Avoid Olympic Chaos in the Capital

A leading Midlands conferencing venue is advising companies to rethink their logistics when organising group bookings and events during next year’s Olympic season.

With London and further South hotels now having their space block booked during the summer, group bookings have become extremely difficult to accommodate in the capital and surrounding areas.

And with availability in 2012, Conference Aston is welcoming those pushed out of South East and London venues by the ‘Olympic displacement’ effect to its centrally based hotel.

Conference Aston’s head of sales and marketing Christine Page suggests a number of tour operators and larger group bookings are looking to escape the Olympic hype of next year.

“It’s great news for the Midlands and further north as those who would have traditionally chosen London or the South East hotels are being forced out through price hikes or date clashes with the Olympics and we have certainly reaped the benefits of the ‘Olympic Effect’,” she said.

“There’s no denying that the games are a fantastic revenue generator for the South East and the UK as a whole but some people wish to avoid the increased volume of visitors and travel chaos that comes hand in hand with a national event of this magnitude.”

“We are perfectly positioned to welcome those who wish to reroute their groups through the UK and avoid Heathrow and Gatwick airports by flying into Birmingham or further north and work their way down the country.

“Our central location means we are still accessible to the capital, with our venue being only an hour and half train journey.

“By rethinking the logistics of group tours in the UK, operators can provide a more relaxed itinerary during the more chaotic Olympic period with little disruption to those booking.”

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.