Conference Venue

Priorities 2008 will be held at The Sage Gateshead. Occupying one of the most dramatic urban sites in Europe, The Sage Gateshead is NewcastleGateshead's landmark music and conference venue and is the first building for the performing arts designed by Lord Norman Foster's architectural team, Foster and Partners. The Sage Gateshead is easily accessible from the city's transport hubs, hotels and major commercial areas either on foot or via the 'Quaylink' system of ultra-low emission electric buses.

The Sage Gateshead features two auditoria with outstanding acoustics, a rehearsal space and a 25-room Music Education Centre - each conceived as a separate enclosure. The entire complex is sheltered beneath a broad, enveloping stainless steel roof that is 'shrink-wrapped' around the buildings beneath. This extends over the concourse, which acts as a foyer for the auditoria and hospitality areas for performers, delegates and audiences alike and offers amazing views over the River Tyne and cityscape beyond.