Tag: Historic venues

Register now: Destination Westminster

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The Westminster Collection (TWC) is pleased to welcome anyone in the business of booking corporate and private events, meetings and conferences to register now for Destination Westminster, its 10th anniversary London venue showcase. The event takes place on Friday 13th September 2013 at London’s most central venue, 8 Northumberland Avenue, from 8.30am – 11.30am.

The breakfast showcase event, which is free to attend, is an opportunity for event buyers and planners to spend a morning with the sales and marketing teams at 50 of central London’s most iconic venues. The Westminster Collection is renowned for its eclectic portfolio of member venues, which encompass everything from historic institutes and societies, colleges, museums and private members clubs, to luxury hotels, concert halls, modern training venues, churches and Thames river boats.

New for 2013 is an Unleash Your Creativity forum, designed to inspire new and innovative ways of creating cost-effective events. It will feature a panel of renowned creative talents from venues, suppliers, agencies and production. Details of the panellists can be found here.

Host venue 8 Northumberland Avenue will also take the opportunity to showcase its prowess as the first venue in the UK to offer clients a permanent high definition holographic projection system within its stunning Ballroom, with a presentation by Musion, the world leaders in holographic projection technology and telepresence.

Speaking of the TWC showcase, marketing director Robin Parker said: “It is 10 years since The Westminster Collection formed to create a community of like-minded venues that believed in championing Westminster as a top-class destination for business and events. In this time we’ve grown and gained prominence as a reliable venue sourcing service for event organisers and as a credible marketing platform for venues.

“Our annual showcase has always been a popular date in the calendar and with new features like the creativity workshop, a host of venues eager to introduce you to investments and brand new services, plus eight new member venues to discover since our last showcase, we hope that guests will make the most of this opportunity to explore, learn, socialise and better understand what’s on offer in Westminster. It really is the go-to destination for events, lifestyle, culture and entertainment.”

Registration is open now at http://destination-westminster.eventbrite.co.uk/. This is a free business event especially for professionals responsible for sourcing venues and planning events and as such, TWC does reserve the right to limit or refuse registrations.

If you wish to stay in London the night before Destination Westminster 2013, a number of TWC hotels are happy to offer promotional rates to event guests on Thursday 12th September and over that weekend. Click here for details.

Related news

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Royal College of Surgeons to host High Tea venue showcase

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Event professionals can experience the charm and impressive room portfolio of the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) on 30 July, at an exclusive open day at the Lincoln’s Inn Fields meeting, events and wedding venue.

The RCS venue team will welcome event professionals to tour its magnificent 18th century spaces for hire, while catering partner Ampersand delights with delicious homemade lemonade, a Holborn high tea and a selection of other sample dishes. The venue and AV teams will also be available throughout the afternoon to chat with attendees.

‘When you think of The Royal College of Surgeons, you automatically think surgeons and dentists, with “event venue” rarely coming to mind. We are looking forward to opening our doors to new and existing bookers and showing them the huge variety of versatile space we have available for all types of events,’ says Emma Hayes, business development coordinator at RCS.

RCS has played host to both corporate and private events for 20 years and has three rooms licensed for wedding ceremonies. Centrally located on Lincoln’s Inn Fields, within short walking distance of Covent Garden and Holborn, RCS has a great variety of space, whether it’s the unique Hunterian Museum of Anatomy, with its fascinating display of surgical history, to the impressive Edward Lumley Hall for up to 300 guests, with dance floor and stage.

Places are limited, so register your attendance by contacting Emma Hayes on 020 786 96745 or by email at [email protected].

Christmas party venues: Good, old-fashioned nostalgia: 1920s & 1940s

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Smoking hot jazz and timeless Tom Collins gin cocktails meet authentic props within a rich wood-carved backdrop as 45 Millbank teams up with Seasoned Events and Fisher Productions to present The Walnut Supper Club, a unique party package inspired by booming 1920s America.

All-inclusive packages include exclusive hire of 45 Millbank, props and styling, vintage cocktail on arrival, either a three-course dinner or luncheon, or a bowl food reception, together with a 4.5-hour unlimited drinks package including beer and house wine, event lighting, DJ, music system and dance floor. Rates start at £50pp and are available with or without catering. Call 020 7514 8514 or email [email protected] for more information.

Continuing the glitz in roaring 1920s style is Kent House Knightsbridge, a glamorous townhouse bordering Hyde Park. Imagine you’re Downton Abbey’s Lady Rosamund Painswick as you sip exquisite cocktails and nibble on British-themed canapés at the piano bar in the Marble Hall, before you climb the majestic Grand Staircase to the Sanctuary, beautifully lit by the flickering hues of candelabra dressing the long-table banquet.

After supper, let your kiss curls bounce to the sounds of a top class DJ as the party continues in the bar and lounge. Prices start from £125pp, with capacity for 300 standing. To enquire call 020 7591 3838 or email [email protected].

Over at the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS), the Downton Abbey theme continues within the surrounds of this leading surgical institution. Dine by candle light with an elegant three-course luncheon or supper featuring traditional Christmas fare.

Locations range from the stunning oak panelled Edward Lumley Dining Hall to the prestigious Council Chamber, where visitors are watched over by magnificent oil canvases, including a portrait by Reynolds of the distinguished surgical anatomist John Hunter. Suitable for groups of 10 to 250, prices start at £65 per person. Contact Christmas events planner Charlotte Edwards on 020 7869 6714 or email [email protected].

Jive your way 1940s style into the secret wartime bunker that sheltered Sir Winston Churchill and his government during the Blitz and explore the underground maze of rooms at Churchill War Rooms that once buzzed with round-the-clock planning and plotting, strategies and secrets. Indulge in a sumptuous festive dinner, washed down with Pol Roger Champagne, Churchill’s favourite tipple, before swinging the night away to the nostalgic big band and scat jazz sounds of resident 1940s style four-piece band The Sweethearts.

Book places on a shared party night and enjoy a free round of drinks, or book and pay a deposit on your own exclusive event before 31 August and receive an exclusive Churchill Christmas Hamper. To discuss Christmas at Churchill War Rooms, call 020 3116 4469 or email [email protected].

More Christmas party venue options:

VIP gigs and the edible Sugar Palace

Your own private members club

Lights, camera, exhibition!

A classic Christmas knees-up

Christmas with a conscience

Roasted chestnuts, mulled wine and carols

Intimate, private dining celebrations

Work hard, play hard

Christmas party venues: Christmas with a conscience

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Grade II listed 41 Portland Place, in London’s medical quarter, assigns a portion of the profits generated through venue hire to fund research activities run by the Academy of Medical Sciences. Christmas time brings the opportunity to support this initiative with a range of private banqueting options for up to 90 guests.

Choose from a festive buffet at £45pp or a more lavish VIP banquet at £65pp, which includes a Prosecco and canapé reception, a three-course dinner and half a bottle of house wine per guest. To enquire, call 020 3176 2177 or email [email protected].

Seasonal socialisers who raise a glass of mulled wine at St Martin-in-the-Fields Christmas events this year can feel a warm and gratifying glow in the knowledge that all profits support the work of The Connection at St Martin-in-the-Fields, which provides vital services to thousands of homeless people every year, and the Vicar’s Relief Fund, which makes over 2000 crisis grants each year to people in extreme financial difficulty.

Investigate party options in the 18th century underground Crypt, with its atmospheric lighting and brick vaulted ceilings. It’s the perfect space for a grand dinner for up to 200 or to party with up to 350 people until the early hours of the morning. It also has its own live music license and late night license until 2.00am and the Trafalgar Square location means guests have easy access to late night public transport. To enquire, call 020 7766 1165 or email [email protected].

More London Christmas party venue options:

Good, old-fashioned nostalgia: 1920s & 1940s

VIP gigs and the edible Sugar Palace

Your own private members club

Lights, camera, exhibition!

A classic Christmas knees-up

Roasted chestnuts, mulled wine and carols

Intimate, private dining celebrations

Work hard, play hard

Christmas party venues: A classic Christmas knees-up

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Sometimes simple is best and the classic, warm and cosy Christmas around an open fire, with a slap-up turkey and all the trimmings, is a tradition best preserved.

At No.4 Hamilton Place you’re guaranteed a feast fit for a king or queen, with a superb ‘Regal Christmas’ spread within the luxury surrounds of this Edwardian town house featuring Louis XVI gilt cornicing, chandeliers, bow windows and a magnificent baroque staircase.

Enjoy a seated dinner, or opt for a more informal ‘grazing’ menu with unlimited house wine, beer and soft drinks, before throwing some royal shapes on the dancefloor. With crowns, coronets and tiaras in abundance, No.4 Hamilton Place offers the ultimate in majestically themed experiences for 50 to 300 partygoers. Regal Christmas lunches start at £54pp, bowl food and grazing menus at £74pp and seated dinners at £90pp. Call 020 7670 4314 or email [email protected].

An elegant luncheon or dinner awaits within the Georgian surrounds of the Royal Institution of Great Britain, in Mayfair, with two private dining rooms perfect for groups of 20 to 70 guests. Make your Christmas twinkle with a sparkling wine and canapé reception, followed by a three-course meal with half a bottle of wine per person. Exclusive room hire prices start from £470 for lunch and £500 for dinner, with catering priced at £67.50 per person. All Christmas bookings made and confirmed before 31st August will receive 10% off when quoting ‘TWC Christmas treat’.

Church House Conference Centre, nestled alongside Westminster Abbey in the exclusive Dean’s Yard, promises you’ll simply have a wonderful Christmas time with its excellent value sparkling wine reception and three-course yuletide dinner menu. The event deal incorporates half a bottle of wine, table decorations and crackers, a 4.5-hour beer, wine and soft drinks package, disco, DJ and lighting all for £75 per person, with options available for 50 to 350 guests. For receptions, capacity is available for up to 550. Call 020 7390 1590 or email [email protected] to enquire.

More Christmas party venue options:

Good, old-fashioned nostalgia: 1920s & 1940s

VIP gigs and the edible Sugar Palace

Your own private members club

Lights, camera, exhibition!

Christmas with a conscience

Roasted chestnuts, mulled wine and carols

Intimate, private dining celebrations

Work hard, play hard

Mayfair gallery, 5-star hotel and private members club choose TWC

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The Westminster Collection is delighted to announce the addition of three stylish venues to membership: The Music Room, InterContinental London Westminster and The Lansdowne Club. These three new member venues bring with them a host of unique features and facilities to further enhance the diversity of our collection’s central London properties, which range from fashionable townhouses and private members clubs, to luxury hotels, celebrated attractions, historic institutes and societies.

Located in the prestigious surroundings of Mayfair, near Bond Street station, The Music Room is a cool, contemporary space flooded with natural daylight, where white walls meet parquet floors to present a space perfect for hosting all manner of ambitious events, such as fashion shows, press launches and receptions for up to 320 people. With scope for personalised theming, the minimalist interior is ideal for event organisers looking for a venue to brand as their own.

There are few hospitality brands in the world as prestigious as InterContinental Hotels, renowned for their exacting standards of excellence and the InterContinental London Westminster is no exception. Located just steps away from St James’ Park tube station, the hotel’s prestigious façade complements a beautifully renovated interior, where 256 individually designed suites and homely rooms meet spectacular dining at Blue Boar Smokehouse and Bar, inspired by the best American pit masters. Seven meeting and events rooms enjoy the latest technologies and are adaptable for both dinner parties and corporate events.

The Lansdowne Club on Fitzmaurice Place is one of London’s most exclusive addresses, combining stunning Art Deco interiors and modern conferencing capabilities for up to 150 theatre style. The beautiful Robert Adam-designed ballroom, with its vaulted ceilings, minstrel galleries and natural daylight, is the perfect location for an evening of fine dining and dancing.

Commenting on her decision to join TWC, venue manager of The Lansdowne Club, Lucy Mannering, said: “As a private members club, we fear that we may not be as ‘on the radar’ as other venues in the Westminster area and there may also be a misconception that our function rooms are only available for our members’ use. In fact, we are very pleased to welcome both members and non-members to use our events and conferencing facilities and we are pleased to have the marketing support of TWC to spread the word amongst potential clients.”

Jonathan Morris, TWC’s membership director and No.11 Cavendish Square’s commercial director, said: “Our brand new website went live in April to provide a very visual and easy-to-navigate portal for event organisers looking for outstanding venues for corporate and private events. These new properties in the Mayfair and St James’s areas demonstrate how TWC venues each have a story to tell in terms of their architecture, client portfolio and event and conferencing capabilities.

“We’re celebrating a decade of TWC this year and exciting plans are well underway for our annual showcase in September, which will look and feel very different from what event planners and agencies have seen in previous years and be greatly enhanced by these new member venues.”

Glamorous £40k Waterford Crystal chandelier installed at Chandos House

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An ornate, Victorian chandelier by Waterford Crystal, valued at £40,000, will welcome future visitors to Chandos House as the venue’s glamorous Terrace Room becomes home to the stunning showpiece.

Moved from sister venue One Wimpole Street, which has undergone extensive renovation, the arrival of this historic and opulent chandelier at the Grade I listed events and wedding venue is a perfect complement to The Terrace Room’s Venetian windows and French doors, which open out onto the Terrace Garden.

In celebration of the chandelier’s installation, Chandos House commissioned the design and build of a bespoke bar, stained to match the existing and original wood, making the room ideal for cocktail receptions and parties.

Nicholas Dennis, house manager at Chandos House, said: “The Terrace Room has been transformed. What was always a beautiful, but understated room has now become somewhere that reflects the rest of the glamour and opulence for which Chandos House is renowned. I look forward to the coming months, which I expect will be very busy and I look forward to seeing the new bar in full swing with some fabulous cocktail and drinks parties taking place.”

Chandos House is an intimate venue ideal for meetings, conferences, formal dinners, private parties, product launches, wedding receptions, civil ceremonies and partnerships. Located in the heart of London’s W1 between Portland Place, Oxford Circus and the fashionable Marylebone Village, it offers six beautiful function rooms each with dramatic period features, 17 designer bedrooms and a secluded garden terrace.

For more information about The Terrace Room at Chandos House, please call 020 7290 3861 or email [email protected].