25 March: Barbican is launching a new boardroom hire initiative, which it says will revitalise the way small meetings are organised.
Recognising that the format of meetings is changing, and that clients frequently need a fully equipped, ready-made meeting space at short notice, from summer 2013 Barbican will offer its Boardroom for hire as a pre-packaged commodity, which can be hired without booking in advance.
Available 7 days a week, the Boardroom is a fully furnished meeting space with interactive walls, top quality AV equipment, beverage facilities and a dedicated reception area.
Barbican believes this new method of hiring the venue will offer people attending meetings in the city greater flexibility, and provides the foundation for how meetings will be arranged in future.
Anthony Hyde, general manager, Barbican Business Events, says: “Barbican found that there was a significant gap in the market for meetings being held in the City. Many people want space in which to conduct business at the last minute but don’t know where to go. The thinking behind the initiative is to provide companies and organisations with an extension to their office. Theoretically, people wishing to use the space can just show up and if it is available use it then and there for an hour, half or full day. The Boardroom can be booked as late as the day of the meeting. The current Boardroom has been redesigned to provide a place to harness creativity and discussion. With both digital and interactive facilities available, the Boardroom has the capability to be used for a variety of meeting types.”
On a business level, the initiative will allow the Barbican to significantly boost occupancy levels in the Boardroom as it becomes a more manageable space with huge client appeal.
Barbican is Europe’s largest combined conference and arts venue. Located in The City of London, it is capable of holding meetings from 10-2,000 delegates in its fully equipped concert hall, theatres, conference suites and boardrooms. Barbican Business Events brings together the venues expertise in the arts and corporate meetings.
Built as part of London’s Barbican development 30 years ago and officially opened in March 1982 by HM Queen Elizabeth, unlike many other venues, Barbican was specifically built with the dual purpose of holding conferences and arts events presenting a diverse range of art, music, theatre, dance, film and creative learning events.
