There is no shortage of high-quality London conference venues in the capital, but choosing the right one to suit the metrics of your event will play a big role in ensuring everything goes smoothly. From making sure it is accessible, to ensure it is the right style of venue that can be enjoyed by attendees, by putting in the research you’ll be rewarded with an event to remember.
With so much on offer in the capital, it can be difficult to know where to start. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the 10 best conference and exhibition venues in London to help you find the right one to suit your organisation.
Want to see how they stack up against each other in our infographic? Click here: Top Trumps London Conference Venues.
Top London Conference & Exhibition Venues
We spent our spare time researching and trawling through hundreds of venues to identify what we think are the best venues for conferences, exhibitions and other company events. To finalise our selection we used a specific list of criteria, that we know from experience, companies and organisations use to influence their venue decisions.
As each venue has its own pros and cons, depending heavily on the type of event you’re running, we haven’t ranked them in order!
Check out the cards we have made with each card showing what the venue has to offer!
1. Indigo at the 02
Situated in the iconic O2 arena in Greenwich, the Indigo is an impressively modern venue with a capacity of up to 2,717, making it perfect for large corporate events. There are four event halls in all, totalling a huge 6458ft of event space – the largest of which allows as many as 1,500 people to stand, with onsite AV support available.
There are 8 four-star hotels located within a two-mile radius. While there is no onsite catering there are also no restrictions on using hiring external providers. North Greenwich Station (Jubilee Line) is found within a one-mile radius.
While the lack of catering and transport options may prove restrictive to some, the slick interior design, impressive AV capabilities and nearby accommodation options make this one of the best modern conference venues in the capital.
2. Battersea Evolution
Event organisers looking for impressively large conference venues should definitely consider Battersea Evolution. Not only is it situated in the heart of the capital but this modern venue can hold anywhere from 2,000 seated up to 4,000 standing. Although it is a single hall (totalling 5650m2) it can be divided to suit and also comes with onsite catering and cutting-edge AV support.
There’s a good number of four-star hotels on-hand and as many as three tube stations nearby, with the central location making it easy to reach for larger crowds.
Battersea Evolution is more suited to companies with larger budgets, as the starting price is quite high and the grand design means it is not designed for small intimate affairs.
Also Check: Virtual Events in UK
3. Twickenham Stadium
There’s good diversity on offer at Twickenham Stadium, with the opportunity to host dinner for a couple of invitees right up to 1,200 standing. In total there are 15 different event halls available to hire, totalling over 7,000 sq ft of space. Boardrooms are available for up to 60 people, while dining options allow for 900 guests to be comfortably seated.
The venue also benefits greatly from having an onsite 4-star Marriott Hotel that hosts 156 bedrooms and 2,000 complimentary parking spaces. There is an additional 4-star Holiday Inn also located nearby.
Getting to and from Twickenham is straightforward thanks to three local tube stations, while AV support is provided and you can choose between using your own catering on that which is featured on site. Anyone looking for a top conference venue in London should have this high on their list.
4. Main Space, Roundhouse
With 13,993ft2 of space available for hire, the Main Space in the Roundhouse is one of the best conference venues for larger-scale events. It can accommodate up to 1,800 standing, or 950 seated for dinner and although no onsite catering is provided, there is no issue with providing your own. A slight let down is the lack of AV support, especially for such a contemporary venue.
Underground stations nearby include Camden Town and Chalk Farm, which are both on the northern line and easily accessible. There are three nearby hotels rated four stars, including a Holiday Inn and Marriot, giving flexible options to attendees.
5. Nine Kings Suite
The name alone is impressive enough and anyone looking for large conference venues for an award ceremony will have to work hard to find a better option than this. With a capacity of 1,680 for receptions and 1,200 for dining inside a single hall, this will suit large scale shows and evening events. 13,595 sq ft of space is available for use supported by onsite catering, although unfortunately no AV support is included.
This is a modern venue that can be adapted to suit the specific dynamics of your event. Getting there is easy, with three underground stations nearby, including Paddington and Bayswater in close vicinity, while five good quality hotels are located within a short distance.
6. Congress Centre
Located right at the heart of the capital, the Congress Centre services everything from small meetings and conferences to reasonably large events. As a top conference venue in London, it can accommodate seated events of up to 500 attendees, with a maximum of 850 for receptions and 75 for boardroom affairs.
There is one main event space that offers 4650ft of entertainment space, along with onsite catering options and AV equipment and support included in the packages.
Travel is taken care of due to proximity of Tottenham Court Road, Goodge Street and Covent Garden tube stations, while there is a cluster of 4-star hotels for attendees wishing to spend the night nearby.
7. Dock X London
Based in Canada Water close to the Thames, Dock X is regarded as one of the best conference venues in the capital as it offers something a little different in terms of aesthetics. Those looking for modern conference venues will be captivated by this site, as it benefits from ample natural lighting and high ceilings to create an impressive environment.
1,500 people can be invited for standing receptions, with numbers limited to 1,000 for dining events – making it ideal for large scale awards, presentations and ceremonies. The singular event space has 3168m2 on offer and packages also provide onsite catering options and AV equipment for use.
Canada Water underground, Surrey Quays DLR and Rotherhithe Overground are the nearby stations, and as it’s on the doorstep of Canary Wharf, attendees can take their pick from five nearby four-star hotels.
8. The Light
Even though the theatre layout of The Light can hold as many as 1,000 people, it has an intimate feel that suits more targeted and specialised events. When the seating is not in use, 250 people are able to stand in the space, or 168 in a cabaret setting, making it ideal for smaller, niche exhibitions and evening gatherings.
In total there are 4 event halls available for hire, offering a total of 4,305 sq ft, with onsite catering available and AV equipment included in the packages if needed.
Only a short distance away is King’s Cross Tube, St Pancras rail, Euston Underground and Overground and Warren Street. With up to seven 4-star hotels on hand, accommodation is also plentiful.
9. The Royal institution
In recent years this venue has been refurbished into one of the leading London conference venues while losing none of its illustrious allure. Since being built over 200 years ago it has remained at the heart of scientific education and research.
The Royal Institution is a wonderfully unique setting, ideal for small to medium-sized meetings, workshops, conferences and training sessions. It holds a maximum of 400 people in a theatre space of 2,530 sq ft, and its central location gives easy access to tube stations nearby such as Oxford Circus and Green Park.
Onsite catering is available for hire with full AV equipment and setup if added assistance is required. A good number of 4-star hotels can be booked a short distance away, including a Holiday Inn, The Chesterfield Mayfair and The Cavendish London.
10.The Royal Festival Hall
Event and exhibition venues in London do not come more iconic than the Royal Festival Hall in the Southbank Centre. The single event hall holds up to 2,500 people seated, covering as much as 4,306 sq ft. There is a traditional feel thanks to many of the original 1950s features still being in place, which are complemented by a modern-day stage and rig facilities.
Anyone looking to hold large award ceremonies, conferences, AGMs or even graduations would be well served booking this venue.
Waterloo’s tube and rail station nearby, as is Embankment and Lambert North. There is no onsite catering available and you will have to supply your own AV equipment as it is not included in the packages. Nearby 4-star hotels include Strand Palace, Park Plaza County Hall and Marlin Waterloo.
What is the best conference venue in London?
As we mentioned at the beginning, each venue will have its stronger areas and weaker areas, which are all dependent on the type of venue you plan on running in them. So to pick the best venue would be impossible.
All we can say is that with years of experience running events in some of these and other similar venues, this list is a great place to start your search if you’re part of an events team or even another conference management agency like us here at Purple Patch!
Find out more about our conference venue finding service.