The Priory Rooms is a meeting and conference centre in central Birmingham that hires out named rooms for groups of 2 to 210 people. It occupies the Quaker Meeting House at 40 Bull Street, and its rooms suit board meetings, training days, conferences, workshops and exhibitions.
Seminars and company events
The centre runs as a not-for-profit conference venue during the week. All rooms have air conditioning and WiFi, and the larger ones have a built-in data projector and screen. A support team can help with audio-visual set-up during the day. Layouts are flexible, and the site lists theatre, classroom, circle-of-chairs and exam styles with guidance figures for each room. Organisers can book online, call the team, or arrange a tour of the building first.
Rooms and capacities
The Main Meeting House on the ground floor is the largest room, with up to 210 delegates theatre style, and it has space outside for registration or exhibition stands. The George Fox Room takes up to 60 and the William Penn Room up to 46. The Elizabeth Fry Room holds up to 30 and the Lloyd Room up to 25. The Margaret Fell, Reading and Sturge Rooms each take up to 20. The Southall Room takes 8 and the Pamela Williams Room 6, which suits small boardroom meetings with daylight. The Atrium is a light plenary and refreshment area overlooking the garden, and can hold up to 65 people for exhibitions.
Four rooms are in a modern extension on the lower ground floor. Others are in the original Quaker building, across the ground and first floors. The Upper Lobby rooms and the ground floor are fully accessible, and the Main Meeting House has induction loops.
Catering
Catering is in house, with Fairtrade tea and coffee, and hot and cold buffet options. The venue works with local suppliers where possible. Every Monday the menu is vegetarian, and customers can opt for the standard menu when they book. Vegan and gluten-free choices are available if you tell the team at booking, together with any other dietary needs.
History and setting
The Priory Rooms sits inside the Bull Street Quaker Meeting House, and profits support Quaker community projects. Quaker values shape the way the centre is run: it holds a Green Meetings Silver Award and serves Fairtrade products. A private Quaker court garden is available to delegates for breaks, which is uncommon for a city-centre venue.
Getting there
The centre is within walking distance of three mainline stations. Birmingham New Street is about seven minutes on foot, and Snow Hill and Moor Street are also close. The site gives a step-by-step route from New Street. For drivers, a car park on Weaman Street is about four minutes away, and visitors get a fixed parking rate by validating at reception.
