Central Hall Venues (CHV) has appointed Deborah Gallagher as Head of Venue for its first newly launched UK wide site, Nicolson Square Edinburgh (NSE).
Deborah, who was born and raised in Edinburgh, will head up the events team at NSE, which offers five flexible spaces in the historic venue, housed within the City of Edinburgh’s Methodist Church. NSE, with its central location and striking architecture, was launched as a brand-new site for conferences and events by CHV in March 2021. It was the first in CHV’s programme to support and manage similar venues to its own highly successful Central Hall Westminster, which has been run as a conference and events centre in central London for over 20 years.
In the newly-created role, Deborah will be responsible for managing all events at NSE which will include conferences, meetings, seminars, training sessions, musical and arts performances as well as filming for TV and the big screen.
Before joining NSE, Deborah was General Manager at the Creative Arts Quarter, known as Farnham Maltings – a complex comprising a theatre, cinema and conference centre. It was also the destination for arts and crafts events and a monthly market. One of the highlights of her 25-year career was running a celebration festival for 3,000 people to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Farnham Maltings. Previously, she worked at the 650-seat Theatre Royal Windsor as Operations and House Manager, where she was instrumental in improving customer service and audience engagement.
Deborah comments: “I am really excited to return to Edinburgh, my home city, and run this wonderful venue. The venue has a fantastic vibe for conferences, events and arts-related functions with the flexibility needed in these times as we adapt to the new normal. For example – we have a great variety of rooms to space out events, a lovely garden and terraces, and an excellent catering function.”
“I am really looking forward to developing the team here and getting events going again with all the tools and procedures available for a safe and secure venue. We are working steadily to ensure we progress effectively and welcome people back to our building with confidence, while listening to our clients’ needs. Being born and bred in Edinburgh, it holds a very special place for me. I’ve been to every Fringe Festival over the years and love the culture of Scottish arts and crafts,” she adds.
Nicolson Square Edinburgh is suitable for conferences and events for 250* and more information can be found on its website: https://www.nsevenue.com
