IMAGO TO WELCOME PRESTIGIOUS UNIVERSITY CONFERENCE IN 2012

imago, the hospitality and conference brand of Loughborough University, has kicked off preparations for a high profile and successful 2012 after being named the event manager and hospitality provider of the prestigious AUDE Conference.


The conference, held from 2nd to 4th April 2012, will see 120 individually invited Directors of University Estates descend on the James France Exhibition and Meeting Space at Loughborough University, for a stimulating programme of plenary and seminar sessions. In addition to leading the management of this reputable event, imago will also be offering delegates a range of services at its conference centre Holywell Park and four star hotel, Burleigh Court.

All delegates will be attending key note speeches by Sir Drummond Bone, Master of Balliol College, Oxford and Baroness Sue Campbell, Chair of UK Sport and the Youth Sports Trust.

Emma Boynton, head of marketing and sales at imago, said: “The AUDE Conference is a natural fit for imago due to our strong academic ties with Loughborough University. The title of the conference is ‘Leading the Way’ which has obvious links with our role as host to Team GB and the Japanese Olympics team. Andrew Burgess, Director of Facilities Management for Loughborough University has played a vital role in bringing this respected conference to campus and continues to be key in leading the event management.

“Not only is imago able to provide a high standard of accommodation and excellent conferencing facilities but we also have the skills to lead in the management of this event. This is an added value service that we provide to ensure our client has the best event possible. We’re looking forward to welcoming the delegates and proud to be representing the East Midlands.”

The annual AUDE Conference is a specialist event which travels to a different location each year. In 2012, AUDE chose Loughborough to represent the East Midlands due to its fantastic links with competing Olympic teams and world-class athletes. AUDE is a not-for-profit organisation which promotes excellence in the planning, management, operation and development of Higher Education estates and facilities. AUDE offers membership to publically funded UK bodies who work within higher education teaching or research.

For further information on imago’s portfolio of venues visit http://www.welcometoimago.com/, call 0845 036 4624, or follow @imagolboro on twitter. For further information on AUDE, log on to www.aude.ac.uk.

An early Christmas present from Cotswold Conference Centre

We’re getting into the Christmas spirit at Cotswold Conference Centre, with a fantastic offer to all our agents. Book a new event to run before the end of 2011 and we will DOUBLE your commission to 20%.

To enjoy your early Christmas present and create a successful event for your clients, all you have to do is book an event that runs in November or December this year*.

To help you match us to your last-minute bookers, here are some important facts to remember:

• We are an award-winning, dedicated conference venue in the Heart of England

• Delegates can reach us easily from the M5 or M40

• We’ll arrange free transfers from Moreton-in-Marsh station (direct from London) for residential delegates

• There are ten meeting and training rooms, the largest of which takes up to 120 theatre-style

• Our USP is our location: there are stunning views from our 370-acre estate in the north Cotswolds

• We’ve just completed a beautiful new bedroom courtyard, bringing our bedroom total to 89

To unwrap your 20% commission, Call the Hotline on 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk

Special Christmas Rates at Ashorne Hill

Book a Christmas meeting at Ashorne Hill to take place between 19th - 23rd December 2011 and take advantage of some great rates!

Day Rate: £35.00 + VAT

24 Hour Rate: £125.00 + VAT


You will be able to relax in our festively decorated Great Hall while tucking into fresh mince pies!!

** Applies to all new bookings taken for this period

Call the Hotline team now on 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk

The Møller Centre, Best UK Management Training Centre, rebrands

The Møller Centre, the only dedicated residential management training centre in Cambridge is a successful and growing business. Having established its foundations nearly twenty years ago, The Møller Centre awarded “Best UK Management Training Centre” has rebranded.

The Møller Centre, a wholly owned subsidiary of Churchill College in the University of Cambridge, today launches its new logo, which has been designed to more accurately reflect the identity of our established business activities.

The new logo maintains the Møller “M” which is recognised by our clients as a symbol of quality and which also reflects the shape of the Centre’s iconic tower. The new logo incorporates the traditional crest of Churchill College to demonstrate to clients and stakeholders the relationship with Churchill College and the University of Cambridge.

The new platinum Møller Centre brand incorporates a suite of 3 logos to represent the key business activities:

• The Møller Centre
A world class host venue for clients’ own training and development activities.

• Møller Centre Executive Education.
During the last seven years, The Møller Centre has been delivering customised executive education programmes providing a special combination of practitioner and academic based learning to senior executives from international organisations.

• Møller Professional Services Firm (PSF) Group
Supporting clients’ needs, this company was established in January 2009 and comprises of 20 partners focused on leadership, strategy, research and development within professional service firms.


“As The Møller Centre approaches its 20th anniversary in 2012, the rebrand aims to recognise the breadth and reputation of our services internationally”, comments Gillian Secrett, CEO at The Møller Centre.

“The Møller Centre is a customer orientated, forward thinking organisation which has celebrated substantial growth in recent years. We will continue to focus on the changing needs are our clients, tailoring our services to surpass their expectations”.

Discover Penyard House - the home of The Leadership Trust Foundation

A superb venue for conferences and executive training, Penyard House's warm service and exceptional attention to detail is unparalleled. Set in beautiful surrounds, facilities include a spacious 130 seat lecture theatre, 3 conference suites with 11 syndicate rooms, and a dedicated board room with spacious breakout area. High quality accommodation is combined with exceptional local and seasonal food, and a complementary gymnasium.

In addition to conferencing and venue hire Penyard House is the UK’s foremost provider of leadership development solutions. A wide selection of open leadership courses is supported by bespoke solutions, executive coaching, applied leadership research and evaluation.

Research projects include the Worldy Leadership Initiative which aims to review leadership wisdom and ask the questions, ‘Have we got it right? and ‘What are we missing?’

Chefs Challenge 2011 - winners announced

Warwick Conferences opened its doors again to host this year’s Chefs Challenge Competition 2011 and the beautifully refurbished Scarman House was a very appropriate setting to celebrate exquisite food and fantastic service levels.

The Chefs Challenge was billed as a celebration of the skill and dedication of Chefs across member venues of both IACC and Conference Centres of Excellence and it did not fail to deliver. With the proliferation of cooking programmes and people travelling the globe our food experience becomes ever more sophisticated and our attitude towards food we are served ever more critical.

Conference Centres of excellence venues deliver the most suitable food for the event taking place, whether a working lunch or an important dinner our chefs enjoy the challenge of stretching their creativity to deal with the smallest of budgets for food to those wishing to celebrate something special with a fine dining experience.

The chef’s challenge was an opportunity for some of the best chefs in our sector to be recognised by their peers and a distinguished panel of judges from across our industry. The judging took place under tight Salon Culinaire conditions and once again the judges were impressed by the high standard of Cooking

“The standard of food and service we witnessed today has once again assured me that Conference centres of excellence and IACC venues are among the best in the country.”

“Every one of our finalists should be very proud of their achievements today. Well done to you all!”

Graham Crump, Chairman of the judges, Executive Development Chef at the University of Warwick and Secretary General of the education committee of the world association of chefs was assisted by:

• Jim Eaves, Chairman of the British Culinary Federation
• Jerry Toth , Group executive chef for the sundial group
• Peter Griffiths MBE, Director of Le Salon Culinaire
• Graham Day, Food Health & Safety Manager at the University of Warwick
• Steve Lambert, Senior Catering Officer University of Brighton
• Tony Freeman from S H Jones & Company

Food is an important factor in supporting the success of an event whether it’s the conditions in which it’s prepared the nutritional content or the way it tastes and looks. This competition really tests the chefs’ skills in these areas, but it’s meaningless if the cooking conditions don’t reflect the reality of our chefs in their day to day professional lives. That is why there are strict entry conditions and restriction on the types of food that can be used and of course the amount each chef can spend on their menu.

You might think this restricts creativity, but speaking to one chef who took part he disagreed and said “we enjoy the challenge and much prefer the competition to recognise the day to day challenges we face, after all it’s not hard to create fine dishes with the most expensive ingredients, with lots of chefs buzzing around the kitchen as you might find in a Michelin starred restaurant, we provide tasty, healthy food that fuels our delegates through their busy day at our venues. We do get the opportunity to show off at dinner, but during the day it’s all about speed and nourishment and being flexible enough to fit in with the needs of the delegates and organisers”

Richard Harrison said “this is the 13th year of this competition and the standard gets better and better each year, much as it does on Masterchef, but it’s a testament to the colleges such as Stratford College who continue to train and develop first class chefs and recognise the importance of developing raw talent not only into great cooks, but great kitchen managers too by teaching them the basics of business, so they have a better understanding of managing budgets and careful purchasing. We are grateful to Stratford College who continue to support this event year on year”

Further thanks go to all supporters, who without their generosity this event could not take place.

Tim Chudley, a trustee of Meeting industry meeting needs (MIMT) was on hand to receive the proceeds of the charity raffle, which generous attendees raised during the awards dinner.

Finally, we are delighted to announce the following winners from the Chefs Challenge Competition 2011.

• Gold Award went to Raymond Thomson of the Stirling Management Centre
• Silver Award went to Lisa Morris of Ashorne Hill
• Bronze Award went to Paul Worthy of Woodland Grange
• Best Hygiene Award went to Raymond Thomson of the Stirling Management Centre
• Best Starter Award went to Vincent Wood of Wyboston Lakes
• Best Main Course Award went to Raymond Thomson of the Stirling Management Centre
• Best Dessert Award went to Raymond Thomson of the Stirling Management Centre
• Best Food Service Skills Award went to Peter Tedford of the Stirling Management Centre
• Chairman’s Award for Best Team Work went to Raymond Thomson and Peter Tedford of the Stirling Management Centre.

www.cceonline.co.uk

Allergy-free rooms are a safe haven for sufferers

In the approach to Indoor Allergy Week 2011 [14 to 20 November], Cotswold Conference Centre has become the first venue of its kind in the world to qualify for an international allergy-friendly award.

Cotswold Conference Centre, on the Farncombe Estate near Broadway, has been accredited with a prestigious ECARF Seal of Quality for eight new Allergy Free bedrooms and a wide range of allergy-friendly policies.

“We are delighted to give this award to Cotswold Conference Centre, the first dedicated conference venue in the world to earn the ECARF Seal,” says Professor Torsten Zuberbier, an allergy expert from the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation. “Conferences can be a headache for allergy sufferers, who are confined to meeting rooms and bedrooms with little chance to escape.

“Allergy at work and at school leads to lower levels of concentration and achievement. We want to find affordable ways to make people’s lives easier.”

One in four people in the UK now suffers from an allergy. Cotswold Conference Centre’s accreditation is an acknowledgement of a raft of measures to combat the problem.

This autumn, the centre completed a £3.5m bedroom courtyard of 32 bedrooms, of which eight are designated Allergy Free. No smoking, pot plants or pets are permitted. Wooden floors replace carpet, there are blinds instead of curtains and a special vacuum cleaner gives 99.9% filtration and helps eradicate dust mites.

In the dining room, kitchen staff deal with a growing number of allergies: dairy, gluten, peanut, nuts – even celery. In the bedrooms, delegates allergic to perfume can request fragrance-free toiletries.

“The body of scientific evidence shows us that allergies are getting worse,” says Professor Zuberbier. “ECARF takes a pragmatic approach, we do not want to put allergy sufferers into a sterile box, but offer support for a better life.
“Over-insulated buildings can make things worse. It always helps to be able to open a window.”

Cotswold Conference Centre’s operations manager Richard Howdle has noticed a significant increase in allergic customers in the past 10 years. “We have many different reactions to deal with these days,” he says. “If you have lactose intolerance, we will offer you a lactose-free coffee to help you concentrate on your conference or training.

“If anyone comes to us with an allergy, we do our best to make their stay just as comfortable as at home.”

Warwick conferences takes steps to alleviate delegate stress levels

Last week saw Warwick Conferences and mental health charity, Coventry & Warwickshire Mind team up to support National Stress Awareness Day.
The collaboration was in response to recent reports which suggest that work-related stress has doubled over the past decade.

According to a recent report by the Health and Safety Commission, out of the 33 million working days lost to illness last year, more than a third (13.4 million) were attributable to stress, anxiety or depression.

Due to the nature of Warwick Conferences’ business, it meets many businessmen and women who are all taking time out of their usual work environment to attend conferences, meetings, training sessions and events.

It is therefore inevitable that some delegates arriving at the venue may be feeling anxious. This may be compounded if they are feeling under pressure to deliver their best, are worried about other work they feel they should be doing or being away from home.

In a move to help reduce these potential feelings of anxiety amongst delegates, Warwick Conferences has developed two sets of tips. One offers advice to delegates about how to manage feelings of stress and get the most out of their conference experience, while the second offers tips to event organisers about how to prevent delegate anxiety.

Coventry & Warwickshire Mind were at Warwick Conferences’ Scarman venue on National Stress Awareness Day on Wednesday 2nd November to offer advice and practical relaxation guidance to delegates if they wished to take part.

Rachael Bartlett, head of sales and marketing at Warwick Conferences said: “We understand that taking a day or more out the office to attend an event can sometimes be stressful if delegates are already feeling under pressure; so we wanted to offer some tips on how to make their experience more enjoyable and productive.

“We also realise that distracted attendees can compromise the success of a conference or meeting so we designed the second set of tips with the aim of helping event organisers manage and prevent delegate anxiety and replace any feelings of stress with confidence.”

Chris Sampson, resources officer at Coventry & Warwickshire Mind comments: “It’s great that Warwick Conferences took the time out to mark National Stress Awareness Day.

“Stress is a serious and health-debilitating issue which not only affects the individual but can also have a detrimental effect on families, relationships and businesses.

“As the pressure of modern living takes its toll, stress is on the rise in the UK and it is important that we have the support of organisations like Warwick Conferences to help raise awareness of this issue.”

If you would like copies of the tips please contact Conference Centres of excellence on 0845 230 1414 or info@cceonline.co.uk.

Anthony Lishman presents at CIPD 2011

Anthony Lishman gets up on stage at the annual CIPD exhibition in Manchester tomorrow, where he will be offering expert advice on how to find the most suitable venue for every training need.

Presentation: How to Choose the Best Venue for your Training Event
Date: Tuesday 8th November
Time: 15:15-16:00

Apologies to those who have seen it advertised for Wednesday... it is definitely tomorrow, make sure you are there!

Visit us at stand 3110 at any time!

Success after success for Ashorne Hill

The training and conference centre team at Ashorne Hill near Leamington Spa is currently celebrating three exciting new developments in the same week! Ashorne Hill is based around a Grade II listed mansion set in the heart of the Warwickshire countryside, and has been a dedicated training and conference centre for over fifty years.

A £2.4M refurbishment project, transforming the restaurant and part of the training/conference room facilities, has now been formally opened by Mr. Andrew Robb, Chairman of Tata Steel Europe. Mr. Robb is also a board member of Jaguar Land Rover – and both organisations are key customers of Ashorne Hill. The opening ceremony was followed by a gala reception and dinner for over a hundred customers and guests.

The following day it was announced that a chef at Ashorne Hill has won second place in the UK Chef’s Challenge. This is a very tough national competition and so to be placed overall second in the UK is a fantastic achievement.

And all of this good news comes on top of the confirmation that Ashorne Hill has been selected by the UK government’s Technology Strategy Board as sole provider for the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) Associate training programme, responsible for design, residential training, delivery and project management for the next four-year contract period. Debbie Buckley-Golder, Head of Knowledge Exchange at the Technology Strategy Board, said: “KTP is the leading programme in Europe helping businesses to improve their competitiveness, productivity and performance through partnerships with higher education institutions and research organisations, so it is vital that new KTP Associates are provided with the best possible management skills to enable them to make a success of their assignment. We are delighted that Ashorne Hill will be providing these important training programmes and look forward to working with them.”

John Carson, MD of Ashorne Hill, commented “Our team at Ashorne Hill is renowned for our high standard of customer service, and making this much progress in just one week reflects that commitment. These developments take us to a new level, from which we can continue to create excellent training and conference solutions for our customers.”

Woodland Grange completes makeover of its smallest rooms!

The makeover of the washrooms at Woodland Grange, the Warwickshire conference centre owned by EEF Venues, is now complete – and so far, guests have given nothing but positive feedback.

The venue recently replaced all its outdoor signage with stunning magenta and brushed silver signs - and they looked so good that it was decided to continue with a theme of vibrant, contemporary colours in the smallest rooms.

An eye-catching lime green was chosen for the entrance lobby and the border below the basins and there is a striking striped laminate with chrome trim at the back of each cubicle. The basins and toilets are bright white with clean square lines to give a really modern look and feel. Slate grey wall tiles and a dark stone ceramic floor contrast well with the green and shocking pink.

Comments from guests have included ‘bright and eye-catching’, ‘certainly wakes you up in the morning’, ‘clean and contemporary’ and ‘excellent lighting’.

A war hero remembered as new facility opens at Cotswold Conference Centre

Military heroes past and present were honoured in a moving ceremony at Cotswold Conference Centre, Broadway, this month. Maudslay Court, a new £3.5m Cotswold-stone building constructed at Farncombe Estate, was officially opened by Victoria Trevelyan, niece of the Dam Busters’ hero Henry Maudslay. The Maudslay family lived on the Estate during WW2 when Henry was tragically killed in raids on six German hydroelectric dams.

To commemorate the connection with 617 Squadron, the Dam Busters’ unit of which Henry Maudslay was B Flight Commander, a plaque was also unveiled by Wing Commander Keith Taylor, currently Officer Commanding 617 Squadron.

'This beautiful building has given us a fantastic opportunity to honour an earlier resident of the Estate,” said Cotswold Conference Centre’s MD Mark Philip-Sørensen. 'We would like to thank the Maudslay family and Wing Commander Taylor for making our opening ceremony so special.'

The large new wing of 32 en-suite bedrooms, constructed by skilled local tradesmen, boasts a number of ecological features, including a ground-source heat pump and solar panels. The Cotswold stone building even has its own tower. One deluxe room - Number 617 – is themed with prints that tell the Dam Busters story, including a picture of the Lancaster Bombers in action in May 1943.

The Grand Ceremony began with the Celebration Reed and Brass Band of Hampton playing stirring renditions of the Dam Busters theme and the RAF March Past, while 80 guests and staff assembled in Maudslay Court.

The historic afternoon was completed with traditional afternoon tea – in the Estate’s dining room decorated with gingham and bunting, to the strains of Vera Lynn.

All four EEF venues are now Conference Centres of Excellence!

EEF Venues has announced that following a recent independent and rigorous assessment, Engineers’ House in Bristol and Broomgrove in Sheffield have joined Woodland Grange and Broadway House as Conference Centres of Excellence!

That means that EEF Venues is the only group in the UK able to offer the high standards that CCE insist on – at all its venues. Conference Centres of Excellence is a consortium of the finest conference and training centres. To become a member, a venue has to meet exacting criteria. Only dedicated business centres can achieve this coveted hallmark which is a guarantee of quality and the very highest standards in terms of service, facilities, catering, residential accommodation and technical support.

'The assessment takes place on a normal working day,' said David Vaughton, Venues Director. 'Two CCE Board Members examine every part of the business to ensure that we are providing a superb working environment, free of distractions and supported by excellent customer service.'

Woodland Grange became the first EEF venue to join CCE in 2004, and has since been continually improving all areas of the business. In the last year alone, Woodland Grange has been re-certified to ISO 14001, has re-launched its website, created a fresh new brand identity – and invested in management training and teambuilding to help the venue offer an even better experience for its customers.

'Our outstanding customer service is one of the things we’re most proud of,” David says. “From the moment you step through the door until the moment you leave, we’re friendly and welcoming. There’s a genuine sense of belonging at an EEF Venue – you’re not just ‘another delegate’

Having dedicated and high quality conference venues in Sheffield and Bristol is good for the consortium because it enhances its geographical footprint.

And it’s certainly good for EEF Venues, enabling it to share best practice and ideas with other members and benefit from the expertise and reach of CCE’s dedicated sales team.

Overnight delegates benefit from new state-of-the-art sports centre at Aston University

Local businessmen and former Aston Villa Chairman Doug Ellis has opened the £5 million refurbishment of Aston University’s historic Woodcock Sports Centre, which has now been renamed in his honour.

The Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre is now available for University staff and students, and also for residential conference and event delegates attending meetings organised by Conference Aston.

Visitors to the new Centre will be able to enjoy a range of facilities including;

• 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

Sheila O’Neal, Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations at Aston University, added; 'We’d like to thank all of the Aston alumni and benefactors who have personally contributed towards the redevelopment of this important sports facility within the heart of the City. We are very proud to have a strong alumni body, which yet again has supported Aston University and its commitment to student and community engagement.

Warwick awarded top marks by independent education charity

Record numbers of top graduates gathered this summer at Warwick Conferences to train to teach in the UK’s most deprived areas.

Warwick Conferences has been highly praised by Teach First, after successfully hosting the largest ever three week residential Teach First Summer Institute, with over 1,300 top graduates converging on the Midlands for part of their unique two-year Leadership Development Programme.

Teach First is an independent charity working to break the link between low family income and poor educational attainment by creating, equipping and mobilising a movement of teachers and leaders with a commitment to raising the achievement, aspiration and access to opportunity of children from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Held at Warwick Conferences’ Conference Park, Teach First utilised classroom and accommodation facilities as well as use of the library building as a recreation zone. Warwick Conferences also hosted a barbecue for all 1,300 delegates on two evenings.

Amanda Timberg, director of leadership development at Teach First, said: 'Warwick Conferences took on the organisational and logistical challenge of Teach First’s biggest ever Summer Institute and delivered beyond our expectations.

'The Summer Institute is a vitally important time for our participants, marking the beginning of their time on the two-year Leadership Development Programme and we are delighted to work with Warwick Conferences to ensure its success.'

Rachael Bartlett, head of sales and marketing at Warwick, said: 'Teach First required a completely focused venue for its National Summer Institute. With so many delegates in attendance, and a complex programme of activities, not many venues would be confident in delivering the consistently first-rate experience which was both expected and required.

'Our belief is that every delegate, whether visiting us for a small meeting or as part of a large multi-day event, is entitled to the highest standard of service and an environment which allows them to concentrate fully on the purpose of their visit.

'We were delighted to welcome Teach First back for their second annual event and look forward to their return next summer.'

Fantastic delegate rates for all new business at Kents Hill Park

Get 1/3rd off day delegate rates and 24 hour rates for all new business at Kents Hill Park between November 1st and January 31st



Arrive to a very warm welcome less than 10 minutes from...
• Central Milton Keynes
• M1 junctions 13 and 14
• Milton Keynes central rail station

Stay in one of our 330 en-suite bedrooms and enjoy...
• television, telephone and alarm facilities
• free wi-fi access
• hospitality trays
• dry cleaning and laundry facilities
• 800 free car parking spaces
• one of our Executive Packages

Play in Milton Keynes’ most extensive hotel health and fitness facilities, such as our...
• 17m pool and jacuzzi
• steam and sauna rooms
• gym, squash courts and sports hall
• Oasis beauty room

Relax and socialise in our ergonomically designed café bar and enjoy...
• Sky and Sky Sports on our 118” screen
• the benefi ts of free wi-fi in our cyber café

Dine on a comprehensive choice of dishes...
• delivered by our highly experienced chefs
• all made from fresh, locally sourced ingredients

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

Engineers’ House gets its biggest ever facelift

Following a complete makeover of its Blue Room Lounge and Restaurant in early October, Engineers’ House - EEF Venues’ Bristol-based conference facility - is now re-vamping all its lounges, dining rooms, coffee stations and breakout areas.

The makeover started on the 24th October, and is due to be completed within a single week.

The improvements are designed to take the elegant 19th century building to a new level of excellence and comfort. Engineers’ House is Grade II listed so all refurbishments have to be completely in character with the building. For the coffee lounges, EEF Venues have chosen some classically simple wooden-framed chairs in muted blues and creams and stylish poseur height tables in a deep red. The dining chairs are, again, simple yet elegant with pale green and aubergine upholstery.

Martyn Bowen, the Venue Manager says: 'It’s been a personal ambition of mine to give these areas a complete makeover for quite some time, so I’m delighted that it’s going ahead. The new décor, furnishings, carpets and curtains will add a touch of luxury to this state-of-the-art training facility, which recently became a Conference Centre of Excellence.'

To celebrate the improvements clients past and present are being invited to come and have a tour of the building – with lunch to follow. The tours will be held every day during the week of the 31st October and will include the newly refurbished lounge and dining areas.

A return on your objectives and a competitive edge

By Anthony Lishman, Executive Director


The key principles of Conference Centres of Excellence: genuine all-inclusive pricing and dependable, comprehensive knowledge of our venues

Anthony Lishman - Executive Director

CCE has had a long held belief that to be successful we have to do all we can to support businesses deliver the objectives of their events. Over the last couple of years that’s meant being as competitive as we can, being innovative and listening to our clients. At the same time we have had to look after our own business to ensure its survival, looking at new markets offering new products and efficiencies that don’t compromise quality.

As we head, hopefully, out of recession the experience of the difficult times has taught us not to take business for granted, continue to believe in our quality ethos and to be as flexible as possible. That’s why we, at Conference Centres of Excellence and our members continue to offer competitive all inclusive pricing packages with no hidden extras as well as individual pricing, for those times when you as event organisers need to compare apple with apples. So if you don’t want to get charged for Wi-Fi or additional cups of coffee check out our range of quality venues located across the UK, Conference Centres of Excellence the UK’s only Marketing Consortium for Venues that’s quality assured. It’s not all about free venue finding (although we offer that too!!!!)

Have you ever asked the question 'have you visited this venue you are recommending to me?' you might be surprised by the response you get from most venue finders. Fit for purpose is a term you hear a lot these days but how can you measure if a venue is fit for purpose for your event by looking at a venues’ website or a brief description on a conference listing site, even our highly detailed information on our website sometimes is not enough.

You have to trust the specialist knowledge of someone who has actually been and carried out a site inspection of the venue. Our enquiry handlers have been to all our member venues and have an excellent understanding of the constituent elements that make for a successful event. We pride ourselves on matching the right venue to the requirement of the customer. Our team have great listening skills and take a little time in finding out what is important to you before selecting the most suitable venue, but don’t take our word for it try us for free and find out for yourself, in fact it’s always free whenever you place an enquiry with our team.

For us it doesn’t end with a successful placement, our team follow up with a call both to you and the venue after every event and our member venues participate in and independent quality assurance programme, Venue Verdict, managed by BDRC continental.

Quality doesn’t cost more, it just takes a little time and expertise, ours, to source and remember a better more suited venue delivers more of the important things, like a return on your objectives and a competitive edge.

Conference Centres of Excellence: www.cceonline.co.uk - 0845 230 1414

Henley Conferences: the perfect ‘green’ venue for any event!

Henley Conferences at Greenlands is committed to achieving the highest standards of environmental performance, preventing pollution and minimising the impact of its operations. In the past year, the venue has achieved the extensive recognition for all the work undertaken to protect and sustain the environment. This includes:

• BS ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems, demonstrating commitment to the environment.

• BS ISO 9001Quality Management Systems demonstrating commitment to service quality.

• Platinum Tier International Association of Conference Centres Green Star accreditation.

• Green Tourism Gold Award for Sustainability.

Not content with resting on our laurels, Henley has continued to implement numerous systems to improve the sustainability of the business and whilst segregating waste for recycling has been common practice for several years, its team have now gone one step further to divert many tonnes of waste away from landfill, by harnessing the power of the mighty worm! Working alongside Kompost, Henley Conferences at Greenlands have introduced several specially created composting bins to their waste and recycling collection point. These bins are filled with food waste, tea leaves, coffee grounds and other vegetable matter and then play host to a colony of busy earthworms, who munch their way through this wonderful banquet and in their wake leave a superb organic compost, that then goes back onto the gardens of the estate to bolster productivity.

Greenlands is also fortunate to be situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty, with a unique riverside environment and it is our policy to work to conserve these natural habitats and create additional areas of wildlife value wherever possible. River banks have been reinforced with an environmental solution to river bank engineering and allowed the creation of wetland scrapes to encourage wildlife habitat and there is also a wild meadow area containing many specimens of local flora and encouraging insect and mammal activity.

The venue has an ongoing programme of tree planting to add to our arboretum, using planting, felling and conservation methods to create additional wildlife habitats where possible.

Triple gold for Warwick Conferences

Warwick Conferences is celebrating after achieving a triple gold in the BDRC Continental’s VenueVerdict.

The achievement for its Radcliffe, Scarman and Arden training and conference centres means that all three Warwick Conferences training and conference properties are now in the elite BDRC Continental grouping at the end of quarter three. The accreditation is awarded in recognition of their outstanding level of customer satisfaction.

VenueVerdict Gold Standard is measured through ‘Net Promoter’, a progressive measure of customer service performance, and is awarded to venues with a twelve month ‘Net Promoter Score’ of +70.

James Bland, senior client services manager at BDRC Continental said: “Warwick Conferences should be very proud that all three of their venues have now achieved the Gold Standard Award.

'Net Promoter can range from -100 to +100 so to achieve and sustain a score of +70 requires consistently excellent customer service.'

Alan Robinson, director of training and conference centres, said: 'We are absolutely thrilled that another of our venues has gone on to win the VenueVerdict Gold Standard Award. 'There is no better testimony than positive customer feedback and this accolade is a real testament to the outstanding service that we strive to deliver on a daily basis.'

Ashorne Hill completes £2.5 million refurbishment project

Ashorne Hill training and conference centre has recently completed its biggest facilities investment in 50 Years, a £2.5 million pounds upgrade of its kitchen and dining facilities, together with a modern façade to the existing pre-cast concrete building from the 1960s.

The refurbishment has turned the dining room, into a beautiful space including a mezzanine level. The extension will enable Ashorne to seat around 200 guests. The interior has been completely transformed into a welcoming space ideal for dining, private functions and weddings. In addition, a beautifully laid patio has been built overlooking the grounds and is perfect for a drinks reception with outdoor lighting showcasing the true beauty of the Grade II listed manor house.

The project has given a real boost to the local economy with all sub-contractors working on the project based in the West Midlands. Along with contractors, many local craftsman were commissioned to design and manufacture bespoke items such as; furniture, fabric and artwork. John Carson, Managing Director of Ashorne Hill said: 'The investment will cement our reputation as a leading centre for management training and conferencing. We are committed to continued investment to ensure that companies know they will receive the best training, conferencing and events provisions. This work is hot on the heels of the unveiling of five new meeting rooms here at Ashorne Hill'

November availability at Ashorne Hill!

November availability at Ashorne Hill!

We now have the following space left available in November!



14th/15th November - 1 x meeting room plus 50 beds

24th/25th November - 1 x meeting room plus 30 beds

29th/30th November – 1 x meeting room plus 30 beds

Take advantage of a ‘super low’ last minute 24hr rate of £130 and day rate of £30 (plus VAT) by booking these dates now!


Call us now on 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk