BFI Southbank hires out four cinemas seating 38 to 450 guests for conferences, premieres, awards ceremonies, product launches, panels and private screenings, with reception areas for each screen and an outdoor terrace on the river. The venue is the London home of the British Film Institute, on the South Bank of the Thames beside Waterloo Bridge.
Seminars and company events
The auditoriums suit any event built around a screen and a stage: a company conference with keynotes and video, a results presentation, a product launch, an industry panel or a film shown to staff or clients. Groups can be as small as 40 or as large as 450. Every booking includes the in-house audiovisual equipment, a BFI events coordinator and a projectionist, and bookings in NFT1, NFT2 and NFT3 also come with an usher. The BFI technical team supports each event, and the building allows the client's branding to be placed in the spaces. For a smaller meeting away from the river, the BFI also runs meeting and screening rooms on Stephen Street in the West End.
Rooms and capacities
NFT1 is the largest auditorium, with 450 seats, the biggest screen in the building and a large stage for speakers and panels. It is the room for premieres, conferences, launches and presentations. NFT2 is a smaller screening room with a compact stage, used for industry events, panels and private screenings. NFT3 has raked seating and an open presentation area in front of the screen, which suits talks and smaller screenings. The fourth cinema completes the range down to 38 seats, and all seating is theatre style. Each screen has a reception area that can be booked with it, so a screening can open or close with drinks. NFT1 can also be paired with the Riverfront and its Terrace, which give an event outdoor space overlooking the Thames.
Catering
Catering is provided by Benugo, the BFI's catering partner, which serves the building's bars and restaurant. Food and drinks for receptions, breaks and evening events are planned with the BFI events team at the time of booking.
History and setting
The National Film Theatre opened on this site under Waterloo Bridge in 1957 and took the name BFI Southbank in 2007. The building runs the BFI's public program of new releases, seasons and archive films, which gives a corporate guest a sense of the place before the event starts. The institute also runs the BFI IMAX nearby, whose whole auditorium can be hired separately. Around the venue, the South Bank brings together the Southbank Centre, the National Theatre and the riverside walk, which makes it easy for guests to arrive early or stay on after an evening event.
Getting there
The venue is in London SE1 8XT, on the South Bank next to Waterloo Bridge. London Waterloo station, with main line and Underground services, is a few minutes on foot, and Embankment and Temple stations are across the river. Heathrow and London City are the nearest airports. Guests usually arrive on foot or by public transport, as the area around the riverside is largely pedestrian.
