The Space, Norwich

The Space publishes its prices: the 350-seat Auditorium costs £2,695 plus VAT for a 6.5 to 8 hour day, the whole venue £3,900 plus VAT for up to 700 people, and the day delegate rate is £35 a head plus VAT.

What you get for your budget

Because the rate card is on the venue’s website, you can cost a conference before you call. Room hire includes the on-site car park, wi-fi for hosts and delegates, a projector or TV screen in the room and the events team on the day. The day delegate rate adds three rounds of tea, coffee and biscuits, a two-course buffet lunch, AV and a flipchart, with minimum numbers. You can bring in an outside caterer that meets regulation standards, or let delegates bring their own food, which may carry a small waste charge agreed in advance. A technology support team handles laptops, presentations, sound and wi-fi, with support packages on top.

The venue is a social enterprise built and run by Proclaimers, a local church, which reinvests its profits in Norwich community work and charities such as Love Norwich, A21 and Compassion. Charities and statutory bodies get discounted room hire, and clients listed by the venue range from local councils and SMEs to national and multinational companies.

The Auditorium and the smaller rooms

The Auditorium measures 20 m by 24 m with an 8 m ceiling. Three walls are lined in black wool serge to keep speech clear, and the room carries AV systems, a lighting rig and live recording and broadcasting kit, so you can run a session for an online audience at the same time. A roller shutter lets vehicles and staging in: the venue cites a car launch for a Norfolk dealership, election counts and political rallies. The Blue Space, a near-square room for 120 theatre style, also has roller-shutter access and a linking door to the Orange Space for breakouts. The Atrium, a daylit foyer joining nearly every room, serves as the refreshment area and can be booked for exhibition stands or dining.

Room hire rates

• Auditorium £2,695 for 6.5 to 8 hours, £2,020 for 4 to 6 hours, £1,610 up to 4 hours
• Blue Space £649, £486.75 or £389.50 for the same time bands
• Orange Space £430 for 4 to 8 hours or £258 up to 4 hours
• Yellow Space £250 or £150, and Green Space £200 or £120

All rates are plus VAT; the venue quotes bespoke prices for larger events.

Getting there and parking

The Space sits just off Norwich’s ring road, 2 miles from Norwich station and the city centre and 3.5 miles from the bus station. The car park holds 40 cars including 5 disabled bays, and for bigger events free overflow parking a few minutes’ walk away is arranged with the organiser. Buses 19, 19A and 20 from Castle Meadow, 11 from Red Lion Street and 24 or 24A run close by.

Other Norwich options

Within Norwich conference venues, the Norfolk Showground and Events Centre offers over 3,000 m² of pillar-free floor for a larger show, The Halls hosts up to 900 standing in a medieval complex near the station, and The Assembly House adds 15 bedrooms in the city centre. If you want a purpose-built centre with rooms upstairs, Kents Hill Park in Milton Keynes seats 600 and sleeps 300. Browse more conference and exhibition venues in the United Kingdom, and read choosing a venue around the event before you shortlist.

Source: thespacenorwich.com