Hard Rock Cafe

BNC members report back from Hard Rock Cafe visits

Corporate events have been staged at London's infamous Hard Rock Cafe since its conception in 1971 but very few people know this. To change all that, the Hard Rock Cafe has teamed up with The BNC to introduce the venue to the country's top events managers. And what better way to experience a venue than to see it live and in action - and you can certainly achieve that with the Hard Rock Cafe.

Over the last few months BNC members were invited to the legendary venue to see performances by Pixie Lott, Moby, John Mayer, David Gray and other popular singers. Reporting back to The BNC office, here's what some of the members had to say:

PATSY, HEAD OF MARKETING , FOR A HEAD HUNTING FIRM.

The Hard Rock Cafe is a great venue with great food. It is very easy to get to and just the right size for a gig like this. It felt intimate, but there was enough room to get a good crowd in to create a good atmosphere. David Gray was amazing too!

I imagined it would be a lot bigger and that the restaurant area would be much more evident, but it worked well as the restaurant was in a separate area.

Would you recommend the venue? Yes, as it ticked the box for something different in London.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHARLOTTE, HEAD OF EVENTS, FOR A MEDIA COMPANY

I had a great evening at The Hard Rock Cafe and it was such a privilege to see David Gray perform to such a select audience.

The venue was intimate and relaxed and the central Location is a real bonus.

I wasn't aware of it as an events venue prior to this evening. I didn't have too many preconceived ideas other than good American style food and the burgers certainly lived up to that!

I think the venue is suited to relaxed drinks events - perhaps sporting events if you were able to add in additional screens so there was visibility around the venue.

Would you recommend the venue? The service from the staff in serving drinks and food, and on the door, was really exemplary. They managed to deal with a busy venue without any problems.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KRISTINA, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, FOR A MUSIC COMPANY

There is nothing better than listening to live music in a small and intimate venue. It gives you an opportunity to get closer to the artist's performance and the vibe is always great.
I thought that the venue was great and worked well. It is a great venue to showcase new artists or for a competition run event.

I was not aware that you could hold corporate events at The Hard Rock Cafe an I thought that it was located elsewhere.

The type of event it would suit would be a small showcase for an artist but depending on the image we are trying to project we would go with a guitar grungy type of artist.

Would you recommend the venue? Yes I would. The service by all staff was fantastic, the food was great and it's close to the tube and easy to get to.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KATE, HEAD OF EVENTS, FOR A RETAIL COMPANY

The concert at the Hard Rock Cafe was absolutely brilliant. It is a great, intimate venue for small music events.

The venue would suit events for all ages if the entertainment is right. The HRC was there when we oldies were young <but> I didn't know that you could hold events at The Hard Rock Cafe!

Would you recommend the venue? Yes, for an informal, private evening event; the food was good; it has two bars; a central location and is easily accessible from the tube.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JENNI, MARKETING MANAGER, EXECUTIVE RESEARCH COMPANY

A huge thank you to you and Bernice at the Hard Rock Cafe for a fantastic evening seeing John Mayer on the 11th of January.

I am a huge fan, so the chance to see him perform in an intimate venue was just fantastic. And the chance to be about five feet away during the show was even better. The hospitality at the Hard Rock was top notch - great service and even better canapés!

Head of Events and Sales at The Hard Rock Cafe, Niki Henville, says that the venue is ideal for anyone who is "looking for somewhere that is more than your typical conference room in a hotel." And The Hard Rock Cafe London is far from typical. Not only does it serve food and stage concerts but it also holds some amazing memorabilia, which lends the venue part of its appeal and character.

Music fans from different ages and of different genres will be fascinated by something from the collection which includes Beatles memorabilia; Elvis Presley's coat; the Jimi Hendrix guitar (played at the Isle of White Festival and insured for £4million); Glen Matlock's first ever guitar; Bob Dylan's guitar (shaped like the map of USA); a bustier worn by Madonna; an antique chair owned by Freddie Mercury and much, much more.

"The Hard Rock is perfect for any kind of event that wants to have something a bit different. Over the years we've hosted all kinds of events from weddings to press launches, and it's a great place to hold a networking event," adds Niki. "And because we are a music venue we have such fantastic staging and lighting facilities and can provide them should you need them for your event. "

www.hardrockcafe.com/london