Companies in London looking for the perfect venue for their corporate hospitality event consistently seem to overlook the one genuine asset the city has – the River Thames. The River Thames has something for everyone. If you enjoy peace and natural beauty, then the gentle and remote stretches of the Upper Thames from its source through Lechlade to Eynsford delights with tranquillity and beauty before it flows into Oxford. From Oxford downstream the Thames meanders its way through beautiful countryside passing great castles and royal palaces at Windsor and Hampton Court. Downstream of Teddington (which literally means Tide-end-town) the River Thames changes its rhythm and although still 60 miles from Southend and the North Sea, the Thames becomes tidal.
In Central London every stretch of the river has a tale to tell with iconic landmarks such as Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral and London Bridge. Past the Tower of London and Tower Bridge the river widens as it sweeps down to Greenwich steeped in maritime history and past O2 Dome before finally reaching the Thames Barrier and the open the sea. This historic highway offers hundreds of venues for the perfect corporate hospitality event in London.
Whether an intimate gathering aboard a Thames sailing barge with Tower Bridge opening for you, a staff get-together on an elegant river cruiser, or a gala dinner aboard a large paddle steamer, the river and its sights is a fantastic venue for floating festivity. For larger conferences and hospitality or launch events that may require more up to date presentation and A-V facilities, the river can still be a part of a unique package by using ExCel, London’s state-of-the-art conference and exhibition centre in Docklands. With the exhibition hall located right on the Royal Victoria Dock, ships and boats can be moored at the quayside for groups of 10 to as many as 200 people. Boats can be chartered to cruise from ExCel up the Thames into central London.
