COOL is a matter of opinion. It is perhaps the greatest currency you can possess; whether you are running for President, or pitching for the next big event! It is what gives an events venue the position of strength

 when negotiating with an event organiser…

 

The COOL Venues Awards were developed in 2007 by Wesley Mendy of Prestige Events.

 Over the past seven years, Prestige Events magazine has tried toidentify for its readers venues which will make the difference, and set it’s editorial compass on what’s COOL for the benefit of it UK readership of event organiser's.

 

The barometer should not be biased towards all that is ‘new’ in our opinion. There is always a place for the classic / heritagevenue. They often possess a character, charisma, and class that many ‘newer’ builds cannot yet match.   So what is COOL? A COOL venue should have: Charisma, Originality, Style, Innovation, Sex Appeal, Authenticity, Aspiration,and Uniqueness.   COOL is a very personal opinion. Therefore, a panel ofjudges was selected to form a council.  Each understood the intrinsic factors, elements and characteristics that deem a venue to be COOL.  

The council represents adiverse collective; writers, industry figureheads, and event organisers /specialists.  They have applied the strict guideline that each nominee should not be selected as a result of its technical capabilities, sincemany of these facets (lighting, AV, etc) can be imported. This year’s‘barometer’, created by a council of 12 judges (see bottom of page), provides very interesting reading. The Savoy, despite undergoing refurbishment, proved a problem in the COOLest for galas category. The headache was solved by the correct argument that in recent music awards, the late great Michael Jackson, who wasn’t active in album releases, but is still achieving huge sales, triumphed in many categories. Hence, the Savoy decision (and to those that didn’t make the shortlist, remember there is always next year and 12 months to change ‘opinions’)….

 

 

 Coolest Hotel Chain / Group:

(Previous winner: Radisson Edwardian)

 

Winner:

Radisson Edwardian

 

Runners-up:

Malmaison

Morgans

Maybourne

Hotel Du Vin

Relais and Chateaux

Mandarin Oriental

Sheraton

Four Seasons

Von Essen

Barcelo

Firmdale

Soho Hotels

 

 

Coolest Independent Hotel

(Previous winner: None - NEW CATEGORY):

 

Winner:

The Hempel

 

Runners-up:

Hoxton Hotel

The Pavillion Fashion Rock n Roll Hotel

Blanch House

Danesfield Hotel

Zetter

Feversham Arms

The Grove

Gleneagles

The Clarence

The Haven

Mar Hall

 

 

 

Coolest Country House / castle/ stately home

(Previous winner: Stoke Park)

 

Winner:

Stoke Park

 

Runners-up:

Brocket Hall

Blenheim 

Windsor Castle

The Grove

Waddesdon Manor

Mallory Court

Sudeley Castle

Luton Hoo

Tower Bridge

Kenwood House

Belvoir Castle

Wrotham Park

 

 

 Coolest Boutique Hotel

(Previous winner: The Hempel)

 

Winner:

The Hempel

 

 

Runners-up:

Babbington House

Blakes

The Clarence

The Zetter

Drakes

Browns

Barnsley House

42 The Call

41 Hotel

Missoni Edinburgh

Sanctum Soho

 

 

Coolest ‘On water’ venue

(Previous winner: Royal Caribbean)

 

Winner:

Royal Caribbean

 

Runners-up:

Bateaux London

London duck tours

Sunseeker

Silverfleet

Rum Jungle

HMS Belfast

River and Rowing Museum

Silversea

Dixie Queen

Woods River Cruises

Thames RIB

 

 

Coolest Sporting venue

(Previous winner: Emirates Stadium)

 

Winner:

Wembley Stadium

 

Runners-up:

Emirates Stadium

Ascot

RBS Williams F1 Centre

David Beckham Academy

Wimbledon

Aintree

Chelsea

Stoke Park

City of Manchester Stadium

Lords

Sixways Stadium

Old Trafford

 

 

Coolest Museum / Gallery

(Previous winner: Natural History Museum)

 

Winner:

Natural History Museum

 

Runners-up:

Science Museum

Saatchi Gallery

Tate Modern

Magna

Design Museum

The Lowry

Tate Britain

British Museum

Delfina

Museum in Docklands

Tate Liverpool

Opus Covent Garden

 

 

Coolest conference / exhibition centre

(Previous winner: Barbican)

 

Winner:

Barbican

 

Runners-up:

Savoy Place

British Museum

The MayFair

RBS Williams f1

Excel

Altitude 360

The Public

Imperial College

National Media Museum

AECC

SECC

BFi Imax

Wellcome Collection

 

 

Coolest Bar / Club

(Previous winner: Absolut Icebar)

 

Winner:

Ministry of Sound

 

Runners-up:

Fabric

Buddha Bar

Matter

Whisky Mist

Amika

Paramount

Pacha

40/30 at The Gherkin

RS Lounge

The MayFair Bar

Cream

 

 

Coolest Restaurant

(Previous winner: Sketch)

 

Winner:

Nobu - Berkeley

 

Runners-up:

Hakkasan

Sketch

San Carlo

St Pancras Grand

The Yorke Arms – Ramsgill

Gordon Ramsay at Claridges

The Milestone – Sheffield

Hard Rock Café

Just St James

Gilgamesh

40/30 at The Gherkin

 

 

Coolest venue for Corporate Fun  / Teambuilding

(Previous winner: Mercedes Benz World)

 

Winner:

Alton Towers

 

 

Runners-up:

Warwick Castle

London Zoo

Inishturkbeg Island

Shakespeare Globe / Swan at The Globe

Go Ape

Mercedes Benz World

Sno!Zone @ Xcape

Audi Quattro Showrooms

Magic Circle

London Dungeon

Goodwood

Namco Station County Hall

Daytona Motorsport

 

 

Coolest venue for Awards Ceremonies

(Previous winner: Roundhouse)

 

Winner:

Old Billingsgate

 

 

Runners-up:

Roundhouse

Natural History Museum

Boiler House at Battersea Power Station

St Georges Hall

Magic Circle HQ

Sheffield City Hall

Science Museum London

Banqueting House

Imperial War Museum

East Wintergarden

Grovesnor House

 

 

Coolest venue for galas / aspirational events

(Previous winner: Somerset House)

 

Winner:

The Savoy

 

Runners-up:

Bloomsbury Ballroom

Tate Modern

Celtic Manor

Home House

Il Bottaccio

Old Billingsgate

Somerset House

Natural History Museum

Troxy

Cannon Bridge Roof Gardens

Mar Hall

 

 

Coolest venue for Small Meetings

(Previous winner: Altitude 360)

 

Winner:

Tower Bridge

 

Runners-up:

Altitude 360

Wellington Arch

One Great George Street

40/30 at The Gherkin

Emirates Stadium

Inmarsat Conference Centre

IOD Hub

Whittlebury Hall

Rich Mix

Signor Sassi

Wallacespace

 

 

Coolest private member club

(Previous winner: None – NEW CATEGORY)

 

Winner:

City of London club

 

Runners-up:

40/30 at The Gherkin

Diamond Club at Emirates Stadium

Shoreditch House

City Golf Club

Adam Street

The Groucho Club

116 Pall Mall / IOD HQ

Home House

Paramount

Soho House

Met Bar

 

 

Coolest venue for Receptions

(Previous winner: Il Bottaccio)

 

Winner:

Altitude 360

 

Runners-up:

Saatchi Gallery

40/30 at The Gherkin

Household Cavalry Museum

Il Bottaccio

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

Skinners Hall

One Marylebone

The Deck at The National Theatre

The Old Fruitmarket

Tudor Barn Eltham

RIBA

Dreamvault

The Gallery Soho

 

 

Coolest venue for outdoor events

(Previous winner: The Hurlingham Club)

 

Winner:

Cannon Bridge Roof Gardens

 

Runners-up:

The Hurlingham Club

Alton Towers

Blenheim Palace

London Zoo

Somerset House

The Grove

Goodwood

Ascot

Kensington Roof Gardens

Celtic Manor

Warwick Castle

 

 

Coolest all-round / multi-purpose venue

(Previous winner: 40/30 at The Gherkin)

 

Winner:

Roundhouse

 

Runners-up:

40/30 at The Gherkin

Altitude 360

02

Eden Project

Wales Millennium Centre

Magna

Science Museum, London

SECC

Truman Brewery

The Clarence

Emirates Stadium

 

 

Coolest venue Architecture

(Previous winner: 40/30 at The Gherkin)

 

Winner:

40/30 at The Gherkin

 

 

Runners-up:

Roundhouse

Somerset House

Tate Modern

Cutlers Hall

Emirates Stadium

Claridges

Wales Millennium Centre

LSO St Lukes

The Crypt at St Pauls Cathedral

Eden Project

02

 

 

 

*NEW CATEGORY*

COOL Venue of the Noughties:

 

Winners (shared):

Emirates Stadium

The Gherkin

 

 

 

2009 COOL Venues Awards judges panel

 

Wesley Mendy (Prestige Events)

Kristiana Kruysmulder (Prestige Events)

Errol Griffiths (Prestige Events)

James Harrup (Prestige Events / JWH Creative)

Will Broome (Londonlaunch)

Emily Gillan (Purple Grape)

Kate Disley (UBM)

Clayton Dean (Red Carpet)

Ben Turner (Design Scene)

Arthur Somerset

PJ Stevens (Leap PLC)

Suzie Bailey (Staar Productions)

Julian Saipe (Zafferano)

Gini Wilde (Bonner and Hindley)

Lee Hoppen (SoonNight.com)

 

For more information:

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