaking down barriers to success in the Boston community. 

The venue was transformed into a welcoming space for participants to engage in a good cause, while enjoying music, art, and food from Gourmet Caterers, the exclusive caterer for the EpiCenter. The attendees enjoyed “excellent food and even better service” throughout the night, Ross noted. A loyal patron of AFH, Pine Street Inn plans to return to the EpiCenter again in 2025.

In addition to fundraisers and other nonprofit events, AFH also hosts company networking events, such as PartySlate’s “Cloud 9,” conferences, such as Cybernetix’s Robotics conference in June, and product launches, such as Adobe’s “Creative Community" in May.

Held less than a week after “Summer Inn the City,” the AFH venue transformed into the ethereal setting of PartySlate’s “Cloud 9” event. PartySlate is a platform that connects party planners, businesses, and vendors. “Cloud 9” served as a spot for planners to meet others in the field and discover new resources for future events. The PartySlate vendors each took the opportunity to showcase their party-planning prowess—with ceilings full of balloons, rooms decorated with comfortable furniture, and interactive entertainment. PartySlate chose Catalina Rojo Ianetta, the owner and lead planner at Champagne & Confetti: Celebrations by Catalina, to lead the event.

Event: Partyslate • Photo Credit: Stephanie Berenson Photography

“I really wanted to lean into the venue itself with all of my themes, so having the white color palette in such a white box space so that the art could really pop off the walls and be featured in a unique way was part of the design plan all along. I definitely got a lot of inspiration from AFH with the design itself,” explained Catalina.

When asked to describe the space, Event Planner for PartySlate Christine Cronin said, “The AFH EpiCenter is a unique, versatile space with a modern, creative edge. It’s a venue that not only provides a visually stunning backdrop for any event, but also carries a meaningful mission that resonates with socially conscious organizations. I would highly recommend the AFH venue to anyone looking to host a memorable event in a space that’s both inspiring and impactful.”

Event: Partyslate • Photo Credit: Stephanie Berenson Photography

Hosting community and company events also provides AFH teens the opportunity to work with big-name businesses. In May, Adobe hosted “Creative Community,” an event teaching 175 new design software, tips, and tricks. AFH partnered with the event planners by activating the event with its signature Interactive, where teens become co-creators working collaboratively with event goers to complete a themed-base painting.

AFH Interactive at Adobe's "Creative Community" Event

In June, Cybernetix hosted 200 guests hailing from diverse tech companies working on robotic technologies for healthcare, home, and other adaptive uses. Guests heard about new developments in the field, networked, and viewed demonstrations of new technologies. 

Being a venue hub for diverse industries working on innovative products or services, or promoting community and purpose, provides an enriching environment for our teen artists and designers each and every day.

If you’re looking for a place to host your next conference, summit, event, or wedding, or simply want to creatively activate your next event, connect with us here!

Enjoyed? Read more from our September 2024 issue of Mixed Media.