When planning a conference or event, one of the most important decisions is choosing the right venue. Beyond the considerations of location, facilities, and capacity, have you ever thought about the wider impact of your choice?

Opting for a venue that’s owned and operated by a charity creates an opportunity for your organisation to positively contribute to a cause and to leverage this positive contribution through the marketing messages and PR associated with your event. At the British Motor Museum, all profit generated from conferences and events directly supports the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust – the charity behind the Museum. The Trust is dedicated to collecting and conserving vehicles and artefacts connected to the motor industry of Britain, sharing stories of the industry and developing educational programmes; to ensure that the story of British motoring continues to inspire and inform generations to come. Showing organisational support for a cause like this is a great way to align your event with your corporate social responsibility goals and can positively contribute to the achievement of your event objectives.

Memorable settings

Charitable venues often provide a memorable setting and can also be a source of added value for delegates and event organisers. These can be utilised to create stunning visuals, illustrate or reinforce an event theme, or drive a narrative that leaves a lasting impression on your delegates. For example, the British Motor Museum, holds the world’s largest collection of historic British cars, which can be accessed for free by all conference delegates for the duration of their event. Leveraging this could be as simple as providing access during some much-needed downtime for delegates or using particular cars to illustrate discussion topics such as innovation, design, creativity, or product development. Putting some thought into how you can extract value from the venue can help to spark creativity and productivity in delegates, as well as serving as a memorable photo opportunity. Remember, delegates who enjoy your conference are also likely to remember more of the content that you’ve worked so hard to create and deliver!

Greater networking opportunities

Hosting your event at a charitable venue can also help foster stronger relationships with delegates, like-minded organisations and key stakeholders. Attendees are often more open to networking and collaborating in environments that resonate with their values and provide ready-made opportunities to open conversations and share stories. Creating a sense of shared interest or common purpose can lead to more meaningful connections and fruitful partnerships. 

Conclusion

Venue choice is clearly about much more than spaces, facilities, location or catering. Choosing the right venue can contribute to creating a memorable delegate experience, delivering the outcomes that you’re looking for and positively positioning your brand or organisation in the mind of your delegates.

Toby Batchelor, Head of Commerce at the British Motor Museum, commented: “The museum and the charitable trust are the heart of everything that we do. Knowing that our Conference Centre's commercial activity contributes to this is a great reason to work here, and it also provides real value for our clients. The role of the conference team is to help clients leverage the truly unique content that the Museum holds in ways that complement and add value. We're constantly evolving our offering to ensure that we continue to provide modern facilities and a great mix of indoor and outdoor spaces that fit the needs of the market, but clients tell us that it's the Museum, the collection, and our purpose that really make the venue stand out from the crowd.”

For more information about hosting an event at the British Motor Museum or to make a booking, contact our events team at bookings@britishmotormuseum.co.uk.