Thank you for choosing etc.venues Ltd ("ETC"). Your booking constitutes a formal agreement to hire venue facilities on these terms and conditions. Please note that our venues are booked in advance and last minute cancellations do not always allow us the opportunity to re-book venues for replacement clients. These terms and conditions have been designed to clarify the arrangement between our organisations.
Your attention is specifically drawn to clause 3 re. our cancellations policy. If you have any questions, please contact the person handling your booking and they will be happy to provide any further information you require.
1. To secure your booking
To confirm that the information we hold is correct and to secure your reservation, please return the signed booking contract together with your deposit(s) (if applicable) within 3 working days of receipt, or by the date stated on the attached letter. Failure to do so may result in the space being released.
2. Costs calculated on Delegate numbers
Your costs will be calculated either on (i) the number of delegates booked (subject to the allowable variance noted on the booking contract) or (ii) or the number who attend, whichever is the higher.
To enable us to prepare properly for your event, please send us the final numbers you expect together with a list of delegates’ names and details of any scheduled visitors or guests no later than 7 days prior to the hire of the space.
3. Cancellations or amendments
Whilst we appreciate that numbers can vary, unless we receive written notice of any reduction or increase in numbers no later than 7 days prior to your hire of the space, we shall assume that the number stated in the booking contract is correct and shall tailor our preparations accordingly.
If you need to cancel the event or decrease the number of delegates due to attend, cancellation fees will be charged. Cancellations and adjustments must be confirmed in writing, and the notice period becomes effective on receipt of that confirmation. Costs for cancellations or reductions in numbers are calculated as shown below and are based on the total value of the confirmed booking including room hire and catering (as applicable).
A. Cancellation charge for events of 5 days or more:
| Notice period before first day of hire | % of value of total booking |
| 13 to 24 weeks inclusive | 50% |
| 4 weeks to 12 weeks inclusive | 75% |
| Less than 4 weeks | 100% |
B. Cancellation charge for events with an average expected number of delegates of 40 or more delegates per day*:
| Notice period before first day of hire | % of value of total booking |
| 13 to 24 weeks inclusive | 50% |
| 4 weeks to 12 weeks inclusive | 75% |
| Less than 4 weeks | 100% |
C. Cancellation charge for all other events:
| Notice period before first day of hire | % of value of total booking |
| 2 to 8 weeks inclusive | 50% |
| Less than 2 weeks | 100% |
Should there be an increase/decrease in the booked number of delegates, scheduled visitors or guests on the day(s) of your hire as set out in paragraph 2, you shall be fully liable for any extra charge(s) incurred by us.
*Fees for cancellation of events of 10 half days or more or with an average of 80 delegates per morning/afternoon/evening (as applicable) will be subject to the formula set out in B.
4. Training/event rooms and facilities
Delegate numbers will be taken into consideration when allocating your room. We reserve the right to change allocated rooms and advertised facilities and the information quoted in marketing materials may be subject to change at any time. No liability is accepted for any errors or omissions in marketing materials
5. Damage
You are responsible for the space allocated to you during your event. Any damage to your allocated rooms or their contents (or any other part of our venues) incurred as a result of your or your invitees’ (or representatives of either) acts omissions or negligence will result in a charge based on (i) the costs of repair and (ii) the value to us of any subsequent loss of business or trade or other commercial activity suffered by us.
6. Client Property
Whilst all reasonable efforts are made to ensure our premises are safe and secure, we do not accept any liability for any theft, loss or damage to clients’ and visitors’ property.
7. Externally Purchased Food and Beverages
Externally purchased food may not be brought on to the premises for consumption. Other than that supplied by us, wines, spirits or other beverages are not permitted to be brought on to the premises for consumption, unless prior written consent has been given by us in which case a “corkage” charge will be made.
8. Invoicing
Please note that credit accounts are granted at our absolute discretion and that we only grant them to private and public limited companies, companies limited by guarantee, limited liability partnerships, Industrial and Provident Societies and unincorporated partnerships and associations.
To apply for a credit account we require you to complete and return an application form 14 days before your event/course and pay any deposit(s) as stipulated by us in the booking contract. Please note that we reserve the right to seek a deposit(s) at any time prior to your event, irrespective of whether you have been granted a credit account.
An invoice for any balance not covered by your deposit(s) will be raised after the last day of the event and payment is required within 14 days of the date of the invoice unless otherwise agreed by us in writing.
Details of invoicing and payment(s) are set out in the Payment Schedule in the booking contract.
9. Methods of Payment
Payments may be made by cash, cheque, debit card, CHAPS or BACS transfer. If payment is made by credit card, an additional surcharge of 2.5% may be made. If payment is made by cheque, please ensure the cheque is made payable to “ETC Venues Ltd”. We will consider payment to have been made once the cheque has cleared.
The price is exclusive of any applicable value added tax ("VAT") or other taxes or duties payable by you and VAT shall be charged where appropriate.
10. Late payment
In the event of late payment we will claim statutory compensation and charge interest on a daily basis from the date payment was due in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. For the avoidance of doubt, we also reserve the right to cancel any future bookings made by you (irrespective of whether you have paid any applicable deposit(s)) if any payment is overdue.
11. Termination
In the event that you materially breach these terms and conditions (and fail to remedy the breach within 3 days after written notice from us) or become bankrupt, cease to trade, have your shares or assets taken over by a Company whose financial standing is unacceptable to us, have a administrator appointed or make any voluntary arrangement with your creditors, we shall be entitled to terminate this contract immediately by giving notice in writing. The termination of these terms and conditions shall not prejudice any claim which we may have against you in respect of any previous breach of any provision in these terms and conditions nor shall it prejudice the continuance in force of any provision in these terms and conditions which is (expressly or by implication) intended to come into or continue in force on or after such termination. On termination, you shall, within 7 days, pay us all sums due and payable under these terms and conditions together with any accrued interest (if applicable).
12. General
12.1 These terms and conditions (and any provision and/or information relating to them) are confidential and you shall not (unless required by law or relevant authority) disclose any part of them to anyone else without our prior written consent, which we may withhold in our absolute discretion.
12.2 No provision of these terms and conditions shall be enforceable under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 by a third party, but this does not affect any right or remedy of a third party which exists or is available apart from under that Act.
12.3 No waiver by us of any breach of these terms and conditions by you shall be considered as a waiver of any subsequent breach of the same or any other provision.
12.4 Neither party will be liable for any delay in performing or failure to perform our respective obligations (other than a payment obligation) under these terms and conditions due to any cause outside their reasonable control. Such delay or failure will not constitute a breach of these terms and conditions and the time for performance of the affected obligation will be extended by such period as is reasonable.
12.5 Save as set out in 12.6 and 12.7 our liability under these terms and conditions shall not exceed 100% of all monies payable by you under the signed booking contract or £20,000, whichever is the lower.
12.6 In the case of death or personal injury our liability shall be without limit.
12.7 We shall have no liability for (i) loss of profit suffered by you which flows as a natural, direct and/or obvious consequence from our breach of these terms and conditions; or (ii) any indirect, consequential or incidental loss, damage, cost or expense of any kind whatever, (even if we have been advised of their possibility), howsoever the losses described in sub-conditions 12.7(i) and 12.7(ii) are caused whether arising under contract, tort (including negligence on our part, our employees, sub-contractors or agents) or otherwise.
12.8 Any variation in these terms and conditions must be agreed by us in writing and signed by an authorised official of ETC. Any changes by you to these terms and conditions without our prior written consent shall not be binding on us.
12.9 Whilst these terms and conditions are in force, you must not either solely or jointly with any other person solicit or endeavour to entice to leave the service or employment of any person who during the period of 12 months prior to your entering into these terms and conditions was an employee of ETC (or any associated Company). You agree that the undertakings contained in this paragraph are reasonable and are entered into for the purpose of protecting the goodwill of our business. Should you breach this clause, you agree that 6 months’ salary of the relevant employee is a reasonable pre-estimate of our losses.
12.10 If any provision of these terms and conditions are found to be invalid, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining provisions, which shall remain in full force and effect.
12.11 You agree that you shall not make, sell, broadcast, distribute or reproduce mechanically digitally, electronically or otherwise by any manner or means (whether now known or hereafter devised) any audio-visual images of our venues, space, employees and officers to other independent organisations without our prior written consent (which may be withheld at our absolute discretion).
12.12 In the event of a breach of these terms and conditions causing damage or nuisance to our neighbours, or our having reasonable grounds for fearing such damage or nuisance, we reserve the right (i) to require you or your invitees (or representatives of either) to leave the venue; (ii) to terminate the event immediately (in which case the full amount will be payable) if the noise or nuisance can not be controlled at an acceptable level and the offending party refuses to leave; (iii) to disconnect electricity supplies to noise producing or audio visual equipment; and (iv) to cancel any further bookings which you have made (irrespective of whether you have paid any applicable deposit(s)
These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law and you irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.