Claire Fennelow, Executive Director of EVCOM, urges the industry to take advantage of the UK’s historic venues.
Every year we hold a 120-person lunch at the House of Lords in the centre of London. We invite guests to the Cholmondeley Room and Terrace, which overlooks the River Thames, to announce our Fellows for the year and to hear from each of them after they receive their trophy. There’s a three-course lunch and prosecco on arrival, but the draw for our attendees is always the venue itself.
It piques curiosity, the idea of walking amongst all that history.
The UK is full of historic venues like these, which can offer a unique flavour to any event and elevate it from a dinner to an occasion. In a world where attendees step into a space and take a photo, check-in via social media on arrival to spaces and add locations to their Instagram posts, aesthetic and location matter when it comes to venue choices.
It’s undeniable that attendees love what historic venues have to offer, whether that’s the heritage of somewhere like the House of Lords, the uniqueness of somewhere like Gwrych Castle or the majesty of Scone Palace in Scotland. But for all the scale of spaces like these, the key is often in the detail. The House of Lords, for example, offer gold crested place cards and invitations, menus in swirling font bound in red and gold, chocolates that accompany the coffee and have the gold crest delicately painted onto their tops.
So even if you are going for grandeur, don’t forget to pay attention to the small things too. Combine the two, and you’ll have a special event for your attendees.
Evcom.org.uk