How much do venues cost in London?
So you’ve been given the unenviable task of trying to find a suitable London venue for an event, you have a limited budget and you’re feeling somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer variety of choice, before even beginning to delve through the pricing packages you’ve been quoted.How do venues charge for hiring their facilities? What is included in their prices? Are package prices always the best option? Does the cost really represent good value for money or do you still need to shop around? Before you make your final decision, you’ll need to consider many things in terms of all the pricing packages out there. Also remember that any venue in Central London will cost more than a similar sized venue located just a little bit further out in a London suburb.Events by Knight continually source venues for London events. It’s our core business, central to all we do. We’ve built up an extensive database of reputable London based venues catering for all budgets, so we know who to call on when planning a specific event.However, we also recognise that there are many challenges to overcome when trying to determine venues cost in London, so we’ve put together a helpful guide to understanding how much venues in London cost together with an explanation of the terminology you’re likely to come across.
Meeting Rooms
These are generally priced either on a per hour basis or on a day delegate rate (a fixed rate per person). Day delegate rates include provision of certain items which pricing per hour may not, so you’ll have to talk through any quotation given you and be clear on the facilities offered. Day delegate rates could include for projectors, flip charts, stationery, lunch, tea and coffee breaks, bottled water, etc.Prices for meeting rooms in London will vary according to location and time of day, but the range will probably come in at anything between £20 and £150 per hour. Day delegate rates are typically between £50 and £90 per person, so you’ll have to calculate the number of attendees and then weigh up whether the extra amenities included do represent a cost saving.
Conference Rooms
London conference rooms can range in price from £300 for smaller spaces on a weekday evening to several thousands of pounds for state of the art Central London locations.Day delegate rates for London conference rooms average £30 to £60 per person, again dependent on location and event time.
Party Venues
The standard method of pricing for party venue hire in London is by a minimum spend. This isn’t a venue hire fee as such, but a minimum spend for refreshments / food (variable depending on venue, so do check this). For instance, if you’re throwing a party for 100 and the minimum spend is £1000, the cost per guest will be £10.Prices will obviously vary according to location and size of venue, but small private bar rooms in outer lying London districts could cost £200 whereas chic, corporate banqueting halls could escalate to £15000.Consider local church halls, sports club halls, etc who may look to rent out their premises for extra income. Contact details will usually be found on their websites.You could also consider party packages where venue hire, catering and perhaps entertainment is included in a per person spend. These typically cost between £40 and £100 per person.
Wedding Venues
Wedding venue hire can be priced on package per person, minimum spend, or hire fee basis, but the range of venue options is so varied that you’ll have to do some homework to decide your best options. Hire fees are based upon a per day or per hour rate but may not include furniture and equipment. You may need to only cover a hire fee ranging from as little as £500 up to thousands for more opulent venues, or alternatively meet a minimum spend on catering.To cover all options, consider an all-inclusive wedding package, which may vary between £45 and £90 per person, but again check exactly what is included in the price – think decor, floristry, entertainment, photography.When negotiating venues cost in London for any type of event it’s likely you’ll hear the term ‘dry hire’ mentioned. This simply means that venues are hired as ‘blank canvases,’ without any décor or equipment, so you’ll be responsible for bringing in all extras at your own cost. Depending on their size and location, Venues cost in London for dry hire venues typically cost in the region of £300 to £600 per day, so this may prove to be a cheaper option. The major benefit with dry hire is that you can control costs and design a totally bespoke event.There’s a lot to bear in mind when researching venues cost in London, and probably the scarcest resource you’ll have is time. Venues book up quickly, especially at busy times of year. So why not let Events by Knight, event production specialists, take over the reins? We have access to venues across London which you may not have considered and we can negotiate favourable terms and conditions with management as well as external suppliers.We’ll listen to your ideas and thoughts, and then design, plan, prepare and manage your event from start to finish. We do the hard work so you don’t have to.
Get In Contact
Need some help with your event planning? Not sure where to start? Get in touch with our dedicated team who will be able to chat things over with you.
Email: info@eventsbyknight.co.uk or call +44(0)20 130 4040