Conference and Meeting venues in Colchester

Colchester is renowned for being Britain’s oldest recorded town but it is also a thriving modern centre with much to offer meeting planners and delegates alike.

Steeped in 2,000 years of history dating back to Roman times, Colchester offers historic venues and heritage sites as well as contemporary venues for meetings, conference and events. Close to both the coast and countryside, Colchester is also a great choice of meeting destination for teambuilding events and corporate activities.

Colchester is easily reached via the A12, via direct trains links from London and via flights into Stansted Airport for international delegates. Proximity to London is an added bonus for delegates wishing to remain close to the capital.

Conference venues here are diverse and cater for all requirements. The Town Hall is a striking historic venue, ideal for weddings, conferences and exhibitions with 5 meeting rooms offering distinct styles and period elegance catering for up to 300 delegates. Layer Marney Tower is an unusual venue and one of the country’s most dramatic historic buildings. It has been adapted to cater for weddings, meetings, conferences, banquets, training and teambuilding events boasting a selection of meeting rooms available as well as over 100 acres of grounds. In stark contrast, Firstsite is an exciting new venue where art meets commerce. This iconic contemporary building houses exhibition space as well as a 200-seat auditorium plus further high-spec meeting rooms and is well suited to corporate events and conferences as well as exhibitions. Sporting venue Weston Homes Community Stadium, home to Colchester United FC, has become a leading conference and banqueting venue in the area with meeting rooms and conference suites able to cater for up to 400 delegates, whilst academic venue the University of Essex offers an award-winning lecture hall with capacity for 1,000 delegates alongside a further theatre for up to 560 delegates plus smaller meeting rooms well suited to training events. Five Lakes Hotel, Golf, Country Club and Spa is the perfect hotel venue in to combine business and pleasure. There is a 5 acre activity field for teambuilding events, a 3,500sqm exhibition centre that can accommodate 4,000 delegates, a banqueting suite plus 6 further conference suites with capacity for up to 400 delegates. Here, you really can have it all! Colchester hotels also include the Brook Whitehall Hotel and the Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf and Spa, the latter being designated an area of outstanding natural beauty set in 300 acres comprising 2 championship golf courses as well as 9 conference and event suites catering for up to 500 delegates.