The sort of conference venue that you need depends entirely upon the nature of the conference and the tone you wish to set for the event. The smaller your conference, the more venues will have the capacity to host you and hence you will have more options. While you may have an idea of what you want, our sales team are ideally placed to help you with your selection of venue and your choice of conference energiser. While some of these venues are by no means small, their capacity is below 500. In no particular order, here is a quick list of 10 smaller venues we like to frequent.
1. De Vere Devonport House, Greenwich
We return to this venue again and again. Not only do they have good interior spaces, their garden is great for outdoor activities. This venue is easily accessible from central London as Greenwich is served by the DLR.
2. The Clubhouse, Bank/Mayfair/St. James’s
These exclusive venues are located in Bank, Mayfair and St. James’s and offer and opulence not easily matched. The Bank location also boasts a rooftop terrace, a rarity given its location. We look forward to the opening of their newest venue in Holborn later this month.
3. Tower Bridge, River Thames
This iconic Victorian landmark is open not only to the public, but also for private hire; spaces include the walkways and the impressive engine room. This is one of the most photographed bridges in the world and would make a fantastic backdrop for your event.
4. The Imperial War Museum, Lambeth
If your company contains quite a few history buffs, few venues can match the variety of items on show here. There is a greater capacity than 500, but you would have to split your conference. This beautiful building, packed with our Imperial history, would ensure that your conference is remembered for a long time.
5. The Ritz, St. James’s
Often described as the last word in hospitality; you’d struggle to match the ‘wow-factor’ of this venue. The extravagant spaces available here suit smaller conferences and it’s central location makes it very convenient to get to.
6. The Dorchester, Hyde Park
For over 80 years this has been a favoured haunt of the rich and famous. Located next to Hyde Park, this is one of our more glamorous preferred venues. Our country only has five restaurants that have 3 Michelin stars, one of them is here, you needn’t worry about poor conference food.
7. House of Commons, Westminster
Arguably the home of modern democracy, this venue is perfect for adding a sense of gravitas to your event. The conference spaces are resplendent with their high painted ceilings, huge windows, and carved oak panelling. These spaces only became available for venue hire relatively recently so not many others will be able to claim that they too have had a conference here.
8. Churchill War Rooms, Westminster
This space was designed so that members of the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force could communicate with each other and their civilian government masters more effectively (and in a bomb-proof environment!). The fate of the free world was decided here, this venue can help if your conference is all about taking the long view.
9. HMS Belfast, London Bridge
Commissioned less than a month before Britain last declared war on Germany, it is from this ship that Winston Churchill intended on seeing the Normandy Landings first hand (until the King talked him out of it). She saw plenty of action before it was decommissioned in 1963 and now it can play host to up to 200 of your delegates in the largest space, or 20 in the smallest.
10. Sushi Samba, Heron’s Tower, City
This fantastic restaurant is available for venue hire. While the food here is good, what makes this truly unique is the view: it is located on the 38th floor of the Heron Tower. Not only is there a huge window at one end, offering fantastic views of London, but this venue has an extremely high ceiling for a skyscraper, namely because this is effectively 2 floors knocked into one.
At Team Tactics we can help with every element of planning and execution to help ensure that you deliver the best conference possible. We can also help with adding conference energisers such as sending you Maori Warriors to teach your delegates the Haka. Contact us for further details: 0203 905 1750 / info@teamtactics.co.uk
