The bustling heart of the North East

The survey was conducted by NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau.

A vibrant city bursting with personality and located at the heart of North East England, the word ‘surprising’ is often used to describe NewcastleGateshead. The destination is a place for both business and play, with rolling countryside and spectacular coastlines just 30 minutes outside of the stunning cityscape.

Compact and connected NewcastleGateshead offers conference organisers the choice of a bustling urbane locale, or space to think with a tranquil escape. But, what makes the destination so surprising is the extraordinary personality that resonates from the 2,000 years of history and its warm and welcoming people.

‘Friendly’ hit the top spot for words used to describe NewcastleGateshead in a recent delegate survey conducted by NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau; the survey also showed delegate satisfaction to be high with 99% rating their conference venue as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’. Already an established and popular destination for national and international meetings and conferences, NewcastleGateshead continues to grow, with seven hotels either under development or opened within the last 12 months.

With an efficient Metro system linking the city centre to the airport and the coast, NewcastleGateshead is a compact destination where whatever you need is never far away.

Central NewcastleGateshead
Newcastle Central Station is the destination’s transport hub, with national trains coming from the East Coast mainline, Scotland and the North West. Travelling on foot delegates can be at the iconic Quayside, the city’s academic quarter and an exciting range of venues in just 15 short minutes.

South of the River Tyne the twin cities’ flag-ship venue the Sage Gateshead takes in spectacular views across the bustling Quayside and its historic bridges. It can accommodate conferences and exhibitions for up to 1,700 delegates and has hosted all three of England’s major political parties, Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.

Newcastle University and Northumbria University have both recently undergone multi-million-pound redevelopments, creating stunning public spaces linking world-class conference facilities. Nearby, Newcastle Civic Centre stands as a monument to Art Deco architecture and provides a spectacular setting accommodating conferences and events for up to 600 delegates.

Home to top-brand hotels, conference organisers won’t be short of accommodation options for delegates or residential meeting venues. Hilton Newcastle Gateshead, Copthorne and Malmaison, have enviable locations on the banks of the River Tyne and meeting facilities with fast access to the Quayside’s bustling heart.

One of the destination’s most recognisable landmarks is Newcastle United Football Club. When it’s not hosting Premier League football, the ‘third cathedral’ as it’s known locally, is one of the UK’s best-equipped sporting venues for conferences.

For an historical twist, The Assembly Rooms is one of Newcastle’s oldest and grandest Georgian buildings, dating back to 1776. Catering for up to 420 delegates, this sophisticated venue has eight fully adaptable suites offering state-of-the-art technology in a period setting. Nearby, Blackfriars dates back even further, boasting the UK’s oldest dining room; this restaurant was once a monastery and home to Dominican monks.

Recently unveiling its medieval banqueting hall, it’s the ideal place to wow delegates with a traditional hog roast and period feast. Having undergone a £26m redevelopment, Great North Museum is now the place to learn more about the area’s 2,000-year history. The venue can cater for 12 - 500 delegates and provide a reception for up to 1,300, making the most of the entire venue including the impressive Roman exhibit featuring a scale model of nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hadrian’s Wall.

And from historic grandeur to forward thinking scientific developments, Life Conference and Banqueting is a unique and versatile venue situated within the Centre for Life science village. The large Scotswood Suite can accommodate 380 delegates and has 5.5m-high ceilings, perfect for largescale branding of events. Clients can also take advantage of the other world-class facilities on site including the Life Science Centre, a visitor attraction providing a distinctive venue complete with interactive exhibitions and a motion simulator.

Countryside & Coast
The A1(M) runs through NewcastleGateshead and makes a host of rural and out-of town venues an easy option for organisers looking to combine city locale with the lure of the wider North East region. Northumberland is the ancient home of kings and Romans, and is littered with spectacular rural venues, from castles to historic halls its stately homes have a charm and character of their own, spectacularly located in ‘England’s most beautiful, surprising region’* and largely built from locally sourced sandstone with glistening golden exteriors. Amongst them are Matfen Hall, Macdonald Linden Hall and Longhirst Hall, which offers organisers the choice of 23 meeting rooms catering for up to 270 delegates.

Sunderland, the city by the sea, is accessible from NewcastleGateshead via the frequent and convenient
Metro system. The University of Sunderland’s Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s is situated close to the National Glass Centre on the north bank of the River Wear; both venues have panoramic views of the river and coastline from a range of meeting spaces.

Further along the River Wear is the medieval Durham City, home to UNESCO World Heritage Site Durham Castle and Cathedral. With a choice of meeting rooms and function suites to comfortably accommodate up to 250 guests, Durham County Cricket Club is a modern development situated in attractive and mature parkland on the banks of the River Wear.

NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau is on hand with expert local knowledge and advice on everything from venue finding to social programmes and accommodation booking.

For more information
www.NewcastleGateshead.com/Meet