Hire Space

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.

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Conferences

Unique Venue of the Month: Salters' Hall

Located in the heart of the City, Salters’ Hall combines the rich heritage of the salt trade of medieval London with contemporary surroundings. Rebuilt in 1972 by Basil Spence and now a Grade II listed building, it is a rare example of a post-war livery building in the city. Last month saw the launch of the venue with a party attended by over 200 people from London's high-profile businesses, which officially marked Salters' Hall as open for business once more. Guests were invited to tour the v

3 min read

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Events

Venue Review: Somerset House

We have the Duke of Somerset to thank for the ever-impressive Somerset House , with its Doric and Ionic columns that signalled a return to the classical style in the 1500s. The self-appointed Duke – the uncle of young King Edward VI – completed the construction of the mansion between the Thames and The Strand in 1551. He was then executed for treason the following year. (For unrelated reasons, incidentally.) Over the following centuries,

3 min read

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Team Building

6 Versatile Venues For Team-Building

The mention of 'team-building activities' can strike fear into the hearts of many. With visions of a drab meeting room, a flip chart and some awkward ice breakers; why is it always so hard to think of something interesting about yourself on the spot? In reality, team building can be huge amounts of fun, with the right venue, some activities (possibly involving inflatables), the day can be hilarious and memorable as well as strengthening teams and creating an opportunity to learn new skills. And

5 min read

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Events

Venue Review: The Pearson Room

The Pearson Room is situated right in the heart of Canary Wharf. The interiors are inspired by the 1950s, with Hitchcock as a big influence. It’s a large, stylish venue with floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over Canada Square, whilst flooding the space with natural light. Despite its size, the venue has an intimate feel, created with comfy furniture and an impressive bar that is the focal point of the space. It’s casual, yet sophisticated enough for a party

2 min read

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London Venue Manager: Why I'm Investing In Hire Space

We're now over halfway through our crowdfunding campaign and almost 80% of the way towards our target from over 100 investors. Many of those have been from the event professionals we work with on a day-to-day basis, so we took a quick five minutes away from the campaign to chat to Marie Froger, Event Sales Manager at Belgraves about why she chose to invest in Hire Space.

2 min read

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Events

Why This Event Professional Is Investing In Hire Space

As we’ve just passed the halfway mark in our crowdfunding campaign , we spoke to Hannah Schaller, Event Specialist, on why she uses Hire Space and chose to invest in us. A bit about Hannah... Hannah has 12 years experience in events working both agency side and in house, she was an Event Manager for Investec and Simmons & Simmons, specialising in corporate, luxury and social events. More recently Hannah has been working as a freelance

2 min read

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Corporate Events

Venue Review: Raven's Ait Island

Sitting proudly in the middle of the Thames and only accessible by boat is the beautiful Raven’s Ait . A private island located between Surbiton, Kingston and Hampton Court, it combines idyllic countryside surroundings with a fantastic location in close proximity to London. Reminiscent of a quintessential English garden, the island covers two acres with beautiful landscaped

2 min read

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Blank Canvas Venues

Venue Review: Oval Space

Located in  East London, Oval Space is a 6000sq ft, blank-canvas warehouse space. With the iconic Bethnal Green Gas Holders as a backdrop, the venue has a raw, industrial feel. Also a popular music venue, Oval Space has rapidly become a go-to location for all kinds of events. Finished to a high standard, the venue has polished concrete floors, whitewashed walls and two outside terraces that frame the space, Oval Space is

2 min read

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Events

Why Should You Invest In Hire Space?

We are very excited to be launching our crowdfunding this month. So we wanted to fill you in on our plans and what the opportunity could hold for you. We've got some specific opportunities for venue managers, so if you're reading this and that's you, check out 'Why Should Venue Managers Invest In Hire Space.' Why are we doing it? Hire Space is changing the events industry and we want your help! Our mission is to be

3 min read

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Events

Why Should Venue Managers Invest In Hire Space?

We are very excited to be launching our crowdfunding campaign this month. So we wanted to fill you in on our plans and what the opportunity could hold for you as a venue manager. Why are we doing it? Our mission is to be the go-to venue marketplace in every major city in the world. Since our launch in 2013 we have expanded our ever-growing network to include over 3500 venues and a community of the best event professionals in the UK, people just like you, and we want to make this even stronger

3 min read

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Events

What Is Crowdfunding? And Other FAQs

You might have heard on the grapevine that we've decided to crowdfund and are just about to launch our campaign. Maybe you're intrigued but you're not quite sure what we're talking about? Well, we've put together a quick and easy guide. Tell me more... Crowdfunding is an alternative method of financing a business, which allows everyday investors, professionals and venture capitalists to invest as little or as much as they like, typically through an online platform. The money raised is used for

3 min read

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Hire Space

A Night At Nine Adam Street

Every now and again Hire Space take some time out from finding venues to throw a party for our clients. It's a great opportunity to get some valuable face time and show our appreciation, whilst showcasing some of the amazing venues we have on the site. Last night we popped over to Nine Adam Street , a new blank canvas venue, located just off The Strand.

2 min read

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Events

Unique Venue of the Month: Royal Liver Building

There's a myth about the iconic "Liver Birds" at the top of the stunning Royal Liver Building . It claims that if they ever fly away, Liverpool will sink into the River Mersey. Thankfully, this has never happened to the beautiful city of Liverpool. Proudly standing as the tallest building in Europe when it was erected in 1911, the Royal Liver Building was originally constructed as a home to a group

2 min read

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Events

Hire Space: The Story So Far

Hire Space has grown to become the UK’s leading venue marketplace, with over 4000 venues and over 2 million web visitors. But how did it all begin? 2012 The idea for Hire Space came about when Will was a secondary school teacher, and Ed was a political advisor. Will's school had recently been forced to turn to emergency funding, and Ed was campaigning to save recession-hit venues from closure. They decided that a solution for both problems could be to help these struggling businesses to rent o

3 min read

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Unusual Venues

A Scaredy-Cat's Guide to the ArcelorMittal Orbit Slide

The longest and tallest slide in the world. Yes, our world that stretches an area of 510.1 million km² – and no one has ever put a longer or taller slide on any spot on it than the one we were about to ride. Forgive my retrospective freak-out: I've never been one for rides. I was a queasy mess at Chessington. Big Thunder Mountain at Disney is more my speed. Scratch that: the teacups are more my speed. There is nothing, I repeat nothing, reassuring as you approach the ArcelorMittal Orbit

5 min read

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Events

Workshop 'til You Drop: Team-Building at Carousel

Without crossing the line into corporate preachiness, we'd posit to say that team-building days are a valuable part of keeping company morale high. The Hire Space team, for example, recently had a half-day away day (an away half-day?), during which we concocted cocktails and baked, and one unfortunate team member turned custard into scrambled eggs – admittedly a less impressive form of alchemy. This is all part and parcel of the fun of a team-building day, where different departments can come t

3 min read

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Awards Ceremonies

Top 7 Venues For Awards Ceremonies

1. London Palladium Oxford Circus Iconic and renowned in status and situated in the heart of the West End, the London Palladium is the perfect place to host a prestigious awards ceremony. Designed by Frank Matcham and opened on Boxing Day 1910, the venue is steeped in artistic history and best know for variety theatre. The auditorium seats over 2,000 pe

4 min read

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Eventprofs

Unique Venue of the Month: The HAC

It's probably safe to assume that few folks would imagine there to be an 18th-Century mansion in five acres of gardens a two-minute walk away from Old Street station. That's why it's a pleasant surprise to learn that The HAC ticks all those boxes. The majestic estate, built in 1735, is home to the Honourable Artillery Company, which was incorporated by Henry VIII 200 years earlier. Since then, the company has supported the Honourable Artillery

3 min read

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Blank Canvas Venues

Venue Review: The Pickle Factory

In a small corner of Tower Hamlets lies The Pickle Factory , directly opposite its sister venue, Oval Space. The converted warehouse has quite a history, having started life as a pickle factory (hence the name) in the heart of London’s East End, followed by a stint as a medical supplies storage facility and since 2013, it has been an unlikely but highly successful spot for a dedicated music venue. Nestled in Be

2 min read

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Eventprofs

A Day in the Life of a Venue Expert

We agree: "Venue Expert" is a really cool job title. But what exactly do Hire Space's Venue Experts do on a daily basis? Here’s a quick look.

3 min read

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Eventprofs

Unique Venue of the Month: The Attendant

If we said our Unique Venue of the Month for March was a restaurant inside a public toilet, you would probably start to think we've (finally) lost it here at Hire Space. Well...our Unique Venue of the Month is a restaurant inside a public toilet. But it's not what it seems. Hear us out. The Attendant was originally a Victorian public gents' bathroom in Fitzrovia, built in 1890. It was mothballed and made spick-and-span in

2 min read

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Eventprofs

Venue Review: Anomalous Space

Creative ventures across the artistic spectrum are accommodated and embraced at Anomalous Space , situated stunningly close to Angel Station on Pentonville Road. The venue's name captures its uniqueness, in that it deviates from the standard, unoriginal function space that's all too common. Anomalous Space combines the most contemporary of technological facilities with Art-Deco features, all set within an authentic Georgian townhouse.

2 min read

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Eventprofs

Unique Venue of the Month: Madame Tussauds

Legendary Madame Tussauds really needs no introduction, so we could pretty much just end this blog right here. But the home of wax figures has such a rich history that we'd be remiss not to share it. The wax-centric museums are now dotted around the world – there are branches in Beijing, Tokyo, Sydney, San Francisco and Orlando – but the experience grew from humble beginnings. The Madame herself – born as Marie Grosholtz – sculpted her first wax figure of Voltaire in 1777, but it was still a

2 min read

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Eventprofs

6 Big London Spaces for Big London Events

Size matters. For whatever reason, sometimes only an enormous space will do, be it due to the length of the guest list, or just the will to impress invitees with a space of sheer proportions. London has a wealth of high-capacity venues; here are just a handful of the biggest rooms on offer. 1. BMA House Euston Space: The Great Hall Capacity: 320 (buffet, reception) 28 feet high and 115 feet long, The Great Hall at Blo

3 min read