Meeting Rooms for Hire in London

Meeting Rooms Hire Guide

The benefits of face-to-face networking at meetings, functions and other business events shouldn’t be underestimated. Successful meetings create a sense of camaraderie, foster collaboration, win new customers, close deals, develop high-performing talent and serve as great education platforms. In comparison to conference calls, traditional meetings in meeting spaces are generally shorter and have higher levels of engagement.

Whether you’re meeting to brainstorm, solve a problem, or build relationships, getting together in the right meeting room venue is a whole lot easier with our smart venue search engine. Just let it know what you’re searching for and it’ll do the legwork for you. Perhaps you’re after a professional interview space in the city centre, a breakout room for a team-building session, or maybe you’re on the lookout for a seminar room with a view over central London? No matter what you have in mind, our smart search platform can recommend a meeting room that matches your individual needs.

Exploring Meeting Room Trends in London

You can make the most of your meeting by nailing your key objectives early and planning with your purpose in mind. But before you get into the nitty-gritty details, make sure to explore the top meeting trends you can expect to see over the coming year:

• Quirky Meeting Rooms in London - Some of the hottest meeting trends include choosing unique, unusual, or alternative meeting rooms in London and conference facilities, as one-of-a-kind or funky spaces will generate interest and make great talking points.
• Green Events with Eco-Friendly Meeting Rooms in London - Green venues and private meeting rooms in London with natural light and AV equipment, as well as eco-friendly touches like recycled paper and fair trade catering, should pique your interest, especially if you’re organising an event or meeting related to the environment or green energy.
• Themed Meetings for Small Teams in London - While you should always have a clear goal when organising a meeting, a themed meeting could interest the attendees. It will give them a clear expectation of the emphasis of your meeting, along with making the event more engaging in general.
• Peer-Driven Events in London Meeting Rooms - The participants drive these events - they essentially create the content for the meeting and then choose which sessions they’d like to participate in. These events are very eye-opening experiences as you get to discuss many issues from a completely different perspective.
• Hybrid Meetings with Virtual Attendance in London - Thanks to modern virtual conference apps, meetings in London for large groups with web-based audience participation and virtual attendance are easier than ever. Hybrid meetings have become very popular over the last few years thanks to the reduced space requirements and the flexibility fit for the worldwide remote working model.
• Meetings in Co-Working Spaces for Affordable Solutions in London-Co-working spaces in London are a good alternative for those looking for cheap and affordable meeting rooms in London. Co-working spaces are getting very popular in London as more and more have emerged over the last decade.
• Meetings with a View in Luxury London Meeting Rooms - Organizing a meeting in a room with a view (especially from tall buildings) helps people experience an enhanced feeling of empowerment, confidence, and desire to take risks.

Key Considerations for Organizing Meetings in London

There are many things to do to make your meeting in London successful. We’ve made a list of additional elements for you to consider for your meeting to be smooth and productive:

• Think about the wellness of the participants. Fitness breaks, smoothie stations, and customised menus that accommodate dietary preferences could maximise and sustain meeting participants’ energy levels.

• Consider how to boost delegates’ engagement. Try incorporating video conferencing, live polling, and pre and post-event web content. If you’re holding a presentation, you can use many techniques, such as cracking a joke in the middle of the speech, asking questions to individual participants, or incorporating short tasks and exercises.

• Try to include some impressive event technology. Event organisers can now choose from dedicated event apps with real-time social media integration, special keynote webcasts, touchscreen screen technology, and virtual meeting options (Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, etc.). Decide what technology will be useful for your type of meeting and choose a meeting venue in London that will support your needs.

For more information on hiring meeting rooms in London and organising a successful meeting, check out our handy meeting planning checklist.

Booking Meeting Rooms in London: A Comprehensive Guide

When hiring meeting rooms in London, consider your budget and how the venue prices its space (by the hour, day, or session). If you’re using Tagvenue, you can filter out the venues according to your budget and pick something that works for you. 

Don't forget about the convenience of the location (distance to the airport, public transport connections, parking facilities, disabled access) and the capacity. Look at the number of attendees you expect because choosing a meeting room accommodating just the right number of people will help give your meeting the right energy. 

If you’re holding some sort of open meeting, create a way for the potential attendees to RSVP for your event. Consider any cancellation policies alongside your catering needs and whether the meeting space can cater to special dietary requirements. Keep in touch with your venue manager so that you can ask them to organise a buffet or accommodate a catering firm of your choice. 

Consider the type of meeting space that will best suit your event. Do you need a last-minute cheap meeting room in London for a business meeting? How about a computer & IT training room with teleconferencing facilities? Maybe you’re trying to impress your guests with a luxury meeting room in London for a charity gala. Finding a space with what you want will be easy if you have figured out both the feeling of your event and your budget. 

Furthermore, consider which meeting facilities you will require. Depending on what you want, check with your venue manager if they have meeting rooms with AV equipment, computers, WiFi, mics, projectors, flipcharts, space for exhibits, outdoor space, or kitchen facilities. You can also ask for technical assistance during the meeting. Consider the time of your event (day, evening, weekend), how long you’ll have access to the venue before your meeting begins, and how quickly you’ll need to be packed up and out of the meeting space at the end of the session.

Preparing for Your London Meeting: Expert Insights

To host a top-notch meeting in London, avoid surprises when booking a venue or working with vendors by getting all agreements in writing. You must communicate with suppliers and arrive at the venue early so you have plenty of time to set up and check last-minute arrangements. This can be arranged if you want to see the meeting spaces in London in person before signing the contract.

Make sure to test computers, internet connections, projectors, and other AV equipment in advance (and if you’re showing a PowerPoint presentation, save it in three formats – PC, Mac, and PDF) just to be safe.

Schedule regular breaks, especially for half-day or all-day sessions (rest breaks every 60 to 80 minutes are ideal), and don’t forget about connectivity, especially if you’re hosting a hybrid or virtual meeting (and even if it’s not essential for the meeting, wireless internet connection is always nice to have).

While this seems like a lot to consider, the more answers you can get from the venue manager, the more prepared you’ll be. A solid plan for the day will help your meeting, conference, or function run smoothly and ensure attendees get the most out of the session. More importantly, it will guarantee that valuable group time is spent productively, making it faster to solve problems and reach key objectives.

Mastering Your Meeting Space in London with Authority

Facilitating a group session in meeting rooms in London is a challenging task. Leading a conference, meeting, seminar, or training session is a balancing act, requiring you to keep your audience alert while covering all the essential information. It’s also important that you constructively guide your group while remaining objective, open-minded, and fair.

Hosting your meeting in London with flair will be easy if you ask for input about who should attend the meeting beforehand. Let the attendees know why they’ve been asked to participate so they can come fully prepared. At the beginning of the meeting, you can provide some background information about the topic. Tell them what will be covered during the meeting and what the main objectives are. You can keep the attendees engaged by presenting your material in various ways (cartoons, videos, PowerPoint slides, etc.). Make a good first impression by preparing well-packaged, value-adding materials and bringing your material to life by including relevant personal anecdotes or interesting case studies.

Don’t forget to encourage participation and active learning by incorporating activities into your session (Q&A sessions, role play, trivia, etc.) and remain fluid with the agenda if attendees progress outside the time parameters. It is important to leave plenty of time for questions (but be careful not to let the discussion digress) and ask for feedback, whether it’s via a web-based tool, like SurveyMonkey, a follow-up email, or an old-school printed feedback form (remember that feedback works best when it’s written and anonymous).

Think about what information you want attendees to leave the meeting room with, and be sure to include your website, email address, or social media site on which you want participants to connect back to you.

Meeting Room Pitfalls to Avoid in London

There are some things to avoid when holding a meeting. Consider the following:

• If you’re finding it difficult to identify the meeting's objective(s), it’s probably better not to go ahead.

• If an online chat, phone call, or video conference achieves the same goal as a face-to-face meeting, consider the first option (as this is usually much cheaper and easier). Book meeting rooms in London if you need a physical space for your meeting.

• A very common issue is overloading the agenda. Remember that topics usually take longer than allocated, so it’s wise to schedule the most important agenda items at the start of the meeting. It’s wise to add 20% to your target meeting length to ensure you can get through all your material.

• It is unprofessional to restart or recap the meeting for late arrivals. If you want to help them catch up on what they missed, you can record the meeting for everyone to access. Hire meeting rooms in London with AV equipment if you need to record your meeting.

• Ensure attendees put their agendas ahead of the best overall solution.

• Bad conflict management can also undermine your presence, so always try to stay positive and offer a solution or redirect the conversation. If any sort of polarising issue arises, maybe it’s best to schedule a separate meeting or conference call later.

• Book meeting rooms in London for large groups or small teams, depending on the size of your meeting.

• Staying on time is also extremely important. In some situations, you can start the meeting early, but do not stretch the meeting over the time frame you and the attendees have agreed on. Luxury meeting rooms in London are available if you need a more impressive space for your meeting.

FAQs about Meeting Rooms in London

What is the average cost of hiring a meeting room in London?

Hiring a meeting room in London can cost differently based on a few factors, such as location, size, amenities, and booking duration. On average, you can expect to pay anywhere between £20 to £200 per hour for a standard meeting room in a central London location. Here are some general cost ranges: 

Small Meeting Rooms usually accommodate 2 to 6 people and may cost around £20 to £50 per hour. 

Medium Meeting Rooms: These can accommodate 6 to 12 people, ranging from £50 to £100 per hour. 

Large Meeting Rooms: The cost can vary from £100 to £200 or more per hour for bigger groups. (All data from Tagvenue).

Where are the best places to hire meeting rooms in London?

Meeting rooms are in high demand in several key areas, particularly airports and financial districts. The airports Gatwick, Heathrow, and business districts such as Soho, Kings Cross, Victoria, Shoreditch, and Covent Garden are popular meeting locations.

What is the standard package for hiring a meeting room in London?

The hourly hire fee for meeting rooms in London usually includes only the use of the meeting room space for one hour and the use of available equipment on site, such as tables, chairs, whiteboards, flipcharts, projectors, and Wi-Fi. The price per person usually includes the use of the meeting room space for a few hours, the use of available equipment onsite, and refreshments.

What are the steps involved in hiring a meeting room in London?

• Check out the Tagvenue platform for a range of meeting rooms throughout London. 
• When searching, you can narrow your results by specifying the number of expected delegates, the meeting date and time, and the desired location. 
• If you need a meeting room with special features, such as natural light, AV equipment, or on-site parking, you can use additional filters to see only rooms that meet your requirements. 
• Once you have found a few potential meeting rooms, you can compare their prices, photos, and customer reviews to create a shortlist of your favourite spaces. 
• Then, you can contact the venue managers and discuss your booking.

What are the most convenient meeting rooms for attendees coming from Heathrow Airport?

• Mercure London Paddington is a modern meeting space situated right next to Paddington Station, which is directly connected to Heathrow Airport. As it’s inside of Mercure London Paddington Hotel, it’s perfect for conferences with attendees travelling from outside of London.
• Regent’s Events is situated between Baker Street Station and Regent’s Park Station, this large conference room is reachable around 30-40 minutes from Heathrow Airport. It can accommodate up to 80 guests, ideal for team workshops, company away days, and board meetings, with a breakout area available on-site.
• Space in Marylebone is a versatile meeting room located in the middle of Edgware Road Station and Marylebone Station. It can be reached around 30 minutes from Heathrow Airport and is ideal for interviews and training sessions.