As an events manager looking to arrange your workplace’s next corporate event, deciding the budget can be quite difficult. There are, of course, many variables to consider.
If you have struggled to find a reasonable and budget-friendly answer to ‘How much does it cost to hire a venue for an event in the UK’, we’re here to help.
Though we can’t give our readers a precise cost because every corporate event venue is different, we can outline what your department might expect to pay for and the factors that affect cost.
Have a date in mind and need to secure a venue quickly? Contact us for a totally FREE venue tracking tool, and we’ll be in touch.
Understanding UK venue hire costs
The average cost of a UK venue hire varies wildly based on different factors, including the venue’s location and the time of year. Corporate events tend to skyrocket around in-demand periods like Christmas, and event spaces offer different hiring lengths, which will likely affect the cost. For example, a fixed length for the duration of your event, or a price per hour/per person deal.
The location
By 2026, the spending on business events in London alone – England’s ever-bustling capital – will amount to around £10bn.
Without a doubt, location (both in terms of whether your venue is in a major city, and how central it is to public transport or amenities) greatly influences how much you’ll pay. Central locations in major cities are in higher demand and incur greater operating expenses, which is what boosts their price.
Speaking to Managing Director Sallie Watson-Harris who has years of experience in finding event organisers unique venues on a budget:
‘Location is a key factor that influences the overall cost. London is at the top end of this, unsurprisingly, due to the demand and its fantastic surplus of venues it has to offer.’
The hire length
The pricing types for event spaces can be quite diverse. Some venues offer fixed hire periods and others daily or hourly rates. The length of the hiring period impacts the overall cost because venues may offer discounts for a longer hire, generally for networking events or conferences.
The time of year
Christmas-time, Easter, Valentine’s, and even the tourist season can cause a peak in venue prices throughout the UK. Bank holidays and weekends also tend to be costlier. You should always take the time of year into account before booking private events, lest you run out of budget.
Sallie Watson-Harris touches on this as part of Absolute Venues’ free service:
‘Availability on certain dates can also inflate the price, so working with a professional event planner will ensure you’re getting the best possible rate. If you have leniency on dates too, you’ll find budgeting a lot easier. Opting for off-peak rates will be a lot cheaper.’
Should you wish to learn more about the full cost of your event – beyond securing the venue, and pulling the whole thing off – check out our guide to corporate event costs.
How much of your budget should go to the venue?
We recommend not spending any more than 20% of your budget on the venue and any equipment required to host your corporate event.
The rest of your budget will be largely devoted to catering costs, hiring entertainment, décor, marketing and subsidising transportation for employees travelling from further afield.
Ways of paying for the venue cost
The most common ways of paying for the venue are as follows:
Hire fee
A hire fee is the most common form of payment for UK venues. This tends to be a fixed price just for the venue space itself. It could exclude extras like catering, entertainment and even furniture, so always read the fine print before hiring a venue.
Hire fees are generally payable by the day, half-day or per hour.
Minimum spend
Minimum-spend venues have no hire fee, but they stipulate that guests must spend a minimum amount on food and drink.
Before committing, you should first decide whether this is a worthwhile deal by combing through the venue’s menu – will you reach the minimum spend threshold, or have to make up the shortfall at the end of the corporate or party event?
Package per person
To streamline the payment process, some venues package the fee for the space together with the catering or entertainment costs. This makes it easier to pay a price per person for parties or dinners. You’ll be able to cover venue hire, food, serving staff and alcoholic beverages in one neat sum.
There’s room to negotiate for extras when it comes to entertainment, too, like a live band or nighttime disco.
Day delegate rate
For our corporate customers at Absolute Venues, we recommend day delegate rates for business meetings and training venues, available as full or half-day packages. There will be a set price per attendee that includes everything your business will need to run smoothly: business lunch, furniture, refreshment breaks, AV equipment, even notepads, pens and overnight accommodation included, depending on if your venue is a hotel booking.
How to get the best venue hire rates
- Search for bundle discounts – Don’t hesitate to look for bundle discounts when searching for the perfect event space. Some venues offer cheaper prices if you use their in-house catering, decoration or entertainment services, which saves you the stress of managing multiple vendors. Plus, there’s always some room to negotiate discounts with venues if you’re a large corporate party or attending for a special occasion.
- Consider off-peak dates – If you book your corporate event on a weekday or during the quiet season when there’s less business for a venue, the potential savings could be great.
- Partner with an event planner – If you’re concerned about getting the best venue hire rates, consider partnering with a more experienced event planner like us. We ensure you get just that – the best deals and the best experiences! – without the hassle of doing the hard work yourself.
Working within a tight budget? Try our FREE venue tracker
We match our clients with excellent event venues that suit their requirements through our free venue tracker. We don’t charge our clients for our services.
If you decide to go ahead and book a venue that we match you with, then the venue owners will pay us a small commission for the service – great customers!
To get your corporate event started the right way, contact the Absolute Venues team as soon as possible. We are reachable through mobile, email and for in-person meetings at our offices in Hale, Cheshire.