Conference Aston has secured a place in Venue Directory’s prestigious Top 50 UK Venues list for 2026, ranking 49th nationally among more than 30,000 venues listed across the UK.
The venue is one of only eight independent venues on the list and just one of two academic establishments to feature this year.
Compiled by Venue Directory, the UK’s largest online venue sourcing platform, the rankings are based on venue activity between January and December 2025. Venues are assessed on enquiry volume, response times and conversion rates. The rankings also consider the number of confirmed bookings during that period and booking value.
With over 15,000 active planning organisations, who sourced over £482m in MICE business last year, Venue Directory is a critical platform connecting venues to planners across a range of industry sectors. The rankings showcase Conference Aston as a top choice for planners, seeking exceptional, credible and reliable venues for their events.
Located on Aston University’s campus in the heart of Birmingham city centre, Conference Aston has continued to strengthen its position within the UK events market over the last 12 months through investment in sustainability, guest experience and venue facilities.
The venue offers 19 dedicated meeting and event spaces, 163 ensuite bedrooms and access to additional university lecture theatres and teaching spaces for larger events of up to 600 delegates.
Over the past year, Conference Aston has completed a series of refurbishment and sustainability projects designed to enhance the delegate and guest experience while supporting Aston University’s wider net zero ambitions.
The venue has also continued to build its reputation for sustainable events, showcasing its environmental initiatives at major industry exhibitions, including CHS Birmingham.
Its sustainability credentials include ISO14001 and ISO50001 accreditation, Green Tourism Gold status and a Three Star Sustainable Restaurant Association award.
Samantha Brown, Head of Conference Aston, said: “To be recognised within Venue Directory’s Top 50 UK Venues for 2026 is an outstanding achievement for the entire team at Conference Aston.
“This ranking reflects the hard work we’ve put into continually improving our customer experience, investing in our facilities and responding quickly and effectively to client needs.
“Over the last year, we have made significant investments across the venue, particularly around sustainability and guest comfort, while continuing to grow our reputation as one of the UK’s leading academic conference venues. To now be ranked alongside some of the country’s best known hotel brands and event destinations is something we are incredibly proud of.”
Conference Aston’s inclusion places it alongside major national hotel and conference operators traditionally featured within the Venue Directory rankings, including brands such as Crowne Plaza, Leonardo, Marriott and Radisson, as well as leading independent venues.
The venue continues to attract a wide variety of conferences, training programmes, residential events and corporate meetings, given its central location, flexible event spaces and integrated hotel accommodation.
