Hire Space Blog
Ideas, guidance and inspiration for your virtual & in-person events. Brought to you from the creators of Hire Space, the UK's leading event booking platform.

Venue Marketing
Prime case study: Laura Jefferies, Twickeham Stadium
Laura Jefferies is a Marketing Executive at Twickenham Stadium . It’s Laura’s job to drive venue sales at the iconic London venue, and keep the place buzzing with events. Laura is a trailblazing events industry professional, winner of the Marketing Award at the prestigious MIAList awards in 2016. Laura worked previously at the National Theatre, and sits on the social committee for Unique Venues of London. In 2016 Laura took out a Prime Hi
3 min read

Drinks Receptions
The Looking Glass Cocktail Club, and What You'll Find There
We've been working with Looking Glass Cocktail Club for a long time and we have to admit they're a particular favourite. Ahead of a glamorous showcase this week*, we're taking a look at what this elusive east London cocktail bar is all about. Doses of decadence and debauchery await in abundance at Looking Glass Cocktail Club , all in sophisticated and stylish form. As soon as you enter into the purposely clandestine-feeling s
3 min read

Hotels
Idyllic Countryside Events at Oatlands Park Hotel
There are few venues in which you can entertain guests where not one, but several monarchs once lived. Those monarchs were Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I, and that special venue is Oatlands Park Hotel . Today, it's an ideal balance between modern and historical, offering contemporary amenities for private functions, while retaining its rich history. This, after all, was where the dreaded King Henry VIII married h
3 min read

Events
Rich Mix: Bringing Artistic Panache to Events
With 62,000 square feet over five floors, East London's most remarkable independent arts centre stands in the place of a converted leather factory. Today, Rich Mix is a revered cultural space, showing a diverse range of film, comedy, music, visual art and more, all in the heart of Shoreditch, on vibrant Bethnal Green Road. As well as putting on its assorted cultural output, Rich Mix
4 min read

Venue Marketing
9 Common Digital Marketing Terms, Explained
Today's world of digital sales and marketing brings up a wealth of new words and phrases that, on first glance, can be dauntingly unfamiliar and may make you want to jump into a time machine back to the good ole-fashioned days of cold calling and smooth talking. But there's no getting away from the fact that modern techniques are here for good. So the marketing team at Hire Space has put together a go-to guide for the terms you may come across in 2017 and beyond. PPC:
3 min read

Events
Shaka Zulu: Paying Homage to Africa – and to Formidable Events
Camden's unmistakeable Shaka Zulu is certainly not for the faint-hearted. From the décor of 20-foot warrior statues and carved wooden murals to the quirky menu of crocodile and springbok, it's definitely not your average, run-of-the-mill venue. The biggest South African restaurant in London is, after all, set over 27,000 square feet. The no-holds-barred feel is mesmerising as you're surrounded by fiery orange hues, and furnishings reflecting
3 min read

Events
Go Big or Go Home: Enormous Events at Copper Box Arena
Forming a vital part of the London 2012 complex, the Copper Box Arena was the home of handball, modern pentathlon, fencing and goalball during the Olympics and Paralympics five years ago. Today, it's the home ground for the London Lions basketball team, and still plays host to various sports from badminton to wheelchair rugby. "The Box that Rocks"
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Events
Transformable Spaces for Hire at Queen Mary University
It's always humbling and necessary for us at Hire Space to be reminded of the charity-minded origins of the company, whereby our co-founders sought to find out-of-hours uses for educational spaces. So it gives us much pleasure to introduce venues such as the Queen Mary University Students' Union , which is a wonderful venue for various event types
3 min read

Events
The Hire Space Glossary: Your A to Z of Events...Part II
You may have read the first instalment of our A to Z of Events. You may not have. But that's OK – this is not one of those "If you haven't seen the first season of Game of Thrones you won't follow the rest"-type things. As long as you've learned the middle section of the alphabet (and mastered that tricky L/M/N/O/P part), you're good to go. Here is the second part of our guide to everything venue-
5 min read

Events
Maximising the Use of Entertainment at Your Venue
Henry Fosdike, Digital Content Coordinator at Sternberg Clarke , guest blogs for us to discuss how to make the most out of event entertainment. Sternberg Clarke is one of London's most accomplished suppliers of entertainment to corporate and private events of all kinds. When it comes to picking a good venue for your event, you need to think about a lot of different things. Where Sternberg Clarke
3 min read

Events
StrEATlife Returns to Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace's hugely popular Street Food & Craft Beer Festival has returned for a run of weekends throughout Summer 2017 . The festival has been a popular staple at the iconic venue in past years, celebrating the best in all aspects of street culture, from food to music to art. It's due to this celebration that its new name, StrEATl
2 min read

Events
Business Events at BEAT: Following in the Footsteps of Musical Icons
In 1966, The Speakeasy Club opened on Marylebone's Margaret Street, and soon hosted some of the biggest names popular music has ever seen, from Jimi Hendrix to David Bowie. Today, the very same club is known as BEAT , and it pays homage to the legends hosted in its early speakeasy days by means of its artwork and soundtrack. It's partly this throwback ambience, and partly the urban, industrial décor with exposed brickwork that m
2 min read

EventLAB Series
EventLAB Series: Introducing Our First Exhibitors
We've had a flurry of interest since we announced EventLAB a few months ago, which has got us pretty excited (just 5 months to go!). The event is designed to take planners through every step of the event planning process, through masterclasses, workshops and networking with the best in the biz. EventLAB will also showcase the top venues and suppliers from across the industry, so we thought we'd give you a bit of an
3 min read

Events
Georgian Splendour: A Guide to Events at Asia House
Retaining strong ties between Europe and Asia is the focus at Asia House , which is the leading pan-Asian organisation in the UK. On all matters economic and political, the team vies to independently conduct discussions and communication to keep the two continents closely knit. The stage for all this work is Asia House , which also doubles up as a stunning events venue
3 min read

London Venues
The Essence of East London at Town Hall Hotel
On entering Town Hall Hotel , you'll immediately be struck by the compatible marriage of Edwardian and Art-Deco styles – a result of its original establishment as a town hall in 1910 and its further development in the 1930s. You may catch a glimpse of the resident pets, a rescue greyhound named Dizzy and a cat called Cheeseburger. You'll see the bric-à-brac of quirky furnishings in the foyer: the Union-Jack-printed chair and the antique c
3 min read

Events
5 Reasons Your Event Space is Crucial to Success
With so much banking on the big day - whether that’s an away day, exhibition or day of a new product launch - it’s crucial that your event offers an experience that everybody enjoys. And at the centre of any successful event is an exceptional venue, perfectly suited for purpose. We asked exhibitions and events experts shop4pop.com why the event space you choose is so crucial to success. 1. People & Places Understandably, taking note of the location is one of the fir
4 min read

Event Suppliers
Industry Expert: An Interview with Julian Saipe of Zafferano
Hire Space spoke to Julian Saipe, Managing Director at the long-established and respected catering company, Zafferano . He was also a prominent panellist at our EventLab teaser event. Here, we pick his very best insights from both wide-ranging interviews, in which he discusses how the events industry has changed over time, the positive and negative impacts of tech, and how aspects other than food can actually be more important to a caterer. Julian Saipe’s background
7 min read

Corporate Events
Signature Ritz 'n' Glitz at The Playboy Club
"Life needs to be lived with a little style." – Hugh Hefner The world of Playboy really needs no introduction. It's pretty much locked into legendary status now, with tales of the Playboy Mansion, smoking jackets, the magazine and all the rest firmly part of pop culture. But did you know that you can get a taste of the Playboy experience right here in London? The Playboy Club oozes glitz and glamour, starting with the simple fact t
3 min read

Events
EventLAB Series: The Future of Events
Last week we held our first teaser event ahead of EventLAB in October, where we welcomed a stellar panel of influential event professionals to discuss the future of the events industry. So, for anyone that couldn’t make it, we've rounded up the highlights so you’ll almost feel like you were there or you can watch the full video here . The Panel (from left to right): * Caleb Parker
5 min read

Events
Let Events Live On with London Filmed
An event doesn't merely take place and then become forgotten – or, at least, it shouldn't. It lives on in memory , and the best way in which to capture the enjoyment and productivity of the event in our visual, digital-driven age is through photo and film. The professionals at London Filmed have this vital element covered, whether your gathering is a party, networking event, confer
2 min read

Events
How Lindley Hall Transforms for 5 Different Event Types
There's something beautiful in the sheer size of Lindley Hall , with its uninterrupted space fitting up to 700 standing guests for a broad range of events. In the very heart of London, close to Victoria and Westminster, Lindley Hall is the signature space at the Royal Horticultural Hall, a historic building
3 min read

Events
Southwark Cathedral: a Historical & Architectural Wonder
Historically and architecturally speaking, Southwark Cathedral is a wonder. The iconic building enjoys a diverse and extraordinary history. Southwark Cathedral stands at the oldest crossing point of the tidal River Thames. It is believed that there was a community of nuns on the site long before 1066. In 1106, the church was re-founded as a priory, with a hospital created alongside the church. At the Dissolution of the Monasteries i
4 min read

Venue Marketing
3 Smart Tools #Eventprofs Should Try
If other businesses are benefiting from new tech offerings, why shouldn't us #eventprofs get a slice of that pie? 1. Buzzhire On-Demand Staffing We all fear that same event nightmare: You're putting on an event in a couple of hours. You've set up the presentations for the first stream of the event with the second stream ready in the other room. Everything is on track until you get that WhatsApp message from a team member who would be manning the registration desk and clo

Stadium Venues
Lee Valley VeloPark: From Olympic Gold to Event-Hosting Victory
It's an iconic space of which you've no doubt seen images and heard stories of victory. Once the ultimate stage for Team GB glory as the velodrome for the London 2012 Olympics, the stunning centre now holds exhibitions and conferences in the middle of a cycling track , leading to such surreal images such as these: But that's not all that the Stratford venue offers for those looking to hold event
2 min read