155 Bishopsgate, 133 Houndsditch in London and 810 Seventh Avenue, 360 Madison Avenue in New York City to become Convene locations
Convene, the largest single provider of dedicated meeting and event venues in North America and the U.K., and whose portfolio of brands includes etc.venues, today announced that it is segmenting its portfolio to create a stronger distinction between its locations; Convene is a premium lifestyle brand best suited for large, highly experiential events, while etc.venues is an accessible lifestyle brand ideal for value-driven small meetings and corporate trainings. As part of this segmentation, 155 Bishopsgate and 133 Houndsditch in London and 810 Seventh Avenue and 360 Madison Avenue in New York City will become Convene-branded locations.
“The acquisition of etc.venues in early 2023 was a strategic move that allowed Convene to expand its ability to serve clients in more places and new ways. We are now thoughtfully and intentionally segmenting the recently-formed Convene portfolio of brands to better represent the two distinct offerings,” said James Frankis, vice president of product at Convene. “Various event types have different requirements and budgets therefore we want to empower our joint client base to more easily distinguish whether etc.venues or Convene is best suited for their needs.”
The Convene portfolio is designed to accommodate a wide range of meeting and event programming, serving as a partner, not just a place, for planners. With a hospitality focus across all brands, each offers a full-service experience inclusive of on-site catering, in-room AV and technology, and dedicated planning resources. The distinction between brands is as follows (side-by-side visual linked here):
- Convene-branded locations are a premium lifestyle offering and feature the following:
- A single Convene location has no more than 14 meeting rooms, with the largest single room able to accommodate up to 900 people
- Ideal for conferences, large meetings, or events that require separate breakout spaces. The considerable size offering also allows a greater white box space for client and event branding opportunities
- Sophisticated, design-forward locations that pay homage to the surrounding neighborhood and are inspired by the proximate architecture
- Large gallery spaces to allow for event networking and/or receptions
- In-room AV technology supported by a dedicated on-site team
- Dedicated catering per event with customization options. Dining is private to each individual event
- etc.venues-branded locations are an accessible lifestyle offering and feature the following:
- A single etc.venues location can have up to 30 meeting rooms, with an average room capacity ranging from six to 50 people
- Ideal for value-driven small meetings and corporate trainings
- Unique and playful design elements that inspire creativity
- Simple in-room plug-and-play technology
- Communal catering-of-the-day in a shared dining area across all concurrent events
What’s Changing at Converted Locations
To align with the updated brand segmentation, 810 Seventh Avenue in New York City will be launching as a Convene location in February 2024, 155 Bishopsgate and 133 Houndsditch in London will be launching as Convene locations in April 2024, and 360 Madison Avenue in New York City will be launching as a Convene location in late 2024. Changes to all four locations include signage updates and the addition of standard Convene offerings such as snack and beverage stations, office supplies in each meeting room, and toiletries in each bathroom. Additional location-specific changes are outlined below:
- Convene 810 Seventh Avenue in New York City
- Updated finishes including new wallpaper and paint
- Newly curated art and accessories package
- Convene 133 Houndsditch in London
- New furniture in the gallery space to accommodate new meeting types as well as places for event guests to dine
- New light fixtures in the gallery space, including linear color-changing lights
- New reception desks
- Aesthetic updates including new wallpaper and paint, re-tiled flooring, and a curated mix of wall art by local London artists
- Network Replacement
- Convene 155 Bishopsgate in London
- New furniture in the gallery space to accommodate new meeting types as well as places for event guests to dine
- Aesthetic updates including new wallpaper and paint
- New reception desks
- Network Replacement
- Convene 360 Madison Avenue in New York City
- New furniture in the gallery space to accommodate new meeting types as well as places for event guests to dine
- Aesthetic updates including new finishes and light fixtures
The Convene portfolio of brands also includes SaksWorks, Club 75, and the “by Convene” label for bespoke locations in partnership with other organizations. As the largest single provider of dedicated meeting and event venues in North America and the UK, the company boasts a network of 40 locations across nine cities. To learn more, or to book your next meeting or event within the Convene portfolio of brands, visit: https://convene.com/
