Chatham House is an independent, non-partisan organisation. Its Charter forbids it from any political alignment. The institute’s internal processes are designed to avoid partisanship, in accordance with Charity Commission guidelines. Chatham House welcomes speakers and representatives from all political parties and countries around the world.
About member and research events
Each year, Chatham House hosts a large number of members events, research workshops, seminars and briefings and many private roundtable discussions. For more information on the different kinds of events you can access, please see the Events Explained page.
- Due to the institute’s limited capacity and very high demand we are unable to register everyone for every event. Successful registration for events is confirmed in advance. Those who come to Chatham House without having confirmed registration will not be admitted.
- Many events are held on-the-record, and Chatham House produces a variety of multimedia, transcripts or meeting summaries from these events. Those which are not on the record are often held under the Chatham House Rule.
- In the case of members events where demand is anticipated to exceed available capacity, places for members will be awarded by ballot. In these circumstances, successful registrants will be notified and sent an e-ticket prior to the event. Those who do not receive an e-ticket will automatically be placed on a waiting list. In order to allow as many members as possible to attend, members are not able to register guests for balloted events.
- Research events are typically convened on an invitation only basis to researchers or practitioners engaged in the topic under consideration. Attendance at these events is at the discretion of the organising research programme(s). Attendance at events held by research programmes is not included in the benefits of membership.
About our conferences
Each year Chatham House organises a number of business focused conferences.
- Conferences are subject to a booking fee for Chatham House members.
- Discounted access is available for Chatham House corporate members.
- If you are an individual member wishing to attend in a personal capacity, please note that commercial conferences do not form part of our broader members events programme, which is included in your subscription. Please contact the conferences team to discuss which registration fee applies to you.
- Individual members attending on behalf of their organization should choose their companies rate on the registration page.
Accessing Chatham House
It is very important to Chatham House that it is as accessible as possible to visitors.
- Our second entrance on Duke of York Street is fully accessible to those with wheelchairs and restricted mobility. Internally we have facilities in place to support access to our primary event rooms.
- If you have restricted mobility and are attending an event, please contact the event organiser in advance of your arrival, so that we can ensure the necessary steps are taken to enable you to access the event.
Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian when attending Chatham House events.
- For more information on the rights of members aged under 18, please see the terms and conditions of Individual Membership.
- Chatham House reserves the right to not admit anyone under the age of 18 to any event or reception where alcohol is being served.
Additional security measures may be in place for some events.
- For high security events for which additional checks need to be carried out, attendees are advised to bring photographic ID. Places at these events are strictly non-transferable.
- At such events, attendees are advised not to bring any large bags or cases into Chatham House. Smaller handbags and cases will be permitted but may be subject to security checks by the police. In very special circumstances, attendees may be required to pass through a metal detector.
- In order to ensure that security checks do not delay the start of an event, attendees may be required to arrive and register within a specified period prior to the listed event start time. Attendees will be notified of this in advance. Those arriving late will not be admitted.
Appearing in event content
By registering for a Chatham House event, you confirm that you and your guest(s) consent to appearing in any official event photographs and video footage.
- This footage can be used by the institute for marketing and publicity in our publications, on our website and in social media, or in a third-party publication.
- In addition, photography or video footage may be taken by other event attendees and publicly shared without the knowledge of Chatham House, for which the institute cannot be held responsible. Please contact the event organiser if you have any concerns.
Event attendee behaviour
All event attendees, including those participating remotely, are expected to uphold a high standard of behaviour and to treat other guests, Chatham House members, staff and speakers with courtesy and respect.
- Attendees are expected to comply with all reasonable instructions from Chatham House staff or officials appointed by the institute. Chatham House staff are expected to be diligent, professional and courteous at all times. However, if you have a complaint regarding staff behaviour please contact Human Resources.
- At every Chatham House event time is made available for the audience to put their questions to the speaker(s). If you intend to ask a question please ensure it is concise and to the point, to provide as many participants as possible with an opportunity to speak.
- Aggressive, discriminating, disrespectful or otherwise inappropriate behaviour by any member, guest or other attendee will not be tolerated. In these cases, Chatham House reserves the right to refuse access of the person(s) involved to future events. Chatham House reserves the right to terminate membership of any individual acting in this way with immediate effect. A right of appeal to the Chair is available to members in this situation.
- Chatham House event attendees are not permitted to distribute literature or marketing materials within Chatham House without prior written authorization by the institute.