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Venue Focus Magazine Feature, Spring 2003 - 'The Bigger Picture'

Address:	Somerset House, The Strand, London WC2
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Venue Focus Magazine Feature, Spring 2003 - 'The Bigger Picture' Information:

Annica Svensson discovers a plethora of party options at Somerset House

To the tens of thousands of skaters who descend on its ice rink each winter, Somerset House is best loved for its magnificent courtyard. Others know it as the home of the Gilbert Collection, an array of beautiful works of art. But did you know this former palace on the West End / City borders is also one of London’s most versatile event venues?

Already one up on many peers due to sheer size alone, it is Somerset House’s huge range of sophisticated event spaces that really impresses. From the spectacular Edmond J Safra Fountain Court, which can hold summer parties for up to 2,500, to the intimate 15-seat Russian Gates Room, here’s a venue that offers no less than 10 different entertaining spaces – all of which can be mixed and matched according to an event’s needs.

Somerset House, with its striking historic facades, is also a very good-looking venue. Paul Smith Women held a fashion show in the courtyard just after the venue’s relaunch in May 2000. Sandra Hill, the design director, says: ‘The venue's accessibility in terms of both event production and guests’ logistics were key draws, but at the end of the day, it was the beauty of the setting, particularly at night, that was the real attraction.’ At the centre of the house is the Seamen’s Waiting Hall, which has access to the River Terrace and can also be easily combined with other areas. Use it as an indoor retreat for gazebo parties in the courtyard, for instance, or as the main reception area following a private view of the Russian art on display in the Hermitage Rooms next door (which in themselves can host more intimate dinners or drinks parties).

The Gilbert Collection is perhaps the most flexible space on site, however, as it’s made up of a series of inter-connecting rooms, with several entry and exit points. Choose to arrive via the courtyard on the Strand, or through the Introductory Gallery on the Embankment. At its core is the arch-ceilinged Silver Gallery, where strategically placed displays mean smaller parties don’t feel overwhelmed by the room’s size, despite its sit-down capacity of almost 200. Another plus is that events held here can be combined with drinks in the atmospheric Gold Box Room, where superbly lit antique snuffboxes stand out against the black decor.

Reached via the architecturally stunning Nelson Staircase, the Navy Boardroom is Somerset House’s most traditional event venue. In contrast to many of the other rooms, which can be dressed to look decidedly contemporary, this medium-sized dining and meeting room is all fireplaces, parquet floors and floral decorations. It also has a lovely view of the river.

The combination of these different spaces, as well as a fully-equipped lecture theatre for with raked seating for 60 delegates, means Somerset House can cater for a huge variety of events – and there’s no need to decide which part to use before you’ve seen it first hand. ‘We never show clients just one of our rooms,’ says Charlotte Reeves, head of corporate and private events, who instead gives organisers a show-round of the entire venue and reveals how the spaces can be combined. v The flexibility means that companies often come back numerous times to Somerset House. ‘Even if you return again and again, no event will be exactly the same – your guests are unlikely to have seen a similar set-up before,’ says Reeves. She explains that, though it is a historic building, Somerset House only opened its doors in its current incarnation in May 2000.

‘First and foremost, it was opened as a public attraction, so the early events were a little chaotic,’ she admits. But Reeves was recruited in November 2001 to structure the venue’s event management and things have now greatly improved. ‘I’ve now got a team of lateral thinkers, who can cope with having to fit events around the public side of things,’ she says.

Not only can the team run up to three events at any time, aided by the fact each entertainment area has its own kitchen, but they’re also used to dealing with very large numbers and all that entails. ‘The larger companies that hold events here will, of course, have their own event organisers, but they always appreciate our involvement too,’ says Reeves.

From the initial briefing to the big day itself, the staging of an event at Somerset House is a surprisingly stress-free experience, just leave it up to Reeves and her 24-hour project management team. ‘We’ll build your event from square one, we’ll make sure it will work, and we’ll see it through until the very last contractor has left. SM

Click through for Somerset House's venue review.