London Venues & Meeting Planning Guide | Cvent Destination Guide

London Meeting Planning

London Skyline

An ultimate event spot for decades, London has hosted such grand spectacles as Le Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2007, the 2007 Live Earth concert, and the1908 and 1948 Summer Olympics, as well as various annual events such as the London Film Festival and Great British Beer Festival. In 2012 the city breaks a hosting record, as it will be the first city in the world to host the Summer Olympics three times.

Planners can take advantage of the numerous upgrades and additions taking place in the city in preparation for the games, as well as reap the benefits of recently-created venues during and after the event. Construction on Olympic Park, the focus of the games, began in May 2008 with the start of construction of the Olympic Stadium. After the games, this newly-restored area will be the largest urban park to be created in Europe in more than 150 years. Sure to be an ideal unique event venue, the park's selection of over 100,000 hotel rooms will also expand as new four- and five-star accommodations are built in preparation for the games. Also in the works, London's transportation network will undergo about £7 billion of upgrades and expansions, including a new Docklands Light Rail line and London Underground improvements such as a new signaling system on the Jubilee line that will improve train frequency.

Even before the transportation upgrades, guests will have no problems getting around this well-connected metropolis, whether it's a taxi to the convention center or the subway to a cocktail reception. The London Underground is the world's largest underground subway system, offering fast transport to just about any stop in the city, while 6,500 buses, the Overground rail network and the Docklands Light Rail are equally viable options. Extremely amenable to international travelers, London boasts an impressive five airports including London Heathrow, the busiest airport in Europe with over 67 million passengers a year.

London's pumping nightlife and dining scene lends itself well to private events that tempt guests to break out of the boardroom. Host a lavish reception for up to 70 guests among the hand-strung pearl adornments at Pearl Restaurant and Bar in High Holborn. Moroccan and North African influenced décor creates a sumptuous setting for groups of up to 140 guests at Kenza. No. 5 Cavendish Square, with three bars, a restaurant, a roof terrace and eight boutique hotel suites, can certainly accommodate events of any type or size. Its ground floor, complete with an outdoor terrace, is a lively venue for up to 180 people.

Cultural venues are also sure to give guests the feeling of a true London experience. The prestigious Tate Modern has spaces for private events, including its restaurant capable of accommodating up to 350 guests, while the Royal Academy of Arts is available for events of up to 800 people. Give any meeting an exotic backdrop by hosting it at the recently renovated Blackburn Pavilion at the London Zoo, or opt for a formal yet still breathtaking atmosphere at one of several event facilities at Kew Gardens.

ExCeL Exhibition Centre

Certainly traditional event centers have a place among such attractions, as London boasts several conference and exhibition centers. Opened in 2000, the 90,000-square-meter ExCeL Exhibition Centre has hosted over 1,500 events. The Business Design Centre, based on Upper Street in Islington, boasts an impressive main exhibition hall of 6,000 square meters. The venue welcomes over 80 exhibitions and 250 conferences annually, and after careful and detailed restoration, it lays claim to being the first all-in-one trade, exhibition and conference complex in the United Kingdom.

With its views of the Tate Modern, Globe Theatre and Millennium Bridge, the Mermaid Conference & Events Centre boasts a stunning backdrop and uniquely modern lighting and décor, not to mention a prestigious guest list that has included KPMG, BBC, the Labour Party and Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Invite up to 600 guests to presentations in its spacious auditorium, or opt for an intimate dinner for 100 to 170 in its Blackfriars or River rooms. For a venue with a more traditional look, Alexandra Palace, opened at the end of the 19th century and based within 196 acres of parkland that overlooks London, is a timeless venue for large groups to enjoy exhibitions, conferences and ceremonies, as its Great Hall accommodates 2,500 to 7,250 guests. Or, the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster has four large auditoriums and seven conference rooms that host up to 400 meetings annually.

London is home to some of the most high profile companies in the world in all sectors from banking and finance to media and advertising. The London Stock Exchange is also a major pull for the thousands of businessmen who work in the heart of the city in Canary Wharf. Major companies including JP Morgan, Ernst and Young, Barclays Capital, CitiGroup, Credit Suisse, Bank of America and Clifford Chance are in London. Various news and media companies including Reuters and BBC are also based in the city.

About London / Additional Info

Westminster Abbey

Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace. Westminster Abbey. Trafalgar Square. The Tate Modern. Wembley Stadium. From historic to modern, iconic to up-and-coming, cultural to recreational, the attractions in London have made the city one of the leading tourist destinations in the world, enticing an estimated 52 million visitors in 2007. From world-changing events such as the English Renaissance, Industrial Revolution and English Reformation, London has and continues to make waves as a center for culture, politics and commerce, envied by cities across the globe that continuously strive to emulate its iconic style.

Between 1831 and 1925, the city's population skyrocketed, greatly due to its expanding railways and rapid industrialization, to become the world's largest. Though it no longer holds this title, Greater London is home to over seven million people, with a total of more than 13 million people residing in the metropolitan area. At 1,577 square kilometers, London is the 37th largest urban area in the world, defined most notably in its geography by the Thames River, which runs across the city from the southwest to the east.

Tower of London

Walking the streets of London, guests will experience a diverse range of architectural styles, though most buildings trace their roots to the Edwardian or Victorian periods. From red bricks to stucco to limestone, the face of London is an attractive mix of traditions with modern twists. Many of its traditional landmarks, from
St. Paul's Cathedral
St. Paul's Cathedral to the Tower of London, however, still dominate the skyline, due to strict regulations on building heights.

Just as its architecture is a mélange of styles, the city itself is a verified mixing pot of cultures and ethnicities. One of the most cosmopolitan capitals in the world, London can claim that over 300 languages are spoken in the city. About 31 percent of the population is foreign-born, with residents hailing from India, Pakistan, Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria, Brazil, Australia and Germany, among many others. This eclectic set of Londoners may call one of 32 boroughs home, from the main entertainment and shopping district of West End to the up-and-coming financial and commercial hub of the Docklands area.

With its long-storied past, it's no surprise that London boasts a dizzying array of cultural attractions. Watch the popular Changing of the Guards held throughout the year at Buckingham Palace. Stroll the 487 acres of Regent's Park, making stops at the indoor and outdoor activity center "The Hub" and the Queen Mary's Rose Garden. Or, take the entire city in from the views atop the 135-meter-tall London Eye. So as not to risk missing a single hotspot, attraction or landmark, guests can grab a seat on the Original Tour's iconic red double-decker buses, which make stops at over 90 locations within the city.

Over the years London has loosened its collar and today a vibrant nightlife and dining scene complement the traditional historic and cultural attractions. Guests can indulge in some traditional fare, such as the classic "Fish and Chips," deep fried fish with French fries dressed in malt vinegar, or one of many pies or puddings from steak and kidney to Shepards', a minced lamb, vegetable and mashed potato pie. Stop by Rules, the oldest restaurant in the capital, to savor some of these traditional favorites. True to its diverse population, London also boasts a wide range of international fare - from Lebanese at Al Waha, Ethiopian at Lalibela, Japanese at Ubon to Turkish at Gallipoli. Guests can also leave it to the experts, opting to stop by one of the several recipients of Michelin stars, the oldest and best-known restaurant guide rating in Europe, such as Pied à Terre, Wild Honey, La Trompette and Hibiscus.