Our Chairman: Richard Harrison

Richard Harrison became the Chair of Conference Centres of Excellence in September 2010.

Richard joined Warwick Conferences in June 2006. He has overall responsibility for the Scarman operation, including the meeting and exceeding of financial and guest satisfaction targets and the effectiveness of its ongoing investment programme. The centre, which has 54 meeting rooms and 204 bedrooms, currently holds the ‘Best UK Management Training Centre’ and ‘Best Value for Money Conference Centre’ gold titles in the annual Meetings & Incentive Travel awards.

Richard Harrison becomes Chair at a critical time for the meetings venue sector, but believes that the place of specialist conference and training centres is being reinforced by current trends. “In times of pressure, organisations want to maximise the effectiveness of their workforce through training and team building, and dedicated centres optimise that process,” said Richard: “At the same time, specialised venues enable organisers of all kinds to demonstrate their determination to create cost-effective, fully focused events, which is now more critical then ever. I look forward to helping the consortium to communicate these benefits.”

Meet the Team: Executive Director Anthony Lishman

CCE has appointed Anthony Lishman as Executive Director. This is a new, full time position designed to help the consortium grow through a process of raising its sector profile and achieving a progressive increase in membership.

Most recently he was regional general manager for the Niche Hotel group, based at its Cotswolds venue Wyck Hill House, where he was responsible for a £3 million investment to expand bedroom capacity and extend conference and leisure facilities, and for developing new business.

Previously he managed his own executive search and business consultancy, specialising in the conference centre and hospitality sectors. This followed a nine year career with Initial Style conferences (now De Vere Venues), including a period as multi site general manager with specific responsibility for the development of the group’s Wychwood Park and Cheadle House conference and training centres in Cheshire. He successfully managed the projects to develop both venues from greenfield sites to fully operational businesses with multi million pound turnovers. His previous roles with Initial Style included general manager positions at two Buckinghamshire venues, Uplands in High Wycombe and Harben House in Newport Pagnell.

Our people: Sophie

Sophie Gibson is our Marketing Executive

Sophie graduated from The Nottingham Trent University in 2008 with a 2:1 BA Hons in Business Studies and Marketing.

Her four year degree included a year in industry where she worked at Panasonic, which she felt was invaluable marketing experience alongside the course theory. Sophie then worked for IDS Scheer as Marketing Executive for 18 months where she managed a variety of campaigns and gained a broad range of skills and knowledge in all areas of the marketing mix. Within this position she managed and executed the company’s annual conference, which made her realise she had an interest in the conference and meeting industry and a passion for exceptional quality and high levels of service.

Sophie then spent a year in Australia, where she spent time working at Janssen-Cilag and Queensland Gas Corporation to fund her travelling before returning to the UK to focus on her career. Sophie will be responsible for all Marketing activities in line with the overall Marketing plan.

Meet our Hotline Team: Katharine

Katharine Armstrong is our Hotline Sales Manager

Katharine will be responsible for generating new business and developing the existing client portfolio within CCE. Working closely with key accounts to find them the solution that most accurately meets their needs.

Meet our Hotline Team: Rebecca

Rebecca White - Business Development Executive

Rebecca graduated from De Montfort University in 2009 with a 2:1 BA Hons in Dance and Arts Management.

Whilst studying an events management module on the course in her final year she became interested in perusing the events and hospitality side into greater depth. This led her to gain the opportunity to work as an Administrator for Conference Centres of Excellence upon graduating.

Rebecca has developed her role within the company and succeeded to the position of Enquiry Co-ordinator and is now progressing into the role of Business Development Executive.

Rebecca will be responsible for generating new business, growing the existing client basis and developing relationships with small to medium agents.

Meet our Hotline Team: Pauline

Pauline Saunders is our Enquiry Co-ordinator

Pauline graduated from University College Birmingham with a 2:1 degree in Events Management. This degree gave her knowledge and understanding of the industry and encouraged her to pursue a career in this sector.

After university Pauline spent a year working in Australia and travelling Fiji and New Zealand, when she returned to the UK she worked at Ardencote Manor Hotel before joining the team at Conference Centres of Excellence as enquiry co-ordinator.

Start your 'Olympic' year with a meeting warm up!

For any new meeting booked to take place in January or February with Henley Conferences, the following special rates will apply

Residential rate - £165.00 - normally £175.00 per person

Day Delegate Rate - £55.00 - normally £65.00 per person

Based on a minimum of 10 delegates

Quote 'January Warm Up Rate' at the time of booking.


Call 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk for more details

Cotswold Conference Centre manager celebrates 30-years career

Nick Akerman, Head of Sales at Cotswold Conference Centre, is celebrating 30 years since he started working at Farncombe Estate, Broadway in Worcestershire.

Nick started out when the Estate was Group 4, at the tender age of 19, when he was too young to drive a company vehicle. His first role away from Broadway was based in South London. Early career memories include looking down the barrel of a shotgun during an armed robbery in London.

“We were in the cash-in-transit business then,” says Nick, “carrying money across pavements from retailers and delivering to banks. I knew my way around London pretty well.”

“One day we were in Charlton on the south side of the river, when there was a Post Office raid. With a gun pointing at me, the training kicked in and I had to give away six big bags of Post Office money. It was frightening actually. Soon after that I was moved away to a new district office in Oxford. I worked at the Unipart Head-Office by night and sold Group 4 services during the day!”

Gold Business Tourism award

Nick’s 30-year career has taken him to a number of locations – including a stint operating a new guarding contract in New Delhi – but his longest-serving roles have been based on the 370-acre Farncombe Estate, owned by the Philip-Sørensen family.

Ten years ago, Nick was part of the launch team at the Cotswold Conference Centre.

“At that time, Group 4 decided to close its training facility on Farncombe Estate and I was working at the Dormy House. I was tasked with researching the conference industry for a new venture,” says Nick. “One of our first clients was the global engineering group IMI, who still train here today.

“Highlights include us winning the first ever Gold Business Tourism Award from VisitBritain – and writing the business plan which led to the building of our new building, Maudslay Court, which has opened this autumn. This brings our bedroom capacity to 89 and takes our business to a new level.”

Not all Nick’s memories are as scary as the Post Office hold-up. Some – like escorting the late Dennis Thatcher to the bathroom at the first Birmingham SuperPrix and, in India, managing one of the largest guard forces anywhere in the world – bring a smile to his face.

“One night in India, I was doing the rounds checking in on the security guards,” he recalls. “I approached a gate house where a Sikh guard was sitting with his feet up and his eyes closed. ‘Are you relaxing?’ I asked him. The guard stood up immediately. ‘Oh no sir, my name is V.P. Singh.’”

A practical way to meet that reduces environmental impact @henleymeetings

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 Conferences 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 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 Conferences 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.

Government Funded Training

Government funding of up to £1,000 towards your leadership and Management Training.

As part of the investment required for the Private sector to take up the challenges in the months and years ahead, the government has, through the Skills Funding Agency, launched a scheme to assist businesses with vital training for senior managers.

In this scheme, using a simple one-page form you fill in prior to booking, you can claim back half the cost of training for senior managers, up to a maximum of £1,000.

That means you have direct access to a whole range of courses that will benefit you directly, along with all the help you need to process your application as quickly as possible.

Cotswold Conference Centre | Official Blog site | Meeting and Training in the Cotswolds: Government Funded Training

Sports Centre gets £5m Refurb at Conference Aston

Aston University’s new sports centre is now open after a £5m refurbishment. The Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre is open to staff and students of Aston University in addition to delegates and guests at Conference Aston.

Facilities include:
• A new 120-station fitness suite with latest cardiovascular machines and weights
• A new two-storey facility with martial arts, fitness and dance studios
• A refurbished sports hall and swimming pool
• A new sauna, steam room and changing rooms
• Improved badminton, basketball and netball facilities


**New Catering Partnerships**
Conference Aston’s Lakeside Centre in Birmingham city centre has discovered the venue’s reputation is growing in the Caribbean and Asian communities of Birmingham as the place to celebrate love and romance.

With the number of weddings rapidly on the increase, the Lakeside Centre is pleased to announce a number of partnerships with local catering companies which will offer the best traditional cuisine in the city for these events.

Christine Page, Head of Sales and Marketing for weddings, conference and banqueting, comments: 'With an increase in Asian and Caribbean weddings, we’re keen to ensure that our budding brides and their husbands to be have a simple, stress free experience with us.

'By creating partnerships with catering specialists in these areas, our brides have one less thing to worry about because we can put them directly in contact with organisations who have met our quality criteria.

'Each event will have one of our dedicated event planners throughout the planning process and a manager on the day to work with the appointed caterer; this will allow the bride and groom to enjoy their day without any worries on the day.'

The venue has continued their commitment to the local Birmingham area by focusing on catering companies from the region.

Christine continues: 'These preferred suppliers have been individually selected for their quality and customer service and have undergone an inspection of their food production and systems to ensure that the highest standards of service are met.

'They’re also based in Birmingham and the Midlands, so not only are they on the doorstep for the bride and groom, but we’re supporting local business'.

The specially selected caterers that Conference Aston is partnering with are renowned for their outstanding standards of service and cuisine; couples can relax, safe in the hands of:

• Five Rivers – Asian Cuisine - www.thechefskitchen.co.uk

• Sukhdev’s Catering Services – Asian Cuisine - www.sukhdevsfood.com

• The Deep Experience - Caribbean Cuisine - www.caribbeanrestaurantbirmingham.co.uk

'We believe in embracing the many cultures of Birmingham and by working closely with these carefully selected local suppliers, we can ensure we provide the highest standard of service on the most important and romantic day of their life'.

The Lakeside Centre at Conference Aston, in the heart of Birmingham, is a self-contained venue which is ideal for self-catered events and celebrations including birthdays, weddings and Mehndi ceremonies.

The Lakeside Centre overlooks the Chancellor’s Lake in the heart of Aston University campus and boasts a spacious reception area and the potential to host celebrations on the ground and first floor banqueting suites.

The ground floor banqueting rooms can accommodate up to 170 guests with an adjacent room offering a casual seating or reception area and when combined with the first floor, can accommodate an additional 350 guests with an adjacent reception area.

One step ahead...Free wifi in all 41 Conference Centres of Excellence venues

With increasing demand for free wifi to be standard in venues within the meeting, training and conference industry, Conference Centres of Excellence are proud to be one step ahead with all 41 venues offering free wifi.
“Our dedicated training and conference venues are all highly focused on providing fantastic learning environments and with technology improving at such a rapid rate we believed that wifi would be and has become a necessity.” Anthony Lishman. Executive Director, Conference Centres of Excellence

As leading providers of dedicated training and conference venues within the UK, Conference Centres of Excellence know the things that are important to the client so it is no surprise that all venues already offer free wifi.

“Free wifi is just one of the many tangible parts of our overall offering. We believe it is important to understand what clients expect and need, and what we can offer to make their experience the best it can be. Whether it is good transport links, free wifi or residential capability that our venues already offer or a personalised service that involves going the extra mile.” Richard Harrison, Chairman of Conference Centres of Excellence.

The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) recently launched the Conference Cloud campaign, which calls for free Wi-Fi for conference delegates at venues across the UK. The campaign follows feedback from PCO members regarding the negative impact of high Wi-Fi access prices for delegates and calls from buyers for venues to review their pricing strategies when it comes to separate charging for Wi-Fi. An open forum debate on the topic at the recent Summer Summit in Belfast further reinforced the need for a campaign to address this issue for PCOs.

Newly appointed ABPCO Chair Michael Foreman commented: ‘The Conference Cloud campaign has already achieved great support from both venues and individuals signing the petition. Providing Wi-Fi free of charge to conference delegates is a growing demand and as ABPCO we are pleased to have highlighted this issue and stimulated debate on the topic in the industry. We are currently planning a round table debate in the next few months.’

Day meetings from £19.95*

Throughout the month of October, Warwick Conferences are offering day meetings from £19.95* per person!

For further details, contact our Hotline team today on 0845 230 1414 or info@cceonline.co.uk and quote OCT_1995.

*Rates quoted are exclusive of VAT. The offer is available on day meetings only taking place between 1st and 31st October 2011 subject to availability.

Cotswold Conference Centre are shearing their rates !

For one week only, due to a cancellation, Cotswold Conference Centre have taken the clippers to their delegate rates!

Take your group for a conference, teambuilding or training event in the week beginning 7 November and they will guarantee a stripped-down Day Delegate rate of £20 and a 24-hour rate of £90.*

Cotswold Conference Centre is perfectly located near the M5 and M40 motorways in the Heart of England. The campus-style meeting rooms are set on a 370-acre estate with real sheep and panoramic views towards the Malvern hills. The food is great and so are the 89 en-suite four-star rated bedrooms. The dedicated conference service is backed by free WiFi and excellent phone signal.

Cotswold Conference Centre - rural but not remote.

*New bookings only apply for this exceptional offer. Call the Hotline on 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk.