Lights, camera, action at One Great George Street

One Great George Street has added to its filming credentials as it was chosen as the location for upcoming film War Machine – a satire of America’s war with Afghanistan.

The American comedy war film, which is directed and written by David Michôd, is based on the non-fiction book ‘The Operators’ by Michael Hastings and features Brad Pitt.

War Machine’s Location Manager Tony Hood shares his experience of working with One Great George Street’s Special Events Team: “There are a number of stunning rooms within the building but what really sets the venue apart is the helpful nature of the event staff who have everything covered. It is unusual in Central London to find a single location that has such an extensive range of film-worthy spaces, and additionally the room to house the various elements of the production to allow us to shoot out the scenes quickly and efficiently.”

War Machine follows hot on the heels of the current BBC thriller series, The Night Manager, which was also filmed at One Great George Street.

To find out more please visit http://oggsvenue.com/

Welcome Regent’s Conferences & Events

The Westminster Collection is proud to introduce our newest member venue Regent’s Conferences & Events.

Just a few short minutes from Baker Street Station and located within 11 acres of private grounds in Regent’s Park, the venue offers capacities of up to 370 for conferences as well as vast opportunities for outdoor events such as team building or barbeques.

Chairman of the collection Robin Parker commented on the new member venue: “We are delighted to welcome Regent’s Conferences & Events to our collection and look forward to involving them in all our activities. We are in the middle of a really exciting period for the collection and it is the perfect time for our new member to immerse themselves in everything we have coming up. To welcome a venue with such impressive outdoor space is fantastic and I know they will be a real asset to the collection.”

If you are reading this on behalf of a Westminster venue and are interested in becoming part of the collection please contact [email protected]

BAFTA 195 Piccadilly shows you how to bring Hollywood glitz to your next dinner party

With the 2016 EE British Academy Film Awards ceremony fast approaching, BAFTA 195 Piccadilly Head Chef Anton Manganaro has been hard at work designing a menu of mouth-watering canapés to feed the A-list guests assembled for the big night.

This year’s ceremony will see guests wowed by the following quartet of show-stopping canapés: Smoked Lincolnshire Poacher puff with chicken and apple salad, spicy tomato pickle and crispy skin; Loch Duart beetroot cured salmon, rye cracker, bergamot and dill mayonnaise; Lincolnshire hot smoked trout on Tattie scones with crème fraiche and lemon caviar; Crispy dark rye with pickled golden beetroot, pear gel and cranberry granola (vegan friendly).

Happily for those without a ticket to the event on 14 February 2016, Anton has adapted his canapé menu specially for preparing at home. These new recipes are straightforward to follow, allowing you to bring a flourish of Hollywood glitz to your next dinner party. Find them on the 195 Piccadilly website.

Cowdray Hall at 20 Cavendish Square welcomes major fashion house showcases

With London Fashion Week kicking off this month, there is a definite sense of style in the air and 20 Cavendish Square’s newly refurbished Cowdray Hall has captured the attention of the fashion world with such big names as Ralph Lauren, L.K Bennett and Two Danes showcasing their collections at the venue.

Cowdray Hall is an elegant yet flexible space with high ceilings ideal to design a spectacular catwalk or presentation. Alongside it the Council Room has a rich decoration of dark wood panelling, carved pilasters and a beautiful glass domed ceiling, making it an impressive backdrop for a showroom or photoshoot.

Exciting times lie ahead for the venue as London Fashion Week takes off towards the end of this month. For more information please check the venue’s new Fashion at 20 Cavendish Square page.

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].

Breakfast, Buses and Bond: Covent Garden museums host private tour

Event buyers and fellow TWC members were treated to not one but two venue show-rounds on Tuesday 26th January as neighbouring venues London Transport Museum (LTM) and London Film Museum (LFM) welcomed them to their breakfast showcase.

Attendees were given the unique opportunity to take in the museums’ interactive exhibitions like the LTM’s tube driver simulator almost exclusively, as the event took place outside the venues’ normal opening hours.

Showcasing the versatility of their event spaces, both venues were on hand to answer any questions and highlight the opportunities available for corporate and private hire.

Callum Stott, events coordinator at the Royal Television Society, attended the event and said ‘the event was very informative and it was a pleasure to view the events spaces.’ The showcase was also attended by event buyers and planners from companies such as Film London, Bureau van Dijk and Boo Events.

The Westminster Collection and its members are gearing up for another great year. To keep up to date with the latest events and news subscribe to our newsletter here.

Covent Garden’s most exciting venues announce breakfast showcase

On 26 January 2016, London Transport Museum and London Film Museum are joining forces to present a morning of discovery for curious event planners interested in booking these iconic visitor attractions for future corporate and private events. The two-part breakfast showcase is open to all professional event planners and agencies.

LTM
After completion of a two-year £22.4 million investment and redevelopment project, London Transport Museum offers a modern and dramatic venue for a wide range of events. Located in the heart of Covent Garden under the glass roof and cast iron pillars of the Victorian Flower Market, the original features of this stunning Grade II listed building create an ornate backdrop for the Museum’s contemporary galleries.

The Museum galleries provide a spectacular backdrop for evening receptions and dinner parties, mixing old and new with dynamic displays of iconic posters, vintage vehicles and interactive displays that entertain all evening. Watch in awe as stunning projections of colour and light reveal the complexity of London’s transport networks.

Use the giant central screen to project your own imagery and branding and wow guests upon arrival with themed cocktails such as the Routemaster, Metropolitan Mixture or the Anorak. Enjoy delicious and contemporary style dishes, complimented by discreet, personal service. Then bid your guests farewell with a stylish gift from the Museum shop – the perfect memento of a fabulous event.

The Museum galleries can hold up to 500 people for a drinks reception or 180 people for a seated dinner. Your guests will arrive via the impressive multimedia World Cities Gallery and will have access to the entire Museum.

LFM
Across Covent Garden’s cobblestone Piazza is London Film Museum, currently home to Bond in Motion and a new display called The Cars of SPECTRE, the first UK exhibition of vehicles, props, models and costumes from the latest film release, including amongst others James Bond’s Aston Martin DB10, villain Hinx’s Stunt Jaguar C-X75 and Franz Oberhauser’s Rolls Royce Wraith.

The stunning 15,000 square foot exhibition space, which sits in Covent Garden’s former Flower Cellars, gives clients the opportunity to host a variety of fantastic events surrounded by Bond’s best sidekicks, his cars.

The space is available for exclusive hire with full-day museum closure possible. Inside, the team can cater for any event up to 450 guests and with two entrances on Wellington Street and Covent Garden’s Piazza, the London Film Museum is the ultimate destination for a unique event.

The professional and experienced events team can produce large scale events effortlessly and is on hand to work closely with clients from start to finish, offering advice on everything from catering and lighting to visual effects and staffing.

LFM entrance
London Film Museum is the perfect ‘wow factor’ event destination for spectacular product launches, exhibitions, awards and film premieres, through to more intimate private events like cocktail parties.

The morning showcase event, taking place from 08:30 – 10:00am on Tuesday 26 January, is exclusively reserved for event planners and event agencies. To request your invitation to attend, please email [email protected]. Please note that places will be allocated subject to qualifying criteria.

Christmas is coming to 2015 Venue Showcase

 

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Friday 18th September
8:30 – 11:30am
{10-11} Carlton House Terrace, London
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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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Christmas parties unwrapped
Get Christmas Licked! Venue Showcase

Christmas parties unwrapped

Deck the halls, hang your stockings and mull the wine because Christmas 2015 is on its way and no doubt Father Christmas has already set his elves to work. If you are yet to wrap-up your Christmas plans don’t panic, there is still a sleigh-full of options to make your Christmas party sparkle and we have rounded them up into one easy parcel.

If all-out themes and wall-to-wall sparkle is what you are after then 8 Northumberland Avenue, QEII Centre and No.11 Cavendish Square should be at the top of your list.

Less than 60 seconds away from Trafalgar Square and steeped in Victorian History, 8 Northumberland Avenue is going all out for Christmas 2015 with not one but two themes. They are transforming their Ballroom into a Great Gatsby inspired Vintage Affair and their Old Billiard Room and Annex will be covered in Christmas Market loveliness for A Winter’s Avenue. Seated lunches start from £95pp + VAT and dinner packages from £110 + VAT.

QEII Centre presents Christmas at the OscarsNot to be outdone, QEII Centre is offering up the ultimate A list party for Christmas at the Oscars. Feel like a superstar at one of London’s most iconic conference venues and walk the red carpet into your Christmas event. A stand up buffet starts from £43pp + VAT and packages include a photographer to act as your personal paparazzi for the night meaning you will really celebrate Christmas in style.

Christmas at No.11 Cavendish SquareNo.11 Cavendish Square is transforming into an authentic Ski Lodge this Christmas complete with burning log fire, antlers and wooden decorations. Feel like you are right in the heart of the Alps as No.11 Cavendish Square has every aspect covered from gazing at the Northern Lights to enjoying an exquisite dinner in the Glass House. Packages include exclusive room hire, unlimited beer, wine and soft drinks and a DJ and start from £110pp+ VAT for groups of up to 300.

For the more traditional amongst you there are plenty of venues keeping it simple with their Christmas offerings. At One Great George Street their ‘One Great Christmas’ will be filled with all the best of Christmas tradition including crackers and mulled wine as well as canapés and three-course meal packages. Packages are available from 28th November to 22nd December 2015 and start from £44.50pp + VAT.

From festive afternoon teas to champagne receptions and decadent five-course meals, The Athenaeum Hotel, conveniently located just nine minutes’ walk from Buckingham Palace, is serving up everything a traditional Christmas in the city needs. Available from Monday 16th to Thursday 31st December from £45pp their menus include roast turkey with all the trimmings and Christmas pudding with Brandy sauce.

Army & Navy Club Library RoomTradition and military history go hand in hand and at the Army and Navy Club you are guaranteed to enjoy your Christmas party enveloped in British history dating back to 1837. The club, situated in London’s Mayfair, was first opened by Queen Victoria and is now one of the city’s most distinguished private members clubs. Christmas dinner packages start from £75pp and include a welcome drink, three-course meal, coffee and mince pies.

Blueboar Christmas lunchConrad 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.

If a traditional Christmas doesn’t quite light up your tree then why not try something a little more unique this year?

The centre of the British film industry and home to some iconic pieces of motion picture history, BAFTA 195 Piccadilly guarantees to throw you a star-sprinkled bash complete with red carpet, really giving your event the A-list edge. Booking an event with BAFTA comes complete with your very own alchemist to conjure up a personalised cocktail for the evening and packages start from £120pp + VAT for minimum numbers of 80.

hqs wellingtonAlso offering something a little more unusual is HQS Wellington. Step off dry land onto the iconic River Thames and soak up the stunning views of the South Bank and the London Eye while enjoying a Christmas party to remember. The ship is offering the complete package from welcome drinks of mulled wine to a three-course festive dinner before dancing the night away with music provided by a top DJ.

The festive season is a great time to take advantage of offers and 2015 is no exception. London Film Museum is not only home to 100 exhibit items that include vehicles, models, original production art, props and vintage memorabilia that span over 50 years of James Bond history, they are also offering 20% off venue hire for all Westminster Collection clients. The offer is valid on all parties booked before 20th September 2015 and with the latest in the Bond franchise hitting cinemas in November it is the perfect way to celebrate Christmas in style.

St James Theatre scallopsSt. James Theatre is a unique, award-winning arts complex in central London less than five minutes away from Victoria Station. The theatre prides itself on providing a cultural and theatrical platform for shows and productions with plans to conquer the West End. The venue has a capacity for 120 cabaret style and this Christmas they are offering a free glass of prosecco per person for all group bookings of eight or more confirmed by 30th September, because Christmas isn’t Christmas without a little fizz.

Also offering some seasonal savings is Victory Services Club. Set in the heart of London just five minutes’ walk away from Marble Arch, the club has seven versatile meeting rooms and is accredited with a gold award by the Meetings Industry Association guaranteeing quality of service. Exclusive to The Westminster Collection event bookers, Victory Services Club is offering 10% discount on any Christmas party booking, plus a complimentary glass of prosecco on arrival for all bookings made by 16th October.

So whether it’s all the glitz and glamour you can lay your hands on or a quiet traditional Christmas meal in a historical setting that will make your Christmas events wish come true, Westminster has every taste and preference covered to celebrate in style for 2015. Explore now and if you want to enquire at all 30+ venues from our collection, you can do this with one simple form here.

We’re also hosting a special Christmas themed venue showcase this 18th September at {10-11} Carlton House Terrace. Find your perfect Christmas or New Year party destination, or fuel your planning for conferences, fashions shows, awards dinners and more, with a showcase of Westminster’s finest venues, complete with exclusive offers, arts and crafts, competitions and giveaways. It’s free to register. Simply click here.