STEM Women has hosted several large events at Congress Centre over the last few years – their relationship with our central London venue going back to pre-Covid times. The events are designed for graduates and students to network with market-leading STEM businesses, to listen to panel discussions and to discover more about the potential industries in which they could forge their future careers. The events comprise an exhibition with up to 50 stands, lunch for exhibitors and delegates, career talks, educational sessions and panels discussions.
Lots of our clients tell us how much they like the registration area at Congress Centre, and Stephen Rooney, Director at STEM Women, is no exception. ‘Attendees walk down the stairs via a dedicated entrance, see a really impressive reception desk with our holding slides on large screens and can tell instantly that they are at a professionally-run event,’ he says. ‘Also, the venue is in a great location and we get to have exclusive access to our spaces.’
What always works particularly well for STEM Women is our largest space, Congress Hall, which they set up with exhibition stands. It’s an ample size for their exhibitors and delegates, who can number up to 450, offers a natural flow for attendees and has a unique look with its modernist, space-frame ceiling. Catering, which includes teas and coffees as well as a Bowl Menu lunch for both exhibitors and attendees, tends to be served in the foyer and Congress Hall.
In their most recent event with us, STEM Women chose to serve a mix of meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes for their lunch menus, including a healthy, Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, Seared Fillet of Salmon on Crushed Dill Potatoes and Chargrilled Halloumi with Couscous. For dessert they went for a mix of indulgent Chocolate Torte with Vanilla Ice Cream and Tropical Fruit Platters.
The Congress Suite and the very flexible Invision Suites were used by STEM Women for their breakout spaces in which delegates attended talks. The Invision Suite is one of our most popular rooms for clients who want to host sessions away from their main event. The two spaces can be joined together or used as stand-alone rooms and come equipped with all the high-tech AV you’d expect from a London conference venue.
As well as having fabulous, functional spaces, here at Congress Centre, we pride ourselves on the professionalism and friendliness of our staff. Rooney continues, ‘The team are always friendly and welcoming, they do go out of their way to help with couriers, deliveries, floor plans etc. The management on the day is always friendly and helpful, and in the run up to the event the planning is organised and clear.’
Senior Conference & Events Coordinator, Nadia Scott, who manages and oversees planning of the STEM Women events shared her thoughts on why the partnership has been such a success, “STEM Women have been hosting their UK Careers events with us since 2019, connecting STEM graduates with future employers. They love using the Congress Hall for all their exhibitors, hosting up to 30 organisations all in one room!”
When asked about how the event space features and facilities benefit STEM Women, Nadia continues, “This space works well for them as it has lots of natural daylight, additional LED lighting for branding and large enough to accommodate all catering and refreshments for the employers ensuring they are catered for throughout the day without having to leave the room.
The Congress Suite is used as their main plenary space for up to 130 people Theatre style equipped with built in AV, this space works well for all presentations and talks throughout the day. The Congress Foyer is included as a catering and lounge space for all students where refreshments and packed lunches are provided.”
“In October 2022 STEM hosted their largest event with us to date welcoming over 50 exhibitors and 250 students to Congress Centre. We used the Congress Hall, Congress Suite, Foyer, and Marble Hall to host all exhibitor stands and Invision Suites 1 – 2 as the main plenary meeting space. It was amazing to see the venue so busy with so many organisations and students all under one roof!
STEM now host up to three events a year with us, with the possibility of adding another one later in the year. It has been amazing to watch the event develop and grow and it is always a pleasure and great fun to work with Stephen and the team, they make planning and co-ordinating the event so easy and we look forward to welcoming them back in June for another successful conference.”
If you’d like to host your next exhibition in a central London location with versatile breakout spaces and fabulous catering, get in touch with our Events Team to discuss your requirements and dates. You can contact us by calling 020 7467 1318 or by emailing us via congress.centre@tuc.org.uk.