London has a reputation for being the number one place to throw an event. There is good reason for this as its travel network can make it more accessible than any other UK city. It also has a vast array of venues on offer. But that isn’t everything.
Here are four reasons why you should consider hosting your event outside of London:
- Price
While London undoubtedly has some sublime venues on offer, you can end up paying a large premium just to be in a central location if you are not careful. It is always worth checking out what’s on offer outside of London so you know you are getting the best deal. You may be able to get a better venue for less, without much travel time added on.
- Accessibility
You may not need to add on any travel time as London is not always as accessible as people think. While it has good train links, driving through ‘the big smoke’, let alone finding a parking space, can be a nightmare. Think about how many of your guests will plan to get to the venue. If most of them will be driving, you may find a venue outside of London with plenty of car parking space is less of a hassle for those attending.
The sheer size of London can make venues hard to reach if they are not near larger stations such as Kings Cross and Waterloo. Whereas cities such a Manchester and Leeds still have good train networks and being smaller, they are easier to drive in.
- Outdoor space
London is often a victim of its own success. Due to its popularity, it is difficult to find many venues with large outdoor space. For many this may not be an issue but if you were planning an outdoor wedding, outdoor corporate team building activities or a treasure hunt, you may find a more suitable venue outside of the city. Sure, London venues with rolling hills do exist, look at Alexandra Palace, for example, but these spaces are few and far between and get booked up quickly. And lets not even talk about the cost of Ally Pally!
- Availability
Speaking of getting booked up, London being a ‘city that never sleeps’ means that its venues are often fully booked far in advance of the most popular dates. Perhaps you can be flexible on when you’re throwing your party, but if you specifically want to host on a bank holiday weekend, you may find outside of London gives you far more options to play with.
