Unique Venues of London (UVL) members took an average of 15 new event enquiries each at a début showcase event, held at the Royal Opera House.
The UVL Expo, held on 4 June in conjunction with Visit London, saw 200 agents have one-to-one meetings with 69 UVL member venues.
Enquiries ranged from day-time hire to exhibitions, with the majority taken for evening dinners and drinks receptions. One event booking at Dalí Universe was even confirmed on the day.
A survey carried out during the event revealed that, although lead times remained short, some event bookers were looking to secure Christmas parties and events in the first quarter of 2010.
Lisa Hatswell, Chairman of UVL and Corporate Sales Manager at the London Eye commented: "This is really positive news for UVL and also for the capital itself. Despite the current financial climate business is still available for venues which can offer added value by creating an experience. As a collective, UVL is able to offer a diverse selection of iconic, historic and modern events spaces as well as backstage tours and exclusive access to exhibitions".
Lisa added: "Our first Expo has been a great success and we are delighted with the turnout. We have had some really positive feedback from both our members and event bookers and we have plans to make this a regular event in the UVL and Visit London calendar".
UVL's exhibiting members included Somerset House, Christ Church, Spitalfields, Tate Britain and the Foundling Museum. The showcase was designed to make it simple for event bookers to explore UVL’s entire portfolio over the course of a morning. Guests were also invited to take a back-stage tour of the Royal Opera House. Zanine Adams, UK Sales and Event Solutions Manager at Visit London said: "The Expo represented an outstanding showcasing opportunity for UVL to display their diverse range of quality venues to buyers. It captured London's reputation of having some of the most dramatic and unique venues of any major city and it was a pleasure to be associated with the event".
