Among the many places on the Coast to hold a special event, Venue41 in Biloxi offers something unique, according to owner Myrna Rainey: a blank slate.
Unlike other spaces, where clients’ creativity may be stifled by the décor or aesthetics, Rainey says hers leaves room for imagination. The venue’s simplicity makes it suitable for all sorts of gatherings — from showers and birthday parties to workshops and meetings.
“It is a flexible place that can be used for so many different things,” she says. “Venue41 has endless possibilities.”
Despite only opening last October, Venue41 already has made a positive impression on locals, who voted it the overall winner in Gulf Coast Woman’s Best Women-Owned Small Business Contest.
“I think my purpose in having this type of venue is to offer people an alternative, and so I would say my mission (is) to be the place that people need.”
“It means so much because it shows that people have been happy with their experience renting the space and are sharing that positivity with others,” Rainey says. “But what matters most to me is that Venue41 is exactly what I envisioned it to be.”
THE SOLUTION TO TWO PROBLEMS
The idea of Venue41 was a dream for Rainey, who says the business resolved two dilemmas she faced. The first was paying rent on a space she had not utilized to its full potential.
“Secondly, I have been teaching Mardi Gras groups dances for their balls since 1986,” she says. “It was time to start up again, and there was no place for my ladies to practice. They were looking, and I was looking; just nothing was available.”
Intending to break her lease the next day, Rainey went to bed one night and awoke at 2:30 a.m. with her answer.
“Don’t give up the space; make it the space I need — problems solved!” she says. “Although the space was not ready to be used, I knew I could do the major work if I put my mind to it.”
Now Rainey needed a name. She knew she wanted to honor her beloved mother, who had passed away in 2022. While she ruminated on how to do that, it occurred to her how easy it was to give directions to her space; just take exit 41.
“So, how does that connect with my mother?” Rainey asks rhetorically. “She was born in 1941.”
THE PLACE THAT PEOPLE NEED
Rainey makes a point of meeting and greeting anyone who is interested in using the venue or has questions about it. When Venue41 isn’t hosting an event, Rainey leads a fun, energetic class there called Drop It Dance Fitness.
“I think my purpose in having this type of venue is to offer people an alternative, and so I would say my mission (is) to be the place that people need,” Rainey says. “Not too big, not too small — just the right size.”
Her biggest goal for the business is to make it a community service venue that can be used for health and book fairs, blood drives, and other educational and philanthropic purposes. Having always imagined teaching and performing in a space all her own, Rainey considers every day that she puts the key in the door of Venue41 a milestone.
“To be able to go into a place and have your creativity developing in your space is a good feeling,” she says. “And to have the ability to allow others to use that space is an even better feeling.”