Anfield, Liverpool FC

European Capital of Culture for 2008, Liverpool is enjoying a boom in business and some major developments. Ben Lerwill takes a look at seven of its many meetings venues.

LIVERPOOL is one of those cities that immediately conjures up associated images, usually in the form of mop-tops, ferries or red football shirts.

But there’s far more to the city than its clichés, and Liverpool today is very much a city going places. This is best illustrated by its status as the European Capital of Culture for 2008, which has been a catalyst for mass development and infrastructural improvements.

The most notable from an industry point of view will be next year’s opening of the immense Arena & Convention Centre on the dockside, while the Mersey Partnership’s Commercial Tourism team has invested in a new accommodation booking system for conferences in the city.

Wow Factor
Name: Anfield, Liverpool FC
Address: Heathcotes at Anfield, Liverpool FC, Anfield Road, Anfield, Liverpool, L4 0TH
Tel: 0151 263 7744
Email: events@liverpoolfc.tv
Web: www.liverpoolfc.tv

There aren’t many grounds around the continent that can match Liverpool’s Anfield for history or prestige, and the fact that the Champions League runners-up will soon be moving to a new home makes its current pull all the stronger. The facilities are modern and flexible, with six conference suites capable of taking up to 250 guests theatre-style. Its Reds Lounges can accommodate up to 700 for receptions, while the award-winning in-house caterers can host anything from networking breakfasts to gala dinners.

Quirky Venue
Name: Royal Daffodil 
Address: Mersey Ferries, Victoria Place, Wallasey, CH44 6QY
Tel: 0151 330 1458/ 1453
Email: info@merseyferries.co.uk
Web: www.merseyferries.co.uk

The waterfront gives Liverpool one of its most iconic sights, with the Three Graces standing tall and proud in front of the bustle of the city itself. And how better to appreciate the panorama than making like Gerry Marsden and taking to the Mersey? Royal Daffodil is the flagship of the Mersey Ferries fleet, and can be hired exclusively for between 60 and 350 guests for meetings, product launches, presentations and parties. There are two main saloons, two bars, a ‘promenade deck’ and yes, even a dance floor. As well as pleasure cruises, clients can also make use of the vessel to head across the Mersey to Spaceport, a £10m space-themed visitor attraction offering event facilities.      

New Kid on the Block
Name: Arena & Convention Centre Liverpool
Address: City Tower, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L3 1PP
Tel: 0151 475 8888
Email: kerrin.macphie@accliverpool.com 
Web: www.accliverpool.com

Opening next year, the waterfront Arena & Convention Centre will be the venue that puts Liverpool firmly on the map for large-scale national and international events. The integrated complex combines a 10,600-seat arena with an extensive conference centre, featuring a sub-divisible auditorium for a maximum of 1,350. Its 3725m2 multi-purpose hall means that a total of over 7000m2 of exhibition space will be on hand, while 18 further meeting rooms should see that precious few needs go unmet. A sweeping modernist design also incorporates a landscaped area for outdoor events and performances. There will also be two on-site hotels, providing 450 rooms between them.  

Money No Object
Name: Thornton Manor
Address: Manor Road, Thornton Hough, Wirral, CH63 1JB 
Tel: 0151 353 1155
Email: paul_thorntonmanor@hotmail.co.uk 
Web: www.thorntonmanor.co.uk

Dating back to the mid-1800s, Thornton Manor is one of the most exclusive event boltholes in the North West. The Elizabethan mansion has elaborate period décor and is set in over 60 acres of well manicured grounds. A variety of different spaces means that anything up to 200 can be welcomed in the main house, with the gardens providing potential for larger functions in marquees. The manor is still privately owned and offers accommodation alongside its exclusive-hire capabilities.

On a Shoestring
Name: The University of Liverpool
Address: Conference Office, Greenbank Conference Park, Derby & Rathbone Hall, North Mossley Hill Road, Liverpool, L18 8BH
Tel: 0151 794 6440
Email: conference@liv.ac.uk 
Web: www.liv.ac.uk/conferenceservices

As is common with academic venues, The University of Liverpool offers a plethora of various meeting and accommodation options without overly irking the accounts department. The scope of different spaces ranges from meeting rooms for five to lecture theatres for 600, with facilities split between the city centre and parkland locations. Banqueting and non-residential meetings are available all year round, while over 1,600 bedrooms become available during holiday periods. There is also over 1,500m2 of free-flow exhibition space, and a dedicated conf-erence team means that service levels are tough to fault. Car parking, AV equipment and good disabled access are all further boons.      

Wired Up
Name: Tate Liverpool
Address: Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4BB
Tel: 0151 702 7432
Email: pauline.hewitt@tate.org.uk 
Web: www.tate.org.uk/liverpool

When the Turner Prize made the decision to exhibit later this year not in London but in Liverpool, it was further endorsement of the city’s rising credentials. The Tate Liverpool holds one of the biggest collections of modern art in the country outside of the capital and offers a similarly impressive range of meeting facilities. Set in a tastefully converted warehouse in Albert Dock, much of the top floor of the venue is given over as an events suite, with an auditorium and concourse gallery both capable of holding up to 100 people. It provides a range of contem-porary technology, with wifi internet access, a loop induction hearing system and compre-hensive AV facilities. The refurbished Tate Café can host up to 120 for evening functions. 

Small But Perfectly Formed
Name: The Beatles Story
Address: Britannia Vaults, Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4AD
Tel: 0151 709 1963 
Email: louise@beatlesstory.com 
Web: www.beatlesstory.com

Also located in Albert Dock, the award-winning Beatles Story is an atmospheric replica of the original Cavern Club (the nightspot itself now being considerably altered from its shaking 60s heyday), complete with interactive displays following the rise of the Fab Four.
Up to 100 guests can be welcomed for receptions or product launches, with enter-tainment options including live performances from a Beatles tribute band. The venue might be small, but it packs plenty in – exhibits incorporate everything from John Lennon’s spectacles and George Harrison’s first guitar to the world’s only blue White Album. Events are fully customised according to the needs of the client, with a range of different catering services available on request.

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