PA Life Deputy Editor Molly Dyson had the chance to experience a taste of the hospitality options on offer at the prestigious Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith during the 2016 Hyundai Mercury Prize awards. Here’s a flavour of the event.
It’s not every day you receive an invitation to one of the UK’s hottest music events, especially as somebody who works for a business magazine. But this occasion is special – the Eventim Apollo is hosting a small group of events journalists to experience the hospitality offering at the venue, which extends from VIP treatment at live events to private corporate parties.
As a music lover, I was ecstatic to be invited to the 2016 Hyundai Mercury Prize awards, which celebrate homegrown talent and the best of the UK’s artists. This year’s shortlist included the likes of Laura Mvula, the late David Bowie, Radiohead, The 1975 and Skepta, who ultimately won the prestigious award.
The venue itself has been beautifully and painstakingly restored to its former glory as an Art Deco cinema designed by architect Robert Cromie, which Deputy General Manager Heiko Kacimi-Alaoui tells me took many months of hard work. As a listed building, Eventim had to ensure every bit of work done would fit with the original design. They peeled back layers and layers of paint to discover the original colours of the wall and brought in a specialist to match the exact hue. The result is an impressive display of 1930s opulence, with incredible Art Deco chandeliers and cut glass throughout.
Inside the auditorium, you’ll find 3655 total seats – but the main floor of the venue can be transformed into a level space that can accommodate 720 for dinners. Plus, there’s the light and airy foyer space, which can host standing receptions of up to 700 over two levels. It’s the perfect venue for award ceremonies, gala dinners, or even private live events.
I visited the Apollo the day before the awards to get a back-stage tour from Heiko, who explained corporate events are a relatively new offering. While the venue’s normally busy with music and comedy gigs, the team decided to make it available to companies for large-scale events. So far it has hosted award ceremonies, product launches and exhibitions in the first year of corporate events. In addition to the main space, there are a number of break-out areas.
On the evening of the Mercury awards I was given a ticket and a badge that allowed me access to the VIP lounge for drinks and tasty canapés before the show. The staff in this area were super friendly and always available to help or answer any questions we had; you can’t fault great service, which is exactly what you can expect at the Apollo. The lounge is a nice, private bar with its own bathrooms (meaning no queuing with everyone else) and special access to the venue’s balcony seats (which can accommodate 1924 theatre-style).
The venue’s state-of-the-art sound system was put to the test during performances by all of the shortlisted acts, which included a plethora of different genres, from R&B to rock and grime. I was quite partial to Dexter actor Michael C Hall’s performance of David Bowie’s Lazarus, but all of the artists sounded brilliant on the night and our view from the balcony gave us the perfect place to sit and watch the action.
If you’re looking for something special to treat your clients or colleagues for whatever reason, It’s definitely worth looking into the VIP hospitality options for some of the Apollo’s upcoming shows. Or if you’re on the hunt for a unique and interesting venue for a future event, the Eventim Apollo is a great place to consider.
