Loft at Nine hosts conferences, training days, product launches, year-end functions, fashion shows and weddings, for 30 to about 220 guests in its main hall and up to 32 in a separate boardroom. The venue is an industrial-style space at 9 Umgazi Street, in Menlo Park, Pretoria East, South Africa, and site visits are by appointment.
Seminars and company events
For a day conference, the main hall takes 200 to 220 delegates in cinema style, or 100 when lunch is served in the room. A schoolroom layout seats 130, or 70 with lunch, and a double U shape takes 100, or 40 to 60 with lunch. The venue sells full-day and half-day conference packages, with or without lunch, and adapts them on request. The LOFTIC boardroom serves executive meetings and can be booked for a day or an evening. Free Wi-Fi and secure parking are included, and the boardroom has LED screens, wireless presenting and doodle walls for workshops. The venue also takes product launches, networking evenings, promotions, film and photo shoots, and rehearsals.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings use the main hall, with a stage and dance floor, for about 170 seated guests or 180 at a cocktail reception. The outdoor cocktail area works for welcome drinks, and a DJ, live music and dancing can be arranged. Engagement parties, birthdays and photo shoots are also hosted. Events need at least 30 guests, and higher minimum numbers apply in peak season.
Rooms and capacities
The main event space holds 170 at banquet tables or 180 at a cocktail, both with stage and dance floor. Conference layouts run from 70 to 220 depending on the format and on whether lunch is served in the room. An inside welcome area with the Rock 'n Roll Coffee Bar receives guests on arrival and during breaks, and an outdoor cocktail area serves drinks, breaks and informal networking. The LOFTIC boardroom takes 32 in cinema style, 30 in schoolroom layout and 20 around a U-shaped table.
Accommodation
There are no bedrooms on site, so delegates and wedding guests stay at hotels elsewhere in Pretoria.
Catering
Catering is in house only: outside caterers and self-catering are not allowed, and no outside drinks may be brought in. Event menus include Steelworks, a two-course buffet; Copper Pipe, with canapés and bowl food; Rosegold, a three-course buffet; and a two-course spit braai buffet. Custom menus can be put together. The bar can arrange craft beer and wine tastings, and the venue has outdoor braai facilities for an informal evening.
Getting there
Menlo Park lies in the eastern suburbs of Pretoria, close to the N1 highway and a short drive from Hatfield, where the Gautrain station connects to Johannesburg and O.R. Tambo International Airport. By road, the airport is about 45 minutes away. Secure parking is available at the venue, which helps for groups arriving by car.
