Business venues in Canterbury

Business venues in Canterbury: the short answer

• Largest venue: the University of Kent, whose events arena holds more than 2,000 conference delegates.
• Most distinctive setting: The Lodge at Canterbury Cathedral, inside the Cathedral precincts, with an auditorium for 250.
• Country house option: Broome Park Hotel at Barham, with rooms for 10 to 200 and day delegate rates from £45 per person.
• Getting there: about 55 minutes from London St Pancras to Canterbury West by high-speed train, and the A2 links the city to the M2.

Why Canterbury works for business events

In Canterbury you can hold a conference inside a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Canterbury Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church are listed together, and the Cathedral precincts host business events as well as worship and tourism.

The city is also a university city, home to the University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University and the University for the Creative Arts. That brings large lecture theatres, residential conference capacity in campus bedrooms and specialist spaces you will not find in a hotel.

For delegates, the draw is often the city itself. A conference dinner within sight of the Cathedral, or a walk along the medieval city walls between sessions, makes an event easier to sell to attendees.

Getting to Canterbury

How	Details
By train	Canterbury West: high-speed trains to London St Pancras in about 55 minutes. Canterbury East: direct trains to London Victoria, about one an hour off-peak. The two stations are separate, so check which one is closer to your venue
By road	The A2 links Canterbury to the M2 and London. The A28 runs to Ashford
Parking	City-centre parking is limited. Canterbury has three park and ride sites, at New Dover Road, Wincheap and Sturry Road, with buses every 8 to 15 minutes. Out-of-town venues usually have their own car parks

Choosing a venue in Canterbury

Large conferences and residential events

The University of Kent has more than 150 conference and event spaces on a 300-acre campus above the city. They include a 480-seat lecture theatre, the Darwin Conference Suite for up to 300 and an events arena for over 2,000 delegates. More than 4,500 campus bedrooms make it one of the few venues in Kent that can house a large residential conference on site. The campus is about 20 minutes' walk from the city centre.

Conferences in a historic setting

The Lodge at Canterbury Cathedral sits inside the Cathedral precincts. The Clagett Auditorium seats up to 250, six further rooms hold 20 to 200, and 34 en-suite bedrooms look out over the Cathedral. Both Canterbury stations are about a 10-minute walk away.

Country house meetings

Broome Park Hotel is a listed mansion on a 250-acre estate at Barham, about 8 miles south-east of the city and close to the A2. It has rooms for 10 to 200, with free parking, Wi-Fi and AV in every room. Day delegate rates start at £45 per person from June to September and £52 from October to May.

Smaller meetings, training and creative events

For smaller groups, Canterbury has business centres, arts venues and school and college facilities, including Canterbury Innovation Centre, the Gulbenkian Arts Centre on the University of Kent campus and The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in the city centre. Village halls in Bridge, Chartham, Blean and Chilham suit low-cost training days just outside the city.

Planning tips for Canterbury events

• Pick your station first. Canterbury West has the high-speed service from St Pancras; Canterbury East has trains from Victoria. Tell delegates which one to use.
• Plan around parking. For city-centre venues, point drivers to the park and ride, or choose an out-of-town venue with its own car park.
• Book early in term-time. University spaces are easier to secure in the summer and other holiday periods, when campus bedrooms are also available.
• Allow time for the city. A guided walk or dinner near the Cathedral adds little cost and makes the event more memorable.

Looking for a specific type of event? See meeting rooms in Canterbury, conference venues in Canterbury, training rooms in Canterbury, seminar venues in Canterbury and networking venues in Canterbury.