Thanks Omni for organizing a great event. DH and I both really enjoyed it. I agree that having it somewhere with more mingling space would be great.
I wasn’t in SWFL when you had the event in a private room. I believe you said that the extra cost of the private room was somewhat minimal - $5 or $10 per person? If it’s really that inexpensive, perhaps that is the easiest option.
An outdoor pavilion where everyone brings their own food, drinks, and chairs is one option. Weather is generally good this time of year, but if we had a really windy and rainy day, that could be an issue with an outdoor location, even with a cover on top.
Another option could be having it at a bar or restaurant that would give us a private space without charging extra. I’ve been to some happy hours recently with social groups that were allowed to have access to a private space without paying extra. One place was open to the public, but didn’t serve any food, so it wasn’t very criowded. Our group ordered drinks from the bar and brought in pizzas. Even though there were a few other people in the establishment, we had it mostly to ourselves. Lots of options.
Omni, if you’d like help organizing the next one, SimpleGirl and I are local and can help explore alternatives if you would like.