ABOUT
Get to know the story, the people, and the purpose behind The Max.
Our Story
When I sold my software company and retired in 2018, I found myself asking a simple question: Now what?
​
Through my local involvement and global travel, I experienced the power of special places to bring people together and create memories. I felt called to create a place like this in Conway – one where, when you walked in, you felt like you had left Conway, and when you walked out, you knew you were back home.
​
So, a former software office and barbershop in downtown Conway began its transformation. Lynn ran the build-out with Joanna Nabholz from H&N Architects and Daniel Jazquez from Covington Construction. I was in charge of installing the best technology to bring events to life. I brought in Scott Pederson and RemotePro from Nashville to design and install the sound, lighting, media, and broadcast production systems. Gradually, every piece fell in place.
​
We held our first event on November 9, 2021, and The Max Event Venue was born.
​
As we hosted more events, we discovered possibilities that went far beyond what we originally envisioned — from the creative ways people used our technology to the celebrations we never imagined would take place here. We quickly realized the real power wasn't in the technology itself; it was in what people could imagine doing with it. Our clients brought us celebrations, milestones, meetings, and more for their families, friends, and businesses, showing us that The Max is more than an event venue. It is a place powered by creativity, inspiring people to dream big and celebrate often in all seasons of business and life.
I believe dreams give our lives direction, fuel our passions, and inspire us to imagine what is possible. And I believe celebrating along the way honors everything it takes to turn those dreams into reality. The Max began with one of my dreams, and we’re not done yet!
As our story continues, we invite you to make The Max part of yours.
— Pete Tanguay
Co-Owner and Chief Dreamer
Where it started...
What it became!
Did you know?
The Max's name wasn't just chosen because it sounded good — it was named after a real person who lived the values behind our venue.
Max C. Henry
April 26, 1944 - November 5, 2019
Max's Refurbished Barber Pole in The Max
Our Namesake
Rock-Pond Solutions was a national software company based in Conway, Arkansas, at 1002 Front Street, next door to A Country Gentleman’s Barber Shop. As I walked by each day, I would see Max and Vicki taking care of customers. I would wave, and occasionally stop in.
​
In October of 2019, I walked by to see a FOR SALE BY OWNER sign in the window and soon learned that Max was in the hospital. I was fortunate to purchase his building just days before he passed away.
​
It was after his death that I began to understand who Max truly was. I arrived 15 minutes after his visitation began and waited in line for more than an hour to pay my respects. When I left, the line was longer than when I arrived. In the weeks and months that followed, conversations with Vicki, his assistant, Brenda, his wife, and others who knew him revealed a man who had spent 54 years as a barber, but whose influence reached far beyond the barbershop. He was someone people trusted — a counselor, mentor, friend, and steady presence in their lives.
​
When we began creating The Max Event Venue, naming it in Max's memory felt like a natural way to honor the legacy he left in Conway. While I didn't know Max well during his lifetime, I came to understand the impact he had on the people around him. Naming this place The Max allows us to carry a small part of that legacy forward, creating another place where people can gather, connect, and make memories in downtown Conway.
​
If you would like to read more about Max's story, we encourage you to read this article written by Stefanie Brazile with 501 Life Magazine: