The words ‘meeting room’ can bring a groan to even the most enthusiastic of employees. Cue a greyscale montage of burnt coffee, PVC chairs and tepid corporate small talk. Believe it or not, it doesn’t have to be this way. London has a real variety of fantastic corporate meeting rooms for you to hire by the hour, day, or on a more regular basis. Bringing the team together is a vital part of making sure the work chemistry is just right and every situation can benefit from the perfect meeting space.
Do you thrive in an offbeat, unusual and creative meeting space? Have you got an important deal to close where you’re looking to impress with a professional high-spec boardroom? Maybe you’re presenting to a team and require the latest in presentation technology. At HeadBox we know our meeting rooms, and we’re here to help you.
Consider the goal of the meeting
With such a breadth of meeting rooms and spaces in London, it’s important to set exactly what you’re hoping to achieve in the meeting – this way you can determine your criteria and make sure whatever room you have is appropriate. For brainstorming and more informal meetings, a creative space is probably the best idea – The Design Museum’s Dessau Room is a great example of an inspiring creative space that will allow you to informally discuss and explore any creative avenue.
Inevitably some meeting rooms will require a more informal meeting space. To get that crucial deal-closing handshake you may want to rely on an iconic meeting room setting: High-backed black leather chairs, boardroom style table, sleek audiovisuals to clinch the presentation. Luckily there is not a lack of traditional style meeting rooms. The Clubhouse, for example, offer a bespoke Mayfair meeting room that can give you the corporate edge in any important business meeting.
Location is everything
The best meetings occur when everyone arrives on time and stress-free. The ultimate way to ensure this is to be super diligent when it comes to choosing a meeting room location in London. For those who have clients coming in from out of town, you’ll want to try and make sure the meeting room is located near the relevant train station. Euston, for example, serves the North-West – any incoming Mancunions will appreciate the short journey from the train station to the board room. For those meeting other Londoners, it’s a good idea to check how they’re getting to the meeting. Those driving might find it difficult to find parking spaces in The City – in this case, you could book one of the many beautiful meeting spaces that lay in the outer London boroughs.
Extras
No, we’re not talking about paid actors to make your company seem bigger. By extras we mean those specific additions to your event brief that will make your meeting memorable in the best possible way. Perhaps you’re after a naturally lit room to bring a pastoral calm to your presentation? Some high-energy meetings might require a catered option to keep the team on task. Or maybe you’re crazy about your coffee and want to make sure that the private meeting space you book has that freshly ground slow-drip Peruvian blend to keep your caffeine in check. With HeadBox we want you to tell us exactly what you’re after, that way the perfect venue will reach out to you.
What’s the cost of hitting a meeting room in London?
The hard truth is that it’s difficult to put one single number on a London meeting. All the nuances and permutations of your individual needs will affect the overall cost. That said, there are a few golden rules for pricing a London meeting:
Looking for an affordable space? Cheap meeting rooms in London are not exactly forthcoming in one of the world’s most expensive cities. There are, however, a few pointers. Hiring a space in a co-working space, bar or community hall is normally a good way to keep costs down. The meeting spaces in these venues tend to be more affordable than your Grade II listed buildings or high-end hotels.
Knowing London is the key to working out price points. Our figures show that the further away from the centre you are, the cheaper the hire fee will be. A boardroom in Bow will be a lot cheaper than a meeting room in Westminster. Bear in mind, though, that the further out you go, the bigger chance you run of the event being more inaccessible. It’s all about the balance.
