For anyone planning an event in Newcastle - from a board meeting to a conference - a new city centre venue, which combines the region's rich heritage with state-of-the-art facilities, will soon be available to book.
The Common Room is the new name for the building on Westgate Road close to the Central Station, which many people will have known in the past as The Mining Institute. Built in the late 1800s for The North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers, the Common Room has undergone a two-year refurbishment and is due to reopen this summer. “Thanks to National Lottery Players, a grant of £5,050,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund combined with grants from other funders has meant that we’ve been able to secure the future of this amazing building and create a new hub for innovation and engineering in Newcastle,” explained Nicky Sherman, Sales and Marketing Manager at The Common Room.
“As well as safeguarding its stunning original features, we’ve also been able to bring the event spaces totally up to date – for example by incorporating live streaming technology – so when it reopens, The Common Room will provide a beautiful and functional venue for all sorts of events.”
Spaces available for hire within The Common Room include the spectacular Wood Hall, with its glass ceiling and huge stained glass windows, which holds up to 150 people for a reception or 120 for a presentation or dinner. The smaller Edwardian Lecture Theatre offers a unique space for talks, performances and presentations, and is where 19th century innovators delivered their ground-breaking lectures on engineering. A suite of smaller spaces offer flexible options for meetings or break-out spaces and the newly created ‘5 Quarter’ Café Bar which can be found on the ground floor of the building will also provide the perfect place for an after-work cocktail or welcome pint.
“Every inch of The Common Room is steeped in history and heritage and showcases the best of the North East,” said Nicky.
“Whether you’re inviting guests from overseas, or wanting to bring your team together in a central location, we’ll be able to help ensure your event runs smoothly and is remembered for all the right reasons.” As well as venue hire, The Common Room is offering a range of corporate partnership and sponsorship options, including room naming opportunities.