A historic Coventry venue has reopened under new management with plans to re-establish it as a premier event space in the Cathedral Quarter.
DH Venues has signed a deal with owners Historic Coventry Trust to run Grade II listed Drapers’ Hall.
The new management company is a partnership between Chris Hartley of Hartley Consulting & Events and Arum Javed of Sovereignty Venue & Event Management.
Drapers’ Hall, which underwent a major £5 million restoration project in 2021, is recognised as one of the finest Regency buildings in the city and was built in 1832.
DH Venues’ appointment will bring new energy to the promotion and management of this stunning venue in the heart of the city and will be hosting a wide range of events, from award ceremonies, exhibitions and conferences, to weddings, celebrations and concerts.
Drapers’ Hall is set to continue hosting small music events and continue the venue’s rich musical heritage.
DH Venues will be seeking to partner with local suppliers to the hospitality sector on events and collaborate with city centre hotels on accommodation for guests.
Chris Hartley, who is also a member of the oversight board for Destination Coventry, said: “This is a venue with incredible heritage and huge potential. We are proud to be taking it on and excited about what we can achieve in this wonderful space.
“The spaces we have at Drapers Hall are really beautiful, it’s unlike anything else in the city and perfectly suited to hosting a wide range of events.
“While we are a new business, as a partnership we have collectively nearly 40 years’ experience working with and for a wide range of event venues, including The NEC Group, NAEC Stoneleigh, Wicksteed Park, ACC Liverpool, Eastside Rooms and many more.”
The re-launch of Drapers’ Hall sees another quality event venue added to the diverse offer in Coventry city centre.
Coventry BID works with its levy payers to make the city centre a vibrant and safe place to live, visit and work. The BID will be supporting DH Venues and Drapers’ Hall as they ramp up operations.
Joanne Glover, Chief Executive of Coventry BID, added: “As a city, heritage and history is an area where we are incredible strong and Drapers’ Hall is right at the heart of that.
“This is a true ‘wow’ venue which is perfectly positioned to thrive, providing an incredible backdrop for a vast range of events. Earlier this year we hosted the Best Bar None Awards at Drapers’ Hall and it was a fabulous evening.
“We look forward to working with Chris, Arum and their team to help Drapers’ Hall fulfil its undoubted potential.”
Historic Coventry Trust is a charity that was founded in 2011 to bring new life to the city’s heritage by finding innovative ways to sustain Coventry’s historic buildings.
Ian Harrabin, Chairman of Historic Coventry Trust, said: “We completed the £5m restoration of Drapers’ Hall in November 2021 while we were still in the Covid pandemic, which must be the worst possible time to launch a new venue.
“I am really pleased that the events world is now getting back to normal and Drapers’ Hall can reach its potential. We needed managers with both the experience and enthusiasm to provide a fresh start and are very pleased to have secured DH Venues to manage the buildings into the future.”
To find out more about Drapers’ Hall and hosting events at the venue visit www.dhvenues.events
PICTURE CAPTION: Kavita Chauhan (Coventry BID), Chris Hartley (DH Venues) and Geoff Willcocks (Historic Coventry Trust).