The Barbican Drives Growth With Creative Use of Venue

The Barbican in London is ready to showcase its recent innovative use of space. The Barbican’s event venues comprise a range of spaces, from intimate meeting rooms to the 2,000-capacity Barbican Hall, but a new strategy set out by Barbican Business Events has focused on extending this offer into previously less used spaces, reimagining how they can be used to provide a unique experience for clients and guests. 

For London Fashion Week 2024 the Barbican’s Sculpture Court, Curve Gallery and its parking garage hosted showcases from designers Roksanda, Supriya Lele and 16 Arlington, cementing the Barbican as a venue for fashion events and brand photo shoots. International brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Adidas and Amazon used the Barbican’s spaces for photoshoots in the same year. In 2025, the Barbican will welcome the World Design Congress.

“By reimagining spaces not specifically created or previously used for events, “we are not only ensuring the Barbican remains a top destination for domestic and international business events, but also offering creative new options for clients looking for unique and compelling backdrops for their important occasions," said Jenny Waller, Barbican’s head of sales. "The Barbican is a place full of unusual opportunities that our team are willing to make work for clients wanting something different. We’re really looking forward to demonstrating our space-use initiatives at IBTM and hope to inspire all those that come to chat to our team.”

It’s clear that the innovative use of space is having a positive impact all round. In terms of growth, there’s been a 14 percent increase year-on-year in events delivered and a 13 percent rise in attendee numbers. The Barbican has been shortlisted for a variety of awards in 2024, including the London Venue Awards, the miaList and more.

For more information, visit www.barbican.org.uk.

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