Boasting not one, but two fully-fledged conference centres, Murray Edwards College is a popular choice for businesses and organisations from a wide range of sectors. The college itself was founded in 1954, with New Hall Events, its commercial arm, celebrating its 20th anniversary in April this year. Murray Edwards has spent the past two decades refining its offering as a thriving conference and business venue, adding facilities and welcoming hundreds of events, from residential and day meetings to product launches, lectures and training sessions.
Buckingham House is a modern and flexible space, featuring a lecture theatre that can seat up to 140 and additional adjacent syndicate rooms, plus a foyer with sliding doors on to an outdoor deck. If you’re planning an all-singing, all-dancing presentation, there’s state-of-the-art AV that covers all requirements, plus you can book a package that includes the filming of your event. Meanwhile, the Kaetsu Centre comprises seven flexible meeting rooms located across four floors, plus a lecture theatre that seats up to 150.
When it comes to feeding your delegates, the options are impressive. The spectacular Dome Dining Hall, one of the largest dining rooms in Cambridge, features art-lined walls and serves fine-dining fare, while drinks and canapé receptions can be served in Fountain Court Walkway, which offers beautiful views over the illuminated fountains at night-time. Alternatively, the College bar, overlooking Fountain Court, provides a more contemporary space with modern furniture and drawings by Quentin Blake.
This venue is also home to the New Hall Art Collection – the largest collection of women’s art in Europe, which began in the early nineties when the college wrote to 100 women artists asking them to each donate a piece of work. The donations continued and the renowned collection now includes work by many eminent female artists including Tracey Emin, Barbara Hepworth and Elisabeth Frink. Event organisers can take advantage of this unique feature by incorporating a private art tour, taking delegates through the impressive collection, which features paintings, drawings and sculptures. Artworks also feature in many of the public spaces, such as breakout rooms and areas for dining and networking.
If you require overnight accommodation for guests, you’re well served in that department, too, with the college offering more than 300 bedrooms (during vacation periods), the majority of which are En-suite and have been recently renovated.
