Hire Corporate Function Venue in Melbourne
Most corporate function venues are one room inside a building with several others booked at the same time. Your awards night runs from 6, the room next door runs from 7, and your guests are queuing at a shared bar with people from a company they’ve never heard of.
Ballara Receptions works differently. We’re a family-owned estate in Eltham, established in 1987, set on three acres of gardens with a lake at the centre. We host one function at a time, so when your guests arrive, the driveway, gardens, ballroom and car park belong to your event.
This setup suits awards nights, client entertaining, board strategy days, product launches and end-of-year functions particularly well. We’re around 30 kilometres from the CBD, an easy drive from Templestowe, Doncaster, Greensborough or Ivanhoe, and a proper change of scene for teams heading out from the city.
Most corporate function venues are one room inside a building with several others booked at the same time. Your awards night runs from 6, the room next door runs from 7, and your guests are queuing at a shared bar with people from a company they’ve never heard of.
Ballara Receptions works differently. We’re a family-owned estate in Eltham, established in 1987, set on three acres of gardens with a lake at the centre. We host one function at a time, so when your guests arrive, the driveway, gardens, ballroom and car park belong to your event.
This setup suits awards nights, client entertaining, board strategy days, product launches and end-of-year functions particularly well. We’re around 30 kilometres from the CBD, an easy drive from Templestowe, Doncaster, Greensborough or Ivanhoe, and a proper change of scene for teams heading out from the city.
What Is a Corporate Function Venue?
A corporate function venue is a space staffed and set up specifically for business events, rather than a room a hotel rents out between conferences. In practice, that means someone on site already knows your run sheet, the sound system is already installed, and the kitchen has catered events like yours before.
When comparing venues, floor area is rarely the deciding factor – it’s whether the venue holds a consistent standard from the first car arriving to the last guest leaving.
Benefits of a Dedicated Corporate Function Venue
- Guests arrive somewhere distinctive, not a numbered meeting room on level four.
- Presentations, dining and networking all happen in one place, no moving between sessions.
- Outdoor space to break up a longer event, which most hotel floors can’t offer.
- Staff who run functions daily, not a duty manager covering several rooms at once.
- Room layouts can be reset between a morning session and an evening dinner.
Venue Features
Seating:
100 people plus 60 standing
Decorations:
Aisle flowers & bows, 4 floral pillars, and Red carpet entrance to chapel
Standing Room:
60 people plus 100 seated
Sound:
Sound system for your music and inbuilt microphones
Spaces for Different Event Types
Different events need different things – a product launch needs strong visuals, a board day needs quiet, an awards night needs precise timing. The estate is set up to support all three.
1. Four Spaces on One Estate: The ballroom is chandelier-lit with neutral tones, round tables, white cross-back chairs and a central dance floor, seating up to 160. It includes a stage, in-house sound system, lectern and microphones. There’s also a paved courtyard for arrival drinks and a heritage chapel, with rooms able to be reset between sessions.
2. One Function at a Time: Only one function runs on the estate at any given time. The driveway, gardens, ballroom and car park are exclusively yours for the duration of your booking.
3. Three Acres and a Lake: Three acres of gardens surround a lake with a gazebo, jetty and weeping willows, lit with fairy lights after dusk. Guests use the space for group photos, a call between sessions, or simply a break outside.
4. A Dedicated Function Manager: A function manager handles your booking from initial enquiry through to the final invoice, covering the run sheet, room layouts, session timing, and coordination with any external suppliers you’re bringing in, such as a photographer, AV company or speaker.
5. On-Site Catering: Catering is prepared on site, with sit-down, shared feasting and cocktail-style menus available. A working lunch, a canapé reception and a three-course awards dinner are each treated differently, and dietary requirements are handled individually. Beverage packages range from tea and coffee service through to a full bar.
Most events combine two or three of these spaces – a strategy session in the ballroom, coffee in the courtyard, photos by the lake before dinner. Let the function manager know what the event needs to achieve, and the schedule is built around that.
Why Businesses Book With Us
- One function manager throughout, not a rotating booking desk.
- Stage, sound system, lectern and microphones included.
- On-site parking, so attendees aren’t expensing city rates.
- On-site accommodation for anyone travelling in.
Plan Your Next Corporate Event
The gardens and ballroom are hard to judge from photos alone – most enquiries turn into bookings after a walk-through.
Call (03) 9431 1503 to book a tour, or send through your date, guest numbers and event format, and we’ll outline how the day could work for your business!
Frequently Asked Questions
We can host awards nights, business lunches, networking events, conferences, seminars, product launches, client appreciation events, end-of-year events and team functions.
The ballroom. It is chandelier lit with neutral tones, round tables, white cross-back chairs and a large central dance floor, and it seats up to 160. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out over the gardens, which matters more than you would expect for a long dinner.
The ballroom has a stage, an in-house sound system, and a lectern and microphones available. If your event needs screens, projection or recording, tell us at the enquiry stage and we will talk through what to bring in.
It does. Only one event runs on the estate at any time, so the driveway, gardens, ballroom and car park are yours for the duration of your booking. Nobody else is arriving, setting up, or queuing at a shared bar while your event is running.
Sit-down, shared feasting and cocktail-style menus are all available, prepared on site by our chefs. A canapé reception, a working lunch and a formal awards dinner each need a different approach, and we will build the menu around the format you are running.
We are at 1435 Main Road, Eltham, in the foothills of the Yarra Valley and roughly 30 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD. Most attendees driving out from the city allow around 40 minutes outside peak, and longer at the end of the working day.
The team was incredibly organised, professional, and attentive throughout the entire planning process and on the day itself. They made everything run smoothly, allowing us to relax and truly enjoy our wedding.
Our guests are still talking about how beautiful the venue was and how delicious the food was. We couldn’t have asked for a better place to celebrate such a special day.
Thank you to the entire Ballara team for helping create memories that we will cherish forever. We highly recommend Ballara Receptions to any couple looking for a magical wedding venue.
A massive thank you to Popy and the whole team at Ballara for making our day so seamless and special. Popy was incredible to work with, and she was spot on - the food was absolutely fantastic!
I also want to give a special shoutout to our concierge, Julie, who looked after my wife on the day. Her attentiveness, warmth, and help behind the scenes made a world of difference and kept everything running beautifully.
If you want a flawless, stress-free, and truly magical wedding day, we cannot recommend Ballara highly enough. Thank you so much!
I would say if you have any function book with Ballara.
From the very start of the process, from arranging meetings, to organising the last minute details, there was sense of efficiency and professionalism in their communication. Ballara truly listened with attention and care to our wishes and offered expert suggestion to what would best bring our vision into reality. Their adaptability to accommodate our needs and requests (even alterations on the day itself) were first-class and really contributed towards the event being received so well by guests.
We felt safe with Popy and the team directing operations and, in hindsight, wouldn’t have entrusted anyone else to realise our dream.
From our initial tour, to the food tastings and expo days and finally to our big day, we have loved visiting and coming to Ballara every time.
Tanya, Christine and Popy have been incredible to be in contact with, no question is a silly question and they made us so secure knowing that they are experts at what they do and that they will ensure our day is perfect!
We had Popy as our function manager for the day, she was attentive and made sure the day ran smoothly with our vendors.
Special shoutout to Hannah who was the bridal assistant for the day, Hannah made sure my train was held and tidy, that myself and my husband were fed and drinks. Hannah even came and assisted with bustling my dress before the reception! Hannah was such a gem and my genuine highlight of Ballara and their commitment to our weddings.
Finally, every single guest could not stop talking about how amazing the food was and how much they also loved all the photo opportunities! The garden was so perfect and everyone loved it.
Thankyou so much for providing such a beautiful space for our big day, I would choose Ballara again and again.
All of our guests loved the venue, and could not stop commenting on how professional everything was, and how amazing the food was!
There are different packages to choose from, different upgrades and add-ons, and both indoor and outdoor ceremony options.
You don't need to leave the venue between ceremony and reception to take photos as there are countless photo locations on the property!
To anyone thinking of booking their own wedding at Ballara, you won't regret it!
Thank you so much to the team at Ballara!!
I was given Aleisha as my coordinator for the wedding day, and she was an absolute gem. I was so blessed to have her and concierge Hannah by our side. They made sure everything ran smoothly, were so professional and understanding, and handled the day with such care. Aleisha even allowed my husband and I to dance a little overtime because of all our reception surprises and photos, she truly made me so happy.
I cannot recommend this venue enough. I would get married again next week if I could😂 We loved them! A true 10/10 venue, team and overall experience!
Thank you so much ladies for making our dream wedding a reality✨🫶🏽
TJ, wedding videographer
A huge thanks to the amazing chefs for preparing such wonderful meals that our guests absolutely loved. Special thanks to Hannah, who consistently checked on us throughout the day and ensured that all our needs were met with such care and attention.
As an Asian couple, we deeply appreciate how the Ballara team, especially Tanya went above and beyond to accommodate our traditions, making everything flow seamlessly. From the stunning ceremony setup to the thoughtful creation of envelopes for our guests, every detail was executed with perfection.
We would highly recommend Ballara Receptions for their exceptional service, professionalism, and dedication to creating masterpiece weddings.
Thank you once again for everything!
Warm regards,
S & L
They go over and beyond for you and are so accommodating.
The whole team are incredible. Our guests raved on to us about how amazing the venue itself was as well as how incredible the food was. Special mention to our wedding coordinator Popy and Tiarna who were incredible on the day of the wedding. Popy ensured our wedding day ran smoothly and attended to all our guests. Tiarna was with us the whole night getting us whatever we needed and made sure we were well taken care of. Could not recommend Ballara highly enough for a wedding or any other function. Beyond grateful to them. Thanks for making our special day one we will never forget.
The food was amazing, my guests are still talking about the food and the amazing garden and how beautiful the venue is.
Thank you to Popy especially, for managing our function smoothly, she was very organised and lovely to work with.
I cannot recommend Ballara enough to everyone!
