Our industrial style event space has a private kitchen, private entrance and high ceilings. Flexible space for any event
A large event space suitable for corporate, creative or personal events. Available 24/7 the space has an industrial style with a private kitchen and direct street access. The friendly and accomodating... Read more
The craziest golf club in the world is in Camden! Get ready to take a walk on the weird side.
Hate Golf? Love Crazy! Take a walk on the weird side, through four mashed-up 9-hole courses. Navigate through a Basement Horror Rave, Circus FEAR-ground, Polluted Paradise, or ... Read more
13 Indoor Venues and 45 Acres of Space. Private function experts from Conferences, to Weddings, to Festivals.
The Hive stands as London's preeminent destination for hosting celebrations, banquets, and events, nestled in the heart of North London. Our opulent venue, reminiscent of the grandeur found in ... Read more
110,000 square feet of flexible, bright and design led space in Shoreditch suitable for every event, meeting or shoot.
Over 110,000 square feet situated in the heart of trendy Shoreditch, Shoreditch Exchange offers an unparalleled event experience. Highly versatile and varied spaces - purpose built event spaces, meeti... Read more
Creative event space dedicated to celebrating craftsmanship and the art of making
Crafts Council Gallery is a stunning 18th-century chapel that has been transformed into a modern masterpiece of craftsmanship. With its unique blend of historical charm and contemporary design, the ga... Read more
A unique venue with amazing Literary history in St James's Square
The London Library is available for evening hire for a range of corporate events, including networking, dinners, receptions, awards, presentations, launches and celebrations, with an en... Read more
A 3,500 square foot private roof terrace with spectacular views over London
A huge square terrace overlooking London in the heart of East London. See the London Eye, The ArcelorMittal Orbit and the city cluster from 3,500 square feet of dry hire space. Whether you're h... Read more
Camden Market's first pub, this grade 2 listed building was previously a horse hospital and has many original features.
Located in the beautifully restored, Grade II listed former horse hospital and stables in Camden Market, The Farrier features exposed brick walls, wooden floors and a bespoke wine wall that forms a un... Read more
Unique & modern flagship venue perfect for unforgettable events
Hard Rock Cafe Piccadilly Circus combines our renowned rock n roll heritage with the hustle and bustle of the West End of London. Sit back and enjoy authentic American cuisine or one of our w... Read more
A huge site with multiple studios and sound stages with 30 ft ceiling heights and ample parking
Neasden Film Studios London is a large, flexible site spread across 8 large studios with 30 ft ceiling heights, various other rooms and spaces and a 40,000 sq ft car park. A unique site so close ... Read more
A beautiful renovated Church, with high ceilings and a lot of natural light.
The Swiss Church Building in Covent Garden, over 150 years old, underwent a major renovation and transformation at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The project, designed by Christ &... Read more
A unique, versatile event space in Covent Garden
Our Covent Garden venue is located in the bustling heart of London's West End, boasting three unique event spaces, like you've never seen before. Whether you are organising a large-sc... Read more
We are a dynamic and multifaceted venue, ideally positioned to accommodate your upcoming events.
The Shoreditch Arts Club, nestled in the bustling heart of Shoreditch, offers a variety of event spaces that are open for private rental, welcoming both members and non-members. Strategically situated... Read more
A spectacular Grade I listed Georgian Townhouse located in London's Westminster
Located in the heart of Westminster, {10-11} Carlton House Terrace is a stunning Grade I listed Georgian Townhouse that houses The British Academy. This Central London venue offers a variety of r... Read more
Having been the beating heart of our community for over 100 years, we know how to hold a special occasion in style.
The essence of Town Hall Hotel is best captured by the phrase ‘luxury loosened’. We’re a destination that evokes expression and we invite our guests to be their true, unbuttoned selv... Read more
Versatile railway arch ith adjustable flood lighting, matte white walls and grey concrete floors throughout.
Due to its size, layout, and unique physical features, Hoxton Arches is well suited to a wide range of events such as product launches, fashion shows, photography shoots & filming, performances,... Read more
Networking is all about meeting people, sharing who you are, what you do and what value you can have to others. Simply turning up, eating a couple of canapes in the corner and laughing at a few jokes isn’t going to quite cut it at a networking event. Their entire purpose for being is to get you to connect with others in your field, make valuable connections for your business and for your own personal growth.
Networking events can be a little boring for some, but they’re incredible opportunities… when they’re done right.
You really don’t want to do this by halves – a perfectly planned and executed networking event in London can place you at the forefront of your industry. And who doesn’t want to be considered an industry leader? So, get it right and check out some of the best networking venues in London above!
Planning a networking event can be a little different to just planning Janice’s leaving party. It takes some fine tuning and careful consideration to get it right. Don’t panic though, we’re here to guide you through the process with our simple steps.
Step 1: Define your purpose
Networking events happen for a whole host of reasons, but the best ones are usually quite focused in a niche area. You’ll need to consider who and what your networking event is for. Is it for a specific industry, maybe even a specific section of a specific industry? Is it for high-level executives or middle management… or maybe both? Knowing what the focus is and who will be there helps you to plan the event seamlessly.
Step 2: What will you do?
Networking is so much more than just sticking people in a room and letting them get on with it, and there are many different forms it can be moulded into. You can have a structured, formal event or something a little bit more casual. This is where the first step should help – if you know who you’re catering for, you should be able to figure out what will work best.
Step 3: Budget
Yep, it’s the dreaded budget again. It’s so important though – really, it is. You don’t want to start planning venues or anything until you know how much money there is in the kitty for it. If you do, you maybe just end up disappointed that your dream venue is actually out of your price range. Networking events can be done on pretty much any budget – lower budgets would mean kissing goodbye to any formally catered sit-down meals (unless you had your guests pay for themselves, which is always an option).
Step 4: Venue
We always think finding the right venue is super important, and we admit we might be a little biased on that one, but for networking events it really does matter. The venue needs to fit with the purpose, format and people that will be there. Renting a great big hall for a bar social doesn’t really work, does it? So, take our advice and choose your venue carefully. Our great selection of networking venues for hire should give you some inspiration if you’re stuck.
Step 5: The date
We know what you’re thinking: you’re thinking the weekend is the best time, right? Nope, sorry to disappoint you but your dreams of not cutting into work time might not work out. It’s actually better to have an event midweek. Whilst we all love our jobs, employers can’t assume that people will be willing to give up their weekend for them. Oh, and it’s best to avoid the high season for your industry because, of course, this is when people will be super busy. One more thing: maybe avoid the summer months too when lots of people are likely to be on annual leave.
Step 6: Promote
Networking events can be a little different to other events, mostly because you might not have a set guest list. Having people register to attend is much more common with these types of things, so you’ll need to promote your event online and via email to the relevant companies and individuals that you want to attend.
Step 7: Meet and greet
We wouldn’t blame you for assuming that organising a killer event plus your killer invite list would lead to the magical sparks of friendship all by itself, but the reality is that you’ll need to keep things on track. Have a plan about how you’ll mingle with the guests and keep them talking. You can even have a few games so you can all get to know each other.
Cocktail parties
Informal but not too informal, cocktail parties are a classic networking format because they get people circulating easily. Add in a few canapes and nibbles, and job’s a good’un.
Down the pub
It’s not a standard networking venue, but there are so many bar social networking venues London-wide so it would almost be rude not to. If your guests are already familiar with each other, a bar social might be a bit more appropriate. An informal networking event, you can get a bar or pub venue and have everyone sit, chat, and eat nibbles.
Dinner
Talking over a fancy dinner, complete with a bit of wine and
a yummy chocolate dessert, might work well for your networking event. You can
go for the formal wedding breakfast-style seating or check out some of our more
casual dining
venues with traditional wooden tables and a cosy feel. Either way, food,
drinks and laughter are always a good mix at a social event.
If you want to organise a networking event to remember, you’ll want to choose a memorable venue. Whether it’s a day-long event in a large, corporate space, or an intimate evening gathering, you’ll find the perfect space on Canvas. Have a think about how many people you would like to attend, and whether you’d like to provide drinks and catering. When you’re using the Canvas search function, you can specify the capacity you’ll need as well as other details, so you know all of the venues we’re showing you will be perfect for your event.
The first thing you need to organise a networking event is an idea, and then a date. Who is your networking event for, and in what industry? Are your guests mainly located in London, or will they be traveling from all over? These questions can help you decide what kind of venue you want, and where that venue should be. For networking events in the arts, for example, it’s great to choose a location around Soho or Fitzrovia, as many arts professionals are based there. If your guests are travelling from out of town, it’s useful to be near a large transport hub.
For the perfect networking event you’ll need the perfect mix of people. It’s useful to include guests at different stages in their careers, and in complimentary industries or companies. Depending on the style of networking event you are organising, you might want to consider making it a ticketed event to ensure your guests are relevant to your event.
There are lots of reasons to organise or attend a networking event – it might be to broaden your own contacts for future work opportunities or recruitment, or it may just be to meet other professionals in your field. Some networking events are specifically for potential clients to meet a range of businesses who may bid for their custom in the future.