Recent wins for Convene, a hospitality company specializing in day-meeting spaces and flexible workspaces, provides welcome news for those watching the revitalization of the in-person meetings industry.
After pandemic delays, the company has launched three venues in the past couple of months, bringing the portfolio to 26 Convene properties:
London: In May, Convene opened its first international location, a 50,000-square-foot space in 22 Bishopsgate, a new building in London’s financial district. The new property has the third and fourth floors of the 62-story building, which, combined, can handle up to seven concurrent events. The largest spaces can host theatre-style forums for more than 400 attendees, or 600 attendees for a reception.
Chicago: Convene held the grand opening in May for its 90,000 square feet of meeting and event space in Chicago’s iconic Willis Tower (left). Located at 233 South Wacker Drive in the Loop, the location is the company’s largest, with a column-free general-session space that can host 646 seated guests. Other spaces include The Forum, with a maximum capacity of 372 people; The Hub, which can seat 216; two smaller meeting rooms; and four 12-person boardrooms.
New York City: In early June, Convene reopened its renovated Midtown Manhattan space at 101 Park Avenue. One of nine locations in New York City, the 20,000 square feet of group space includes five meeting from seating from six to 144 attendees, plus the Grand Central Lounge, which can host 100 people for a reception in a light-filled space.
These moves come in the wake of the April announcement that Hudson Bay Company was investing in Convene. Along with new capital for expansion, the partnership also means that Convene will manage HBC’s three SaksWorks flexible work and meeting locations.
