If you are inviting attendees to a meeting in Britain, why host them in a bland venue that could be anywhere? How about holding your keynote in the oak-paneled hall where Sir Winston Churchill gave speeches during the WWII, and then hosting an evening cocktail reception in the Cloisters where the kings and queens of England prayed before coronation?
Church House, built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Jubilee in 1887, and Westminster Abbey, site of every British monarch’s coronation since 1066, have joined forces to make it easier to find appropriate meeting and event space in the historic center of London. Located steps from the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the two iconic properties form a unique meeting complex linked by Dean’s Yard, a private green secluded from the rest of the city.
Church House, rebuilt during the 1930s, was used by the British Parliament during WWII. Churchill announced the sinking of the battleship Bismarck in Hoare Memorial Hall. The art deco building now has state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, including 4K projection, and six conference rooms that can host between 100 and 664 attendees for presentations. There are also 10 rooms that can host between 25 and 50 attendees for breakouts or board meetings.
The 1,000-year-old Abbey has meeting packages that include tours of Poet’s Corner, where British writers from Chaucer to Dickens are interred, and the nave, including the monument to Sir Isaac Newton and his grave. Meeting space includes the Cloisters, (400 guests for a reception, 160 for dinner), the Chapter House (up to 120 guests can be hosted for a reception under the stained glass windows), the Cellarium (120 guests for a reception and 80 for dinner), and the Cellarium Terrace, a covered space with private outdoor access (60 for a reception and 40 for dinner). Cheyneygates, the birthplace of King Edward V, is adjacent to the Cloisters and can be used for additional dining space.
The new partnership between the two venues aims to make it easier to accommodate groups in search of both modern and medieval conference and event space in one unique location.
