By Chris Stott. The Reform Club is one of the premier social event venues in London. Founded in 1836 and designed by Charles Barry, a leading architect of the day, The Reform Club is a palatial masterpiece that exudes the elegance and class of 19th Century London - see it for yourself in this stunning virtual tour. This is all great. This is also not why we chose it as the location to host the first ever Better Satellite World Awards Dinner on 4 December.

The Reform Club was picked as the location because it holds a special place in the history of our industry. In fact, the very existence of our industry may owe itself to a London winter’s evening at the Reform Club.  

Why? It is where an elderly Jules Verne, on one of his rare visits to London, kindly met two young friends, Herbert George Wells and Arthur Conan Doyle. Wells and Doyle, both journalists and budding writers at the time, were struggling to have their ‘fantastical fiction’ published. Verne took a liking to them and kindly introduced them to his publisher - and the rest was history.  

Decades later, when space industry pioneers such as Sir Arthur C. Clarke, Dr. Robert Goddard, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Werhner von Braun, and even Sergi Korolev were asked why they turned their lives to the pursuit of space, satellites, and rockets... all gave the same answer. Quite simply, they were inspired by the works of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and Arthur Conan Doyle - all of whom met at the Reform Club. Their works, bolstered by the meetings and resulting connections forged at the Club, were some of the vital sparks of creation that gave birth to our industry.

The Reform Club holds a very special place in space history, and its role grows as it becomes the location of the first ever Better Satellite World Awards. We hope you join us on 4 December.