The Ideenspinnerei in Ettlingen hosts workshops, training days, conferences, company parties and weddings for up to 199 standing guests or about 100 seated at banquet tables. The venue is a former locksmith's workshop, built in 1836 and fully renovated in 2019, on Pforzheimer Straße at the edge of the Black Forest. It is run by the IT consultancy esentri, which first fitted it out for its own events and now rents it to outside organizers.
Seminars and company events
During the week the building is used mostly for business events. Companies book it for workshops, training sessions, kickoffs, conferences, summer parties and Christmas parties. The team can dress the hall in a company's corporate design, and the layout adapts to the format: rows of 110 chairs, a U shape for about 90 people, workshop islands for about 30 standing participants, or standing tables for about 60. The business package can be booked for a full day or a half day, with a minimum of four hours, and extended by the hour. Workshop material is on site: flipcharts, whiteboards, pin boards and writable wall elements. Speakers and moderators from esentri are available on request for topics such as digital transformation or artificial intelligence.
Weddings and receptions
On weekends the venue turns to weddings, family birthdays and anniversaries, and the team says it hosts a couple almost every weekend. Private events are rented for a minimum of eight hours, with longer hours possible. The outdoor area, called Albblick, can be used for barbecues, beach parties or a Christmas market. The venue states that there is no closing hour, and a fixed stage is built in.
Rooms and capacities
The main space is the Eventhalle Albufer, a bright hall under a shed roof with a window front. It holds about 100 seated or 199 standing guests. Movable, writable partition walls with sound insulation split it into two rooms, and the 9 meter bar can be separated from the open floor. The stage comes with a microphone, stage lighting, a projector and a Bose sound system with a mixing desk. The hall also has internet access, air conditioning and dimmable lighting whose color is set through a smart home system. The entrance hall, called Albfoyer, and a room called Ideenwerkstatt complete the site. The venue describes its rooms as barrier-free.
Accommodation
There are no bedrooms on site. The venue points to hotels nearby for business groups.
Catering
Catering is individual: the organizer brings a caterer or chooses one from the partner list. A dishwashing room and a preparation room for caterers each have a separate access for deliveries and pickup. Crockery, cutlery, tables, chairs, standing tables, a coffee machine, drinks fridges and dishwashers are part of the inventory. Extras such as table linen or technology can be added.
History and setting
The workshop dates from 1836. The 2019 renovation kept historic elements and added modern lighting and technical equipment. Ettlingen lies at the edge of the Black Forest, with Karlsruhe, Pforzheim, Stutensee and Rheinstetten close by.
Getting there
The address is Pforzheimer Straße 128c, 76275 Ettlingen. The venue lists Karlsruhe and Pforzheim among the neighboring towns it serves.
