Reading! New meetings location at the end of the Elizabeth Line
Access to Reading for business meetings became a whole lot easier from November as Elizabeth Line trains now run direct to Reading from Canary Wharf, Liverpool Street, Farringdon and the West End.
A great location with unrivalled connectivity, over 2500 hotel bedrooms, a wide variety of meetings venues and spaces, good value day rates and an attractive social offer, Reading has always been a popular meetings destination but is now better connected to London than ever.
Reading is the western terminus of London's newest tube line, the Elizabeth Line, bringing the Thames Valley’s defacto capital into the London transport network and within easy reach of businesses looking for meetings and conference venues beyond London. In under an hour from central London, Reading is non-stop on the Elizabeth Line or just 22 minutes from Paddington on GWR. Car drivers will find it easy to reach venues just off Junction 11 on the M4, 40 minutes west of London.
Home to major brands from Bayer to Microsoft, VISA to Nokia as well as thousands of SMEs and a vibrant start-up business culture, Reading’s business meetings venues can cater for conferences up to 700 or small group meetings, presentations in cinema suites, banquets or training rooms, exhibitions and celebratory events.
Venue Reading at the University of Reading, world famous for the Henley Business School and the largest cluster of climate scientists in the world, has everything from traditional buildings rich in heritage to modern state-of-the-art meeting rooms offering all year-round conferencing facilities including a variety of seminar rooms, classrooms, and lecture theatres for up to 400 delegates.
Green Park Conference Centre is based in the heart of Green Park Business Park, alongside Junction 11 and the soon-to-open Green Park Station. The Conference Centre has plentiful free parking and can cater for meetings up to 450.
Also close to the M4, Hilton Reading is set up for conferences, banquets or awards ceremonies up to 500 or small board-room style meetings. Delegates will love the access to the indoor pool, restaurant and sauna. There are also over 200 guest bedrooms.
In the heart of Reading town centre, alongside Reading Station, Reading Town Hall is a wonderful Alfred Waterhouse Victorian building that can host events in its Concert Hall for up to 700, as well as smaller meetings in adjoining spaces.
The Roseate Reading Hotel is five minutes walk from the Station in the Abbey Quarter. Reading’s 5-star hotel is ideal for small meetings and can also offer a cinema room for presentations, an upmarket restaurant and bar and spa.
At the other end of the town centre, the Penta Hotel is a funky place to meet and stay. With space for up to 250, it also has a games room and vibrant bar area.
The River Thames flows through the middle of Reading. The meeting rooms at the Crowne Plaza Hotel have fabulous views over the river for up to 250 people. At the end of the day, you could step out of the hotel and onto a Thames River cruise for an evening cruise complete with bar and entertainment.
As well as a great range of meeting space, Reading can also offer an exciting social programme with many things to see and do within easy travelling distance. From Thames river trips to brewery and distillery tours, heritage walking tours to street food markets, Reading is set up to work hard and play hard, and all within ever-easier travelling of London.
So, looking for a change of scene for your meeting? It couldn’t be easier along the Elizabeth Line to Reading.
More information at MeetReading.co.uk or alex.brannen@reading.gov.uk
MEET beyond London is an umbrella destination management organisation working with partners across South East England to showcase the diverse array of easily accessible conference venues and event spaces close to London.
