Celebrating a successful 2022 and looking forward to 2023

RCP London Events ended 2022 with some incredible event statistics showing that we are bouncing back from the effects of the pandemic, trading at 90% of 2019 income. 

In 2022, we were delighted to host over 330 external commercial events and welcome 32,444 delegates through our doors. Of the hundreds of events hosted, 35 were summer parties making use of the venue’s vast outdoor space and unique medicine garden, a new record for us.

We also had the opportunity to host some high-profile events, including the annual Writers’ Guild of Great Britain awards, The Radio Academy Festival 2022, and the UK heat of the prestigious IACC Copper Skillet competition. 

Our Head of Commercial Events, Natacha Allen, says: “RCP London Events was one of the few venues to provide flexible solutions early on during the pandemic. We proactively updated our operational standards to reflect the latest government guidelines at every step of the way to ensure we could always host integral medical events and meetings at our venue in total safety. And we had virtual and hybrid options for those that wanted to utilise them. 

“2022 still presented several challenges for our venue and the wider hospitality industry. From the Omicron variant affecting the first months of the year to Operation London Bridge, the strikes impacting public transport and the rising costs of living. Despite this, we are delighted to share such positive trading results for 2022 off the back of such challenging years.”

Virtual and hybrid events 

Despite the venue seeing a large increase in physical events taking place in 2022, virtual and hybrid events were still popular last year. RCP London Events hosted 181 hybrid events in 2022, worked on 1,267 hours of streamed content, edited 2,724 post-event talks, built 33 RCP virtual platforms and hosted 74,823 virtual delegates from 54 countries. 

“Since all COVID restrictions have been lifted, we have seen that organisers and delegates want to attend events physically, but require an option for online participants and on-demand content post-event,” adds Natacha Allen.

Flexible catering in 2022 

The biggest trend RCP London Events saw at the venue in 2022 was the demand for flexible events, particularly in the catering offer. We kept on offering a flexible approach to the traditional day delegate package, allowing our clients to choose either a traditional DDR from 9am to 5pm or a flexible DDR, giving them the opportunity to finish their event earlier and replace afternoon break refreshments with a glass of wine, beer or soft drink.

In 2022 the venue served 26,174 DDR lunches, served 2,986 guests a 3-course meal, but most interestingly catered for 4,090 guests with special dietary requirements. Furthermore, the venue’s plant-based and healthy options were up by 35% in 2022. This was a key decision factor for RCP London Events’ clients, many of whom are medically minded and conscious of what their delegates fuel themselves with and having the flexibility to choose has been important for many in the current climate. 

Recycling and sustainability 

We continued our commitment to minimising our impact on the environment and coming up with innovative ways of doing so. 

We also recycled 2,250kg of paper, 50kg of stationery and textiles and 10kg of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and toner. Our efforts resulted in saving 202 trees and 27 tonnes of CO2.

2023: what lies ahead?

Off the back of a fantastic 2022 which saw so many highs, we look forward to all the great things 2023 has to hold. 

In the first few months of the year, our venue will receive some well-deserved TLC. We will see new 4K projectors being installed in both the Seligman Theatre and Wolfson Theatre, and some of our most iconic event spaces will undergo refurbishment. 

In collaboration with our catering partner CH&Co, we will launch new seasonal menus prioritising vegetarian, vegan and plant-based dishes. Improving our supply chain, celebrating local produce and creating low-carbon menus will be among our main goals in 2023.

With the arrival of summer, our much-loved summer party packages will make a comeback to delight our clients and their guests in our beautiful Medicinal Garden. The best-selling Pizza Party Package, the BBQ Party Package and the Interactive Food Stalls Package will be released by April. 

Natacha Allen concludes: “It has been a fantastic year for RCP London Events that saw us scoop three fantastic awards for our venue, appoint a new General Manager, James Fisher, and win a Gold standard award for waste management by First Mile and so much more. In 2023 we look forward to continuing on this upward trajectory with a fantastic team behind us and a diary full of fantastic events.”