Conference venues
Oil in Baku, custard in Birmingham
WORDS | LEE CHESHIRE
IT’S TIME TO START BOOKING FOR THE SUMMER’S EXHIBITIONS AND CONFERENCES and one of the key ones in the Caucasus is Caspian Oil and Gas in Baku. Now in its 17th year, this show is essential for anyone working in the region’s booming energy industry.
A good base for the event – or any of the auto, transport and food expos planned for this year – is the Hyatt Regency. It’s only a 10-minute drive from the exhibition centre, five from Baku’s city centre and 35 from the airport.
Caspian Oil and Gas will be packed with potential clients and partners: the Hyatt’s 10 meeting rooms and two boardrooms are perfect for firming up deals. These functional spaces mean that you can break up into splinter groups for smaller discussions as well, and are well stocked with audio-visual equipment. If it goes well, celebrate at the (allegedly) British-themed Britannia Pub or the Beluga cocktail and vodka bar.
If you want to play the host yourself, the Guba ballroom holds up to 350 for a drinks reception or presentation, or 250 for a banquet. It has its own entrance and a sizeable foyer, which can fit another 80 people. During summer, events can spill out from the ballroom to sip cocktails by the poolside. If that doesn’t win you business, nothing will.
Hyatt Regency, 1 Bakikhanov Street, Baku, +994 12 496 1234, www.baku.regency.hyatt.com
Crème de la Custard
[ BIRMINGHAM ]
RATED AS ONE OF THE BEST VENUES IN THE UK BY Event magazine, the Old Library lies at the heart of Birmingham’s trendy Custard Factory district. Its churchlike interior is perfect for functions and conferences: it holds 150 for a sit-down dinner or 400 for a drinks reception. If you need more room, then the industrial Space 2 elsewhere in the complex can hold up to 1,200 standing, while The Theatre and Factory Club provide settings for speeches or product launches. Access couldn’t be better – the Custard Factory is a few hundred metres from Birmingham’s smart shopping centre and is easily reached from the airport.
The Custard Factory, Gibb Square, Birmingham, +44 (0)121 200 0910, www.theoldlibrary.co.uk
