The Barbican sees record-breaking year of business events
Barbican Business Events has announced a record-breaking year of achievements in 2023/24, cementing its position as not just an iconic multi-arts centre, but also a leading venue for conference, meetings and events.
With a significant increase in events, attendance, and financial performance, the Barbican continues to be a convener of critical business thinking that creates connections and provokes debate in the heart of London. In the 2023/2024 financial year, the Barbican Business Events team:
- Hosted 402 events – up 14% from 352 in the previous year.
- Attracted 189,000 attendees – up from 167,000, a 13% increase.
- Contributed more than £2.9 million to the Barbican as a whole.
As a not-for-profit organisation, the funds generated from these commercial events are reinvested into the Barbican’s arts and learning programme, enabling the widest possible range of people to experience the joy of the arts.
The Barbican Business Events team also welcomed, two new hires. They join a team that has been praised and recognised in the past year for its commitment to excellence. Customer testimonials over the year made mention of the team’s responsiveness, dedication, ‘can-do attitude’ and ‘obvious operational expertise’. The Barbican’s Venue Verdict scores also reflect this, with 100% of respondents awarding a 9 or 10/10 when asked how likely they would be to recommend the venue or use it again in the future – this figure is 20% above the industry average.
Specific successes included:
- Significant growth in hires of the Barbican Hall
- 28 graduation events for nine different universities
- 11 multi-day / centre-wide corporate conferences
- The London premiere of the Oscar-winning film Poor Things
- Three London Fashion Week runway shows for Supriya Lele, Roksanda and 16 Arlington
- 31 weddings
Looking ahead, Barbican Business Events will continue to look for new ways to grow and expand its offering. One area includes its innovative use of unusual and flexible spaces across the building, such as its car parks, which were used this year to host London Fashion Week shows.
In addition, 2024 / 2025 will also see the Barbican advance its ambitious Renewal Programme, which will support urgent infrastructure upgrades and reinvigorate the Centre by transforming underutilised spaces, whilst enhancing its operational and environmental performance.
“Reflecting on this past year, I am thrilled with the success our team has achieved. They have worked tirelessly to deliver outstanding events, and the positive feedback from our clients has been incredibly rewarding,” comments Jackie Boughton, the Barbican’s Director of Commercial. “The surge in bookings as well as attendee numbers, combined with the diversity of events we’ve hosted underscore our commitment to excellence. As we look to the year ahead, we are eager to build on this momentum, as we continue to innovate, and create even more memorable events.”
