Conferences, training courses, staff away days, exhibitions and live performances for up to 580 people can be held at The Ridgeway Centre, a conference and training venue in Wolverton Mill South, on the northern side of Milton Keynes. The center takes corporate bookings only and does not host weddings or private parties.
Seminars and company events
The building suits formats that need one large room and a set of smaller ones close by: a company conference in the auditorium with breakouts in the suites, a training program spread across several rooms, or a trade exhibition with more than 100 stands using the whole building. Rooms can be hired Monday to Saturday, for a single day or on an annual or regular basis. Every room has a ceiling projector and free high-speed Wi-Fi, and the events team designs each event with the client, including audiovisual equipment and hire. Booking follows four steps: an inquiry, a planning stage with the team, a deposit to hold the date and a final invoice 30 days before the event.
Rooms and capacities
The Auditorium measures 29 by 27 m and seats up to 580 theater style, with controlled air conditioning and a full AV system; it also takes more than 100 exhibitor spaces. The Shaftesbury Suite, 16 by 11.5 m, takes up to 175 people, and Wilberforce, 12 by 11.7 m, up to 120, both with air conditioning, AV and adjustable lighting. Four smaller rooms complete the offer: the More Room, 11.6 by 6 m, for up to 40 in a lounge layout with its own kitchen; the Booth Room, the same size, for up to 30 with a TV; and the Gordon and Nightingale rooms, for up to 44 each, with whiteboards. The venue counts eight functional spaces in all. Layout plans for each room are available from the team.
Catering
Refreshments and food are offered for every type of booking, from morning and afternoon breaks with pastries, seasonal fruit, juices and cakes to hot and cold buffet lunches. The events team adapts menus to dietary needs, to a theme or to a signature dish the client wants, and a full catering menu is available on request.
History and setting
The Ridgeway Centre has run events since 2007. It belongs to New Life Church Milton Keynes, a registered charity, and operates as a non-profit: income from bookings funds social action groups locally, nationally and internationally. The building stands in a business area on Featherstone Road, and its 200 free parking spaces make it easy for teams arriving by car from across the region.
Getting there
Wolverton station is about a 20-minute walk away, according to the venue. Milton Keynes Central, on the West Coast Main Line from London Euston, lies a few kilometers to the south. Most delegates arrive by road, with free parking on site and Wi-Fi throughout the building once they are inside.
