Our venue experts uncovers the 9 best conference venues in this thriving city

Bristol has a rich history, with an economy built on the creative media, aerospace and electronics industries — it’s also a business hub with a diverse collection of excellent conference and meeting venues. Given that Bristol is forecast to be one of the UK’s fastest growing cities for economic growth until 2021, we recommend this unique city for your events with its bustling centre and beautiful surrounding countryside.

To help you find the right venue for your needs, our venue expert, Robyn Gannon, has compiled this list of the top conference venues in Bristol.

1. Berwick Lodge

This boutique luxury hotel is set in acres of stunning, tranquil grounds. Offering elegance and historical architecture, it’s a perfect choice if your conference spans multiple days.

The inspiring location is great for brainstorming sessions or creative presentations. The Berwick Lodge is equipped with free WIFI and presentation technology. For parties of up to 80, we recommend the Mesopotamia room.

2. Aerospace Bristol

Situated in the north of the city, Aerospace Bristol is a museum that has become well-known for its conference facilities, including three meeting rooms, a studio space and a lecture room.

If you’re looking to book a conference for up to 156 people, the John James Theatre in this venue comes with raked seating and is ideal for audio-visual presentations. The Studio Space is good for groups of up to 80 and is a perfect option for networking events and board meetings.

3. Ashton Gate Stadium Bristol

The Conference Centre in The Ashton Gate Stadium holds up to 1,000 people, or 850 for dinner, and offers state-of-the-art equipment and meeting spaces. The venue has excellent transport links and is designed as the perfect setting for large business conferences and meetings — while offering views over the Ashton Gate Stadium pitch.  

4. Bristol City Hall

One of Bristol’s most iconic buildings, the City Hall is available for exhibitions, awards ceremonies and conferences. The City Hall has three meeting rooms available and offers capacity and catering for up to 500 people. You can choose a small, medium or large meeting room depending on your requirements. You can even book The Council Chamber, a room based on the House of Commons, with a painted ceiling that depicts Bristol throughout its history.

5. Bristol Exhibition Centre

This venue is the largest of its kind in the South West and is suitable for a range of events from 20 to 1,500 delegates. The venue has ten meeting rooms for hire, which are ideal for smaller gatherings of up to 250 people. This 4,000 square metre space has hosted exhibitions for high-profile clients such as Lloyds Banking Group, Rolls Royce and UCAS.

6. Paintworks Bristol

Paintworks event space is a colourful, unique destination that is more than just a venue. With onsite flexible working space, residency areas and cafes, it’s more of a community.

A blank canvas area offers a fresh, light space for your conference and comes with free high-strength WIFI, in-house catering, a powerful sound system and on-site parking for up to 50 cars. It has been home to a variety of creative events from the likes of Google, Sunday Times, BBC and Santander.

7. M Shed

This cultural landmark, located on the harbourside of Bristol, offers state-of-the-art AV equipment, including downlighters, pin spots and coloured LEDs. Although it retains the look of its former function as a 1950s transit shed, this venue has purpose-built facilities and modern lighting. Depending on the room you choose, this venue is ideal for conferences from 16 to 220 people.

8. Bristol Harbour Hotel

This iconic hotel and spa is located in the heart of the city and is perfect for companies who want a luxurious urban escape as their conference venue. Choose between The Sansovino Hall (once the banking hall of the Lloyds Bank building), The Vault, The Exchequer or The Treasury. The Sansovino Hall was once the banking hall of the Lloyds Bank building and can seat up to 400 guests; ideal for conferences that entail an audio-visual element. The Vault is an elegant option for conferences of up to 80, while The Exchequer and The Treasury are perfect for smaller groups of 12 to 20.

9. Hotel du Vin, Bristol

At Hotel du Vin, you can choose from three elegant meeting rooms, depending on what you are looking for in terms of purpose and size — Brunel, Aquam Bibe 1 and Aquam Bibe 2. Aquam Bibe 1 and 2 can be combined for an airy, elegant conference room that will accommodate up to 250 people. Brunel is a smaller room that can seat up to 20people for a more intimate boardroom meeting.

Our expert venue finders know all the best spaces for your conferences and events. If you’re looking for a conference venue in Bristol or elsewhere in the UK, get in touch with us today.