The Science Museum

Venue hire rates start from £3,000 + VAT for the Smith Centre (daytime 07:00-17:00) and go up to £20,250 + VAT for full day hire of Illuminate (07:00-23:30). Flight gallery costs £8,750 + VAT, while the Smith Centre evening hire is £4,500 + VAT. All prices are for dry hire only, with catering and AV as additional costs through accredited suppliers.

The Science Museum operates as dry venue hire only, meaning all catering, furniture, and AV must be provided by their accredited suppliers at additional cost. The Smith Centre includes banqueting chairs and cluster furniture, plus access to multiple rooms (The Salon, Large meeting room, The Boardroom, outdoor courtyard). All other services including catering, lighting, sound, and additional furniture incur separate charges.

The museum works with specific accredited suppliers including Moving Venue for catering, White Light for AV and lighting, and Twilight Trees for decorations. AV minimum spend starts at £6,000, while catering minimum spends vary by event size and requirements. All suppliers must be booked through the museum's approved list - external suppliers are not permitted.

Flight gallery accommodates up to 400 for seated dinner or 350 for dinner with stage. Illuminate spans levels 4 and 5 and can handle large conferences and receptions. The Smith Centre works well for smaller events up to 60 people in various configurations including cabaret, theatre, and boardroom styles across its multiple connected spaces.

Standard daytime hire runs 07:00-17:00, while evening events typically run 07:00-23:30 with all guests required to be offsite by 23:30. Setup access begins at 07:00, with guest arrival typically from 09:00. Events requiring earlier setup may incur additional early access fees of £500 + VAT.

For events only two weeks away, site visits must be completed by Wednesday and contracts signed by end of play Thursday. The venue hire invoice is raised only after the contract is signed. Agency commission of 10% is offered on venue hire only (not AV), must be claimed within two months of the event date, and is only paid once all invoices are settled.

The museum accepts Mastercard with no fees but does not accept American Express. All pricing is quoted excluding VAT at 20%. Payment is required according to the contracted terms, with venue hire invoiced separately from supplier costs.

The museum requires details about whether events are invitation-only, how guests will be registered on arrival, and how the event will be advertised. They need to approve the event format and may have restrictions on certain types of events or promotional activities. All events must align with the museum's educational mission.

Illuminate offers two distinct atmospheres across levels 4 and 5 - abundant natural light with City views, or a cutting-edge LED-focused environment. Flight gallery provides natural daylight and houses significant aviation artifacts. The Smith Centre includes an outdoor courtyard. All spaces maintain the museum's educational atmosphere and may have restrictions on decorations or modifications.

For events requiring around £30,000 total budget (venue + catering + AV) for 300 guests, the museum will assess if the client's budget is viable before proceeding with proposals. If budgets are significantly below minimum requirements (venue hire starts at £3,000 + VAT plus mandatory supplier costs), they may suggest the space is out of budget range.