Venue Hire
The museum is particularly well suited to awards events that comprise a presentation to a seated audience on the first floor and then a drinks or buffet reception for the guests, on the ground floor.
We have hosted a number of awards events and the museum lends itself to this type of occasion. The first floor is ideal for presentations in front of a seated audience. The ground floor is ideal for the social and networking part of the evening that is usually included in the programme. The museum is ideal for events attended by 75-125 guests, but we can host up to 160 guests, theatre style, and up to 120, dinner style at round tables.
We offer a choice of cabaret style layout (maximum 80 people) where guests are seated at round tables and a space is left towards the front so that nobody sits with their back to the speaker, or 120 dinner style, where guests are seated all round the tables and chairs have to be turned to face the front. With theatre style layout, where guests are seated in rows without tables, the maximum is 120 seated in a "landsacpe" layout (more intimate) or 160 seated in a "portrait" style layout (more distance from the back to the speaker)
The usual format of an awards event is for the formal presentation of awards, speaches, etc. to be followed by a reception with drinks and either canapes or a buffet supper. This promotes networking amongst the guests and there is nowhere better than a museum to hold networking events, because a museum generates so many opportunities to start conversations. If desired, guests can be served with refreshments, typically tea/coffee, on arrival, before the main event.
We are well equipped with in-house audio-visual equipment including projector, public address, wireless roving and lapel microphones, DVD player and more. Less common things can be hired for you. Audio-visual equipment and furniture supplied by us will be set up by us at the start of the evening. We also offer a lectern, speakers' table, and other furniture as required.
For this type of event we generally undertake all the setting-up and putting-away work for both furniture and audio-visual equipment supplied by us, so the only thing the event organisers need to bring is a laptop, and any displays or pop-up stands you may wish to use.
If required we can provide bar staff to serve wine that you have purchased yourself, and we offer wine glass hire. We don't offer staff to serve or handle food; a caterer should be used for food unless you wish to do that yourself. Coat rails are provided free of charge. an attendant can be provided at extra cost if desired, although this is not normally considered necessary.
Simple decorative lighting is provided free of charge. Some additional lighting using up-lighters is available at extra cost.
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A typical awards event looks like this, but there are many variations
Approximate time | Activity |
---|---|
1000 onwards | Deliveries - if storage facility booked |
1630 | Museum closed to public. Set-up starts |
1800 | Guests arrive. Check in and coat storage. Coffee/tea on ground floor, if required |
1850 | Guests go upstairs to be seated for event |
1900 | Awards ceremony, speaches, presentations etc. |
2030 | Guests descend again. Wine reception and/or buffet or canapes |
2230 | Carriages, please! Guests may call cabs from the museum or use the excellent public transport that is available in this area. |
After | If required - overnight storage |
Through trains to stations near the museum run from many places including Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, Nottingham, Brighton, Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, Dover, Glasgow & Edinburgh (sleeper service available), Paris and Bruxelles.