Choosing the right venue space for your event is absolutely critical to its overall success. Size, location, facilities, style and ambience are all important factors to consider. To make your decision a little easier we've enlisted the help of our resident ‘events expert' Charlotte Barker, our conference manager.
Choosing the right venue space for your event is absolutely critical to its overall success. Size location facilities style and ambience are all important factors to consider. A venue that feels too big can make it seem as though your event has been poorly attended. Too small and your guests will feel cramped and uncomfortable! And if you’re hosting a large all day conference you may need to consider catering parking and security support too. There’s certainly a lot to consider so you could be forgiven for thinking that finding the ‘perfect’ venue space is an impossible task!
To make your decision a little easier we’ve enlisted the help of our resident ‘events expert’ Charlotte Barker our conference manager. Having been part of the events team at the Business Design Centre for over 6 years Charlotte has organised a mind-boggling amount of events and conferences! If you need advice on planning an event Charlotte is certainly the person to talk to. With this in mind we asked her a few questions about her experiences with ‘event space’ and any advice she may have for someone looking for their next event space.
What is the most challenging event you have had to manage in terms of space?
“I think it had to be one of the tech conferences I hosted in the Gallery Hall a few years ago. In the run up to the event it was clear to see that their delegate numbers were rapidly increasing meaning the Gallery Hall hit maximum capacity. Managing the large amount of people in this space as well as the catering stations and long queues prove to be very difficult for myself and the catering team!”
If someone is running an event for the first time what is the main piece of advice you would give them when they are choosing the event space?
“To source a venue with a good location. I think it is important to secure a venue that has good transport links close by as well as identifying how far the nearest airports are for international attendees. I find that this is a major factor for organisers to ensure the start of their customer journey for a delegate is a positive experience. As a venue we are fortunate to be situated by Angel underground station as well as London Kings Cross St Pancras and London Euston which works well for visitors.”
Where would be your dream space to host an event (nothing is off limits)?
“I think I would have to stick with somewhere close to home and say the National History Museum. The Hintze Hall and the Great Hall are such unique spaces to host an evening dinner or an award ceremony in. The architecture of the building itself provides such a beautiful setting for an event. This would definitely be out of my comfort zone of conferences and exhibitions but would be a great experience.”
What is your favourite aspect of the event space at the BDC?
“It has to be its versatility. The fact that we have several event spaces in which we can run small meetings conferences of up to 700 people large exhibitions and exams all in one venue is a great selling point for us. We are fortunate to have a great team here at the BDC who are able to sustain a great level of service through the amount of events we run in the year.”
Hopefully Charlotte’s advice and experiences have provided some food for thought and have made your event planning process a little easier. If you’re looking for a venue space in London we invite you to consider the different event spaceson offer right here at the BDC. We cater for a wide range of events throughout the year from exhibitions and conferences to banqueting.
If you have any further questions about planning an event or would like to enquire about the event space we offer at the Business Design Centre you can email Charlotte personally at charlotteb@bdc.london or call us on 020 7288 6424.
