New Year in full swing for The Westminster Collection!

2012 has generated a spectacular start for members of The Westminster Collection, London’s most dynamic collection of prestige venues. Here’s a digest of their latest news, starting with a reminder for event bookers to visit the group at Confex.

TWC members prepare for CONFEX

With less than six weeks to go before CONFEX opens its doors at ExCel, TWC is ready to greet buyers and event organisers who want to take advantage of the 'One-Stop-Shop' service that they will be offering on their stand B1812 in the heart of the show.

54 superb venues, all based in Westminster, will be represented so please make a note in the diary to visit on either of the three days that CONFEX is open, from 6-8 March inclusive. Please register in advance here, check which venues will be there,and make an appointment tovisit the stand.

We look forward to meeting with you and helping you provide solutions to your venue needs.

Register for International Confex 2012 on www.international-confex.com

Central Hall Westminster to host world’s biggest Sports Awards in 2012

The 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony will be staged at Central Hall Westminster on the evening of Monday 6 February. The event will be attended by the biggest names in world Sports both past and present.

The names of nominees were announced by Laureus World Sports Academy Members including Lord Sebastian Coe, Sean Fitzpatrick, Daley Thomson, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Boris Becker at a press conference, held at Central Hall Westminster.

The Laureus World Sports Awards are the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners are chosen from six Nominees in each category by the vote of the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 47 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time. The Nominees for 2012 include individual athletes and teams from Rugby, Football, Athletics, Tennis, Motorsports and many other classes.

Proceeds from the event directly benefit and underpin the work of Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, supporting 89 community sports projects around the world and has raised over 40million Euros which has improved the lives of one and a half million children.

Paul Southern, Managing Director of Central Hall Westminster said: ’I am a massive sport fan and this event is the most prestigious ceremony on the world sporting calendar; I couldn’t be happier and my staff are also very excited to host these Awards. The guest list of international stars from every sport is incredible and we cannot wait to show the rest of the world our spectacular and flexible venue.”

Among the winners who have received Awards at previous Ceremonies have been Jenson Button, Roger Federer, Sir Alex Ferguson, Lewis Hamilton, Rafael Nadal, Michael Schumacher, Kelly Slater, Serena Williams and many others.

Central Hall Westminster has been chosen to host this respected event for the venue’s central London location and remarkable event space including the 2,000 seat capacity Great Hall and over 25 breakout and meeting rooms.

New ‘Spice-Detox Menu’ At The Cinnamon Club draws On health benefits Of Indian cuisine

Perfect for remedying the sins of the season, The Cinnamon Club – the modern Indian restaurant from executive chef Vivek Singh and manned by head chef Rakesh Nair – is launching a ‘Spice-Detox Menu’ brimming with ingredients that naturally heal and preserve the body.

Running until 31st January, the nutritious, delicious menu will have diners back on track after overindulging this Christmas: incorporated into the dedicated detox menu are ingredients such as fenugreek – known to reduce blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels – saffron – which has anti-carcinogenic properties and has been claimed to increase libido – and lemon grass – an effective cure for coughs and colds. Great for combating the January blues as the winter cold takes hold!

Spice-Detox Menu

Tandoori chicken breast with garlic and coriander, sprouted fenugreek salad
or
Marinated vegetables with blood orange and sunflower seeds
*
Green-spiced halibut steamed in banana leaf, chickpea salad
or
Kadhai style stir-fry of winter vegetables with multigrain roti
*
Saffron poached pear, pomegranate jelly and goji berry sorbet
or
Seasonal fruits with light lemon grass jelly

The Spice-Detox Menu is £40 per person and can only be ordered for two or more diners per table.

For more information please call 020 7222 2555 or visit our website www.cinnamonclub.com

IET Venues secures top award for second year running

Group ranked number one UK venue provider due to first class customer service

IET Venues, the premier family of venues across the UK, has been named as the number one UK Venue Brand in the 2011 BDRC Continental VenueVerdict Awards. Scooping the top prize for Small Groups as well as the Gold Standard Brand Accreditation for the second year running, the brand has proven to demonstrate a continued commitment to providing excellent service and all-inclusive bespoke packages to suit their customers’ needs.

Achieving Net Promoter scores of 70 or more across the year, both IET Birmingham: Austin Court and IET Glasgow: Teacher Building received the ‘Gold Standard’ accreditation; a measure of customer service that incorporates the impact of positive word of mouth on a brand’s reputation and future sales prospects. With no other brand featuring as many venues at this level in the Small Groups category, IET Venues also achieved the ‘Gold Standard Brand Award’.

“To be ranked number one venues brand for 2011 in BDRC Continental's VenueVerdict Awards for the second year running is a great way for us to kick start 2012” says Sean Spencer, Venue and Facilities Manager, IET Venues. “IET Venues is committed to providing our visitors with a first class experience, from our superb facilities and all-inclusive packages, down to our experienced staff providing the best, and now award-winning customer service.”

Now in its sixth year, the VenueVerdict programme is based on almost 24,000 customer feedback surveys across 350 conference venues and hotels in the UK. By splitting the number one UK Brand Award into three categories, BDRC Continental this year chose to recognise the varying operational challenges faced by small, medium and large groups.

Sing for your Supper at St Martin-in-the-Fields

January sees the start of the Brandenburg Spring Choral Festival 2012 with 42 concerts in 7 London venues including St Martin-in-the-Fields, St Clement Danes and the National Portrait Gallery.

The Festival features over 30 vocal groups from classical to jazz, gospel and barbershop and is one of the most important events in London’s choral calendar. February and March highlights at St Martin’s include Fauré Requiem by Candlelight on 28 February, Mozart Requiem and Rachmaninov Vespers by Candlelight on 9 March and Haydn Nelson Mass on 22 March. If you are singing in the Festival or enjoying the lovely sounds from the audience at St Martin’s or one of the nearby venues, the Cafe in the Crypt has a range of delicious hot and cold suppers, salads and puddings to make your evening complete.

Private dinners and receptions are also available. For Festival tickets visit www.smitf.org. To organise an evening reception or private dinner, email events@smitf.org.

Room hires rates frozen at One Birdcage Walk

With the uncertainty of the economic climate remaining into 2012, One Birdcage Walk have decided to freeze all room hire rates (all of which are VAT exempt too) as well as prices for our in-house audio visual services for the duration of 2012.

In current times with the difficult financial climate, and budgets remaining constricted, we are committed to supporting our client base and loyal customers by offering competitive prices in what is recognised as an unpredictable time. The team at One Birdcage Walk want to ensure our clients’ conferences and events go further in 2012, and are keen to offer value for money for their attending delegates.

For further information regarding One Birdcage Walk’s rate freeze, please contact our dedicated Venue & Room Hire Team on 020 7973 1248, or at enquiries@onebirdcagewalk.com

New caterers at Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom has appointed two new caterers to its list of accredited suppliers, following a review after one year of its venue hire operation.

Create Food and Langoustine Catering were awarded spots on the list after a competitive pitch, in a move by the Court to give clients more flexibility in catering options when hiring one of the two impressive event spaces available at the prestigious Parliament Square location. Create Food was established in 1986 as an innovative design-led special event catering company, while Langoustine is a new sub-brand of Inn or Out, offering excellent value ready-to-serve events packages.

Supreme Court Events Manager Ayo Onatade explains the move: "Listening carefully to what clients really want has been key to our successful first year offering room hire for corporate events. We know that, particularly in the current economic climate, event organisers want as much flexibility as possible in selecting the right menu and service style. We are excited by the opportunities these two new partners will offer our clients."

The RIBA 'freshens up' to face 2012

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) got 2012 off to a fresh start with a light makeover across the whole of this exquisite building as well as investment in new lighting and AV equipment.

"Good service and first class facilities really matter to all our clients so we try very hard to keep the whole building looking at its best," explained Petra Bones, new Head of Venues for the RIBA. "Our spaces have been repainted so that we retain the glamour of our striking art deco interiors. Interestingly, we used over 250 litres of white paint - more than enough to paint two Boeing 737s from top to bottom! We have a well-qualified in-house AV team and part of their role is to ensure that, wherever possible,we have the very latest equipment to offer our clients. On this occasion we have upgraded the radio microphones, installed a new sound system and enhanced the signature LED uplighting in the Florence Hall."

"The RIBA is one of central London's most elegant architectural landmarks and we are able to offer clients superb conference and meeting spaces, as well as a highly sought after dinner, reception and wedding destination."

The Royal Institute of British Architects offers every kind of venue, from meetings to boardrooms to a banqueting hall in a single, spectacular building located in the heart of London.

For more information and to make a booking please visit www.ribavenues.com or call 020 7307 3888.

Showcase invitation to Kent House Knightsbridge

Kent House Knightsbridge has recently been awarded a wedding licence to conduct civil ceremonies and they are planning two different showcases to celebrate.

Kent House Knightsbridge will be opening its doors on Tuesday 7th February between 11:00am and 8:00pm for a wedding showcase and on Wednesday 8th February between 5:00pm and 8:00pm as part of a special venue showcase.

Come and experience it for yourself and enjoy a glass of wine and some canapés whilst exploring it. If you would like to attend please RSVP to louisa@evolve-events.com.

Situated on the leafy edges of Hyde Park, Kent House Knightsbridge dates back to 1873 and affords guests the exclusivity of a private house against the pulsating backdrop of the capital’s most exclusive neighbourhood. An elegant Victorian townhouse, Kent House Knightsbridge will enrich any function, from private parties to product launches, press days, conferences or award dinners.

Managed by Evolve Events, London’s noted event organiser, Kent House Knightsbridge can be subtly styled to reflect the building’s elegant architecture or dressed with a dramatic flourish using theatrical lighting, opulent tableware and bountiful flower arrangements. The townhouse venue boasts one of the best lists of caterers in London enabling menus to be created to meet every palate, budget and dietary requirement.

The showcase will be a chance to explore this elegant house and find out what it makes such it makes such a magnificent venue. The events team looks forward to welcoming you.

Please call 020 7610 2808 or email Louisa@evolve-events.com

41 Portland Place set to build on a spectacular year

2011 year was a triumph with over 500 successful events hosted at 41 Portland Place, and this year is going to be even bigger! We’ve already got a jam packed schedule, and here are a couple of the highlights to look forward to in 2012:

Spring Summer menu launch - At the end of March we will be launching our scrumptious spring / summer menus. We promise something to suit everyone in our creative seasonal menu options, including new alfresco food stalls and the return of our popular terrace BBQ menus. These fantastic options make a wonderful addition to events held on our outdoor roof terrace over the spring and summer months.

Launch of our Olympics hospitality packages - The 2012 London Olympics are fast approaching and at 41 Portland Place we’ll be making full use of our big screens and state of the art audio visual facilities to provide fabulous entertainment packages so your clients and colleagues can enjoy all the big events while tucking in to our delicious Olympic menu. Hospitality packages will include Pimms Parties and summer picnics that you can enjoy on our lovely Terrace while you cheer on team GB.

12 new recipes of the month from the talented Head Chef Will Carvalho - The team at 41 Portland Place are passionate about food and none more so that our Head Chef Will Carvalho. We believe that everyone is a master chef at heart; sometimes they just need a few pointers in the right direction. Every month, Will shares a recipe of the month and talks you through the method to ensure the dish is a success. Check out all Will’s recipes from 2011.

Second Birthday - In October this year 41 Portland Place will be celebrating turning two years old! Stay tuned to our newsletters and twitter feeds for updates on how we will be celebrating. Like all good birthday parties there will be lots for you to win. We will be running a series of competitions throughout 2012 in which you could win various prizes such as complimentary events and foodie giveaways. Follow our twitter feed for your chance to enter these competitions.

20 years of smiling service etc...

Our relationship with our clients continues to go from strength to strength since we opened our first venue in 1992...

...we’ve done quite a bit since then with 10 venues under our belt and the newest venue in our story opening just last year at One Drummond Gate, in Victoria!

What we’re really proud of is to have continued our founding principles to do the simple things well, to put service first, to be green in all we do and to be that little bit better than everyone else!

• We offer an all inclusive package to ensure you receive the best value for your event, avoiding unbudgeted surprises and extra charges
• We provide versatile, stimulating and relaxing space immaculately presented, with natural daylight and air conditioning throughout, as well as ergonomic furniture and high quality AV, to ensure your delegates are kept focused and attentive
• We're still growing with three new venues opened in the last 12 months
• We continue to be committed to providing Award winning service
• The etc.experience is special - as are our people - IIP accredited 7 times in a row

So come and have lunch or coffee and a show round to discuss in more detail - just give me a call or drop me an email.

Please contact Kate Gallina, Sales Manager, One Drummond Gate, on 020 7989 0390.

Westminster Mint Hotel joins DoubleTree by Hilton UK portfolio

The previously known Westminster Mint Hotel, located on John Islip Street, has recently announced that it has officially joined the upscale, full-service hotel brand, DoubleTree by Hilton.

The hotel is one of eight Mint Hotels across the Netherlands and the UK joining the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of hotels under the DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn brand names during the coming months.

Although it is now called DoubleTree by Hilton London-Westminster, the hotel itself remains much the same and will keep the modern architectural designs and large, floor-to-ceiling windows featured throughout.

Furthermore, popular amenities including an Apple iMac computer which functions both as a TV and computer in each guest room and complimentary high-speed internet access throughout the hotel will continue to be a feature of the property.

The DoubleTree by Hilton London-Westminster is located at 30 John Islip Street,London,SW1P 4DD, just over one kilometre from London Victoria rail station which offers an express service to London Gatwick Airport. For more information about the hotel or to make reservations, please visit the hotel’s dedicated webpage at www.londonwestminster.doubletreebyhilton.com

DoubleTree by Hilton now welcomes travellers to a rewarding hotel experience with a fast-growing network of 15 hotels throughout the UK in Aberdeen, Dunblane, Newcastle, Manchester, Leeds, Lincoln, Chester, Sheffield, Cambridge, Milton Keynes, Bristol and London (four hotels).

Hilton Worldwide’s other global brands include the famous Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the luxurious Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts, and the focused-service Hampton by Hilton.

Arrival of The Goring Shrimp!

This spring will see two fellow stalwarts of Englishness come together to celebrate the quintessential afternoon tea - with a shrimpy twist.

The Goring, the only five star hotel in London that is still owned and run by the family that built it, and celebrated British jewellery designer Alex Monroe - whose famous bumble bee pendent has hung on the necks of the most discerning fashionistas, have collaborated to create an exclusive necklace -The Goring Shrimp - to accompany a special Alex Monroe-inspired afternoon tea at The Goring.

The Goring Shrimp pays homage to Alex's whimsical childhood memories of the perfect afternoon tea, “As a little boy I would run wild in the Suffolk countryside accompanied by my brothers and a dog called Sheba and buy huge bags of shrimp from the fishermen and sail them home for tea which consisted of a huge pot of tea and crusty white bread smothered with cool butter. These teas would last all afternoon until the sun sank below the high walls. So The Goring Shrimp will always remind me of spring afternoons lazing in the walled garden at the Old Parsonage. And of drinking tea of course. The Goring shrimp is a very likeable little chap; there is a great sense of fun about him and a tiny touch of nostalgia. I almost feel guilty that my mouth waters when I see him!”

Exclusive to The Goring, the quirky yet charming shrimp with its own chain (together priced at £165) is hand made by Alex in Silver and plated with Rose Gold – and even has irresistible little eyes made from two black pearls. The Goring Shrimp is set to be one of the most coveted pieces for jewellery lovers this spring. It will be available to purchase exclusively at The Goring alongside the Alex Monroe Afternoon Tea, for the month of May 2012. Thereafter, from June 2012, it can be bought online at www.alexmonroe.com and at Alex Monroe’s new flagship store at London Bridge. “The Shrimp necklace will be delivered to the tea table in a special box by your waiter a quintessentially English surprise. How could anyone fail to be charmed and delighted by that?” said David Morgan Hewitt, Managing Director of The Goring.

Alex Monroe Afternoon Tea, including The Goring Shrimp necklace, is priced at £195pp and afternoon tea without The Goring Shrimp is £35pp. Alex Monroe Afternoon Tea will be available from 1st May 2012. Afternoon Tea at the Goring is served daily from 3.30pm - 4.30pm in the sunny Terrace overlooking the gardens, or in the warm and inviting Lounge. To book please call 020 7396 9000.

Chandos House: exclusive London wedding event wows guests

Chandos House, a Grade I listed Georgian Townhouse opened its doors on Saturday 14th January 2012, for an exclusive showcase of the most exclusive wedding venue and suppliers in central London.

With a steady flow of brides and grooms-to-be throughout the day, guests were given personal tours around Chandos House before having the chance to find out more about some of London’s most elite suppliers. Designer wedding gown specialist Melanie Potro showcased some of her truly exquisite dresses, whilst cake designer Rachelles, offered guests the chance to taste her truly outstanding chocolate wedding cake and discuss individual ideas. Jo Thorne, bespoke jeweller, Madeline Johnson, make-up artist and fashionable wedding hair stylist Beauty Call, were just a few of the other suppliers who could be found at The London Wedding Event.

Grooms and mothers also found the showcase valuable with Tailor Made London, a bespoke tailoring company, and mother of the bride specialist La Belle Femme showcasing a range of lavish attire. Seminars were also held throughout the day including a presentation by Lawrence Bernstein from Great Speech Writing who offered nervous grooms-to-be a wealth of advice on what to say on the big day.

For more information on weddings at Chandos House, please visit www.chandoshouse.co.uk/wedding-venue-central-london.aspx or call 020 7290 3860.For further information on Chandos House, visit www.chandoshouse.co.uk or contact the dedicated weddings team on 020 7290 3860.

EEF Venues reinforces food as a unique selling point with Wilson Vale appointment

EEF Venues has appointed niche caterer Wilson Vale to deliver food service at Broadway House in London's Westminster through 2012.

The independent caterers took over from Sodexo Prestige on 2nd January 2012, with five Wilson Vale staff assigned to provide Broadway House with outstanding catering services, ranging from working lunches and informal buffets to canapé receptions and fine dining. The emphasis will be on fresh, contemporary food, made and served to the highest of standards by the on-site team.

Broadway House, which is part of EEF Venues – a collection of exceptional, UK-wide conference venues dedicated to meetings, conferences, team building and corporate events – is a six-storey Edwardian building situated directly opposite St James’ Park tube station and a 10-minute walk from Victoria, Waterloo and Charing Cross.

As an AIM accredited venue and a Conference Centre of Excellence, Broadway House offers 12 conference and meeting rooms with high specification facilities for up to 110 delegates. Each room can be configured in a number of different layouts, depending on client requirements and the number of delegates in attendance.

Andrew Wilson, managing director of Wilson Vale, said: “This is an extremely prestigious client for us, right in the heart of Westminster. We have been talking to them for some time now and we are absolutely delighted that our fresh food focus, our ethos and experience within the conferencing sector have helped them to reach this decision.

“The meetings and conference sector is an extremely competitive marketplace, particularly in London where there are so many great venues. Food is a major selling point and we look forward to working with Broadway House to develop the business, offering great food and service standards.”

Wilson Vale’s portfolio of clients includes staff catering contracts within B&I environments, catering for private schools and conference centres. Current annual turnover is £13 million and the company employs 550 people nationwide.

Speaking of his decision to award the catering contract to Wilson Vale, David Vaughton, EEF Venues’ Venues Director said, “We care a great deal about the food we serve to our customers at across the EEF Venues group. It’s one of our unique selling points, so it was vital that our chosen contract caterer shared our passion and vision for food and understood fully its ability to make or break a customer’s experience. Bringing Wilson Vale on board will help us to create synergy with the current high quality offering operated in-house at Woodland Grange, Broomgrove and Engineers’ House. We look forward to further growing our business with their talented and responsible approach to catering.”

For further information on Broadway House, please visit www.eefvenues.co.uk or telephone 0845 862 33 66.

No.11 Cavendish Square celebrates Leap Year with wedding fair

Christmas, New Year and Valentine’s Day are notably the most romantic occasions to propose. However every four years on a Leap Year, girls across the nation may be tempted to pop the question in time honoured tradition. Four days prior, No.11 Cavendish Square will host an exquisite spring wedding fair for brides and grooms, providing the perfect opportunity for couples to see their dream day become a reality. In fact to celebrate the Leap Year, any couple that attends the fair that wishes to host their reception at the venue will receive a Magnum of Champagne if they can prove they became betrothed on 29th February.

Since receiving a licence to hold civil partnerships and civil ceremonies the venue has played host to a number of weddings. No.11’s impressive Georgian exterior, large Orangery with adjoining Garden Room and courtyard garden with living wall and candle lit water fixture make it one of London’s most sort after wedding venues.

No.11’s delightful Orangery is adorned with scented mandarin orange, olive and kumquat trees and can accommodate 100 guests for a wedding breakfast. The adjacent Burdett Suite can seat up to 150. Both the Presidents’ and Treasurers’ rooms in the Georgian townhouses are festooned with period features, and are the perfect setting for smaller receptions and wedding breakfasts of up to 24 guests.

A Toastmaster will welcome guests to No.11’s wedding fair leading them to the Garden Room where they can enjoy a glass of bubbly before visiting exhibitors in the Burdett Suite. Brides will be able to complete their entire wedding in just one day by visiting exhibitors including catering specialists Ampersand, floral design professionals Floral Symphonies, photographer Tom Phillips, Rosalind Miller cakes, John Lewis for gift lists and the Chesterfield Mayfair hotel.

To register and reserve a place, please call 020 7307 2474 or email venue@11cavendishsq.com

Apps increase engagement and strengthen brands whilst social media opens doors and grows business, says One Wimpole Street Technology Masterclass

The second in a series of free masterclasses for event professionals, organised and hosted by One Wimpole Street, conference and meetings venue, revealed 100% of delegates would recommend or attend the breakfast briefings in future.

Held in One Wimpole Street’s high-spec Main Lecture Theatre on Tuesday 17th January, delegates were treated to a complimentary breakfast including scrambled egg and smoked salmon, pastries and a selection of teas and coffee, before Simon Burgon, director of 360R, took to the stage to discuss the ins and outs of app technology. Looking closely at the different platforms apps can be built upon, how they can benefit business, and strengthen a brand, Simon shared an extraordinary set of app statistics which included 1.2 billion apps downloaded during just one week from 25th-31st December 2011, the equivalent of 2000 apps per second.

With the average person spending just 0.9 minutes looking at a website via a browser on a mobile device, compared to 4.2 minutes spent on an app, this exciting and fast-moving area of technology is something that needs to be seriously considered by businesses as mobile device usage continues to increase dramatically as another million smart phones are activated daily.

Acknowledging the debate between whether you should or shouldn’t charge for apps, Simon highlighted the dramatic decline in downloads of an app when there is a fee, by looking at one company who initially launched the app for free which resulted in over 300,000 downloads and then dropped to just 5,000 downloads once a fee of £1.79 was initiated. Looking ahead at future trends and innovations, Simon shared hints and tips with the audience including building in social media and booking platforms to stop users having to jump in and out of an app and the importance of including analytic software so you can monitor what people are doing within the app and how they rate it.

Second speaker Ian McKendrick, helped event professionals get to grips with the continuous evolvement of social media. Having approached social media from a research point of view, Ian shared his insight into social media as a tool that opens doors and grows business as well as a platform to build relationships and share information. Introducing the audience to ‘Twellow’, a search directory of people by area of expertise, profession or other attribute listed in personal profiles on Twitter, Ian explained how free technology like this enables people to engage specifically with people of relevance.

The next One Wimpole Street Technology Masterclass will take place on Thursday 17th May 2011 with a delicious hot breakfast served from 7.45am and the masterclass starting at 8.15am. Following the finish time of 9.30am, there will also be the opportunity for those who wish to network further, to enjoy pastries and coffee following the masterclass until 10.30am. To register your interest in attending this exclusive event for event professionals, please contact us on 020 7290 2951

Speciality cheese and wine event at 76 Portland Place

Don’t miss 76 Portland Place’s speciality cheese and wine event on Thursday 23rd February from 5.30pm to 8pm. With an inspiring selection of British cheeses and some carefully chosen wines to compliment, guests will be enjoy the outstanding catering that is on offer at this exceptional central London venue.

During the evening, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a tour of the meeting and event facilities available at 76 Portland Place as well as the chance to find out more about the specially selected evening events packages they have recently launched, which include wine and Champagne tastings as well as food and wine matching parties.

With 12 unique meeting and event rooms set-up and available to view throughout the evening, quality, flexibility and outstanding technology will all be clear.

Kate Meehan, operations director at 76 Portland Place comments: “We look forward to a tasty and insightful evening of wine and cheese tasting with guests who are interested in finding out more about 76 Portland Place. We thoroughly enjoy putting on events like these as we are very proud of the services we offer and the catering that is looked after by Harbour & Jones. Their ethics focus greatly on locally sourced and sustainable produce which is of intrinsic importance to both them and us.”

76 Portland Place, a stone’s throw from London’s famous Regent’s Park, is conveniently located within walking distance of five tube stations and a short drive, taxi or bus hop from major transport hubs including Euston, St Pancras and Marylebone.

To register your interest, please RSVP to enquiries@portlandplace.com. For further information on 76 Portland Place please contact Jenny Hullock at 76 Portland Place on 020 7470 4871.

Wedding licences for Imperial’s top venues

Imperial’s two most exclusive venues, 170 Queen’s Gate and 58 Prince’s Gate, now have licences to host Civil Wedding Ceremonies. After enhancements to the buildings, the two venues are ready to open up to the public and will soon see their first couples walking down the aisle.

Located in the heart of South Kensington, these two wonderful locations, boasting elegant, stylish and unique charm, are very popular with event organizers. The Grade 2 listed Victorian style building, 170 Queen’s Gate, was completed in 1889 by the pre-eminent Victorian architect Norman Shaw. 58 Prince’s Gate, designed by Charles James Freake in the 19th century has been beautifully restored to highlight its stunning Edwardian features.

Lauren Helps, Sales and Events Manager at Imperial College London commented: “170 Queen’s Gate and 58 Prince’s Gate have been inundated with requests for civil weddings, as couples fall in love with the luxury and elegance our venues can offer. We are very pleased to make this service available to our customers and believe that these two beautiful buildings, together with our award-winning chefs and faultless service, can offer every couple the wedding they have always dreamed of.”

Now licensed for civil weddings, 170 Queen’s Gate and 58 Prince’s Gate can truly provide a seamless service for your special day, with the ceremony, wedding breakfast and reception, all in one stunning venue.

For more information, please contact 020 7594 9494 or email conferenceandevents@imperial.ac.uk