Southampton's Meetings and Events Venues – Gateway to the World
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Southampton the place to do business - here’s why
As the south’s largest city by population and with excellent connections by road, rail, ferry and air, Southampton is ideally positioned as a premier business events centre.
Located at the junction of two major motorways, connectivity is ideal. There’s a direct rail link from London with a 75-minute journey time while Southampton International Airport offers scheduled air services from key departure points across the UK and Europe.
The city boasts more than 3,000 hotel bedrooms including major brands and independent properties alongside state-of-the-art meetings facilities. And when the working day is done, Southampton offers a thriving arts scene, excellent global cuisine and a history dating back to the Romans.
From a small-scale delegate meeting to vast corporate conferences, academic centres to sporting stadiums, Southampton’s choice of venues makes it a great place for staging unique, inspirational and memory-making business events.
A maritime city with outstanding meetings and events choice
If Southampton excels at connectivity, its choice of hotels and event space venues is no less impressive. It boasts major brands such as Hilton, Holiday Inn, Novotel, Leonardo and Moxy plus a wide range of independent venues, offering cutting edge meetings facilities.
However, for event organisers, what sets Southampton apart is the range and choice – academic, sports, heritage, team building, conference halls – from its two universities to its medieval history, the opportunities are boundless.
Take your pick – medieval wine vaults, a multi-beamed Tudor House, 13th century gatehouse within the Old Town walls, crewed yachts, micro-brewery to a waterfront Asian restaurant – whether an intimate meeting for two or product launch for more than 2,300 delegates, you’ve come to the right place.
World-class meetings and events venues
Conference venues include St Mary’s Stadium, home to the ‘Saints’, Southampton Football Club. You’ll find an expert event management team, state-of-the-art facilities and a range of memorable experiences such as access to the football tunnel, dressing rooms and side of pitch photo ops to add the wow factor.
Large-scale options also include The Mayflower Theatre, offering 2,300 delegates theatre-style, ideally placed just steps from Southampton Central train station. Outstanding facilities, luxurious suites and bespoke catering are on offer at the south coast’s premier cricket destination, Utilita Bowl, while the National Oceanography Centre features large lecture theatres, small-scale boardrooms and a purpose-built marquee for receptions of up to 700.
The Southampton International Boat Show draws more than 500 boats and yachts of all shapes and sizes, attracts more than 700 marine companies and some 91,000 visitors. Few MICE buyers can compete with figures like that, so Southampton’s hospitality sector also offers hundreds of smaller facilities for groups of just a dozen or so.
The cornerstone of the city’s Old Town, God’s House Tower dates back to 1189, this one-time prison makes a fascinating venue for training days, workshops and corporate events, its Rooftop Terrace offers unrivalled views across the Waterfront and Port, luxury cruise liners sit yards away.
Or check out the Solent Sky Museum, home of the Spitfire with 20 aircraft on display, the SeaCity Museum which tells the Titanic story or a day or evening cruise on the SS Shieldhall, the largest working steamship in Britain.
Famous Southampton departures past and present
This historic, waterfront city is the south of England’s largest by population and oozes historic charm. It’s been a crucial port for more than 1,000 years, with origins tracing back to the Romans.
Spend your working time here and you’re at the departure point of the Titanic, follow the moving story at the SeaCity Museum. It’s also where Henry V sailed for Agincourt in 1415, the Mayflower departed in 1620 and the birthplace of the Supermarine Spitfire.
Today it’s known for cruises, the UK’s largest and busiest terminal and Northern Europe premier turnaround port, handling more than 50% of the UK cruise market and welcoming more than two million passengers across its terminals.
Stroll around the wonderfully preserved Old Town Walls, it takes about an hour. Start at impressive Bargate and pass 14th century merchants houses, medieval vaults and the beautiful 800-year-old Tudor House and Garden.
All work, now play in Southampton!
And when the working day is done, Southampton still has lots to offer, with more than 200 bars and restaurants, a cultural quarter close to the historic city walls, two theatres, two major art galleries, more than 2,400 acres of parks (many with outdoor event spaces), and fantastic shopping at Westquay.
Classical, jazz and folk music feature at the Turner SimsConcert Hal, there’s a full programme of concerts, comedy and live performances at the O2 Guildhall and there’s plenty of live music on tap at bars like The Joiners, the 1865 or the Frog and Frigate.
This cosmopolitan city is also packed with international restaurants, check out Oxford Street for independents and pubs, Bedford Place for everything from Portuguese to Mauritian while Ocean Village is a five-star marina complex filled with sea-view restaurants and bars and for delegates looking to splurge, the Pig in the Wall features relaxed fine dining.
Full details on event facilities, accommodation and event spaces are available from the Southampton Event Venue guide,
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