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Award Ceremony Venues in London

Find and book the best venue for an awards ceremony in London

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Below you will find our hand-picked selection of award ceremony venues that are currently available for hire in London. Amongst them, you can expect to find a vast range of different spaces, with venues suited to everything from impressive charity dinners to an end of year AGM, and from annual music award ceremonies to formal awards dinners: no matter the subject of the ceremony or the desired style and ambience you wish to bring to the occasion, we have the right venue for you. Our venues include some of the most prestigious award ceremony spaces that the capital has to offer, taken from the length and breadth of the city and helping you on your way to planning an unforgettable occasion for all, whether it be a one-off or a yearly event.

Top Tips for Organising your Venue for an Awards Ceremony to Remember

The red carpet has been rolled out and the guests are starting to arrive. The paparazzi are shouting, and flashes go off from all directions…. Or maybe not. If your organisation is hosting an awards ceremony, it’s likely to look a little different from the Oscars. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t be just as enjoyable, if it’s done right.

 

Budget


Before you get ahead of yourself with dreams of flashing lights and red carpet, make sure that you know what your budget is. As it’s an awards ceremony, people will want to be impressed, so you may end up spending more on nice food and an entertaining keynote speaker that you first thought. Do your research, crunch the numbers, and come up with a budget that you have to stick to. Understand what wiggle room you have, as well as what the absolute bottom line is. Before booking anything, get as many quotes for the major expenditures as possible, to ensure that you know what you can splash out on, and what you can’t.

 

Theme


It’s important to think about the theme of your ceremony before you commit to anything. Are you going for something that is ultra-formal and sophisticated? Will a black-tie dress code be in place? If so, then your guests are going to turn up with a certain level of expectation for the night. They are going to expect glamour, and you’ll need to deliver it. If it is a little less formal, perhaps a company-wide ceremony, you can dispense with a lot of this. Aim for a more intimate setting with some games or quizzes to help people relax and get into the mood. This will not only allow you to keep your budget down, but it’s also a great chance for some tongue-in-cheek fun!

 

Venue


The venue will set the tone for your evening, and so picking the right one can be the decider as to whether your awards ceremony is a success. What is the capacity that you need? It’s always better to have a little more room, as tables can be spread out a little more, but you don’t want too much empty space, or it will look like you expected more people to turn up. The stage of course, is paramount. Will your guests be able to view it easily? Is it easy for mic and video set-up? Also consider the location of the venue. There are loads of amazing awards ceremony venues for hire in London, but if it’s too far away, then your guests are going to struggle to attend.

 

Speakers/Entertainment


If you are having some formal entertainment or speakers, ensure that they fit in with your theme. There’s noting worse than a lecture at an event that’s designed as a fun night out! Comedians are always a good idea, but make sure that they are work-appropriate at the same time. Many awards ceremonies have one major piece of entertainment, but some have multiple speakers instead, which can be just as fun. Make sure that they are fully briefed beforehand, so you don’t get anything unexpected!

 

Judges and Compere


Knowing who is going to be running the night should be near the top of your list of things to organise. If they are a well-known figure within your company, this is even better as the audience will immediately engage with them. They should also be able to know how to keep the attention of a crowd and have a natural stage presence. After all, they could be announcing all of the awards, so the attention will be on them for most of the night. The judges are also an important selection to make. They should be diverse, from different departments, and senior figures within the company or the field in which you operate. Guest judges are also completely acceptable.

 

Dinner


Are you having a formal dinner? If so, you’ll need to decide exactly how you want to approach this, and what style fits the best with your theme. A three-course meal is the standard, and catering companies will be able to easily give you a quote for this. Don’t pick food that doesn’t mesh with the overall theme of the evening. If it is more casual, fancy canapes and caviar aren’t going to fit in, just like ribs won’t work for a black-tie event.

 

Timing


When will dinner be? How long do the speakers get to talk? How many awards are there and how long will each one take? These are all questions that your team should be asking, and they need to be aware of the answers, so you can come up with a rough timing agenda. For catering purposes, the time dinner is served won’t be able to be adjusted on the night, so everyone will need to be aware of this. Apart from that, it’s likely that the timings will have some leeway, but no one enjoys an event that goes on two hours later than expected, and a lot of people will leave if you don’t wrap up on time.

 

Promoting


Once you have the date and venue set, it’s time to start promoting your event. Make sure that everyone involved knows about it well in advance and use the awards to encourage attendance. It should be an event that guests want to attend, not one that they feel forced to go along to, so keep this in mind during internal promotion. Are you inviting the press? If so, do this early. Now is the time for you to put together a press kit for the media with information about the speakers, judges, and your company.

 

An awards ceremony is a big event to organise, so you’ll need a good task list! Overall, remember that it’s meant to be a fun night, no matter how formal. Start looking for venues well in advance, and you’re sure to have an evening to remember.

FAQs Award Ceremony Venues in London

Where can I find large award venues in London?

London is home to some of the best award ceremony venues in the UK, giving you plenty of choice if you’re planning the ultimate awards ceremony, For example, if you’re specifically looking for a large venue for an awards ceremony, you’re sure to find a place that will accommodate a large number of guests. And, when it comes to the location of the venue, that depends entirely on how accessible the venue is for you and your guests. Whilst London has plenty of award venues to choose from, it’s usually advisable to find somewhere Central or with good transport links, particularly if you have a large guestlist. .



What makes a great venue for an award ceremony?

What should be considered a great venue for an award ceremony depends entirely on what you’re after. London is lucky enough to have a lot of venues that vary in size, style and theme. Choose from modern venues that would suit an award ceremony layout, or maybe something more traditional.



What’s the best format for an award ceremony in London?

The typical layout seating arrangement for an award ceremony is banquet style. This means circular tables all facing towards the stage area, where the awards will be presented. This is why there are particular types of venues used for award ceremonies.



What are the top award ceremony venues in London?

London has popular award ceremony venues dotted all over – North London, South London, West and East. Some of the most popular award ceremony venues in London include Banking Hall, Goodenough College, Banqueting Hall and VUK Banqueting Suite – to name a few. Browse through our vast selection of event spaces for award ceremonies, big or small.



What should I look for when finding an awards ceremony venue to hire?

When it comes to choosing venues for awards ceremonies in London, you should consider a few things. Perhaps the biggest factor to consider is the venue. Ideally, your chosen venue will have a large stage area, as well as all the other facilities required to make your awards ceremony run smoothly. Think about how you will brand your event; the venue should offer you the opportunity to fully brand the ceremony. The location of your venue matters too – are there good transport links for your guests? Once that’s all started, you should start to think about the event catering and entertainment.



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