Conference Venues in London

Things to consider when looking for a conference venue

When looking for a venue for a conference in London or anywhere else in the UK, there are certain things you will need to consider before any planning takes place. At Absolute Venues, we have a dedicated event planner who will guide you through the planning process to make sure you have everything you need. Before we do this, our experts need to know what type of venue you are looking for. This then enables us to provide you with a shortlist of venues that meet your requirements in order to get you a dream booking for your conference. 

Following the pandemic, one of the most crucial things you will need to consider is whether you are planning to have a virtual component to your event. Not all venues will have the technology to be able to handle this, which is why it is important to consider the intended delivery of your event during the initial stages of planning. Technology is a big component when looking for a venue to hire for your conference. Here, you can check out some key considerations for how to host a successful conference, and what follows are some related technical questions. How high tech do you need your venue to be? Would you like all the guests to have access to the WiFi so they can tweet about their day or would you prefer only staff to have access to the internet? Do you need additional laptops to showcase a presentation? Either way, this is something to bear in mind when you sit down with your event planner. 

Another question to ask yourself is: ‘How do I envision my conference to look?’ Do you want the seating to be more cabaret-style, for example, people seated around a table so they are able to make notes or brainstorm during the conference, or do you prefer a more traditional setting such as tiered seating? This will most likely depend on the number of guests you will have attending the conference and how intimate the conference will be. Understanding this will allow our team to help secure the location to fit those needs. Take stock of who will be attending the event. This includes any guest speakers you may be inviting. This will impact the type of vibe and feel of the venue you are looking for. 

With the ever-emergent climate crisis in the world right now, it is important to look at the environmental factor of the conference. For example, will there be an opportunity for people to recycle their rubbish? Is there a way you can give back to omit any carbon emissions from the event? Are you serving locally sourced meals and Fairtrade tea or coffee at the conference? These are questions some delegates may ask so it is worth considering them from the get-go. Unsure of where to begin? Our team will be able to help answer any event planning questions you have and steer you in the right direction. 

How accessible do you need the venue to be? For instance, if most of the attendees will be arriving by car, you need to ensure the venue will have car parking facilities on-site or nearby to not inconvenience the delegates. If you have people attending the event from out of town and potentially from overseas, ensuring the venue is a location accessible to get to from airports and train stations is vital. In this instance, city locations such as London and Manchester are great places for your conference venue. 

Something else to consider when choosing a venue for your conference is having a rough copy of the agenda in place. We know planning takes time and, when organising a conference, it is not uncommon for the planning process to require as much as a year in advance to come together – depending on the amount of organising involved, of course, such as booking guest speakers. Yes, agendas can change, but having a rough idea of a plan for the day will inform you of exactly what you need. For instance, will you require people to break out into groups? Will there be a video presentation playing? All of the above will play a part in determining the type of venue that is suitable for your conference. 

Once you have your location and date confirmed, it is time to look at the event itself. Do you need to book guest speakers?  Do you need to speak to sponsors? You can work with your marketing and communications team who will be able to develop lucrative sponsorship packs and information for guest speakers, which will help get them on board. l

A great conference begins and ends with a great team working together to build something that will add value to those attending. Our wealth of knowledge and networks within the events industry makes us a great place to start your conference planning journey. 

How Absolute Venues can help to find you a conference venue in London

There are lots of little things to consider when trying to find the best location for your event. At Absolute Venues, we take the hassle of this away from you to allow you to focus on the conference itself, making sure it is the best it can be. 

At Absolute Venues, we come with over 80 years of experience in event planning. In teaming up with Absolute Venues, you save time on planning the event, allowing you the time and energy to focus on other tasks at hand.  We also save you money. We never charge our clients with a booking fee – the reason we are able to do this is because the venues we work with provide us with a referral fee. Due to this and our relationship with our network of London partners, we are able to provide our clients with an exclusive discount for all bookings made through us. To find out more about the benefits of using us for event planning, get in touch or check out our FAQs here.

As a service dedicated to helping you secure the venue of your dreams, we make sure we understand your needs, including your budget, the date of your event, the size of the conference, and any dietary requirements of your guests. We delve into these details and use them alongside our expert knowledge to secure a venue that compliments your needs. 

The way in which we work is simple. After the initial consultation, we provide you with a shortlist of venues that meet your requirements and needs. Following this, our team, which includes a dedicated event planner, will work with you to make the process of creating the conference as hassle-free as possible. You will be able to visit the venue in person and scope the place out to make sure it is the correct choice for you. All of this is done completely free of charge. It is worth bearing in mind that conference venues in big cities such as London get booked up very quickly; as a result, we advise you to get in touch as soon as possible to ensure you have the best chance to secure the location you are looking for.