Location and getting here
Where is Real Life Research Rooms?
Real Life Research Rooms is on the 1st Floor of Omlee Office Park, 13 Tambach Rd, Sunninghill, Johannesburg, 2128. Sunninghill is in the Sandton area, central to Johannesburg's Northern suburbs.
It is very near Chilli Lane Shopping Centre and next to the famous Filly Pub, just off Rivonia Road, the main road into Sunninghill.
Is Real Life Research Rooms in Sandton?
Yes. Sunninghill is part of greater Sandton, so we are a Sandton venue without the Sandton CBD traffic. We are close to Woodmead, Rivonia, Paulshof, Fourways, Bryanston and Midrand, and very close to the Rivonia Road off-ramp, which makes us easy to reach from the north, east and west.
How do I get to the venue from the N1?
Take the Rivonia Road or Witkoppen Road off-ramp from the N1; we are about 1km from there. Follow the signs to Sunninghill. Tambach Rd is a few minutes from the highway: head to Chilli Lane and, rather than turning right at the roundabout into Chilli Lane, turn left down Tambach Rd, alongside Rivonia Road.
Search "Real Life Research Rooms" or "Omlee Office Park" on Google Maps or Waze for live directions.
Is there parking at the venue?
Yes. Omlee Office Park has free, secure on-site parking for guests and respondents, with space for about 100 cars. If the parking at the front is full, keep driving down past the office block and round the back of the building: there is parking there too. Vusi, our car park attendant, will take great care of you.
Is the venue easy for research respondents to reach?
Yes. Sunninghill is central to Johannesburg's Northern suburbs and within easy reach of nearby townships and emerging markets. This makes it practical to recruit a mix of LSM groups for research sessions.
We are only 1 to 2km from the N1's Rivonia Road off-ramp. Follow the signs to Sunninghill and head to Chilli Lane, then, rather than turning right at the roundabout into Chilli Lane, turn left down Tambach Rd, alongside Rivonia Road. Search "Real Life Research Rooms" or "Omlee Office Park" on Google Maps or Waze for live directions.
Can people get to the venue by public transport, taxi or Uber?
Yes. Minibus taxi routes run along nearby main roads, and Uber and Bolt drivers know Omlee Office Park. In fact, Real Life Research Rooms is about 1.5km from the main Sunninghill taxi rank.
Is Real Life Research Rooms a good alternative to venues in Rosebank, Bryanston or Fourways?
Yes. We offer an affordable, upmarket focus group room, a café-style space and a 160-seat auditorium under one roof in Sunninghill. Clients in Fourways, Bryanston, Rivonia and Midrand can reach us without crossing the city, and our prices are competitive.
Spaces and capacity
How many people can Real Life Research Rooms hold?
Up to 160 guests. We have three spaces: the Auditorium seats 160, the Coffee Shop seats 30 at tables, and the more intimate Lounge Room seats 16, with its own TV and coffee area.
What rooms are available to hire?
- The Auditorium (160 seated): a medium-sized auditorium for launches, talks, training and large tastings, with TVs, sound equipment and theatre or classroom layout.
- The Coffee Shop (30 at tables): a café-style space with a coffee bar, ideal for tastings, networking and catering. It has a mounted TV system.
- The Lounge Room (16 seated): a more intimate stand-alone room for focus groups, workshops and small meetings, with a TV, sofas, tables and a tea and coffee station with sink.
Do you have a venue for 100 to 160 people in Sandton?
Yes. The Auditorium at Real Life Research Rooms in Sunninghill seats up to 160 people theatre-style, with screens and sound already installed. It suits conferences, product launches, AGMs, training days, talks and large consumer tastings.
Do you have a small meeting room for 10 to 16 people?
Yes. The Lounge Room is a more intimate, upmarket stand-alone room, separate from the Auditorium and Coffee Shop. It seats up to 16 people and works well for focus groups, smaller meetings, small workshops and strategy sessions.
Can I hire more than one room for the same event?
Yes. Many clients book the Auditorium for a presentation and the Coffee Shop for catering or networking afterwards. For research, you can run a tasting in one space and focus groups in the Lounge Room on the same day.
Is there a one-way mirror for focus group discussions?
Yes. A small room looks onto the main Auditorium through a one-way mirror. We set up the research discussion just outside the mirror, and the viewing room has sound so clients can watch and listen.
What seating layouts does the Auditorium offer?
Theatre style for talks and launches, or classroom style for training and workshops. Boardroom, cabaret and banquet layouts are also possible, along with other options depending on what you need.
Can I see the venue before I book?
Yes. Email Stewart at stewart@realliferooms.co.za or Alison at alison@thebrandsurgeon.co.za to arrange a site visit in Sunninghill.
Market research, focus groups and tastings
Is Real Life Research Rooms a focus group facility in Johannesburg?
Yes. We are a dedicated research venue in Sunninghill, Johannesburg, built for focus groups, in-depth interviews (IDIs), mini groups, triads, consumer tastings and new product development sessions.
The Lounge Room seats 4 to 16 and is set up for group discussions or in-depth interviews. It can be styled for a small group of 3 or 4, or for a larger group.
Can I run a consumer product tasting or central location test (CLT) here?
Yes. We have a working kitchen with sinks and fridges, plus a separate prep space in the Coffee Shop for preparing samples. Tastings of up to 160 respondents can run in the Auditorium, or up to 30 in the Coffee Shop.
Do you have a kitchen for food and beverage research?
Yes. The on-site kitchen has sinks and fridges for storing and preparing products. The Coffee Shop has a separate prep space, so samples stay out of respondents' sight until serving.
Can you handle respondent incentives?
Yes. We can manage respondent incentives for you if needed, so payment on the day is one less thing for your team to organise.
Do you provide hostesses for research sessions?
Yes. Hostesses can welcome respondents, check them in and guide them to the right room. This keeps groups and functions running on time.
Do you offer respondent recruitment?
Yes. Through our sister company, The Brand Surgeon, we can recruit respondents to your brief, including LSM, age, brand-user and township samples. They have the largest qualitative database in South Africa, with 43,000 respondents and 107 fields of information on each person. Find out more at thebrandsurgeon.co.za.
Do you have a viewing room for clients?
Yes. There is a viewing room with a one-way mirror, live video streaming to a separate room, or online streaming for remote clients.
Can sessions be recorded or live-streamed?
Yes. Sessions can be audio and video recorded and streamed to clients watching remotely, which we can quote on.
What types of research can I run at the venue?
Focus groups, in-depth interviews, mini groups, triads, consumer tastings, central location tests, packaging and concept tests, co-creation workshops, new product development sessions and ad testing. If your study needs respondents in one room, we can host it.
Why choose a research venue in Sunninghill?
Sunninghill sits between Johannesburg's Northern suburbs and nearby townships and emerging markets. You can recruit a broad mix of respondents who can all reach one central, secure venue. We are also less than 2km from a major taxi rank: the Sunninghill rank on Witkoppen Road, next to the N1.
Corporate and private events
Is Real Life Research Rooms a conference venue in Sunninghill?
Yes. Our Auditorium seats up to 160 delegates with TVs and sound equipment already installed. It suits conferences, seminars, training days and company presentations in Sunninghill, Sandton.
Can I host a product launch at the venue?
Yes. Guests arrive to a room that is set up, with welcome drinks and catering ready. Present in the Auditorium, then move to the Coffee Shop for networking and refreshments.
Do you host workshops and training days?
Yes. The Auditorium offers a classroom layout for up to 160, the Coffee Shop takes up to 30, and the Lounge Room suits smaller workshops of up to 16. Screens, seating and catering are arranged before you arrive.
Can I book the venue for a private function or celebration?
Yes. We host private events, talks and celebrations as well as corporate events. By special arrangement, we can host birthdays, baby showers, year-end functions and memorial gatherings.
Is the venue suitable for a corporate year-end function?
Yes. The Coffee Shop and Auditorium can host year-end functions of up to 160 guests, with catering to suit. Evening events, music and alcohol are permitted.
Do you host team-building days or strategy sessions?
Yes. The Lounge Room is a private, stand-alone room for strategy sessions and leadership meetings of up to 16. Larger teams can use the Auditorium and Coffee Shop together.
Can I host a talk, book launch or networking evening?
Yes. The Auditorium works for talks of up to 160 people, and the café-style Coffee Shop with its coffee bar suits networking events of around 30.
Catering, equipment and services
Do you provide catering?
Yes. We arrange catering to suit your event, from welcome drinks and snacks for respondents to lunches for conference delegates. All our catering is outsourced, and halal, kosher, vegetarian and vegan options are available on request. You can also have your own caterers supply food and drinks.
Can I bring my own caterer?
Yes. Your caterer is welcome to use our kitchen. A cleaning fee applies.
What audio-visual equipment is included?
Sound equipment and screens are already in place. The Auditorium has TVs and sound equipment, the Coffee Shop has TVs, and the Lounge Room has a TV. We also have microphones, a projector and HDMI connections.
Is there Wi-Fi at the venue?
Yes. Free, fast Wi-Fi is available throughout the venue for guests and presenters.
Does the venue have backup power during load shedding?
Yes. The venue has a generator, so sessions continue without interruption.
What does Real Life Research Rooms take care of on the day?
You run the session; we run the rest. That includes sound equipment, chairs and tables, catering, hostesses, kitchen and prep space, and respondent incentives.
Is tea and coffee included?
The Lounge Room has its own tea and coffee station with a sink, and the Coffee Shop has a coffee bar. Tea and coffee can be included in the hire rate.
Is the venue secure?
Yes. Omlee Office Park has on-site security, and it is on a dead-end road, so there is no passing traffic.
Booking, pricing and practicalities
How do I book Real Life Research Rooms?
Send us your date, group size and what you're planning. We'll come back to you with availability and a quote. Contact Stewart at stewart@realliferooms.co.za or Alison at alison@thebrandsurgeon.co.za.
How much does it cost to hire the venue?
Pricing depends on the room, the length of your booking and the services you need, such as catering, hostesses or incentives. As a guide:
- The Lounge Room: about R1 000 per day, or R500 per half day
- The Coffee Shop: about R3 500 per day, or R2 500 per half day
- The Auditorium: about R10 000 per day, or R7 500 per half day
Send us your brief for a tailored quote. We offer discounts to NGOs and community-based organisations.
Can I book the venue for a half day or full day?
Yes. We offer half-day, full-day and evening bookings. Email Stewart at stewart@realliferooms.co.za or Alison at alison@thebrandsurgeon.co.za.
Is the venue available on weekends and evenings?
Yes. Weekend and evening bookings are available on request, subject to availability.
How far in advance should I book?
We recommend booking 2 to 3 weeks ahead, and earlier for large events or the November to December period. Short-notice bookings are welcome but are subject to availability.
What is your cancellation policy?
A 50% deposit secures the venue. If you cancel 7 days or more before your event, your deposit is refunded in full. If you cancel less than 7 days before, we keep 25% of the total booking fee and refund the rest of your deposit.
Can I get access before my event to set up?
Yes, by prior arrangement. Set-up time can be included in your booking. Let us know how much time you need.
Who runs Real Life Research Rooms?
Real Life Research Rooms is run by a team from The Brand Surgeon with a background in market research and project and event management, so we understand what people need on the day. Real Life Rooms formerly ran at Sunhill Shopping Centre, Tana Road, but closed during Covid.