Conferences needn’t be confined to convention centre auditoriums and hotel ballrooms. A variety of unique and unusual venues across London, such as renowned art galleries and historical landmarks, serve as ideal spaces for large gatherings and networking events.
In the new year, why not hold your next conference in an inspiring location where delegates can experience the rich history of the city. A number of these venues are also focused on sustainability, from reducing their carbon footprint to managing their energy efficiency.
Here are four exquisite settings that are perfect for conferences in 2020:
Inspire conference guests by inviting them to the iconic 18th century building and 21st century creative hub that is Somerset House. With the Portico Rooms DDR packages, every detail of a conference is taken care of.
Located on the first floor, The Portico Rooms are a spacious and versatile suite of rooms offering a contemporary location for a conference. With original features, natural light and uninterrupted views across the River Thames, The Portico Rooms offer a stylish and versatile backdrop for events in one of London’s most unique venues.
Guests can marvel at the venue’s sensational fountains from the north-facing balcony or take in the tranquillity of the passing boats from the south-facing balcony. There are also four spacious breakout spaces included for the day.
Every detail of the conference will be taken care of by the venue’s dedicated Event Planners who will arrange the catering with their fantastic onsite caterer and make sure the AV is all set up ready for guest arrival.
Clients can also make the most of their surroundings by arranging a historical tour of Somerset House for their delegates or by purchasing tickets to one of Somerset House’s ever-changing exhibitions.
With a backdrop of modern and contemporary art from around the world, the UK’s most visited cultural organisation, Tate Modern, is perfect for companies with a global outlook.
The South Room and the Tanks are both unique spaces unlike anywhere else in London. Guests can enjoy a tour of world-class exhibitions during breakout moments for an event one to remember. Daytime capacities range from 200 – 450 conference style. Tate is also committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 10% in the next five years along with many other ambitious sustainability drives.
Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn
As we look towards the new year, sustainability is encompassing a holistic way of doing business, which will certainly make a difference in the events industry. Given the significant historical setting of Lincoln’s Inn, the design of the brand-new Ashworth Centre has sensitively married together exceptional environmental and sustainable practices.
The foundations of the new venue are rooted in planning for a more sustainable future, with guests’ comfort, energy efficiency and flexible spaces at the centre of the design strategy.
The centre makes use of a ground source heat pump system to substantially reduce CO² emissions, offering a renewable energy solution, while negating visual or noise concerns with additional external condensers. The venue is also mechanically ventilated using a low energy displacement system to supply fresh air to each room, with variable volume air handling units (AHU) incorporating energy recovery to meet the required volumes based on occupancy at each event.
Each measure undertaken in the planning, build and ongoing maintenance of the venue assures an environmentally sound backdrop for events of all shapes and sizes, from conferences of up to 158 delegates, to smaller meetings and seminars in the generous suite of breakout spaces.
Often it can be hard to attract guests to attend a conference, regardless of the interesting content and potential networking. Busy work schedules and hectic lives mean delegates must be very selective about potential days out of the office.
Tower Bridge North Tower Lounge offers a fantastic draw. Situated within the North Tower of Tower Bridge, this intimate yet versatile space provides a stunning backdrop for corporate meetings and conferences. Steeped in history, the North Tower Lounge shows off the iconic and original architecture, in addition to exhilarating views of Tower Bridge and the River Thames through the dramatic Victorian neo-Gothic style windows.
Guests will also have complimentary entry to the Tower Bridge Exhibition during public opening hours, which includes the stunning Walkways with panoramic views over The Thames and London Skyline, and the historic Engine Rooms which houses the steam engines that were previously used to power the bridge lifts.