Take a Cotswold team mini-break and enjoy the best of the British summer

Come and enjoy a 24-hour team mini-break on our stunning west-facing Estate.

Rain or shine, we make the most of the Great Outdoors!

When you book your group into the Cotswold Conference Centre during the school holidays, we will reward you with a great seasonal package. Bring your team for some summer bonding, or book an out-of-season conference and enjoy the following fantastic extras:
• Use of our 'Eye Opener' outdoor teambuilding activities*
• Cotswold Cream Tea with locally-sourced jams and cream
• Pimms served on the terrace while you enjoy the last rays of the summer sun
• Use of a training room for a team update/conference

All for only £140 +VAT per person for a 24-hour stay between 25 July and the end of August.
We have just been awarded the Worcestershire Welcome Business Tourism Award for 2011. Our bedrooms are rated 4-star Guest Accommodation by VisitBritain and our dining room serves excellent, locally-sourced food.

The Cotswold Conference Centre in Summer: it's almost like being on holiday.

Also available:
• Guided evening walk through parkland to the pretty Cotswold market town of Broadway - with taxis back to the Conference Centre
• BBQ night on the restaurant terrace
• Bespoke pub quiz (can include a round on your own company!) with Question Master

* Except Kanw, which carries a supplement

For more information call Rachael on 0845 230 8580 or email rachaelb@CotswoldConferenceCentre.com

Head of Talent and Performance Management to host Conference workshop

Conference Centres of Excellence are delighted to announce that Ken Brown, Head of Talent and Performance Management, Tata Steel Europe has agreed to host a workshop at our first Summer Conference on the 21st July.

Ken Brown is head of Talent and Performance Management for Tata Steel Europe, and has responsibility for European wide Talent and Management development strategies, delivering results through an international network of strategic HR Business Partners as well as Regional Hub Learning and Development Managers. In addition to his Group wide responsibility he Manages the Organisation and Learning departments for the Long Products Division, c 12K employees across 6 sites in the UK and Europe, including training centres, c. 120 Graduates and more than 400 Apprentices.

As many UK companies come to the end of complicated re-structuring, Ken will be able to give us an insight in how this will affect training and its delivery. This will help you gain a clear picture of what’s needed in your business to support this in the future.

Conference Centres of Excellence advocates the face to face training proposition and eagerly await to hear what Ken has to say about the future of this kind of training.

For further Conference programme information and to download a booking form visit www.cceonline.co.uk

A seasonal twist in Sussex

Enjoy the summer days at Roffey!

How about adding a seasonal twist to your meeting or event here at Roffey? During July and August we are offering special packages:

• Day Delegate Rate: £49.00 + VAT* to include meeting room hire; morning coffee; lunch; afternoon tea and sunshine drinks at the end of the days
• 24hr Delegate Rate: £125.00 + VAT* to include meeting room hire; morning coffee; lunch; afternoon tea; Summer BBQ with sunshine drinks, bed and breakfast.

…after all, with fabulous views over our 40 acres of landscape grounds, the terrace provides the perfect setting for relaxed alfresco wining and dining.

*valid for any new bookings for dates between 1 July and 31 August 2011



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

Girl Guides just wanna have fun!

Evesham Girl Guides enjoyed a free night of noisy team building at Farncombe Estate this summer.

“I asked if we could bring the guides over to Farncombe as a favour,” said Leader in Charge Amy Cooke. “The Cotswold Conference Centre was delighted to help and invited us to use their on-site teambuilding activities for an evening of fun.

“The members really enjoyed the fact they could go off on their own to look for clues without having to be wary of the road. The leaders felt it was a very safe environment and it also allowed the girls to make a fair bit of noise without worrying that they were disturbing anyone.”

Dedicated team building activities called Eye Openers are arranged around the site at Cotswold Conference Centre and gave the chance for the senior Guides to try problem solving and trust games.

“We always try to help out with deserving local causes,” said Nick Akerman, head of sales at Cotswold Conference Centre. “Our teambuilding Eye Openers are the perfect physical and mental challenge for young adult groups like trainee graduates – and in this case the Girl Guides.”

For more information about Cotswold Conference Centre and team building activities this summer email info@cceonline.co.uk or call 0845 230 1414

Wellcome Trust provides bespoke service for major conference

In July, the Wellcome Trust Conference Centre will be hosting the Molecular Biology of Hearing and Deafness conference.

To accommodate the delegates with hearing difficulties, a number of adaptations will be made. A 60” plasma screen will be installed in the Auditorium for translation of the seminars. Deaf guards will be provided, where required in accommodation, to ensure the safety of the delegates in the event of an emergency and the hearing loops installed in Auditorium and Foyer will be fully utilised.

'We pride ourselves in being able to offer these services in order to satisfy the needs of clients with special requirements,' said a spokesperson for the venue.

Video Conferences - the way forward for the environment.

Whilst all businesses recognize the need for some face-to-face meetings, when participants are some distance apart this normally requires most parties to travel to a remote location and forsake a great deal of time to that travelling. Most forms of transport today still rely heavily on fossil fuel thereby creating emissions of carbon dioxide and pollutants such as nitrogen oxides. Henley Business School now offers clients a practical way to meet with clients and colleagues that significantly reduces the impact of business meetings on the environment.

The new Video Conferencing suite at the business school is equipped with all the latest low emissions technology to ensure a smooth and easy communication across any distance and can accommodate 15 people seated comfortably around a large board table. WiFi access and the support of Henley's skilled technical support staff also make it feasible for conference members to make a variety of presentations and negotiations remotely, saving time and energy of postal contract exchanges and the like.

Henley Business School has been at the forefront of Greener Conferencing in the UK for some years, with it's sustainability achievements being accredited with BSI ISO14001 for Environmental Management, as well as Greener Tourism Gold Award and the International Association of Conference Centre's Green Star award

Booking the Video Conference Suite couldn't be simpler, just contact the team at Conference Centres of Excellence to arrange times and dates, giving details of any technical support you need, then arrive on the day to hold your meeting.  Call 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk

West Oxford Business Awards at Eynsham Hall

The inaugural West Oxford Business Awards was hosted at Eynsham Hall in March of this year. The Awards are a way of raising the profile of businesses in the area and promoting business excellence.

Over 120 guests attended the event, which has been deemed a great success not just from the point of view of the awards but also for Eynsham Hall, with many notes of thanks comments about the standard of the food and the service. To underpin Eynsham Hall’s support of local business, they were a major sponsor of the event, along with many local businesses and organisations including West Oxford District Council. The Tourism award was presented by Jeremy Wall, Eynsham’s General Manager to the winning entry from Blenheim Palace.

Based on the success of the 2011 Awards, the planning for 2012 is well underway.

Pictured: Jeremy Wall, General Manager (Right) with Hannah Paine and John Hoy of Blenheim Palace

Green agenda drives Farncombe's multi-million new build

Work began this week on the £3.5m building of a 32-bedroom facility for Cotswold Conference Centre on the Farncombe Estate.

The event was marked by recently appointed Managing Director Mark Philip-Sorensen turning the first clod of earth on the 2-acre site. Farncombe Estate’s commitment to local sourcing was endorsed by the appointment of local Willersey groundwork’s firm Hemmings Services and midlands builder - Carters. Materials, wherever possible, have also been sourced locally including stone from a nearby Cotswold quarry and wood from Hillbarn Sawmills, Snowshill.

The design by Evesham based Ward and Dale Smith is that of a single story building surrounding a feature courtyard.

Mark chose to take on the running of the Farncombe Estate which specialises in 24/7 training and learning for the corporate and leisure markets when his father, Jorgen Philip-Sorensen died earlier this year. Mark said of the decision: “We have superb facilities here and a great team of people. The environment we have in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is also complemented by the ‘can-do’ culture of our long serving staff. In such a positive environment we are able to put on better and more effective courses both for business and pleasure, hence enabling clients to get a good return on their objectives. What you need for efficient learning is plenty of natural light, no distractions, fresh air and an inspiring environment. We certainly have an abundance of all these here.”

Farncombe currently holds a bronze award in the Green Tourism Business Scheme and Mark is committed to personally taking the company forward to eventually earn silver and gold standards. He said: “I’m personally committed to making Farncombe one of the greenest venues in the midlands. When it comes to sustainability, we’re using the best materials and the best technologies to make sure heat loss is reduced in this very exciting project which we’re delighted to be working on with reliable local companies”.

Despite the economic downturn, Farncombe has seen increased demand this year for the facility and has been able to both recruit new staff and commit to increasing its bedroom stock. A refurbishment programme will also see four new family suites come on line next year and with the new build, total bedrooms by the autumn 2011 will nearly double to 89.

Nick Akerman, head of sales at the facility said that 75% of business is repeat which is a testament on its own. He added: “We are always adapting and evolving in this rapidly changing commercial environment. We often refer to it as dancing with our customers – being able to move in time using the right steps with our partners. As a dedicated niche venue we are providing specialist support and services to specific industry sectors during the week and offering the perfect leisure learning environment at weekends and the facilities just keep getting better and better.”

Building up to the Olympics with The Missenden Games

To co-inside with the build up to the 2012 Olympics Missenden Abbey have launched “The Missenden Games” a teambuilding challenge event run by our on site Facilitator’ Morale Solutions.

The challenge for your team is to tackle 5 separate team activities within 2 hours. (or if you’re pushed for time, try the Mini-Missenden Games – 3 activities in 1 hour only)

The activities have been specifically designed to test a variety of team and individual skills – but in a light-hearted and fun way;

• Communication
• Problem solving
• Creativity
• Leadership and planning
• Co-operation and trust

Ashorne Hill embarks on £2.4 million refurbishment

Ashorne Hill situated in the beautiful Warwickshire countryside, has been a training provider to industry for over fifty years. The manor house is ideally situated, just 25 miles from Birmingham Airport but completely secluded within two hundred acres of land and within 5 miles of the national rail network hub at Leamington Spa. Forty meeting rooms offer broadband connectivity, as well as wi-fi wireless technology. For those without laptops, there are dedicated PCs along with printer
support for 24 hour access to the internet.

Ashorne Hill has recently announced plans for a 2.4 million pound refurbishment project. The building works commenced in March 2011 and will be on going until the completion date in early October 2011. The works will include a kitchen extension along with an extension to the main dining room including a paved patio area.

The project will see the dining room that currently seats 100 diners, turn into a beautiful space including a mezzanine level. The extension will enable Ashorne to seat around 200 guests. The mezzanine level will allow Ashorne Hill to provide an alternative catering service to the
hundreds of delegates that pass through the doors each week. The interior will be completely transformed into a welcoming space perfect for dining, private functions and weddings.

A new staircase will be created in the Concourse area opening up the new entrance to the main dining room. A beautifully laid patio is being built overlooking the wonderful grounds and is perfect for a drinks reception with outdoor lighting showcasing the true beauty of the Grade II listed manor house.

The news of the refurbishment comes just months after the opening of a further five meeting rooms at Ashorne Hill. Based in the main mansion house, on the second floor, the new meeting and training area includes new fully serviced meeting rooms and a brand new self-contained coffee station complete with flat screen T.V.s and comfortable seating. The new rooms offer a truly peaceful learning environment for meetings, video conferencing and break-out sessions. With fantastic views of the rolling Warwickshire countryside and Ashorne grounds, the rooms give delegates even more options when booking a meeting or training session here at Ashorne Hill.

Conference Aston plays host to Cherie Blair and Network of Aspiring Women

Leading QC and human rights campaigner Cherie Blair will be inspiring women as a key note speaker at an event hosted by Conference Aston.

The former prime minister’s wife will be speaking at the lunch on July 8th which is hosted by the Network of Aspiring Woman, founded by former Apprentice star Jo Cameron.

‘An Afternoon with Cherie Blair’ forms part of a larger networking event, with more than 400 female business owners and directors expected to network at an exhibition and a morning of seminars.

Cherie was the ideal speaker for the event, which is focused on empowering women and encouraging them to network, according to Jo.

“Cherie is one of the highest profile female ambassadors in the UK for human rights through her charity work and through her work as a barrister,” said Jo.

“And she successfully juggled her family and career alongside being the wife of the Prime Minister during her years at 10 Downing Street, which makes her the perfect person to inspire our network.
“We are delighted that she speaking at the event and look forward to welcoming her, along with the hundreds of delegates to the event on July 8.”

Conference Aston was the perfect venue for the event according to Jo, for its central location as well as for its fantastic facilities.
“It’s a great learning environment as it’s at the heart of Aston University and is so accessible from the city centre,” she said.
“But it also has a lovely atmosphere and the facilities we were looking for in one place, from break out rooms for seminars to a restaurant big enough to host the 200 people we are expecting for lunch.
“The Conference Aston team have worked closely with us to develop the itinerary for the day and are a key part of making the event a great success.”

Conference Aston head of sales and marketing Christine Page said she was looking forward to showcasing Conference Aston’s facilities to Cherie and the delegates.

“We are delighted to playing host to such a high profile event, which is so positively supporting women’s networking in the region,” she said.
“It’s a great example of the diverse range of events we can accommodate and all our staff are looking forward to welcoming Cherie Blair, Jo and the delegates.”

Entry to the exhibition is free and tickets for the lunch can be purchased at www.networkofaspiringwomen.com.

Conference Aston welcomes more than 54,000 people a year to Birmingham for training, residential conferences, for weddings and to stay in its high quality hotel facilities and on site campus accommodation.
It sits at the heart of Aston University, which is a long established research-led university known for its world-class teaching quality and strong links to industry, government and commerce.

Social Media Buzz: IET Venues reveal Social Events Survey results

Social media most useful for creating buzz prior to events 
Most event organisers use social media, according to IET Venues research

Almost nine in ten event organisers are currently using social media platforms in relation to events with almost three quarters using it to generate buzz and publicity in the lead up to them taking place, according to new findings released today.

The Social Events Survey, carried out by IET Venues, the premier family of venues across the UK, reveals that only 14 per cent of event organisers aren’t using social media platforms for their events, with Facebook the most popular platform, used by 65 per cent of organisers. Unsurprisingly, Twitter and LinkedIn were the next most popular with 61 per cent and 55 per cent respectively using these platforms.

In findings that demonstrate the importance of word-of-mouth and a multi-channel approach to physical events, the research also found that social media is considered most useful in creating buzz and publicity leading up to events with 68 per cent of respondents using it for this. In addition, 41 per cent consider social media a useful platform for people to pass on interesting discussion from events, 35 per cent cited post-event discussion and word-of-mouth, with 33 per cent using it for getting people to attend.

“Social media is a great compliment to other forms of event marketing, and while our research shows that it is not necessarily a great driver of footfall, it can be very useful for facilitating word-of-mouth and building awareness of your events and brand,” says Lucy Wright, Sales and Development Manager, IET London: Savoy Place. “Social media will hopefully enhance and prolong the event experience and venues themselves can also help facilitate this with their own twitter feeds and services like live streaming of events. Like any other form of marketing though, it’s important to know your audience and identify the correct channel before launching any activity.”

Other social media channels are used by event organisers, but are not nearly as widespread as the main three. Location-based social network, Foursquare is used by six per cent and a further six per cent also use other social media platforms, including YouTube, Xing and Minglemore. Only 2 per cent of respondents feel that social media isn’t useful for events.

The Social Events Survey surveyed 130 event organisers in March 2011.

Happy Birthday Scarman!

Warwick Conferences’ Scarman training and conference centre is celebrating two decades of excellence.

Scarman, one of the first purpose-built academic venues in the UK, opened on June 24th 1991 and has been a leader in the sector for twenty years.

Not only do companies and delegates from those early days still come back year after year to use Scarman for their event and conference needs, but more than two dozen staff present on the opening day continue to thrive at Warwick Conferences.

Richard Harrison, general manager at Scarman, said: “Although the venue has evolved over that time, the same core values of professionalism, commitment to service and value have not wavered.

“Testament to that is the fact that our delegates keep returning and our staff stay put. I believe that this is largely based on our values and the fact that we listen to our customers and staff.

“I have no doubt the next two decades will be as successful as the last.”

To celebrate Scarman’s milestone, some facts and figures follow about the venue’s twenty year history:

We have hosted an amazing 77,060 events over 20 years.

We think our breakfasts are delicious and our delegates agree – we have fried or grilled in the region of 721,120 sausages, 2,163,360 rashers of bacon and served 1,442,240 eggs.

A business meeting without tea or coffee is almost unimaginable, so it’s no surprise that our delegates have collectively consumed approximately 3,876,310 teas and coffees.

Where are they now? Well, still here…

Keith Tayler
Then: Head chef
Now: Head chef

Julie Watkins
Then: Assistant front of house manager
Now: Front of house manager

Alison Fox
Then: Restaurant manager
Now: Food and beverage manager at Radcliffe

Amanda Settle
Then: Assistant restaurant manager
Now: Restaurant manager

Dannie Cahill
Then: Catering manager
Now: General manager of Radcliffe

Lyn Foster
Then: Sous chef
Now: Pastry chef

Steve Budd
Then: Chef de partie
Now: Sous chef

Andrea Smith
Then: Chef de partie
Now: Pastry chef

Michelle Hayton
Then: Receptionist
Now: Event manager at Radcliffe

Sara Auckland
Then: Receptionist
Now: Sales manager

Steve Evans
Then: General assistant
Now: Accounts clerk

Steve Dorrington
Then: Customer assistant
Now: Receptionist at Radcliffe

The Møller Centre reaches the highest standard for service and business excellence

The Møller Centre, the only dedicated residential management training centre in Cambridge has been awarded Hospitality Assured’s national 2010 Highest Score award presented this week to The Møller Centre at London’s Dorchester Hotel.

The Møller Centre has been using the Hospitality Assured assessment for 11 years as a business planning tool, by assessing its facilities and procedures using its 10 step process to ensure they offer service excellence to clients. For the last 8 years, The Møller Centre has been within the top 5 highest scoring organisations, last achieving the highest score in 2008. The process focuses on analysing who the target market is, understanding client needs, marketing to the client, tailoring service delivery, follow up and improvements. At the end of each step a score is given, and then an overall score is recorded for all steps. There are currently over 130 organisations across the UK who have Hospitality Assured accreditation.

Recent Investment has been made into continually updating The Møller Centre’s IT facilities and AV equipment to give clients more flexibility with the meeting room space they have. New data projectors, PCs, laptops and software updates have been purchased to ensure we keep up to date with what our clients need and expect from us. In addition, the £225k bedroom refurbishment project is over halfway completed offering brand new bathroom facilities to ensure client stays are as comfortable and relaxing as possible.

“A good operation provides clients with what they need. A great operation always strives to continually better itself by anticipating and identifying client needs, and it’s for this reason that The Møller Centre invests heavily into factors that the Hospitality Assured process identifies to continually ensure we offer clients the very best we can” says Stuart Websdale, General Manager at The Møller Centre. “We, as a team, are delighted to have achieved the highest standard in the UK as part of the Hospitality Assured process. This is a great benchmark for when clients are looking for a great venue to host their next meeting or conference.”

Pictured at the awards ceremony held at The Dorchester Hotel in London. From left to right are: Sarah Mendham - Front of House Manager, Laura Websdale - Staff Development Manager, Stuart Websdale - General Manager, and Gillian Secrett - CEO.

Green Impact Certificate awarded to Nottingham Conference Centre

Nottingham Conference Centre, situated in a beautifully unique and recently transformed Grade II* listed building at Nottingham Trent University, is delighted to have received a Bronze Award Green Impact certificate.

Green Impact is an environmental accreditation scheme run by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges. It is designed to encourage individuals and departments to reduce their environmental impact by rewarding and celebrating practical environmental improvements. Those partaking in the Green Impact scheme can achieve either: a working towards accreditation, Bronze, Silver or Gold Award.

Caring for the environment is always high on our agenda at Nottingham Conference Centre and we’re very proud of our strong environmental philosophy.

The Centre boasts over 3,000 square metres of sedum roof - a living moss-like material which absorbs carbon dioxide and provides a haven for insects and other wildlife in the city centre. The roof also helps to reduce flash flooding.

We use fair-trade sourced ingredients where possible and also support local and seasonal suppliers. Our investment in technology allows you to host video conferencing, enabling an international agenda without a large carbon footprint and our city-centre location means that delegates have access to Nottingham’s excellent public transport systems, including the award-winning tram network.

Mark Vater, Nottingham Conference Centre’s Commercial Manager said: ‘We’re very pleased to have been awarded the certificate in recognition of our efforts to reduce our environmental impact. Caring for the environment is a key philosophy for us here at Nottingham Conference Centre. We are keen to continue with the scheme and work towards the higher accreditations in the coming year.’

Conference news: New hotel at The University of Nottingham

The University of Nottingham has announced plans to develop a 200-bed, 4 star equivalent hotel on its main University Park campus. The eco-friendly hotel will be sited next to the East Midlands Conference Centre and will feature at least 50 executive-style rooms, four boardrooms and a gym as well as a restaurant and bar which will be open to the public.

Building work is expected to commence in 2011, with completion due autumn 2012. Funded by The University of Nottingham, the new hotel will complement the existing facilities provided by the EMCC, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2010. It will also provide a much needed resource for visitors to the University.

The £20 million project has already appointed architects and interior designers to develop an eco-friendly building. The design of the hotel will feature external walk able rooftop gardens and terraces with maximum use of natural day light. Open spaces will provide superb views of The University of Nottingham’s extensively landscaped campus, whilst using state-of-the-art technology will reduce carbon emissions. Solar photovoltaic panels and an air-sourced heat pump are under consideration, as well as a new assisted-cooling ventilation system to allow temperatures to be client-controlled.

As a minimum, the hotel will aim to achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating under the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) which recognises low impact buildings that incorporate the best environmental practice. The University of Nottingham has developed a series of award-winning buildings that have underlined its commitment to sustainable architecture and construction.

Professor David Greenaway, Vice Chancellor of The University of Nottingham commented ‘The key aspect of the proposed design of the hotel is how well it nestles into the surrounding orchard hillside landscape and its environmental sustainability credentials.

Although the hotel will complement the hugely successful EMCC, it will generate income in its own right, providing accommodation for the general public, local businesses and University visitors. I am sure that the hotel will prove to be a valuable asset for the future development of the University and further enhance the University’s important contribution to the city of Nottingham.’

"Meet, Greet and Prosper" - Roy Sheppard presents at 1st Annual Summer Conference

"Roy Sheppard breaks more ice than the Russian fishing fleet.” delegate feedback

Every conference/event where networking is a vital ingredient will benefit from this keynote presentation “Meet Greet & Prosper”.

A fun, entertaining, interactive session, it teaches delegates how to network more effectively at your event. It is especially appreciated by senior executives. This session is guaranteed to create a ‘buzz’ - Roy’s style is interactive, inspiring, respectful and humorous.

Meet Greet and Prosper is a key note presentation forming part of the Conference Centres of Excellence 1st Annual Summer Conference open to members and non-members within the meetings industry.

The event takes place 21 July at Conference Aston, Birmingham.

For more details visit www.cceonline.co.uk or email summerconference@cceonline.co.uk

1st Annual Summer Conference 21 July: Hotels 2020 - Beyond Segmentation

Rohit Talwar CEO of Fast Future will share the findings the latest report FROM Convention 2020 on how venues are preparing for the future.

Convention 2020 is a global study focusing on the future of business events. The report focuses on how venue strategies and revenue models will need to evolve in the face of global change. The study also highlights key initiatives and innovations being pursued by leading venues as they prepare for the future.

Rohit is the project director of Convention 2020 and a global futurist who specialises in the future of the conventions and travel industries. His clients include the QE II convention Centre, Melbourne Convention and Exhibiton Centre, Adelaide Convention Centre, Qatar National Convention Centre and the convention bureas of London, Seoul, Sydney, Toronto, San Francisco, Abu Dhabi, Durban and Athens.

To sign up for the Conference Centres of Excellence 1st Annual Summer Conference on 21 July, please download a booking form from our website www.cceonline.co.uk

Face to Face is essential for Conference excellence

Bringing people together is essential for the success of business, according to the UK’s leading sales and marketing consortium for specialist venues.

Online interaction cannot wholly replace face to face contact in the business world for building relationships, according to Conference Centres of Excellence. And to underline its commitment to bring people together, Conference Centres of Excellence has just announced its first annual conference.

Consortium Chairman Richard Harrison said the event, which will bring together all 42 members, was part of a commitment to sharing best practice and building relationships between members. “As a voice for the meetings industry, we believe very strongly in the power of bringing people together and encouraging the sharing of information first hand,” he said. “While great advances have been made in technology allowing people to meet virtually, the feedback from our venues and customers is that meetings and conferences deliver far more than just the conference programme.

“The off agenda time at events really delivers in terms of building relationships and networks and allow people to share ideas and best practice in a far less pressured environment. “As part of our ethos to practise what we preach we will be bring together all our members at our own conference, which will take place in Birmingham this summer.”

Keynote speakers at the event include Rohit Talwar of Fast Future who will be speaking on the future of the hotel sector, Roy Sheppard, expert networker who has been described as someone who “breaks more ice than the Russian fishing fleet!”, Martin Lewis of ‘Meetpie’, a journalist with more 30 years in the meetings industry, David Wood of Expotel and Emma Bointon of Venuemasters.

The conference, which takes place on July 21st at Conference Aston, is open to non members and will provide the opportunity to network with fellow professionals in the meetings sector. There will be a series of workshops available to delegates as well as a networking lunch and supplier exhibition.

“It is a flagship event in our calendar and one which I would urge anyone with an interest in the sector to attend, as it will provide an opportunity to hear from some of the most insightful speakers in the industry,” said Richard. “It’s also a great chance to share experiences and make contacts with fellow meetings professionals in the fantastic environment of Conference Aston, a Conference Centres of Excellence member situated minutes from Birmingham city centre.”

Visit www.cceonline.co.uk for further programme information and how to book.