Spot the Roffey Easter Bunny !

Roffey Park offers a unique combination of features for all types of events, from board meetings, small conferences and private dining to larger events catering for up to 120 people. Our meeting rooms offer the latest audio visual technology and a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere for participants, with the bonus of specialist support from the staff of one of the UK’s leading management training organisations. But beyond all this, the grounds and the setting in St Leonard’s Forest makes for an especially rewarding and memorable time.

Spot the Roffey Easter Bunny !

Arrange a show round to take place before the end of April and if you spot our Easter Bunny you will receive a 20% discount off your first booking at Roffey Park (subject to availability).

Contact the Hotline 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk to arrange your show round

Corporate accommodation offers at Wyboston Lakes

Wyboston Lakes is so much more than the UK's largest privately owned conference and meetings venue.

There are superb residential facilities, high quality food, an excellent choice of leisure options ... and beautiful open spaces on its picturesque 350 acre rural estate between Cambridge and Bedford.

With more than 400 ensuite bedrooms on site, and a convenient central location, it's hardly surprising that it's a progressively more popular choice for corporate accommodation. And if you book corporate accommodation, you could win a completely free overnight stay for two people the very next time you make a booking.

Ask us about special corporate accommodation offers at Wyboston Lakes. Call 0845 230 1414 or visit www.cceonline.co.uk

Woodland Grange achieves re-certification for world-leading ‘green’ standard

Woodland Grange has been re-certified to the world’s most stringent environmental standard - ISO 14001. The standard is designed to help businesses minimise how their operations and processes negatively affect the environment and the re-certification demonstrates that the conference centre is continually improving in the way it operates.

“We were originally awarded ISO 14001 in 2008,” says John Turpin, the Group Operations Manager for EEF Venues, “and we have two service visits a year to check that we are operating to the required standards. Every three years, a full assessment is undertaken and re-certification is only awarded if we can show that we are progressing our environmentally friendly processes and practices. I am delighted that we’ve achieved this.”

ISO 14001 is a framework that helps organisations develop and improve their own environmental management system (EMS) and therefore, meet their environmental goals and objectives. It can be applied to any type of business, but it is rare to find a conference centre that has achieved it.
“First and foremost, ISO 14001 helps us to reduce our environmental impact,” says John, “but our EMS also improves our efficiency and allows us to comply more easily with legislative requirements.”

The continual improvement process ensures that more and more areas of the business, and more activities and processes are covered and managed by the EMS.
While a conference centre certainly doesn’t pose the same risk to the environment as a large factory or production plant for example, any steps taken by a business to reduce the impact it makes on the planet is surely a good thing.

For further information about Woodland Grange visit www.cceonline.co.uk or call 0845 230 1414.

Award trio for imago at Burleigh Court

imago at Burleigh Court has taken home a trio of awards at the Meetings & Incentive Travel (M&IT) Awards 2011 for its four star venue, Burleigh Court. The awards, which are highly regarded in the industry as the winners are chosen by customer feedback and votes, named Burleigh Court the ‘Best UK Conference Centre’, with awards also won in the ‘Best Conference and Banqueting Staff’ and ‘Best Academic Conference Venue’ categories.

Kay England, chief executive of imago, comments: 'We’re over the moon to be named the UK’s Best Conference Venue for the second year running and we’re especially proud of the recognition of our fantastic staff. These awards are testament to our dedication to deliver a first rate service to all our customers and prove that the experience and knowledge of our team is second to none. The M&IT Awards are particularly valuable to us as these were voted for by our customers, so we are sincerely thankful for all their support in helping us achieve these two fantastic accolades.'

For more information about imago visit www.cceonline.co.uk or call 0845 230 1414.

Your free e-ticket to HRD 2011 - come and see us on Stand 330!

Join us on 6-7 April to meet leading learning and organisation development suppliers in a range of disciplines including training, L&D, OD, leadership, coaching and more...

Meet the Conference Centres of Excellence Team on Stand 330 alongside Lane End Conference Centre, Cotswold Conference Centre, Kents Hill Park Training & Conference Centre, Conference Aston &  Missenden Abbey.

Visitors to the Conference Centres of Excellence Stand could win one of several fantastic prizes - click here for your free e-ticket and pre-register today!

Events update: Free Accessibility Training Day, Cambridge

Event: Free Accessibility Training
Date: Monday 18th April
Time: 2pm - 4.30pm
Venue: The Møller Centre, Cambridge.

This free of charge event organised by Papworth Trust and sponsored by The Møller Centre at Churchill College in the University of Cambridge, will provide advice on how SMEs and small community groups can improve their accessibility for disabled people.

To reserve your place, please visit: http://www.papworth.org.uk

For more information about The Møller Centre visit www.cceonline.co.uk or call 0845 230 1414.

Amazing iPad give-away from Lane End Conference Centre

Visit stand 330 and register with us at the HRD exhibition in London on 6-7 April.  Simply book and confirm £10K worth of business with us over the next 12 months to receive your FREE iPad.

Terms and Conditions apply.

Terms: The iPad giveaway can not be used in conjunction with any other offers and applies only to bookings received after the 06/04/2011 taking place before the 30/03/12. A minimum combined value of £10K excluding VAT is required and minimum rates of £150 + VAT per 24 hours and £55 + VAT per day apply.

For more information about Lane End Conference Centre or the CIPD HRD Exhibition please all 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk 

Venue news: New Training Development at Lane End Conference Centre

Lane End Conference Centre has joined forces with Hi 5 Events to develop a dedicated Experiential Learning Centre.

This new training development is the first of its kind in the London area and is being developed in response to a direct need from Experiential Learning Experts, Challenging HR.

Andrew Lewis, Events Director of Hi5 Events: ‘Our client has asked us to suggest a quality venue with sufficient outdoor space within the Home Counties with the aim to develop fixed challenges for all their future training events.’

The team at Lane End is working closely with both Hi5 and Challenging HR to develop the activities in line with their requirements. This is a very exciting development and certainly one that will add value to the overall experience of many existing clients as well as new customers.

Phase 1 of the project is set to be completed by the end of April and the Experiential Learning Activities will be launched at the Open Day, which is scheduled for May the 12th.

This venture will add to the success of the past three years of hosting over 150 team building events. With more than 40 creative team building ideas already available at Lane End, this development will add to the facilities and create an even more extensive range of facilities on offer.

For further information about Lane End Conference Centre call 0845 230 1414 or visit
www.cceonline.co.uk

Venue news: Warwick Conferences staff excel at hospitality show

Chefs from Warwick Conferences scooped awards at this year’s ‘Hospitality 2011’, which took place at the NEC.

One of the winners, Rohit Tanna, a junior chef de partie at Scarman training and conference centre, was awarded bronze in the British Pepper & Spice “Millstone” Ethnic Class, after going head-to-head in a timed challenge with the best of British event caterers.

Rohit, whom lives in Warwick, had just 45 minutes to prepare two ethnic dishes with the herbs and spices provided. He produced a mouth-watering spicy chicken in a rice and lentil pancake, followed by a cardamom and saffron pressed yoghurt with glazed rhubarb.

Rohit, who has worked at Warwick Conferences for six years, said: “I was up against some of the best chefs of the industry so the competition was really fierce.

“Therefore I was delighted to win an award and really enjoyed the challenge. I can’t wait for next year’s event.”

Other winners from Warwick Conferences included Greg Crump and Stuart Hope, who won bronze in the Figgjo Master Class and Gary Brown and Zoran Zivkovic, who were awarded bronze in Essential Cuisine Chefs Team. Trevor Merriman also won bronze for the Works in Fat section and Mary Fry received a merit in the Decorative Exhibit section.

Graham Crump, executive development chef, said: “We’re very proud of all our staff. They excelled in their fields, despite stiff competition, and the dishes they produced were genuinely impressive.”

For more information about Warwick Conferences visit www.cceonline.co.uk  or call 0845 230 1414.

Venue news: Warwick Conferences give pupils a chocolate treat!

Chocolate connoisseurs from Warwick Conferences held a delicious demonstration about the popular sweet treat at a Coventry school on February 17th.

Few lessons have been as keenly-anticipated as the chocolate-making masterclass with executive development chef Graham Crump and chef de partie Mary Fry, who held the event at the all-girls Tile Hill Wood School.

The pair, who work at the University of Warwick-based collection of training, conference and events venues, taught a group of Year 10 students about the rich history of chocolate and showed students how to use it to create intricate decorations.

Philipa Polidori, food technology teacher, said: “The students had a ball and the Warwick Conferences chefs developed a real rapport with them.

“Some of the things they did were simple yet amazing, like melting chocolate over bubble wrap and then letting it cool to make a really simple, yet eye-catching, embellishment.

“Funnily enough, a lot of staff members came to ‘check everything was OK’ and ended up staying for a while!”

Graham is a renowned dessert chef and specialised in the discipline when he started his career. He is frequently invited to demonstrate his prowess to chefs from around the world.

He said: “I’m a great believer in educating future chefs and when I was approached by the school to host a masterclass I happily accepted.

"The University of Warwick does a lot to support local schools and I enjoyed teaching the girls at Tile Hill Wood. They were a great bunch of students and we’ve hopefully inspired some to further their interest in food and cooking – and not just chocolate!”

For more information about Warwick Conferences and Arden Training and Conference Centre visit www.cceonline.co.uk or call 0845 230 1414

And the winners are ....

Conference Centres of Excellence member venues have swept the board at two high profile awards ceremonies, picking up a total of 17 awards.

News:

Conference Centres demonstrate Excellence in Industry Awards

Members of the sales and marketing consortium won an amazing five gold awards at the Meeting and Incentive Travel Awards in London, along with three silver and three bronze awards.

And at the BDRC Continental Venue Verdict Awards held in January, five Conference Centres of Excellence venues were Gold Standard Venues, with IET Venues picking up a fantastic double for No.1 UK Brand and Gold Standard Brand Award.

Conference Centres of Excellence executive director Anthony Lishman said the awards were especially significant as they had all been voted for by clients of the centres.

“I am delighted that so many of our members have received such fantastic recognition for the quality of the product and the service that they deliver,” he said.

“Both the M& IT Awards, which is voted for by clients and the Venue Verdict awards, which are based on feedback given by visitors, are highly valued within the industry.

“To have a member pick up the No.1 Brand and our member venues winning gold, silver and bronze in best UK management training centre, best conferencing and banqueting staff and best academic venue is a fantastic accolade for those venues, and for us to have them as members.

“It clearly demonstrates that as an organisation we can offer access to the very best management training and conference centres in the UK, offering top quality service and facilities matched very closely to client requirements, whether it’s a one off event or a programme of activity spanning the UK.”

Anthony Lishman

The award winners were:

Venue Verdict
No.1 UK Brand/Gold Standard Brand Award – IET Venues
Gold Standard Venues (achieving 90 or more out of 100)

IET Birmingham – Austin Court
IET London – Savoy Place
Maple House, Birmingham (etc venues)
Cotswold Conference Centre
The Moller Centre, Cambridge

M&IT Awards
 

Best UK Conference Centre
Gold – Burleigh Court

Best UK Management Training Centre
Gold – The Moller Centre
Silver – Scarman, Warwick Conferences
Bronze – Conference Aston

Best Academic Venue
Gold – The Conference Park, Warwick Conferences
Silver – Conference Aston
Bronze – Burleigh Court

Best Value for Money Conference Venue
Gold – Scarman, Warwick Conferences

Best Conference and Banqueting Staff
Gold – The Conference Park, Warwick Conferences
Silver – Burleigh Court
Bronze – Conference Aston

Conference Centres of Excellence has been established for 23 years and represents 40 of the most well known and respected conference and training venues in the UK. For further information see www.cceonline.co.uk.

Film premiere for Warwick Conferences

Warwick Conferences has produced a pair of films that showcase their award-winning facilities and staff.

The films seek to convey the breadth and depth of Warwick Conferences’ collection of award winning training, conference and events venues, and celebrate the spirit of the people who work there to make every event a success.

Rachael Bartlett, head of sales and marketing at the University of Warwick-based business, comments:

“Concisely communicating the scale of our offering can be a challenge - not just in terms of explaining the quantity and variety of our facilities, or how our fit-for-purpose furnishings, technologies and catering enhance our delegates’ time with us, but also in terms of articulating how it’s our people that bring it all together to make every event special.

“The short films premiered today tell this story beautifully, each in just 90 seconds. They offer potential and existing delegates an insightful glimpse into Warwick Conferences’ fantastic facilities, dedicated staff and convenient location.”

Each film concentrates on a different aspect of Warwick Conferences’ business. The first explores the Scarman, Radcliffe and Arden training and conference venues, while the second gives an insight to the possibilities open to events hosted on the Conference Park.

But instead of simply showing the facilities, the stars of the films are all genuine members of staff (no actors were involved) who showcase the more intangible elements of Warwick Conferences’ offering, such as their passion, dedication and versatility.

Chris Bailey, creative partner at WAA, who oversaw the creation of the films, explains:

“The films show staff outside of their usual environment, going to every length they can to ensure delegates get the premium experience. For example, one segment features an IT professional fluffing up a pillow – an analogy of how he helps delegates get a good night’s sleep by taking care of all their IT and audio-visual needs.”

Rachael adds:

“Film is a medium that’s become more accessible to more people in recent times; viewing content on YouTube has become part of our daily routine for example, and some reports even suggest that film is an expected part of the online experience. As we continue to develop our facilities and reach out to new audiences across the globe, we felt the time was now right to commit our story to the small screen.

“We are very proud of the final results - they’re quite a step on from the ‘facilities walkaround’ you’ll often find in our industry and I hope viewers enjoy watching them as much as we did making them.”

For more information about Warwick Conferences visit  www.cceonline.co.uk.  To see the film please go to www2.warwick.ac.uk/conferences/films

Interview: At Confex 2011 Anthony Lishman discusses the group's development

Anthony Lishman, Executive Director for Conference Centres of Excellence speaks to MyVenues.co.uk at International Confex 2011 about the group's development and plans to expand in 2011/12

For more details visit www.cceonline.co.uk or call 0845 230 1414

Warwick Conferences Sweeps the Board at Industry Awards

Warwick Conferences has added to its already heaving awards cabinet after once again sweeping up at this year’s prestigious Meetings & Incentive Travel (M&IT) Awards.

The University of Warwick-based training and conference venue bought home three golds and a silver at the awards, dubbed the ‘Oscars’ of the meetings and conference industry.

For the second year running, Warwick Conferences secured a top award in every category in which it was nominated and this is the 16th time in the awards’ 20 year history the venue has taken home the gold award for Best Academic Venue.

Warwick Conferences also won gold in the Best Conference and Banqueting Staff and Best Value for Money Conference Venue categories, and was presented silver in the Best UK Management Training Centre category.

The M&IT Awards are voted for by conference organisers and the readers of M&IT, the conference industry’s leading publication.

These latest accolades are a tremendous boost for Warwick Conferences and cement its reputation as truly world-class facility, drawing the attention of delegates from around the globe.

Alan Robinson, director of training and conference centres, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have once again come away from this year’s ceremony with an award in every category for which we qualified. This is a fabulous result and credit is due to everyone who has worked so hard to make Warwick Conferences the world-class venue it is.

“To bring home gold for Best Academic Venue for the 16th time in 20 years is absolutely delightful and a huge compliment about the service and facilities we provide. That the awards are the result of votes cast by event organisers, the very people who use facilities like ours, is all the more gratifying. It’s the most credible endorsement a business could wish for.

“The industry as a whole has faced a lean couple of years, but the fact that we have thrived is a testament to our staff’s hard work, professionalism and passion for making Warwick Conferences a genuine leader in our industry.

More than 700 guests attended this year’s prestigious black tie event, which took place on Monday 28th February at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London, and was hosted by popular BBC news presenter Kate Silverton.

For more information about Warwick Conferences visit www.cceonline.co.uk or call our Hotline team on 0845 230 1414.

Creme Eggs on arrival at Woodland Grange Conference Centre!

2 special offers from Woodland Grange Conference Centre, Leamington Spa

Book a meeting for more than 10 people in the month of April 2011 at Woodland Grange and all delegates will get a Cadburys Crème Egg on arrival. *Applicable to new bookings only*

Book your event through our website and save money

EEF venues are offering a preferential day delegate rate when you book a conference or meeting via Conference Centres of Excellence between January and April 2011.

Enjoy a day delegate rate of just £45.00 at Woodland Grange in Warwickshire and Broadway House in London.

For more details about booking at Woodland Grange Conference Centre visit www.cceonline.co.uk or call 0845 230 1414

Conference Centres of Excellence drive marketing focus with new appointment

Ambitious expansion plans by the UK’s leading member organisation for dedicated conference and training centres has prompted the appointment of a full service communications agency.

Sales and marketing consortium Conference Centres of Excellence(CCE) is planning to grow its membership by 25 per cent in 2011 in addition to building its brand on a national and international level.

The consortium, which includes high profile specialist venues like Warwick Conferences, Conference Aston, the Moller Centre and Imago, has appointed West Midlands PR and marketing agency Interactive Wardlovett to drive forward communications activity.

CCE executive director Anthony Lishman said the organisation’s focus on expansion and brand building would form the basis for the communications activity for the year. “CCE is incredibly proud of the quality and the range of centres we represent and our goal for 2011 is to continue to grow our member base through the recruitment of high quality venues,” he said.

“We will also be working closely with Interactive Wardlovett to drive awareness of our brand and the benefits that working with us delivers for potential members and for organisations booking events.”
The communications campaign will encompass media relations, targeting conference and meetings press as well as proactively identifying opportunities in members’ client titles.

Interactive Wardlovett will also be carrying out research with members to create a twice yearly state of the industry report, something which Anthony believes CCE is uniquely placed to deliver.

“Our members host some of the most high profile events in the UK’s meeting calendar working with blue chip companies from across the globe,” he said.

“Working with all of our members to research the trends in the sector will provide a very valuable and insightful piece of research, which we believe will be of use to members and to their clients.

“We will also be looking at ways of proactively adding value and sharing best practice between our members, by creating a series of seminars hosted by experts in key areas like social media and the psychology of learning, managed and delivered by Interactive Wardlovett.”

Interactive Wardlovett PR director Jenni Fryer said the Cannock agency’s team was looking forward to starting work on the CCE account working alongside Anthony and his team.

“We are delighted to have been appointed by CCE to deliver the campaign, which we believe will add real value for both CCE and its members,” she said.

“Public relations has become far more than just delivering a series of press releases – it is about genuine engagement with audiences and stakeholders to give real benefits.

“The campaign we have created in partnership with CCE reflects the organisation’s business goals and will provide a genuine return on investment for CCE and its members.”

For further details about Conference Centres of Excellence visit http://www.cceonline.co.uk/news/News/CCE_drive_marketing_focus_with_new_appointment or call 0845 230 1414.

Ex-Dragon to talk tech at The Moller Centre, Cambridge

James Caan, former BBC Dragons’ Den star, will be talking to tech bosses in Cambridge later this month.


Caan has recently left the Den to concentrate on HB and said: “Technology businesses in the Cambridge area are of particular interest to me".  He will be at The Moller Centre on March 29. 

For more details about The Moller Centre email info@cceonline.co.uk or call 0845 230 1414.

New appointment underlines Warwick Conferences' strategy for growth

Warwick Conferences, the University of Warwick based collection of training, conference and events venues, has appointed Clive Singleton as general manager of its Conference Park.

Clive Singleton

This is a newly created role and underlines Warwick Conferences’ continued investment in the Conference Park. Clive transfers to his new position from the University of Warwick’s food and drink operation, where he was general manager for nine years.

The Conference Park offers a variety of facilities and amenities, including 300 meeting rooms, 1,200 bedrooms, 600 square metres of exhibition space and Warwick Arts Centre, the largest arts centre outside of London. Set within 700 acres of rural parkland, the campus village environment affords delegates access to a variety of bars, cafes and restaurants, along with access to the University of Warwick’s world-class sporting facilities.

The Conference Park combined with Warwick Conferences’ purpose-built Scarman, Radcliffe and Arden training and conference centres offer the widest choice of meeting space in the UK. Its facilities are available year-round for day meetings and for residential events and conferences outside of term time.

Clive comments: “Warwick Conferences is one of the most respected academic venues in the UK, with the Conference Park playing host to a wide variety of prestigious events each year. It’s an absolute privilege to be appointed as general manager, particularly as we look forward to building on our reputation and expanding our facilities in the coming years.

“A core element of my brief is to develop our proposition to ensure best use of the University’s campus assets outside of term time, increasing Conference Park’s contribution to Warwick Conferences’ £22m turnover.

“But of course, my priority will be on overseeing the delivery of the wide range of events and conferences hosted on our campus each year. Whether they’re attending Limmud, the huge Jewish education event held over the Christmas period, Teach First, the pioneering education seminar attended by over 1,000 delegates, or one of the many Football Association championships that utilise our sports facilities, all guests at the Conference Park can expect my undivided attention and a quality experience that is second to none.

Alan Robinson, Warwick Conferences director of training and conference centres, said: “Clive is an extremely capable and experienced industry professional and was the obvious candidate to take on the challenge offered by this new role. His appointment is a key marker in the realisation of a long-term plan to further develop our facilities and services to cement Warwick Conferences’ position as the leading dedicated conference venue in the UK.

“Significant investment has been made at the Conference Park in the last few years, not least the £6.9m refurbishment of Butterworth Hall and with further investment committed and works in progress, the venue’s future is in safe hands.”

Clive is married with two children. Prior to joining the University in 2002, Clive spent a decade with the prestigious Belfry hotel and golf club near Sutton Coldfield, where he held a number of senior positions

For more details about Warwick Conferences email info@cceonline.co.uk or call 0845 230 1414

Woodland Grange Conference Centre re-certified to the world's most stringent environmental standard.

Woodland Grange Conference Centre Leamington Spa has been re-certified to the world’s most stringent environmental standard - ISO 14001. The standard is designed to help businesses minimise how their operations and processes negatively affect the environment and the re-certification demonstrates that the conference centre is continually improving in the way it operates.

“We were originally awarded ISO 14001 in 2008,” says John Turpin, the Group Operations Manager for EEF Venues, “and we have two service visits a year to check that we are operating to the required standards. Every three years, a full assessment is undertaken and re-certification is only awarded if we can show that we are progressing our environmentally friendly processes and practices. I am delighted that we’ve achieved this.”

ISO 14001 is a framework that helps organisations develop and improve their own environmental management system (EMS) and therefore, meet their environmental goals and objectives. It can be applied to any type of business, but it is rare to find a conference centre that has achieved it.

“First and foremost, ISO 14001 helps us to reduce our environmental impact,” says John, “but our EMS also improves our efficiency and allows us to comply more easily with legislative requirements.”

The continual improvement process ensures that more and more areas of the business, and more activities and processes are covered and managed by the EMS.

While a conference centre certainly doesn’t pose the same risk to the environment as a large factory or production plant for example, any steps taken by a business to reduce the impact it makes on the planet is surely a good thing.

For more information about Woodland Grange visit www.cceonline.co.uk or email info@cceonline.co.uk

It's a hat trick for The Moller Centre, Cambridge

The Moller Centre, Cambridge wins Best UK Management Training Centre

The multi award-winning Møller Centre, the only dedicated residential management training and conference centre in Cambridge was presented with the Meetings Industry & Travel (M&IT) award for Best UK Management Training Venue last night.

The M&IT awards were presented by BBC TV presenter Kate Silverton as Mistress of Ceremonies, and were given to those organisations nominated by its clients that have shown outstanding service delivery. The gala dinner was held at The Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London, in the shadow of the world famous Tower Bridge.

“The M&IT award is a special award to us because it is our clients that decide the outcome of this award” says Stuart Websdale, General Manager at The Møller Centre. “The Møller Centre won this award in 2009 and we are delighted to win again. The competition for this award is very tough particularly from the large national training centres, so thank you to all of our clients that voted for us.”

This achievement is one of four awards that The Møller Centre has won in 2011 so far, as it strives to build its world class reputation for providing exceptional customer service and quality of delivery for training and conferencing events.

For more information about The Moller Centre visit Conference Centres of Excellence  or email info@cceonline.co.uk