The latest restaurant from young Michelin-starred chef Tom Sellers, the world’s first ever gallery space dedicated to live art, and an immersive venue at Madame Tussauds featuring Marvel and Star Wars heroes are just a few of the most exciting openings in store for 2016.
London’s meetings and events industry is going from strength to strength and offering some of the world’s most innovative and cutting-edge venues. Last year the capital welcomed 3.7 million business visitors, 13 per cent more than in 2014, and has also gone from 19th to 5th place in the ICCA rankings (International Congress and Convention Association) in the last five years.
Some of London’s most famous cultural institutions will be upping their offering this year. The New Tate Modern will soon launch its new extension – the most important new cultural building in Britain for 20 years –which will open to the public on 17 June. Part of this will be ‘The Tanks’ – the world’s first gallery space dedicated to live art – which will be able to accommodate up to 600 guests. Six other new spaces will offer flexibility, with a capacity of up to 400, and some of them will provide exclusive access to the gallery’s collection.
Another exciting, new venue is set to open as the Design Museum takes up residence in the former Commonwealth Institute building in Kensington, west London. As part of its multi-million pound redevelopment, the new museum will have over 1,000 square metres of event space available for hire, including an auditorium, meeting rooms fit for smaller business meetings and a flexible space for up to 220 attendees.
Launched on May the 4th, ‘Movies at Madame Tussauds’ from Merlin Events London is an immersive venue featuring three distinct spaces. Start with cocktails in the Marvel Movie Zone, then take your guests on a high octane 4D cinematic experience, and end the evening amongst the likes of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader in the Star Wars experience. The new venue can accommodate up to 120 guests.
London already has 65 Michelin-starred restaurants and offers cuisine from all over the world. The latest opening by young prodigy Tom Sellers, called Restaurant Ours, in Kensington, boasts an impressive 80-feet long catwalk style entrance designed by the architect Lord Norman Foster, famous for London’s City Hall and the ‘Gherkin’ skyscraper, to give an added wow factor. The stunning Bloom Room at the restaurant can also accommodate private dining for 16 guests and is available for exclusive hire.
Nobu, synonymous with innovative Japanese food around the world, is opening its first hotel in Europe in the Shoreditch area of the city, with famous chef Nobu Matsuhisa adding his own personal touch by designing the food and drink menus.
Dallaway Terrace, part of The Doyle Collection’s The Bloomsbury hotel has now opened, offering great indoor and outdoor space in the heart of the West End with capacity for 100 guests for standing receptions.
South of the river, the perfectly located Park Plaza London Waterloo will open this autumn. The new four-star property will boast an on-site restaurant, a fitness centre, a business centre and a pool. For event planners, the hotel will offer six flexible meetings rooms and a larger seventh space, along with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment.
Deborah Kelly, Business Development Manager for the United Kingdom, at London & Partners, the official convention bureau for the city, said: “One of London’s great strengths is that it is constantly reinventing itself. The city has been welcoming more and more leisure and business visitors, and with a booming hotel sector and a string of inspiring new openings, we are confident London will become even more appealing to meeting and event planners.”
