Academic conference venues
Academic conference venues, each profiled from the organisation's own published information.
The 17 venues listed here are in Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Nottingham, York, Sheffield and other UK cities. Profiles were last checked between 8 and 15 November 2026.
Venues
Churchill College
You can hold a 300-seat plenary, seat 450 for dinner and sleep delegates on site in 199 en-suite rooms, with an AV technician included in the day delegate rate. Up to 450 · 21 spaces · 469 bedrooms
Conference Aston
Run a residential conference in central Birmingham with 163 bedrooms above 19 meeting rooms, a 220-seat main room and, outside term-time, a 600-seat Great Hall across the road. Up to 600 · 19 spaces · 163 bedrooms
East Midlands Conference Centre
Run a conference for up to 850 theatre style or a 50-stand exhibition on the University of Nottingham campus, with free on-site parking and the 203-bedroom Orchard Hotel next door. Up to 850 · 16 spaces
Event Exeter
You can run a 1,433 seat plenary, an exhibition of 46 stands and dozens of breakouts on one Exeter campus, a 15 minute walk from St David's station. Up to 2,200 · 104 spaces · 500 bedrooms
Keble College
Run a residential conference on one central Oxford site, with 320 bedrooms, a 250 seat theatre and a Dining Hall for 300, or use the H B Allen Centre for day meetings in term. Up to 300 · 18 spaces · 320 bedrooms
Madingley Hall
Madingley Hall, the University of Cambridge's Tudor house five miles from the city, has 16 meeting spaces seating up to 90 and 62 en-suite bedrooms. Up to 90 · 16 spaces · 62 bedrooms
Manchester Museum
You can hold a 90-seat conference in the Kanaris Lecture Theatre, dine 120 under a sperm whale skeleton in Living Worlds, or take over the whole museum on a Monday for up to 1,000 guests. Up to 1,000 · 5 spaces
Møller Institute
The Møller Institute at Churchill College, Cambridge, has 21 meeting rooms seating up to 140 theatre style, 92 en-suite bedrooms and 140 free parking spaces. Up to 140 · 21 spaces · 92 bedrooms
NOC Events, National Oceanography Centre
You can hold talks for 132 in a raked lecture theatre, dinners for 400 in a marquee and receptions overlooking Empress Dock, with a Unilink bus stop outside the door. Up to 800 · 25 spaces
NTU Events and Conferencing
You can run a conference for up to 1,000 delegates in central Nottingham with a tram stop on campus, or move to Clifton's 500 free parking spaces, using one inclusive day delegate rate. Up to 1,000 · 250 bedrooms
Performance Venues at the University of Sheffield
You can seat 1,230 in the Octagon Centre, up to 380 in Grade II listed Firth Hall or 177 in the Drama Studio, with meeting rooms alongside, all on the University of Sheffield's central campus. Up to 1,230 · 5 spaces
Rhodes House
You can hold a 280-seat plenary, split into three breakout rooms and dine 150 in the historic hall, with 34 en-suite bedrooms on site in central Oxford. Up to 300 · 5 spaces · 34 bedrooms
Robinson College
You can hold a 240-seat theatre session, breakouts, a 400-guest reception and overnight stays for up to 280 delegates on one site, a 10 minute walk from central Cambridge. Up to 240 · 274 bedrooms
Sheffield Hallam University
Put a 446-seat keynote and a 450-person exhibition side by side opposite Sheffield station, with in-house catering and published delegate packages from £28 + VAT. Up to 500
Somerville College
You can hold a 190-seat theatre-style conference and a 192-cover candlelit dinner on one central Oxford site, with half-day room hire and Wi-Fi, water and flip charts included. Up to 250 · 6 spaces
University of Glasgow Conferences and Events
Book a 1,100-seat theatre in Bute Hall, dinners for up to 360 in the Hunter Halls and boardrooms for 14, with in-house catering and Hillhead Subway about five minutes' walk away. Up to 1,100
York Conferences and Events
Book a 1,028 seat auditorium, 900 m² of exhibition space and campus breakouts, plus The Guildhall in York city centre, through one University of York events team. Up to 1,028 · 200 spaces · 900 bedrooms
Compare venues in the Academic conference venues sector at a glance
| Venue | Town or city | Largest capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Churchill College | Cambridge | 450 people (seated meal, Dining Hall) |
| Conference Aston | Birmingham | 600 people (theatre style, Great Hall, Aston University Main Building (booked through Conference Aston outside term-time); hotel's largest room is Conference Room 1, 220 theatre) |
| East Midlands Conference Centre | Nottingham | 850 people (theatre style, Banqueting Suite) |
| Event Exeter | Exeter | 2,200 people (theatre style or banquet, Indoor Tennis Centre, Sports Park) |
| Keble College | Oxford | 300 people (dining, Dining Hall) |
| Madingley Hall | Cambridge | 90 people (theatre style, The Saloon) |
| Manchester Museum | Manchester | 1,000 people (whole-museum Corporate Takeover Day (Mondays); largest single space 200 drinks reception, Main Hall) |
| Møller Institute | Cambridge | 140 people (theatre style, Study Centre Suite 1 or Study Centre Suite 2) |
| NOC Events, National Oceanography Centre | Southampton | 800 people (standing reception, NOC Marquee (published as 600 to 800)) |
| NTU Events and Conferencing | Nottingham | 1,000 people (delegates, City Campus (venue's stated maximum); largest single room Newton Lecture Theatre 2, 475 tiered) |
| Performance Venues at the University of Sheffield | Sheffield | 1,230 people (seated, Octagon Centre full hall (1800 standing in the clear hall)) |
| Rhodes House | Oxford | 300 people (reception (standing), Conference Hall) |
| Robinson College | Cambridge | 240 people (theatre style, Auditorium Theatre) |
| Sheffield Hallam University | Sheffield | 500 people (standing, Cantor Atrium) |
| Somerville College | Oxford | 250 people (reception, Brittain Williams Room with Flora Anderson Hall) |
| University of Glasgow Conferences and Events | Glasgow | 1,100 people (theatre style including pew seating, Bute Hall) |
| York Conferences and Events | York | 1,028 people (tiered auditorium, Central Hall) |
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