Sales boost proves Event Organisers are returning to Specialist Venues

In its business year ending in May, sales generated by Conference Centres of Excellence were more than 50% up on the previous year. The group – the UK’s leading sales and marketing consortium of specialist meetings venues – says that growth is being significantly driven by event organisers who, having tried non-specialist venues during the recession, have come to realise that dedicated facilities and services are the best option.

The consortium’s dedicated Hotline sales team develops business opportunities to complement the activities of its individual member venues. The team was established in the spring of last year when Conference Centres of Excellence decided to create an in-house sales activity, after many years of taking a service from an external provider.

The group currently has 36 member venues spread across the UK, all of which have had to meet stringent standards of facility and service quality before being accepted into membership. All provide a specific focus on conferences and meetings, without the distractions faced by non-specialist venues and their customers.

“Our own sales team, and many of our individual members, are regularly hearing from organisers who’ve found that apparently cheaper options from non-specialist providers necessitate unacceptable compromise,” explains Anthony Lishman, the consortium’s Executive Director: “Their experience seems to be that most, if not all, superficially attractive deals have meant service deficiencies and poor outcomes for the organiser.”

Conference Centres of Excellence believes that another factor working in favour of dedicated conference provision is the sensitivity of organisers to accusations of waste or extravagance. “Focused conference environments help organisers to demonstrate that they have the right priorities,” said Anthony Lishman: “They care for the delegate without lavishness, and of course they have facilities dedicated to ensuring that the message is effectively delivered.”

“Organisers have become even more sophisticated in assessing what they really need from a venue,” added Anthony: “They’re looking for a genuinely focused environment, so that the communications process is sharp, concentrated and efficient; one that understands the challenge of managing a successful event, is responsive to late change and adjusts with the minimum of fuss; and that has everything that’s needed on site in terms of technical support.”

The Conference Centres of Excellence Hotline team provides a free, focused venue-finding service for corporate clients and agencies, providing single-source guidance on facilities, availability and rates for each member venue. It can be contacted on 0845 230 1414, email info@cceonline.co.uk. The consortium’s website www.cceonline.co.uk includes extensive information on all members.

Sales boost proves Event Organisers are returning to Specialist Venues