Place your bets by booking racecourses for your events

Do you conjure up a vision of high-paced and prestigious sporting events attracting huge crowds and audiences?

Hundreds of people gathered together to watch exciting horse racing, dressed in their finest, and enjoying delicious food and drink all served on site?

Yes of course you are right, however due to their versatility they also make the ideal venue for any company event.

Racecourses as a meeting venue have grown in popularity over the years and with the amount of conference rooms available, and choice of spaces, they can be the perfect solution for your next corporate off site.

Many event spaces within the racecourse venues overlook the courses, with floor-ceiling windows, so the view, is an added incentive in itself for bookers.

Racecourses can provide a unique backdrop for meetings, conferences, networking events, team building, company fun days, Christmas / Summer parties and all manner of corporate events. Their surroundings lend themselves well for both indoor and outdoor activities, both small and on the larger scale.

Fully functional event spaces at the ready, from hospitality boxes for private dinners, to corporate parties in one of the many bars or restaurants situated within the venues, to large event spaces to accommodate conferences and exhibitions. These venues offer the flexibility and adaptability to cater for all types of events. In addition, transport links are often excellent and most racecourses have ample car parking – free of charge!

With dedicated, experienced conference teams, along with some award-winning, renowned caterers based on site, you can be assured that your event will reach the winning post!

Key points to consider when planning a conference at racecourses:

VENUE SELECTION

Choose a racecourse that can match your conference size and requirements. With many offering multiple rooms of all varying sizes you need to ensure they can accommodate the capacities you need. Some can offer larger banqueting or exhibition halls if this is what you require.

Day delegate packages are readily available as well as tailor-made alternatives to cater to suit your requirements

FACILITIES
Typically the racecourses are a modern venue in style and their facilities they have to offer. Before booking, it would be a good idea to check their AV and technical equipment is also up-to-date if you have specific requirements.

ACCESSIBILITY

You need to ensure the venue is easily accessible for all attendees attending the event, whether by car or public transport.

CATERING

Most racecourses have their own in-house catering services. This gives you the opportunity to have one port of call to discuss all of your menu options and dietary requirements are taken care of. The majority of venues will be able to provide versatile menus ranging from light lunches to lavish banquets and five-star dining.

TEAM BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES

If you are considering an event to include some team building activities, then a racecourse could be perfect, offering expansive grounds to host all types of events including in some cases space for motorised sports and corporate fun day activities.

EVENT TIMINGS & DATES

Be mindful that with the racing calendar and race fixtures some key dates, especially weekends, may already be booked. Take advantage of quieter days or weeks to enjoy a sense of exclusivity and negotiate on lower prices too. Some racecourses also put on evening race meets so if an event were to coincide with these it could impact on your attendees travelling to and from the venue, parking availability, finish and start times for your event and the overall atmosphere of the venue.

Conferences and meetings at racecourses can offer a unique and memorable experience for all attending. By carefully planning and utilising the venue’s distinctive features, you can create a successful and enjoyable event.

There are many racecourses to choose from around the UK, from your larger, more well-known venues such as Ascot, Aintree and Epsom, to some smaller, more local, lesser-known venues.

Here are just a few to get you off the starting line:

Set within an 812 acre estate, High Gosforth Estate, Newcastle Racecourse provides a spectacular backdrop for any event and is easily accessible too. Newcastle Airport is only 6 miles away and it is close from all the major motorway networks for delegates travelling in the North East.

The venue offers three, multi-functional, conference spaces accommodating up to 500 delegates, an additional 24 smaller meeting rooms and has car parking facilities on site for up to 12,000 vehicles.

Brandling House, a Grade II listed building, is a prime venue space within the racecourse, and an historic setting originally built as a country house in the 1700s for Charles Brandling a wealthy land and mine owner.

The outdoor space is just as flexible as the indoor offering opportunities to host team building activities and fun events.

Conveniently located between two cities, Bath and Bristol, Bath Racecourse is within easy access of the M4. Bath Spa Station is close by and Bristol International Airport is less than 20 miles away.

Bath Racecourse offers flexibility for all corporate events with an array of event spaces to utilise.

The Royal Crescent Suite is a modern, spacious room ideal for conferences and banqueting, and in addition has a balcony providing views of the racecourse and views beyond. This room can accommodate up to 300 guests for a standing reception.

There are a large number of Executive suites ideal for holding smaller meetings up to 60 delegates or to use as breakout spaces.

Also on site they have the Paddock Pavilion which is a glass fronted marquee accommodating up to 500 people theatre style and 330 for a seated dinner. This space can be divided into smaller sections making it extremely adaptable for all types of events

Lingfield Park Resort is Europe’s busiest racecourses and includes both a 116 bedroom hotel and golf course on site.

Located just a short distance from London Gatwick Airport and the M25, the venue is positioned well for both national & International delegates.

There are over 5,000 complimentary car parking spaces on site along with acres of outdoor space to host activities and large-scale events. They have over 22 meeting spaces for hire

The most versatile room is the Pavilion Suite which can accommodate up to 700 people. This space boasts its own bar and can fit staging, production sets, dance floor and whatever your event requirements may be. Along with a private patio space which is perfect for drinks, refreshments and even BBQ’s in the Summer months.

Having the hotel on site gives event bookers the added bonus of accommodating their delegates for overnight stays

Wolverhampton Racecourse is a popular choice for venue hire in the West Midlands. Conveniently located on the outskirts of Wolverhampton city, it is only 10 minutes from the M54 and has over 1.500 car parking spaces on site.

This venue also has a hotel based on site so great for planning all types of events. The hotel has 54 bedrooms and also has a variety of smaller meeting rooms available.

Their largest room, The Ringside Suite, has over 600sqm of pillar-free space and can hold up to 600 delegates.

Conferences and meetings at racecourses can offer a unique and memorable experience for all attending. By carefully planning and utilising the venue’s distinctive features, you can create a successful and enjoyable event.

The perfect alternative to the more traditional venue!