London tops the list of the 25 best meeting destinations in Europe, hosting hundreds of conferences, congresses, and professional events every year. The city’s venues cater to every industry sector and accommodate meetings of all sizes, from meeting rooms for small gatherings to large venues capable of accommodating thousands of delegates. Among all this choice, we highlight some of the most innovative and unique meeting spaces in London.
1. Plexal
Plexal is an innovation centre and workspace built in 2017 to provide space for the development of cutting-edge ideas. The building is often chosen for hackathon’s, tech events, and meetups for the creative and tech sectors. Meeting space is suitable for events of up to 300 people, and stands out for the quality of its dedicated event technology. Cutting edge equipment like 3D printers come as a standard, as do large projection screens and monitors and bespoke lighting.
Another way in which Plexal stands out from other meeting venues is its indoor park. This unique space has been specifically created to host informal events, but can also double as a breakout area. Sitting is arranged in bleachers, loungers, deck chairs, even bean bags.
How to get there: Plexal is located in East London, right in the heart of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. A free shuttle bus connects Stratford station and the venue every 5 minutes. The site is also half a mile from Hackney Wick overground station, a couple of minutes away from the A12 road, and under 20 minutes to London City airport.
2. Skyloft
Sitting atop the 28th floor of Millbank Tower is one of London’s most unique meeting venues. Skyloft combines location, concept, and panoramic views, offering flexible meeting space in a former warehouse that has been renovated using reclaimed materials. The venue is mainly used for corporate events and has a capacity of up to 350 seated guests. An on-site team takes care of all audiovisual requirements, catering, and venue configuration.
How to get there: Skyloft has a central location in Westminster, steps away from Millbank Millennium pier. The nearest underground station is Pimlico (half a mile away, on the Victoria Line) and Victoria railway station is approximately a mile north.
3. Rocketspace
Rocketspace defines itself as a curated tech community whose physical spaces are equipped with everything needed for innovative startups to thrive and succeed. In addition to workspace, Rocketspace is also known for being one of London’s most in-demand meeting venues. Here you can expect to find state-of-the-art meeting technology, like a large 4k video wall and full AV systems. In addition to its main venue (which has capacity for 100 people), Rocketspace can accommodate smaller meetings in other dedicated rooms, pods, and boardrooms. Outdoor space event is also available.
How to get there: Rocketspace is situated in Islington, steps away from Angel station (Northern line), which has direct services to King’s Cross St Pancras, Euston, and Waterloo. The venue sits on the A1, offering easy access in and out of the city.
4. Battersea Evolution
The Battersea / Nine Elms area is undergoing redevelopment and is set to become one of London’s top business destinations. Located right in the heart of Battersea Park, Battersea Evolution is everything but a conventional meeting space. The venue is built around core concepts like functionality, versatility, and personalisation, and is one of the very few fully customisable meeting spaces in the city. All its technical features are developed to the highest standards, and include LED lighting throughout (including an eye-catching LED starcloth roof), event-specific WiFi networks, people counting monitoring cameras, and payment processing technology. At over 5,600 square metres, Battersea Evolution can accommodate up to 4,000 attendees in both indoor and outdoor spaces.
How to get there: Battersea Evolution enjoys excellent transportation links that include underground, overground, rail, buses, and even river boat via the Thames Clipper. The nearest commuter rail station is Battersea Park, located a 10-minute walk from the venue. Underground services are a mile away in Sloane Square station (on both the Circle and District lines).
Sources:
(1) https://www.cvent.com/uk/marketing/event-venue-supplier-network/top-25/2018-top-destinations-europe.php
(2) https://www.plexal.com/host-your-event-at-plexal/
(3) https://www.altitudelondon.com/london-venues/sky-loft/
(4) https://www.rocketspace.com/host/london-events
(5) https://www.smartgroupltd.co.uk/venues/battersea-evolution/