Exterior of the Royal Geographical Society from the garden, showing redbrick building and modern glass Pavilion

How to find buildings and rooms

Navigate the conference venue with our step-by-step guides

On this page you can find more information about navigating your way around the conference site, including information about how to find session buildings and rooms.

You can also navigate the conference site using Google Maps.

From Registration, turn right and walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn left and go up the short staircase (blue carpet).
At the top of the stairs, turn left and walk straight ahead, and keep going past the Sunley Room, into the Main Hall (the larger space with the wooden floor).
The entrances to the Education Centre are on your left.

Council Room:

From Registration, turn right and walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn right and walk to the stone staircase.
Go up the stone staircase to the first floor.
Go past the entrance to the Ondaatje Theatre balcony (on your right), and through the doors to a small corridor.
The Council Room is immediately on your left.

Director's Office:

From Registration, turn right and walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn right and walk to the stone staircase.
Go up the stone staircase to the first floor.
Go past the entrance to the Ondaatje Theatre balcony (on your right), and through the doors to a small corridor.
Walk past the Council Room on your left, and through the double doors ahead. The Director's Office is on your left.

Drayson Room:

From Registration, turn right and walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn left and go up the short staircase (blue carpet).
At the top of the stairs, walk straight ahead past the two large wall maps and the display cases.
The Drayson Room is at the end of the corridor (the Ambulatory) on your left.

Lowther Room:

From Registration, turn right and walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn left and go up the short staircase (blue carpet).
At the top of the stairs, turn left and walk straight ahead, and keep going past the Sunley Room, into the Main Hall (the larger space with the wooden floor).
Walk the length of the Main Hall to the staircase at the far end (on the left).
Go all the way up the stairs.
At the top of the stairs, turn right. The Lowther Room is in front of you.

Nightingale Meeting Room:

From Registration, turn right and walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn left and go up the short staircase (blue carpet).
At the top of the stairs, turn left and walk straight ahead, and keep going past the Sunley Room, into the Main Hall (the larger space with the wooden floor).
Walk the length of the Main Hall to the staircase at the far end (on the left).
Go all the way up the stairs.
At the top of the stairs, turn right, then left. The Nightingale Room is at the end of the corridor on your right.

Sunley Room:

From Registration, walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn left and go up the short staircase (blue carpet).
At the top of the stairs, turn left and walk straight ahead.
The Sunley Room is on your right (before you go through the doorway into the large hall with the wooden floor).

Tea Room:

From Registration, turn right and walk down the corridor past the Cloakroom.
Upon reaching the Ondaatje Theatre, turn left and go up the short staircase (blue carpet).
At the top of the stairs, turn left and walk straight ahead, and keep going past the Sunley Room, into the Main Hall (the larger space with the wooden floor).
Walk past the Education Centre on your left, then take a left at the far end of the hall. The Tea Room is through the double doors ahead.

Foyle Reading Room:

From Registration, take the spiral staircase on the right of the Registration desk.
Walk through the double glass doors ahead to reach the Foyle Reading Room.

Getting to buildings and session rooms at Imperial College London

The Blackett Building (alternatively, Blackett Laboratory), Huxley Building and Royal School of Mines (RSM) can all be accessed via Prince Consort Road.

The Sir Alexander Fleming Building and Sherfield Building (SALC) are both accessible via Imperial College Road.

Download a map of the Imperial College campus

Find step-by-step directions from the RGS-IBG building to the Imperial venues below, or navigate using Google Maps.

Navigate to Imperial College using Google Maps

Buildings marked with * after their name will have tea and coffee served in foyers during the breaks – please follow the signs to find the refreshment stations.

Links to accessibility information provided by AccessAble are provided for each building below.

Royal School of Mines (RSM):

Upon leaving the RGS-IBG, turn right onto Exhibition Road and walk ahead.
Take the first available right on to Prince Consort Road and walk ahead for approx. 300 metres.
The entrance to RSM will be on your left between two statues (approx. 3 mins from RGS-IBG).
Session rooms are on the Ground Floor, accessible via the corridors immediately right and left of the main entrance, as well as up the stairs on Floors 1 and 3.

Find more information on accessing RSM

**Blackett Building*:**

Upon leaving the RGS-IBG, turn right onto Exhibition Road and walk ahead.
Take the first available right on to Prince Consort Road and walk ahead for approx. 300 metres.
The entrance will be on your left at the end of the road, just before you reach Queens Gate (approx. 5 min from RGS-IBG).
You enter the building on Floor 2. Session rooms are down a floor on Floor 1, as well as up the stairs or lift on Floor 6, 7 and 10.
Top tip: when exiting from Floor 10, take a moment to enjoy a magnificent view of central London's skyline, visible from the window at the top of the stairwell!

Find more information on accessing Blackett

Huxley Building (via the Blackett Building):

Upon leaving the RGS-IBG, turn right onto Exhibition Road and walk ahead.
Take the first available right on to Prince Consort Road, and walk ahead for approx. 300 metres.
The entrance will be on your left at the end of the road, just before you reach Queens Gate (approx. 5 min from RGS-IBG).
Enter through the entrance to the Blackett Building. Take the stairs immediately in front of you to Floor 3, then head through the doors directly ahead.
Walk along the corridor. The Huxley Lecture Theatres are on the left.

Find more information on accessing Huxley

Sir Alexander Fleming Building (SAF)*:

Upon leaving the RGS-IBG building, turn right onto Exhibition Road and walk ahead. Continue past Prince Consort Road (by the small roundabout) and the main entrance to Imperial College (a large glass atrium) on your right.
Turn right onto Imperial College Road, and walk ahead for approx. 150 metres.
The entrance to SAF will be on your left, opposite the Dangoor Plaza (formerly Queen’s Lawn) on your right (approx. 6 min from RGS-IBG).
Session rooms are on the first floor, accessible via the stairs directly in front of you and the lift (continue straight into the building and turn right to access the lift).

Find more information on accessing SAF

Sherfield Building (containing SALC)*:

Upon leaving the RGS-IBG building, turn right onto Exhibition Road and walk ahead. Continue past Prince Consort Road (by the small roundabout) and the main entrance to Imperial College (a large glass atrium) on your right.
Turn right into Imperial College Road, and walk ahead for approx. 150 metres.
Follow the path diagonally across the Dangoor Plaza (formerly Queen’s Lawn) to the opposite (north west) corner. You will be at the entrance to the Sherfield Building.
Session rooms are in the Seminar and Learning Centre (SALC) on level 5 (approx. 8 min from RGS-IBG).

Find more information on accessing Sherfield

Accessibility at conference

The following section provides some general guidance on accessibility at the conference.

Contact the organisers if you have questions regarding accessing conference spaces.

Wheelchair spaces are available in all conference rooms, with the exception of the Director's Office and the Council Room at the Society, which are not yet wheelchair accessible.
At the Society, a hearing loop is available in the Ondaatje Theatre and other rooms on request. Please contact us if you require a hearing loop at Imperial College.
Personal assistants can be accommodated at the conference — please contact us if you require a personal assistant to be in attendance.
Registered assistance dogs are welcome.
An accessible toilet is available in all buildings at the conference. These will be signposted; please speak to a conference organiser at the Helpdesk for directions.

Accessibility at the RGS-IBG

The RGS-IBG building has an accessible entrance on Exhibition Road.

The following rooms at the Society are flat-level rooms (or have flat-level space for wheelchair users), and are fully accessible via either a lift or stairlift:

Ondaatje Theatre
Education Centre
Lowther Room
Drayson Room
Sunley Room
Map Room
Tea Room
Foyle Reading Room
Members' Room

The Main Hall is also fully accessible.

The Marquee and Terrace are also partly accessible. Please speak to a member of staff (in a purple lanyard) when using this space so we can help you access it.

The Director's Office and Council Room are not yet accessible to wheelchair users. If you have concerns about accessing these rooms, contact us prior to the conference.

Find more information on visiting the Society

Accessibility at Imperial College

Find detailed information about accessibility at Imperial College London buildings on AccessAble, or click on the links under each building listed above.

Find out more about other accessibility measures at conference