Radisson Edwardian May Fair

It may lack an international convention centre but London has everything else and more in terms of diversity of meeting venues, says Ben Lerwill

LAST year’s Meeting Industry Association survey pronounced London as the number one choice for the national meetings market. This shining status came as no surprise. The capital is effectively a country within a country, crammed with different venues and offering prestige and variety of a kind that simply isn’t found elsewhere. Nowhere else has the history, the reputation or the diversity of London.

There are still gripes about the lack of an international convention centre, but the city’s ability to host creative events, from intimate meetings to company conferences, is proven.

In recent times, the successful Olympic bid has added further gleam to its buttons; less publicly lauded but equally symbolic is the fact that Meeting Planners International, the largest such organisation in the world, has chosen the city to  host its 2008 conference. This is a cosmopolitan destination that means business in every way.

The Wow Factor
Name: 30 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin)
Address: 30 St Mary Axe, London EC3A 8EP
Tel: 020 7071 5008
Email: sarah.dibden@30stmaryaxe.com
Web: www.30stmaryaxe.com

London has always had its share of iconic architecture, and no building in recent years symbolises this better than 30 St Mary Axe. Better known to every man and his dog as the Gherkin, Sir Norman Foster’s bold tower has attracted major demand from the event industry after allowing its top two floors to be used for corporate hire. Wraparound windows and a central location mean the views over the city are almost certainly the best you’ll find. The lounge bar is no less than 40 storeys up, and the top two floors combined can be used for functions for up to 260. The restaurant is suitable for up to 70 seated guests. There are also five other private rooms, which can be used for events for up to 14; peerless for a breakfast, lunch or dinner meeting with a difference.

The Quirky Venue
Name: London Zoo
Address: London Zoo, Outer Circle, Regent’s Park,
London NW1 4RY
Tel: 020 7449 6562
Email: functions@zsl.org
Web: www.zsl.org/london-zoo

There might be several hundred guests of the furry and feathered variety in the vicinity, but London Zoo’s reputation for orderly, professional meetings has been well earned. There’s little of the monkey house in the meeting spaces: the venue benefits from a green setting close to the city centre but the real draws are the facilities and the level of service. It offers five different meeting venues, the largest of which, the Prince Albert Suite and the Huxley Lecture Theatre, can both take 200 guests theatre-style.

Should you be there in the evening, it’s possible to hire animal houses for post-meeting functions. You can also arrange for groups of delegates to get up close and personal with giraffes, penguins or pygmy hippos.

New Kid on the Block
Name: Prospero House
Address: 241 Borough High Street, London SE1 1GA
Tel: 020 7105 6010
Email: prospero@etcvenues.co.uk
Web: www.etcvenues.co.uk

Prospero House became the sixth member of the Etc Venues portfolio when it opened in mid-2005, and has been expanding ever since. The premises, which sit on Borough High Street, showcase works of modern British art, and their design and functionality are similarly contemporary.

There are six main spaces to choose from. The largest is Smile, which accommodates up to 240 delegates and can be split into four separate spaces, while the likes of Think, Consider and Inspire cater for smaller groups.

There’s an emphasis on flexibility and all rooms are fresh, olourful and benefit from natural daylight. The latest addition to the venue came just in September, when the venue’s second
floor was unveiled.

Money No Object
Name: Radisson Edwardian May Fair
Address: Stratton Street, London W1A 2AN
Tel: 020 7915 3898
Email: mayfcb@radisson.com
Web: www.radissonedwardian.com

London’s army of grand five-star hotels are as famed for their style as they are notorious for their expense, although the former generally means the latter is worthwhile.

The Radisson Edwardian in Mayfair is as appropriate an example as any, with its famous  heritage, classy design touches and an emphasis on meetings business.

As part of a hotel-wide refurbishment, there is now over 15,000 square feet of brand new and refurbished conference and meetings facilities, including the shimmering Crystal Ballroom for up to 350 delegates and the 200-capacity May Fair Theatre – the largest private screening rooms in town. The black-marble Danzinger Suite can host up to 100 guests for receptions and there are 11 new meetings and break out rooms. If you really want to push the boat out though, why not hold a board meeting in the sumptuous Penthouse Suite. The price? A cool £4,000 plus tax per night.

On a Shoestring
Name: Imperial College London
Address: South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ
Tel: 020 7594 9494
Email: conferencelink@imperial.ac.uk
Web: www.imperial.ac.uk/conferences

Like many of the capital’s academic venues, Imperial College London provides reliable facilities at a fraction of what you might pay elsewhere. Its standing as a global centre of excellence for science and technology goes before it, so you’re assured of an inspiring backdrop too.

There are actually four different sites, but it’s hard to beat the South Kensington Campus for prestige and location. You’re unlikely to find it fully booked as it has over 200 meeting spaces, seminar rooms and lecture theatres. Its Great Hall can take up to 750. There is a wide range of AV and IT services on site, and reasonable en-suite accommodation can also be organised for up to 317 delegates next to the Royal Albert Hall.

Wired Up
Name: Media & Business Complex, London Stock Exchange
Address: London Stock Exchange,
10 Paternoster Square, London EC4M 7LS
Tel: 020 7797 2040
Email: events@londonstockexchange.com
Web: www.londonstockexchange.com

As part of the electronic hive that is the London Stock Exchange, you’d expect the purpose-built Media & Business Complex to be up to speed with the latest technology. It doesn’t disappoint.

Situated on the first floor of the Paternoster Square building, the venue has advanced broadcast and presentation equipment almost everywhere you look and has been designed in a modern, innovative style. A designated event team can guide you through the various spaces and their options, of which the biggest, The Theatre, is suitable for up to 120. The Forum is able to hold a similar number. If you’re in need of somewhere for a very intimate meeting, the two Recess rooms have boardroom facilities for ten.

Small But Perfectly Formed
Name: British Airways London Eye
Address: Riverside Building, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7PB
Tel: 0870 220 2223
Email: customer.services@ba-londoneye.com
Web: www.londoneye.com

Since being lifted on to the city skyline at the turn of the millennium, the pods of the London Eye have become among the best-recognised symbols of the nation. Located between Westminster Bridge and Waterloo Station, access is easy, and the wheel’s aspirational pull speaks for itself. It has also proved increasingly popular for private events. Its potential as a meetings venue has surpassed all expectations: the 25-capacity pods themselves are marketed as unusual venues for get-togethers, but there are other options too. The Belvedere room sits within the adjacent County Hall and can take up to 40, while it has also teamed up with nearby Marriott Hotel to offer further options. www.visitlondon.com/business

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