12
Academic Venues
and complemented by a modern
retractable bleacher system. Drury
adds: “A large part of that work
was reinstating, as best we could,
the original art deco features and
colours in The Great Hall, QMUL.
We also installed a state of the art
sound and lighting rig and built a
new bar and foyer. It now boasts
one of the largest stages in
London and has developed a
reputation for great acoustics.”
Turning to the bigger picture,
Jennie Powell, head of events,
QMUL, says that the venue has
seen an increase in demand for
more avant garde event spaces.
She says, “We recently reviewed
the markets we target over the
past 18 months and have certainly
experienced a demand from those
seeking unique and unusual event
space – which is currently a big
market trend.
Academic venues
can book their
seats at the Awards
for £80+VAT by
contacting the
organisers directly
on 020 8481 1132
Suppliers can book
their seats at the
Awards for
£80+VAT by
contacting the
organisers directly
on 020 8481 1132
“We pay attention to changing
technology as we adapt our venue
and packages to meet the needs
of prospective clients. For
example, we offer live streaming of
sessions.”
How important are initiatives like
the Academic Venue Awards to the
wider events industry? Powell
explains: “It is important that
academic venues showcase
themselves to the widest possible
audience to demystify stereotypes
and show that the sector is
capable of rivalling, and in some
cases exceeding, the offers of
dedicated conference centres and
hotels.
“We feel it’s important to partner
with the Academic Venue Awards
to not only show the facilities and
service we as a venue can offer,
but also that of our competitors
and peers in the wider sector.
“As these are the first ever
awards, we felt it was important to
get them into our venue, it reflects
the growing changes in higher
education funding where
universities find themselves
competing for a smaller pot of
public money and seek to use their
facilities to draw in additional
income for reinvestment in the
wider university.”
Academic venues are mature
market participants, but in many
ways are they still stigmatised?
Powell says: “The Academic Venue
Awards provides an opportunity to
shout about academic venues,
their contribution to the hospitality
sector, and the amazing, unique
and unusual space they have to
offer.”
With the Academic Venue Awards
around the corner, now is the time
for the sector to stand out.
KENSINGTON | PADDINGTON | HAMMERSMITH
THE SMART VENUE CHOICE
With over 200 spaces in our central
London locations, Imperial is the smart
venue choice for your next event.
Spaces for 10 to 1,500 guests
Full event management service available
Use of in-house caterers
Suitable for meetings, conferences,
parties and more
Group accommodation available
020 7594 9494 | [email protected] |
@imperialvenues
imperialvenues.co.uk/conferences
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