With awards season in full swing, there's no better time to host an awards ceremony of your own to recognise the work your team's done over the past year. And if you're looking to live up to the Emmys, you'll need an awe-inspiring venue to nail the atmosphere. Luckily, we've got the winning space at hand: allow us to introduce BMA House, the favourite for this season's awards!
Impressive and inviting in equal measure, this venue offers an incredible range of options for an awards ceremony, from the grand, high-ceilinged Great Hall, to the elegant and intimate Prince's Room. We're fantasising about being invited to a glamorous event here, so we thought we'd lay out our dream awards ceremony at BMA House to speed things along! Here's what a breathtaking ceremony at BMA House would look like if we were in charge:
A champagne welcome in the courtyard
Who could walk past the stunning exterior of BMA House and not daydream about stepping inside those wrought iron gates? BMA House's Courtyard is a seriously special spot for welcome drinks, with its sculptural fountain, circular lawn, and stunning red brick surrounds. Set just minutes from Russell Square, stepping off the streets of central London and into this tranquil space is an ideal way to kick off the event.
Not to mention that in the daytime it's a real sun trap, so if your event begins in the afternoon, everyone should get a chance to bask in the spotlight for a while! Who needs a red carpet when you've got a living one, anyway? We'd also opt for some entertainment out in the courtyard to set the stage for a fun soirée - think a jazz band around the fountain, a magician making the rounds, or even 'complimentary drinks' (we bet your guests have never been complimented by a human cocktail before!). Get in touch to see the full list of performers we can source for your event!
Weather has other plans? Try the beautiful Garden Room
Of course, sun is never guaranteed in London, but adverse weather doesn't have to rain on your parade! In fact, BMA House's charming Garden Room offers an equally inspiring space for a drinks reception, with easy access to the venue's beautiful garden if the sun comes out after all. It's not surprising that this venue is so connected to nature: it won Hire Space's 'Greenest Venue' award two years in a row, and has GOLD accreditation with Green Tourism - an accolade to make most venues green with envy!
And all this greenery isn't just for show: guests can wander the garden paths at their leisure, enjoying a preserve of nature in central London. Picture the grounds in the evening, lit up with lanterns on the ground and lights strung in the trees: if you ask us, it's a perfect setting to socialise, share some delicious canapés, and enjoy some bubbly before the main event begins.
Dinner and the ceremony in the Great Hall
And now, ladies and gentlemen, for the part you've all been waiting for... it's time for the awards! BMA House's breathtaking, ballroom-style Great Hall is the perfect setting for dinner and speeches, and it features an ideally-located stage and screen to present the awards. Located on the first floor, with views over the courtyard, there's space for up to 200 guests to dine in this room, and from what we've heard, dinner might just be the star of the ceremony...
With state-of-the-art AV as standard with this venue, you won't have to worry about shouting to be heard, or struggling to get your slides to display: the only concern is the license all this great tech gives to speech makers - we suggest some stringent time limits...
Or an intimate do in the Prince's Room
If you don't have the numbers to fill the Great Hall, don't be disheartened! The ornate Prince's Room is a spectacular smaller space, with stunning gold leaf detailing and a limelight-stealing glass chandelier. This room can fit up to 50 guests for dinner, making it an ideal choice for an intimate evening with a hand-picked guest list, or small team.
With a high, circular ceiling design, emphasised by impressive columns, this room supplies all the glamour and elegance an awards ceremony could ever need. Plus, to reach it you'll pass through a marble foyer and climb a sweeping staircase, perfect for making a grand entrance, and snapping pictures of your colleagues decked out in their finery.
And finally, dancing wherever the night takes you!
There has to be some truly embarrassing music and dancing at an awards ceremony - how else could you suitably celebrate your team?? Depending on how many guests you have, we'd suggest either the Sir James Paget room, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and space for up to 160 to mingle, or clearing the tables in the Great Hall to transform it into a high-class, high-ceilinged club for 320!
Set up a bar in either of the spaces, and rig up a DJ set that takes everyone back - you could even have extra awards for the most enthusiastic dancers! And if you're still riding the high of awards season, you're close enough to the city's top nightclubs to steer the party onwards after hours. What a night!
And there you have it: the awards ceremony of our dreams, with BMA House as the key to it all. With the party of the year at your fingertips (we've practically planned it for you!), why not book up one or more of BMA House's stunning rooms, and host an awards ceremony where everyone feels like a winner? Get in touch below to get the ball rolling!
Still looking for spaces? Check out our other venues for awards ceremonies now.
Author
Jessamy Cowie
Jessamy channels her passion for sustainability and cultural events into shining a spotlight on innovation and inspiration in the events world, and heading up Hire Space's sustainability committee.