NEWS

Discover our Lakeside Conference Centre

 

What a lot of people might not know is that York Biotech Campus is home to a brilliant multipurpose event space called Lakeside Conference Centre (LCC).

We haven’t been operating at full capacity since the pandemic hit, but we’re pleased to now be planning more events in person and bringing delegates back together again.

Whether you want to host a full-scale conference, exhibition, meeting, workshop or training course, we have a range of conference facilities and meeting rooms available to suit events of any size, as well as a friendly team on hand to help you.

What rooms are available at LCC?

We have all sorts! There’s our Sand Hutton Suite – a 250-seat auditorium – which is perfect for larger conferences. If you’re after meeting rooms with flexibility, then our Claxton and Kirkham meeting rooms are an ideal option – the rooms can be arranged in a variety of set ups, including theatre, boardroom, u-shape and classroom.

What’s more the mezzanine and atrium areas are great for exhibition spaces, and each have the capacity for 20 exhibition stands.

What about outdoor space?

We have a lovely terrace with a wonderful view over our lake. It’s also a brilliant spot for BBQs – perfect for a mid-conference or meeting break!

As we’re based on 80-acres of parkland, we have lots of space that can be adapted, so whether you want to host an outdoor exhibition or fair, or want to showcase something rather impressive, we’ll be able to adapt for that. We have even had a 36m wide tractor at the front of the entrance for a Farmers Weekly event!

What type of events can you host?

We’ve held it all. From large scale weekend events to conferences and exhibitions, to smaller training courses and workshops, as well as meetings for the businesses on campus.

The largest event we’ve ever held was the Coeliac UK Gluten Free Food Festival back in 2019, with around 1,300 people in attendance. They had the conference centre exclusively for the weekend and the event included everything from a food exhibition to cookery demonstrations.

And sometimes we get the occupiers onsite involved in events too. When Farmers Weekly joined us for its Arable Horizons Spray Innovation event, we were able to arrange a tour from Fera Science, so that delegates got to see the advanced agri-technology they had been told about at the event in action.

What’s parking and travel like?

One major benefit of our conference centre is that we have plenty of parking (around 560 spaces!) and easy access just off the A64. If you want to get here by bus, the Coastliner runs several bus routes which stop on the A64, close to the site. Or if cycling is more your thing, there are several bike shelters onsite too.

What equipment do you have?

We have an onsite IT team that provides support for all meetings and events to ensure they run smoothly. From connecting devices to AV systems, managing audio levels to providing additional screens for multi-screen presentations – we have you covered!

Can you cater for hybrid meetings?

Yes! We held our first ever hybrid meeting recently for Raft Solutions, which meant people joined us both in-person and virtually. We’re now in the process of installing more video technology in our rooms to make hybrid meetings run even more seamlessly.

And food and drink?

We can supply in-house catering for meetings and events. Just let us know what you need and your budget and we can tailor the perfect package for you, whether that’s a cold buffet, to hot food like hog roasts and our bowl foods from around the world, including Thai chicken curry, vegetarian tagine, chilli con carne and mac and cheese.

What makes LCC special?

When you hold an event at LCC, you are holding an event in an environment that encourages innovative thinking and creativity, at a base where world-leading scientific research and discovery takes place. What’s more, we can offer exclusive weekend and evening hire. Pair that with plenty of parking and flexibility and we’re a perfect multipurpose event space option here in York, Yorkshire and the north!

If you’d like to host your conference or event here, if you’re looking for meeting room hire in the Yorkshire area, or simply want to find out more information, get in touch via our LCC page.