Over the years, etc.venues has received countless conference and event awards, rave reviews from clients, and even visits from the Royal Family and Prime Ministers. We’re extremely proud of the fact that etc.venues is a resounding UK success story.
What’s more, we are becoming a global success…
Our story began in 1992 when our founder, an experienced trainer, decided she’d had enough of poorly serviced, old fashioned training venues. So, she designed her own. Based at Avonmouth House, South London, it was purpose-built for a far better experience. The approach proved a big hit and, over time, more venues opened across London.
In 2006, Alastair Stewart recognised even greater potential and, backed by private equity firm Dunedin LLP, he led the initial management buyout which was followed by further backing from Growth Capital Partners in 2012. Under his careful stewardship, the business has grown seven fold.
In 2018, further investment was secured from US investors Benchmark Global Hospitality and Gencom. This saw etc.venues transform into a truly global brand with the announcement of etc.venues 360 Madison – the first of three New York locations. With the support of a newly-strengthened management team – including Nick Hoare (COO) and Ed Ethelston (CFO) – the ambition is to double the company’s size in the next 3-5 years.
In 2019, Alastair Stewart, MD of etc.venues, won the ‘Transformational Leader' award at EY Entrepreneur Of The Year London & South East region, UK. It’s an accolade that reflects the whole ethos of the etc.venues team; constantly pushing to improve and transform the market – not by trying to change it, but by listening to it.
etc.venues also surpassed Hilton and Marriott to become Central London’s largest provider of urban conference and event space with 278 meeting rooms – including the iconic County Hall, our largest conference suite in The City at 133 Houndsditch, and our latest training venue at Chancery Lane.
In 2020, we started brightly with the landmark opening of etc.venues 360 Madison in New York paving the way for the company's global expansion. However, plans to rapidly expand were paused by the global pandemic. Instead, etc.venues adapted, forming a partnership to deliver hybrid events and developing our agile workspace solution.
In 2021, etc.venues opened 601 Lexington Avenue, another New York venue, expanded 133 Houndsditch with an additional floor and led the industry with best-in-class hybrid event solutions. In the UK, the group was awarded Silver in the BVA-BDRC Most Recommended Brand category beating recognisable brands like Marriott and Hilton in the process.
Last year, etc.venues was back on the growth agenda with the announcement of the third US venue at 810 Seventh Avenue in West Midtown, New York.
In 2023, etc.venues made the headlines when we were acquired by Convene. By joining forces, we become the Global Sector Leader; expanding our presence to 38 locations across the U.K. and the U.S. and providing an unparalleled global offering.
Investors refer to us as ‘pure play’ in the space as a service sector. Our clients refer to us as the conference and event venue specialists. It’s the reason why we are becoming the ‘go to’ for so many professional event planners across the world.