Smart Group

What Smart Group does

Smart Group is a London-based, privately-held collective of hospitality, catering, venue, and event management businesses founded in 1993 by CEO Greg Lawson. The group operates a multi-brand portfolio spanning catering (Moving Venue, since 1984; Last Supper, since 2003), owned event venues (Evolution London, a 5,500sqm purpose-built blank canvas in Battersea Park; and 60 Great Queen Street, a Grade II*-listed Art Deco venue in Covent Garden), boutique event management (Story Events, acquired 2023), seasonal party services (Smart Summer Parties, Smart Christmas Parties), and proprietary trade shows (London Summer Event Show, London Christmas Party Show). Moving Venue holds accredited supplier status at over 50 London venues, providing broad service delivery reach.

The company hosts, caters, and manages over 600 events per year with revenue exceeding £50 million annually, serving corporate clients (Microsoft, Google, Adobe, Deloitte, Lloyds), brands, and private individuals across Christmas parties, corporate conferences, product launches, awards ceremonies, and weddings. It has catered for over 2 million guests since pioneering the London Christmas party business in 1993. Smart Group is headquartered in Deptford, London, with additional operational facilities in Bermondsey and offices near London Bridge, employing 51-100 people. The company holds ISO 14001 certification and has achieved Gold Impact Partner status through B1G1 for ESG initiatives.

The business model combines professional services (per-event catering contracts, event management fees) with one-time venue hire revenue, targeting enterprise and mid-market buyers through direct sales relationships. Distribution is enabled through owned venue assets, accredited venue partnerships, and owned trade show platforms. A joint venture with Broadwick announced for September 2026 will extend exclusive food and beverage partnership across 13+ London venues hosting 2,500+ events annually, representing significant forward expansion.

Name

Smart Group

Legal name

Smart (Group) Ltd

Website

https://smartgroupltd.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Smart Group is a London-based multi-brand hospitality collective providing catering, event management, and venue services across 600+ annual events for corporate clients, brands, and private individuals. Its portfolio includes Moving Venue, Last Supper, Evolution London, 60 Great Queen Street, and Story Events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event catering services: Moving Venue and Last Supper provide catering services for corporate events, private functions, and venue partnerships. Moving Venue has been operating since 1984 and maintains accreditation at over 40 London venues, catering for over 350 events annually. Revenue is generated through per-event catering contracts.
2. Venue hire and management: Smart Group owns and operates venue assets including Evolution London (a purpose-built 5,500sqm blank canvas venue in Battersea Park) and 60 Great Queen Street (a Grade II*-listed Art Deco venue in Covent Garden). Revenue is generated through venue hire bookings for corporate events, weddings, and private celebrations.
3. Corporate event management: Story Events provides boutique event management services for corporate clients, brands, and private individuals across live, virtual, and hybrid formats. Services include creative event design, production, and end-to-end event delivery.
4. Seasonal party packages: Smart Summer Parties and Smart Christmas Parties offer shared and exclusive party experiences across multiple London venues, providing themed entertainment, catering, and venue hire as packaged offerings for corporate and private clients.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Smart Group is a multi-brand hospitality, catering, venue, and event management company operating across London. It provides in-house catering (Moving Venue, Last Supper), operates owned event venues (Evolution London, 60 Great Queen Street), delivers corporate event management services (Story Events), and runs themed seasonal party packages (Smart Christmas Parties, Smart Summer Parties). The group caters, hosts, and manages over 600 events per year across 50+ accredited London venues.

Product overview

Smart Group is a dynamic collection of hospitality, catering, venue and event management businesses operating as a multi-brand portfolio. The offering consists of catering brands (Moving Venue - London's original caterer since 1984, and Last Supper - party catering since 2003), venue brands (Evolution London - purpose-built 5,500sqm blank canvas venue in Battersea Park, and 60 Great Queen Street - Grade II*-listed Art Deco venue in Covent Garden), party service brands (Smart Summer Parties and Smart Christmas Parties offering themed seasonal celebrations), event management (Story Events - boutique agency for live, virtual and hybrid events), and trade shows (London Summer Event Show and London Christmas Party Show). The company hosts over 600 events annually worth in excess of £50 million revenue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Moving Venue (Event Catering) Event catering services for corporate and private events across 50+ accredited London venues, with 36 years of history and over 350 events catered annually.
• Last Supper (Party Catering) Forward-thinking party catering services curating luxurious events for corporate and private clients in London.
• Evolution London (Venue Hire)

Quantifiable outcome

• 600+ events per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BroadwickcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2026Smart Group and Broadwick announced a joint venture to develop an exciting new catering brand launching September 2026. The new business will operate as exclusive food and beverage partner across Broadwick's London portfolio spanning venues including 26 Leake Street, Banking Hall, Broadwick Studio, Drumsheds, Exhibition White City, Landing Canary Wharf, Magazine London, and others - a portfolio hosting 2,500+ events annually.
• Somerset HousecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2025Internationally acclaimed arts destination Somerset House and Moving Venue have joined forces for Summer Season 2026. The Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court will be transformed with elegant, purpose-built structures creating an architectural canvas for corporate events, brand activations and summer parties accommodating up to 1,500 guests. Moving Venue has been an approved caterer at Somerset House for over a decade.
• City Harvest LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2025Smart Group partnered with City Harvest London, a food charity that rescues surplus nutritious food and delivers it free to over 130,000 people weekly. Smart Group donated £6,000 (equivalent to 18,000 meals), committed volunteer time, and ongoing food donations. This partnership forms part of Smart Group's commitment to sustainability and community support.
• B1G1 (Buy1Give1)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2023Smart Group partnered with B1G1 to amplify their global impact, working collectively with over 3,000 businesses worldwide to create a world full of giving. Through this partnership, Smart Group has achieved Gold Impact Partner status with over 150,000 life-changing impacts including providing 54,112 days of access to life-enhancing tools, 46,080 days of feminine hygiene support, and planting 29,229 trees.
• HandsOn LondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmart Group partners with HandsOn London for volunteer days and community engagement initiatives. Teams have participated in volunteering at Age UK Bermondsey, Blackfriars Settlement, and other community organizations, contributing over 56 hours of volunteer work.
• So They CanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmart Group partners with So They Can, a not-for-profit organization supporting young girls and women in underserved communities in Africa. Through B1G1, Smart Group provides sanitary pads and promotes sexual health awareness for girls in Kenya, addressing education, health, and economic independence.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Live Nation: Global live events and entertainment company. While primarily concerts/festivals, Live Nation's venue operations and corporate event services overlap with Smart Group's Evolution London venue model in the broader live events value chain.
• Compass Group: FTSE 100 global contract catering and support services giant. While its core is workplace and education catering, its Lever & Hautestone and Restaurant Associates divisions compete with Smart Group in UK premium event catering and venue hospitality at scale.
• Sodexo: Global facilities management and food services company. While primarily workplace/institutional catering, Sodexo's event and hospitality segments compete with Smart Group for large corporate event and venue hospitality contracts in the UK.

Emerging players

• Convene: US-born meeting, event and conference venue operator expanding globally. Comparable premium venue-plus-catering model targeting corporate enterprise clients, though primarily US-focused and not yet a direct UK competitor.

Direct peers

• Zafferano: London-based event catering specialist serving corporate and private events. Comparable scale and customer profile to Last Supper, competing for the same private dining, conference and brand activation catering contracts.
• The Concerto Group: UK hospitality and event catering group combining contract catering with premium event services. Operates comparable catering-plus-venue model and competes in the same London corporate event market as Smart Group.
• Rhubarb Food Design: Boutique London event catering and hospitality company focused on luxury brand experiences, corporate events and venue partnerships. Closely comparable to Last Supper in creative-led event catering for premium brand activations.
• Searcys: Long-established UK event catering and hospitality company operating in heritage venues including St Pancras, the Barbican and 30 Pavilion Road. Direct competitor in prestige venue catering with comparable brand-positioning and customer profile to Smart Group.
• Broadwick (joint venture partner): London venue operator and live events business whose portfolio (Drumsheds, Magazine London, Exhibition White City, Troxy, etc.) is Smart Group's new JV partner. Both companies operate complementary sides of the London event value chain.
• CH&CO (part of CHS Group): UK-headquartered independent contract caterer specializing in corporate hospitality, events and venue catering. Directly comparable to Smart Group's Moving Venue and Last Supper brands, serving similar blue-chip corporate clients across London.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SmartGroupHQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smartgroupltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/smartgrouphq

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smart Group