JANUARY 2020

Sometimes architecturally when old meets new it just doesn’t work.  When it does, it’s something to behold and Glaziers Hall a Grade II listed building on the banks of the Thames at London Bridge has got it absolutely right! 

A recent £2.2 million refurbishment has transformed the only Livery Hall south of the river into a stunning venue.  The former dockside warehouse dates from the early 19th century and impressively combines heritage building with contemporary space, ideal for hosting meetings, launches, dinners, promotional and other special events. But it doesn’t just end there. Add into the mix great Audio-Visual equipment and staging which is included in the room rate, a varied choice of food options for any event or budget and an onsite event team that when you meet them make you feel part of the family. 

Glaziers Hall as meetingsclub found out really is a central London venue that should be added to your wish list, as it provides so much more than many ‘run of the mill’ London conference venues.

London Bridge Tube (Jubilee and Northern) and Network Rail Station is under five minute’s walk away.  Thames Clipper Boats make a convenient way of arriving at London Bridge City. Five car parking spaces are available to conference organisers and VIPs with prior booking.   

Built in 1808, Glaziers Hall adjoins London Bridge and the so-called ‘Nancy Steps’ made famous by Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist.  Seven impressive meeting and event spaces are perfect for small training courses and seminars for 15 through to large events in the main Banqueting Hall that comfortably seats 300.  With bags of natural light and amazing panoramic views over the Thames, don’t forget to head down to the newly refurbished, fully self-contained ‘Arches’, a serious consideration for anybody looking to hold an exclusive dinner, product launch or reception.  

Here’s four good reasons why you should consider booking Glaziers Hall: 

• ROOMS AND EVENT SPACE FOR All – Modern, Traditional and Historic.  No matter what type of event you are looking to hold, Glaziers Hall has the perfect mix of old and new, with the Thames facing rooms offering a completely different look and feel at night when the sparkling London skyline adds a real wow factor through panoramic windows.
• SAVE A FORTUNE – AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT INCLUDED – Save thousands of pounds by using the newly installed and extensive in-house production package. Projection, sound and lighting systems, staging and lectern are all included in the room hire rates offering fantastic value and major savings.     
• TAILORED FOOD AND DRINK OPTIONS – Just two minutes away is one of the largest and oldest food markets in London, with a market on the site dating back to the 12th century. Glaziers Hall has picked five of the best local catering companies each with their own food and drink specialisation.  From a simple sandwich lunch to fine dining, quality and value are guaranteed. 
• A PROFESSIONAL TEAM OF ONSITE EVENT ORGANISERS – Managing Director Nick Bills leads from the front and his passion, enthusiasm and knowledge has rubbed off on all his staff demonstrated in the care and attention to detail afforded to every event organiser. 

ROOMS AND EVENT SPACE – FOR All! 

Many city centre London venues are specialists in just one or two areas.  They’re good at holding conferences and meetings, perhaps have great training space or offer a blank canvas for product launches and special events.  Few can genuinely do it all.  But Glaziers Hall can justifiably claim to be one of the few who can, offering a variety of different rooms and spaces that offer something for everyone.  It’s one of the key reasons why it’s fast becoming a “go to venue” for many different organisations ranging from financial institutions and charities, through to media companies and Government Departments.  After all, if you find a venue that meets your needs in so many areas, why go anywhere else? 

In recent months, Glaziers has undergone a major multi-million pound refurbishment programme overseen by specialist heritage architects LYN Atelier and Demant Cole Design.  The renovations have increased the venue’s floor space by 33%, expanding the venue contemporary interior whilst showcasing the beautiful internal and external features. 

Over 400 events have been held during the past year with many event organisers commenting on the excellent natural flow around the building, immediately from when delegates and guests enter the secure building.   There are a choice of areas to register, have coffee and network, with the main entrance area and River Rooms proving popular for larger events.  And despite being a listed building, GH is fully DDA compliant with speedy lifts taking visitors from the basement level to floor One.  

Glaziers Hall markets itself as having three “types” of meeting and event space namely, Modern, Traditional and Historic.  This is very much the essence of the venue and a reason why it can accommodate so many different types of events.  In the course of only a few days the onsite team: 

• Managed a 300–delegate conference 
• Organised a private dinner for 30 
• Held a three–day training course with main and break out rooms 
• Hosted an evening reception followed by a gala dinner 
• Ran a financial analyst meeting with supporting AV 
• Staged an Annual General Meeting 
• Created the backdrop and space for a high–profile fashion show 
• Delivered a major sport presentation for the media 

Modern  

Pride of place and the centre piece of many events is the Banqueting Hall.  This highly versatile room works equally well for a 100–person conference or a Gala Dinner for 300.  Flexibility is the name of the game, with the LED Rainbow lighting effects, transforming the look and feel depending on the time of day and type of event.  It even makes a great place to hold a fashion show and is always in big demand for London Fashion Week.  The chandeliers are impressive and add a touch of class, but the Banqueting Hall is also a very practical space, working well with the nearby River Room which offers pre and post event catering and reception opportunities.  Packed full of inclusive staging and technical facilities (see below for full details) late arrival access is never a problem with two separate points which assists guest and delegate flow at the beginning and end of each session. 

The Modern Room theme continues in the River, Bridge and Thames Rooms – all of which have fantastic views across the River Thames towards the City.   

• The River Room with its panoramic floor to ceiling glazed arches is the perfect setting to inspire guests at a gala dinner or reception. It accommodates up to 180 guests for a networking lunch or canapé reception and 100 guests for a dinner.   
• The Bridge Room is a multi-purpose space suitable for meetings, away days and dinners. With views over the City skyline, it provides exclusive riverside space for up to 70. 
• The Thames Room has ample space for breakout sessions, refreshments and networking and provides the perfect anteroom for The Bridge Room or can be used as breakout space in conjunction with the rest of the venue. 

Traditional 

Walk up the stairs or take the lift and enter another more traditional World with a giant ancient London wall map providing the perfect transition from new to old. 

The Court Room – is a really adaptable space. Surrounded by oak panelling and stained glass windows, this room provides privacy and style for conferences of up to 160 delegates. 

The Library – adjoining the Court Room, The Library offers a refined room for refreshments or as a breakout space. It holds an unrivalled collection of publications on the constitutional crafts of Glaziers Hall, glass painting and scientific instrumentation which are definitely worth a look. 

Historic 

Of course, we’ve left the best to last, depending of course on what type of event you are looking to hold.  A sense of anticipation and excitement will definitely take hold as you descend into The HISTORIC Arches. Featuring the exposed Sir John Rennie’s London Bridge, the newly created space showcases three restored Georgian brick arches, an original York stone floor complete with bespoke wine cellar in the corner. The Arches – which can be exclusively hired – is a magnificent heritage setting for dinners, wine tastings, receptions and lectures, with a private entrance and reception area. Alternatively, this contrasting space can be used for breakouts or refreshments for larger events taking place throughout the venue, including expos, exhibitions and product showcases. Switzerland Tourism officially unveiled its summer campaign to the UK travel market, with a media launch. Journalists were welcomed with Swiss wine and hot and cold canapes, including Sbrinz cheese baskets with asparagus and bratwurst with “mustard tomy senf” dip.  

Audio Visual Equipment Included – Save a fortune! 

When a conference organiser on a recent showround realised they could save nearly £7,000 on their allocated AV and staging budget, they didn’t take long to sign their Glaziers Hall booking contract!  And you certainly get a lot included in room hire packages that would often be an extra cost charged by the venue or an external AV supplier. 

The Banqueting Hall is packed full of inclusions.  So where to start?  Dual projection screens and powerful new front projectors mean that everyone in an audience of up to 300 can see clearly.  Testament to the quality and clarity of the projected images is the fact that a number of financial institutions regularly use Glaziers Hall to present complex statistical and graphical information to their clients and stakeholders. 

Roving and lectern microphones are included in the technical in-house package and there’s little chance of noise leakage thanks to the excellent sound proofing.  Lighting, which is often a major cost and yet such an integral part of any successful event has not been forgotten.  Investment in sophisticated “Rainbow” LED lighting systems in the Banqueting Hall and other event space creates exactly the right ambience, at the right time.  Blues and Greens to start the event stimulate the “wake up” senses, whilst bright yellows and reds are sure to keep delegates awake in the “grave-yard” slot directly after lunch. And if you want to make sure you are “on brand”, match your company or organisation’s colours to create a genuine wow when people arrive, with the floor to ceiling drapes enhancing the visual experience. 

Staging and a lectern is also included as part of the room package and should there be a requirement for additional equipment for more complex event, this can be sourced through GH’s preferred technical supplier who has years of experience working at the venue.  

But it’s not just the large Banqueting Room that has all the technical facilities.  Most of the other meeting rooms are also equipped with sound, projection and LED lighting.  Particularly impressive is the River Room which has recently invested in short range wall/ceiling mounted projector that takes up little space and produces high quality still and video images. 

Finally, a note on the WIFI.  The good news is that internet connectivity is good on all levels.  Large broadband download and upload speeds ensure that even when the venue is full, guests and delegates can all get online. 

STOP PRESS.  Large LED screens are shortly to be installed on the main wall as delegates arrive at reception which will be used to assist with directional signage and provide further branding opportunities. 

Tailored Food and Drink Options 

Glaziers Hall is just a short two minute walk from Borough Market, Europe’s largest open air food market where there are literally dozens of international food producers and forward-thinking caterers.  And with so many different clients each holding so many different types of events, you can see exactly why Glaziers Hall has made the conscious decision to carefully select 5 specialist local catering partners. It’s a management policy that is clearly paying off as client feedback testifies with Managing Director Nick Bills and his team ensuring that the right quality bespoke offering is appropriately made to each and every guest and service delivery a constant excellent.   

If it’s a simple sandwich lunch for 20 people, the venue has a supplier who produces high quality, value for money food.  For seven course banquets in the Arches, guests can enjoy some of the finest foods served in London including molecular gastronomy!  There are extensive buffet lunches options whilst overlooking the Thames as part of a conference, with the Andalucian beef, vegetable and chorizo kebabs, grilled tillapia and king prawns served on romesco a popular choice.  For receptions and network events, guests can select from an array of canape choices including Sea Bass Ceviche served in a crisp cone with avocado & lime or Lacquered Duck with black garlic and pineapple tarte tatin.  There’s also an excellent choice of vegan and vegetarian dishes including Heritage Beetroot Cup with pearl barley and crispy leeks (VG) and Wild Mushroom Arancini with truffle mousseline dip. 

If a themed dining event is the order of the day, no problem – Glaziers Hall can deliver that as well.  A recent Fijan night came with a range of dishes that would not have been out of place 10,000 miles away on the island paradise. Delicious Fijian canapes such as crisp cone kokoda (Fijian ceviche) and crab & avocado wonton were followed by a fantastic buffet dinner with delicacies including marinated snapper, pineapple salsa and island bush lemon chicken.  

And of course you can’t have fine food without fine wine!  And here again Glaziers Hall doesn’t disappoint. In the Arches a bespoke wine cellar has been built housing 2000 bottles. Partnering with award-winning fine wine and spirits merchant Berry Bros & Rudd, there’s no better location for a wine-tasting event. 

A Team that Believes #serviceisthesecret 

Nicholas Bills, the Managing Director of Glaziers Hall, leads from the front.  A hospitality and industry veteran, Nick’s seen it all over his 30 years in the industry.  But he is just as passionate now as he was when he first started and never forgets that it’s all about exceeding client expectations.  His enthusiasm and strong leadership skills are impressive and attention to detail second to none.  Clearly Nick’s customer focus has clearly rubbed off on all his team who are refreshingly empowered to make decisions in the interest of the customer.  If there is an urgent need for another flipchart, one is instantly produced AND there is no charge.  More water required on tables, happens.   

From initial sales contact to on the day event delivery the “family” that is Team Glaziers are always proactive and responsive.  Impressively each Member is able to wear “different hats” a key pre-requiste for a venue that one minute can be hosting a charitable event for 150 children and the next a secure conference for VIPs and Government officials.  

And feedback from clients is consistently positive.  

“The team at Glaziers Hall assured me the evening would run without a glitch and it did. They were polite and professional at all times, helped guests with any questions, helped with set up and worked in a collaborative way with the caterers and AV team.” 

“A professional service but with that human touch that makes the difference.” 

“ The staff were attentive, helpful and did an al round amazing job.  Our event was brilliant and all ran seamlessly.” 

• Glaziers Hall can be hired exclusively or by the individual room.  Careful and clever diary management considers every individual booking to ensure each client event runs seamlessly and is not compromised in terms of delegate flow or impact from other guests.  It’s this attention to detail that gives the reassurance that when an event is booked, it will be delivered as expected. 
• Event bookers can save money by using the same event space at Glaziers Hall during the day and night.  Because of the spectacular night–time views over the Thames towards the city skyline, the River Room takes on a completely different ambience. The supporting in-house LED Rainbow lighting can also change the mood at no cost by the pre-programming of different lighting states a significant contrast from arrival coffee prior to a conference through to a pre-dinner champagne reception. 
• In recent years, many venues have dispensed with their cloakrooms.  Not Glaziers Hall!  Leave coats, bags and umbrellas whilst attending your event, safe in the knowledge that they’ll be there when you get back to them. 
• Glaziers Hall is discreetly “tucked away” in Montague Close.  It affords high levels of security for all events and is used on a regular basis for high profile meetings and events frequented by VIPs. 

• There are only 5 Car Parking spaces available directly outside the venue, but NCP car parks and public transport rail and transport options are nearby. 
• Be aware that the main reception area can become a little noisy when full.  This is because of the wooden floors and hard surfaces in the immediate area. 

• Take time out to look at the fascinating walled showcases, which included a candelabra in the shape of DNA, plus the beautiful stained glass a reminder of Glaziers Hall origins 
• There are a plethora of hotels from 2-5 star within a short distance of the venue ideal for two and three day events.  Contact details can be provided by the operational team. 

Flexibility of event type thanks to the range of rooms.  Big savings on audio-visual budgets.  A bespoke food offering tailored to budget and event.  Plus, a positive and proactive onsite team.  Four key reasons to add Glaziers Hall to your London venue wish list.  The excellent location close to London Bridge together with the real wow factor of heritage and contemporary meeting space mark this venue positively from so many others.  Plus, the family friendly feel of the onsite team ensures that once visited, you’ll return again. #serviceisthesecret.