City-venues moguls etc.venues never seem to stop. Hot off the heels of its Monument expansion and its global expansion to America in the summer of 2018, the group has another site popping up this April – also in the City.
etc.venues 133 Houndsditch will not only be the group’s 16th UK venue, it will be its (and the City’s) largest conference and exhibition space to date. Margaretha Welsford, sales director at etc.venues, calls the opening a ‘game-changer’ for the industry in London, as conference suites of this capacity with large break-out areas all on one floor is hard to come by in the capital – especially in the City.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the extension at etc.venues Monument
The new venue will be located a mere minutes away from both Liverpool Street and Bank stations, and will have a total of nine event spaces to choose from. The stand-out one of these is the Enterprise Suite, which can seat 700 people theatre-style and 500 cabaret. This space also benefits from an adjacent open-plan galleria, which offers 1,400sq m of catering or exhibition space.
READ MORE: Learn more about etc.venues’ launch in America
Alastair Stewart, managing director of etc.venues (right) with Alex Cabañas, CEO of Benchmark
Elsewhere, there are seven large break-out rooms with a capacity between 50 and 200. The beauty of it is that all the spaces are located on the same floor, making it convenient for combination-hire and configuration.
In true etc. style, the design will be modern, bright and tech-driven. There will be, among other things, multiple media walls (providing branding opportunities), built-in audio and visual technology, colour-changing lighting and laser projectors on built-in screens. Total customisation will be possible through moveable walls and the in-house chef team will be on hand to offer bespoke menu options, too.
READ MORE: These are the other venues opening in London in 2019
133 Houndsditch will be the City's largest conference and event space
Managing director of etc.venues, Alastair Stewart, reflects on a record year for the group. “We’re enjoying significant momentum towards our ambitious £100m goal for 2022,” he tells us. “We’re determined to stay ahead of the game in enabling the ultimate modern, memorable event experience for conference, exhibition and evening event-goers, to follow on from the successful opening in County Hall, which has been a big hit with event planners.”
Pushing boundaries to meet the shift towards more stimulating work environments is the order of the day for Stewart and his innovative design and management team, which has been further strengthened by the appointment of Nick Hoare as COO and Ed Ethelston as FD, allowing Stewart to lead the US start up team based out of New York.
READ MORE: These are the event trends you need to know about in 2019
etc.venues is feeling positive about Brexit. Credit: iStock
On the topic of Brexit, which is spreading uncertainty in all areas and industries, Stewart says he is optimistic, both for the UK and the US. “In the UK, I don’t share some of the negative sentiment about Brexit, where I predict a surge in meetings in London as the public and private sector come to terms with the political decision.
“As we set off across the pond to the US, we will arrive into the world’s most dynamic meetings market where our clients are crying out for alternatives to the established hotels and noisy co-working spaces – this is hugely exciting for etc.venues.”