You’re invited to the spookiest showcase in town!

Things are set to get pretty spooky this October when all our member venues come together at One Great George Street for our annual showcase – and you’re invited to attend… if you dare!

Creep along on Tuesday, 24 October at 6.30pm and meet with our selection of scarily good venues – all based in London’s iconic borough of Westminster. On your way, you may even bump into the phantom monk said to walk the tracks at Westminster Tube Station.

In true Halloween tradition, not only will you have the chance to meet and chat with representatives from our 34 venues, but you’ll also be invited to take part in a ‘Trick or Treat’ lucky dip where you could win some spooktacular prizes and experiences.

With fashionable townhouses and private members’ clubs to luxury hotels, celebrated attractions, historic institutes and societies, we can help you find the perfect venue for your next event quickly and efficiently, no matter what you’re planning.

Pre-register for your place by contacting [email protected] before the witching hour on Friday, 20 October.

Places are strictly limited and Westminster Venue Collection reserves the right to qualify your event planning credentials in order to confirm your place.  

Three reasons to book a Christmas lunch at 8 Northumberland Avenue

Looking for the perfect venue to host a Christmas lunch party? 8 Northumberland Avenue have rounded up their top three reasons for booking a midday Christmas feast with them:

  1. Value

Your guests deserve only the best Christmas celebrations and you don’t want to be held back by your budget and at 8 Northumberland Avenue you will save around £40 per head just by booking during the day instead of the evening.

2. Dates

Finding a perfect date that suits everyone during the festive season is a difficult task but booking a Christmas lunch party at our central London venue, means you have a better selection of days to ensure you don’t have to compromise on your preferred date.

3. Themes

We take great pride in choosing our themes (this year we have The Lost Palace of Atlantis and Winter Glitz & Glamour) and bringing them to life. Guests at our Christmas lunches will have the same amazing experience as our Christmas dinner party guests meaning they won’t miss out on the immersive theming for their Christmas party.

Festive lunches at 8 Northumberland Avenue start from £95 per person ex VAT*. Contact our team for more information [email protected].

*T&Cs:  price dependent on numbers.

Cavendish Venues looks forward to a great year with WVC

Westminster Venue Collection board member and director of sales at Cavendish Venues discusses a successful 2016 and looks ahead to the next 12 months as part of the consortium.

We at Cavendish Venues are proud to be a member of the Westminster Venue Collection with the Cavendish Conference Centre located in the Borough of Westminster.

As a board member of WVC, it has been exciting to take on the role of website chair throughout our recent rebrand to oversee not only the long-awaited rebranding of the collective’s name but the launch of the new website.

With a strong and diverse collection of 33 prestigious, unique and unusual venues in the London Borough of Westminster, the rebrand has allowed us to reinforce the nature of the group being, at its core, about venues. With this being a key focus for 2016, significant investment was made on a new website using a contemporary new colour palette and a slicker brand identity in line with a new vision for the WVC’s development.

As a board, we listened to our members and clients, took their valued feedback on board, and constructed a functionality that streamlines the user journey and allows only specific enquiries to be received per venue, saving venue members and event bookers’ time significantly.

The new website, launched at the #WVC2016Launch Showcase in December, also gives autonomy for member venues to promote themselves with a portal where they can edit imagery, criteria and special offers as frequently as they need to.

Significantly, the portal will also allow members to track the number of specific enquiries received via the WVC website, there booking status, the number of confirmations and ultimately confirmed revenue for return on investment.

2017 is set to be a fantastic year for the collection. Don’t forget to sign up to our monthly newsletter for event information, venue news and unmissable special offers and promotions!

Victory Services Club launches the Trafalgar & El Alamein Suite

The Victory Services Club will be launching the newly refurbished Trafalgar & El Alamein Suite in July 2016.

This flexible event space, which has a capacity for up to 250 guests is adorned with stylish décor, fine furnishings and classic lighting, creating a sophisticated atmosphere for guests to enjoy.

The suite really does provide the ideal event room for conferences, meetings, receptions and more.

To find out more information, please contact the Events team today on 0207 616 8305 or email: [email protected]

Increase in UK-based filming for big productions at One Great George Street

Historic Westminster venue One Great George Street witnessed a marked increase in filming bookings in 2015 with location managers for the BBC TV series The Night Manager, the film War Machine starring Brad Pitt and Wonder Woman all choosing to use the venue.

Shedding some light on this trend, Charles Somers of Charles Somers Locations, the Location Manager for Wonder Woman, said: “The UK tax incentive, combined with easy access to top rate crews and facilities, in conjunction with favourable exchange rates, make it highly likely that the trend for major US features to film in the UK will continue throughout 2016 and beyond.”

Mr Somers noted that there were many unique aspects to the venue that set it apart from other filming locations. He said: “The quality of the architecture combined with the proportions of the rooms gives One Great George Street the unique position of being one of the best locations in London for the type of scene we were filming.”

He added: “The building works on so many levels, not just from a creative point of view but also from a logistical standpoint. We were able to accommodate all the other departments inside the location, such as background artists costume, make-up and wardrobe, as well as the crew and crowd dining areas, which helps make the day run very smoothly for the location department.”

Find out more at http://www.onegreatgeorgestreet.com/news-centre/press-release/2016/a-wonderful-venue-for-wonder-woman/

116 Pall Mall unveils renewed beauty following renovation

Over the past few months, 116 Pall Mall has been undergoing interior and exterior refurbishment to help improve the upkeep of the building and restore its stunning original features.

The front of house reception area now boasts an elegant and accessible reception desk, beautiful period furnishings and the original mosaic floor has been renovated, in-keeping with the unique heritage of the building. Interior designers, Russell Sage Studios, have restored some original features and transformed the ground floor and grand staircase area to reflect the building’s Regency elegance and former glory.

The Purbeck stone colour enhances the building’s beautiful features, taking you back in time as you walk through the front doors. The entire exterior of the building has been repainted and restored and stands out once again as one of the most iconic Pall Mall landmarks.

To view the venue or book a site visit, call 020 7451 3107 or email [email protected].

8 Northumberland launches Enchanted Forest Christmas theme for 2016

You may still be trying to shake the post-Christmas haze and focus your mind on the day job but at 8 Northumberland Avenue, Christmas 2016 is already wrapped up. So why not get your 2016 party planning sorted now while the festive feel-good vibes are still fresh?

Launching not one but two incredible show-stopping themes, 8 Northumberland has pulled out all the stops to make Christmas 2016 one to remember.

Step into the magical ‘Enchanted Forest’ through twinkling branches, heavy with snow and cracked bark. Beyond this be led to the forest clearing complete with hanging lanterns and foliage.
The grandeur of the Ballroom is enhanced with foliage draped across the chandeliers and flowing down the walls and a sumptuous enchanted dinner will be served as the chandeliers twinkle through the foliage overhead and create a grand yet ethereal atmosphere.

If something a little more mysterious is what you are looking for then consider ‘House of Clues’. Venture through the heavy curtain of secrets into the grand space that is the House of Clues, where you will enjoy a fabulous evening of decadence.

Start the evening with a glass of bubbles, known to the staff of the mansion as ‘truth serum’, perfect for such a clandestine situation as this. The tables are adorned with objects from around the mansion, which reveal its history and secrets. Candles flicker on the tables as alluring scents from the kitchens tempt tastebuds, before dinner is served. After dinner we invite you to continue with drinks and dancing as you ‘pick your poison’ from the bar and then relax in the old Library.

So if you are looking for a central London venue and a truly out of the ordinary Christmas party in 2016, look no further than 8 Northumberland Avenue. To find out more click here.

Winter markets, Charleston balls, parties in the Crypt: Christmas 2015 in Westminster

Turn back the clocks at RIBA Venues this Christmas

Have a roaring ‘20s Christmas party at RIBA Venues for just £65.00 per guest! Use your secret password and enter through huge bronze doors, speakeasy style. Then make your way to the roof top Wren Room. Party the night away with bowl food and unlimited drinks while enjoying the sparkling lights of London and its iconic landmarks. Treat your 50 to 120 guests this Christmas to a festive celebration they won’t forget.

Bubbles on us at Army and Navy Club!

Book your Christmas party on any of these dates and enjoy a complimentary Army & Navy Club Champagne upgrade (from the sparkling wine option): Fri 4, Tue 15, Wed 16, Fri 18 December.

Parties are also available throughout January 2016, with a minimum of 20 guests, at £75 per person to include: a glass of Army & Navy Club Champagne, a three-course menu, coffee and mince pies, ½ bottle of Club wine, mineral water, room hire, microphone for speeches (if required), festive crackers and VAT.

To redeem this offer just mention ‘TWC’ at the time of enquiry.

Santa and slopes at No. 11 Cavendish Square

After a day on the slopes or just a day in the office, enjoy a well-deserved après-ski as No.11 Cavendish Square transforms into a Ski Lodge this Christmas. Guests will be warmly welcomed into the alpine Lodge with burning fire places, antlers and wooden decoration galore. Enjoy the views of the beautiful Northern Lights while you sip on mulled cider or sparkling wine.

As the atmosphere builds, you will be taken to The Glass House where a superb dinner created by the venue’s in-house caterers (Ampersand) will be served. You can then dance the night away while enjoying drinks from the Lodge bar.

Jingle Bell Rock at Conrad London St James

Conrad London St James is offering up all the best and most traditional things about Christmas all wrapped up in two neat packages: The Christmas Cracker lunch package and The Jingle Bell Rock dinner package. Lunch events are £70pp and you can enjoy an evening affair for £95pp. Both packages include a three-course meal and room hire and both can be tailored to your individual needs.

Christmas markets and 1920s Charleston ball at 8 Northumberland Avenue

You can take it for granted that your 2015 Christmas party at 8 Northumberland Avenue will be a ball with not one, but two festive themes. The team is fizzing with creativity, devising elegant, original and seamless events so you don’t have to. They are bringing the outside inside this winter in the Old Billiard Room and Annex with a Christmas Market feel. Twinkling lights, snowy boughs and lashings of mulled wine make for an evening of rosy-cheeked charm and traditional festive fun, all in the bustling heart of London.

The 1920s are roaring again in the elegant, Charleston age-inspired Ballroom this Christmas. From the moment you enter the room through a giant draped curtain you are transported to another time. It’s all about dizzying decadence, gilded glamour and full-on fun, with an immaculately restored Victorian Ballroom as a backdrop.

St James Theatre brings you a cabaret Christmas

Looking for a unique venue for your Christmas gathering? How about one of London’s hottest cabaret venues, St James Theatre? They have selected Christmas dates now available in their intimate Studio space, with packages starting from just £1,600+VAT.

The Studio is a wonderful live entertainment space that lends itself to becoming a flexible and self-contained corporate events venue. With a private bar, purpose-built stage space and built-in AV and lighting, the Studio offers a unique space to hold your Christmas gathering. The venue can hold up to 100 seated and 20 standing.

St. James’ Court, a Taj hotel, presents Alice in Wonderland

This year, hold your Christmas party in Wonderland with St James’ Court’s special Alice in Wonderland themed Christmas party package.

Look forward to classic festivities with a Wonderland twist in their opulently decorated banqueting rooms and stunning Shakespearean Courtyard. Prices start from £110pp so don’t be late for this very important date!

15% off Christmas at The Law Society

A Christmas party in London’s most beautiful hidden gem, The Law Society, is a warm and inviting setting for an enchanting Christmas party. Christmas packages start from £73+VAT per person and include everything you could need for an amazing festive celebration, including superb catering, a sparkling wine reception and unlimited wine, bottled beer and soft drinks throughout, DJ and dance floor.

This flexible venue will be all yours to use as you wish for your best Christmas party yet. As a special offer they are offering you an exclusive discount of 15% off Christmas party packages. Simply quote TWCXMAS15.

Glamorous festivities at One Great George Street

Enjoy your festive lunch with family, friends and colleagues in a magnificent central London building. Tucked away behind One Great George Street’s stunning four-domed Edwardian facade, Brasserie One is a hidden gem set apart with friendly staff, formidable food and a wine list to please every palate. Party packages start from £87.00pp and include Christmas novelties and a three-course set menu with wine.

Cracking Christmas offers at St Martin-in-the-Fields

St Martin-in-the-Fields has a new sumptuous space for private dining and small group gatherings of up to 20 people. Located downstairs in the Crypt, The Apse is a circular recess and an original feature of this iconic church designed by architect James Gibbs.

The interior of the Apse has been fitted with beautiful furniture designed and created by British craftspeople. The Apse is an exciting addition to the range of St Martin’s spaces available to hire for parties, receptions, launches, conferences and meetings. To complement the event spaces St Martin’s has a special festive party package, called the Christmas Cracker, which offers guests the opportunity to party the night away in the heart of Trafalgar Square from £70 per person. For further information email [email protected].

Party til dawn this Christmas at The Athenaeum

Few places in the world are as enchanting as London at Christmas and the Athenaeum is perfectly placed in the heart of it all, nestling between the edge of Victorian Mayfair and the Royal Parks.

Make your Christmas party your own and chose from festive afternoon teas, champagne receptions or a decadent five course meal. Christmas private dining menus come with festive party favours, Christmas decorations and include room hire.

Menus start from £45pp and it doesn’t have to end there. Carry on the party and spend the night with 10% off all overnight stays for guests dining from the Private Dining Menus from 16 November to 24 December 2015! Simply Quote ‘ATHXMAS’ when enquiring.

Party in the new-look IET London: Savoy Place

Partygoers will be some of the first to experience Christmas hospitality at IET London: Savoy Place following the venue’s £32m refurbishment and two-year closure.

After its re-launch in November, guests can choose from newly refurbished rooms the Heritage Library, with two private balconies, or the Riverside Room and Roof Terrace. Both spaces offer unique panoramic views across London, including 360-degree views from the expansive Roof Terrace.

Enjoy a sparkling wine drinks reception with festive nibbles in your private room, followed by a three-course seated festive menu with coffee and petit fours, before taking to the dance floor to dance the night away.

Available from £95 + VAT per person, there is a minimum requirement of 80 guests in the Heritage Library and 150 guests in the Riverside Room. The package includes dining room hire from 18:00-23:00, half a bottle of house wine, festive table decorations and PA system and microphone.

Festive films at BAFTA 195 Piccadilly

BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, the iconic headquarters of the famous awards is the perfect venue for a unique and luxurious Christmas celebration. Guests are welcomed for a special festive screening, with the choice of seasonal classics such as It’s A Wonderful Life or an upcoming blockbuster like Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Refreshments and the food experience can be themed to match the chosen film. Prices start from £70.00pp+VAT (based on 200 guests) and a dedicated team will be on hand to help plan every element of the evening, BAFTA 195 is the ideal destination for a show-stopping Christmas event.

Christmas is coming to 2015 Venue Showcase

 

***
Friday 18th September
8:30 – 11:30am
{10-11} Carlton House Terrace, London
***

If you still haven’t sorted your mince pies from your figgy pudding then The Westminster Collection’s Christmas themed Venue Showcase is exactly where you need to be. With just a few days to go before Santa arrives for a sneak preview at {10-11} Carlton House Terrace, there is still time to register and everyone who organises events, meetings, parties and dinners is welcome to attend.

Let The Westminster Collection (TWC) take the hard work out of sourcing venues and discover concert halls, indulgent ballrooms, underground crypts, urban warehouse-style spaces, theatrical and themed Christmas banquets, quirky townhouses and ornately decorated societies, exclusive screening rooms, magical diners aboard a ship, riverside terraces and private member clubs. TWC has more than 35 central London venues with the perfect spaces for every occasion.

Fill your boots with dozens of exclusive promotions and incentives, then visit Santa’s grotto to make a Christmas wish in exchange for a gift. Prizes include:

2 tickets to Christmas Carols at the Royal Albert Hall on 19 Dec
Afternoon tea for 2 at the exclusive Army & Navy Club
Tickets to a night of soulful jazz in the underground Crypt at St Martin-in-the-Fields
Dinner for 2 at Art Deco styled private members haunt, The Lansdowne Club
Lunch in the Faraday Centre at the newly refurbished IET Venues: Savoy Place

This is a must-attend event if you’re looking to book Christmas and New Year parties and drinks receptions, wanting last-minute offers, or forward planning for conferences, product launches, fashion shows, awards dinners, concerts and more, so register to attend and get on TWC’s nice list this year.

Register for free at http://bit.ly/1XLuwLN and follow @Venues_Wminster #getxmaslicked for updates.

Christmas party planning tips to banish bad weather blues

Quick! It’s raining and dreary. Push cocktails and sun-soaked evening barbeques to the back of your mind and seize this miserable introduction to AW15 to start daydreaming about the most epic of Christmas parties, before everyone else does.

You’ve got to get in there quickly if you want a bite at the best London venues for your end of year bash, because it’s rain-soaked days like this that kickstart the festive fantasies and see the clever office elves begin their quest to plan enticing, amazing parties. Believe it or not, many companies start planning their Christmas events as early as March! Luckily, we’ve pulled together some tips to help focus your mind and get you into the festive zone fast.

1) Lock in the date

If you’re organising a company bash, first things first, fix your date. If it’s a company party for your staff, assess availability and preferences by reviewing diary dates with key members of staff in your next team meeting. For teams scattered across different offices, you could do this by running a poll, using a scheduling tool such as Doodle. Simply circulate the link to participate via email and you’ll soon have a tally of the most popular date options. Having first, second and third date options pencilled down will widen your pool of possible venues.

2) Theme for the majority

Dictating how people should have fun can be a recipe for a festive flop. Be sure to conjure up a Christmas concept that works for your audience and get the formal versus informal balance right. Are they a ‘slap-up lunch down the pub’, fuss-free sort of crowd, or are they adventurous extroverts who’d shun anything less than a fancy dress theme, a red carpet entrance and cocktail-fuelled antics at a headline-grabbing venue?

Over-engineered itineraries may please some but horrify others, so while budget is a big factor in what’s possible, be careful to always plan your Christmas party with the majority of your target audience front of mind. What would they see as an end-of-year treat that says thank you for their hard work? An opportunity to dress up and attend a glitzy, themed party with other companies at a unique London venue? A corporate away-day featuring interactive team building activities and a sit-down meal? Or maybe a private hire-out of a pub or bar, with self-service buffet, for all staff and their partners?

Creating an event that’s unique and memorable just requires a little imagination and a good knowledge of your audience. Just be sure to consider the after effects of a free-flowing bar and the impact on productivity the next day if you choose a week night!

3) Kill 37 birds with one stone!

Why spend hours trawling Google using every search term under the sun when you could save huge amounts of time with a free venue finding service like The Westminster Collection? If you know you want a central London venue, you know the style of event you’re looking to achieve, you’ve got your proposed dates, and you’re open to recommendations, this free venue finding service can slice through the noise and deliver you up to 37 options of venues, ranging from luxury hotels and private members clubs, to river boats, quirky Grade I and II listed venues, iconic tourist attractions, museums and trendy restaurants.

These venues offer their own unique, off-the-shelf packages such as shared party nights, exclusive hire deals and Christmas lunch or dinner deals, or more bespoke planning services. A service like The Westminster Collection really can make your party planning pain free. Why not come along to our free venue showcase on Friday 18 September for some festive venue inspiration?

4) Don’t skimp on the food or drink

Nothing says ‘we value you’ more than an indulgent spread of festive food. Work with your venue caterer to plan the very best menu your budget will buy, whether it’s a sit-down meal, a drinks reception with canapés, or a self-service buffet. Let your venue help you make clever choices and advise on the most practical types of food for sociable party settings. Avoiding smelly foods will help out people’s networking efforts, as will lighter choices for the folks who’d like to avoid an impending food coma and uncomfortable bloat in their party frocks.

Set menus offering three choices of starter, main and dessert can help your guests pace themselves responsibly, as well as being budget friendly for you, the organiser. Keep the bar well stocked too and ensure people have access to adequate top-ups of alcohol and free-flowing soft drinks to keep them quenched and in the party mood through to the end of the night. There’s nothing worse than a bar running dry to kill the vibe and see the DJ left rocking the dancefloor on his lonesome!


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