Another Gold for The Beardmore from VenueVerdict

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre has once again achieved the prestigious VenueVerdict Gold Accreditation.  

The VenueVerdict Accreditation is based on customer feedback from 360 venues across the UK, and over 22,000 events. The accreditation is based on the twelve months ending in quarter two of this year.

The market research agency BDRC Continental award the Gold Standard, to only those venues achieving a twelve-month Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +70 (scores range from -100 to +100). NPS is a progressive measure of customer service performance which acknowledges the power that excellent service has when it comes to driving positive word of mouth for a brand.

Bronagh Bell, Director of the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, commented: “To have achieved our second VenueVerdict Gold Accreditation of 2014 is an incredible accomplishment, and demonstrates that our commitment to customer service, attention to detail and dedication to continuous improvement is paying off.”

James Bland, Client Services Director at BDRC Continental, is responsible for the programme. Congratulating the Beardmore on its achievement, James said: “Achieving the Gold Standard for the second quarter of 2014 is a brilliant accomplishment for the Beardmore. Our targets for achieving this standard are rigorous and involves meeting a very diverse and specialised series of criteria to demonstrate a continued dedication to excellence and improvement throughout the organisation; to have accomplished this for the first two quarters of 2014 is a wonderful achievement and the team at the Beardmore should be very proud.” 

The VenueVerdict Accreditation continues a fantastic 2014 for the Beardmore Hotel, having recently been awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence and attaining the prestigious Investors in People Gold Accreditation for the first time. 

Bronagh added: “Everything we do is with the goal of improving quality standards for our customers, clients and delegates. Over the past several years we have continually adapted and upgraded our facilities and technology to keep up with the fast paced world of modern conferencing and events.

“As we move into the second half of the year, we are in the middle of some big changes and developments and are looking forward to what promises to be one of our most exciting and innovative years yet.” 

Fast and Furious at Farncombe!

New charity run for MICE agents from around the UK

Farncombe Conference Centre near Broadway in Worcestershire has a reputation for great outdoor activities and this September trail running will be the focus, with the launch of a new 5k charity run aimed at meeting and conference agents.

The Cotswolds-based conference and events venue is launching an exciting competitive challenge around its 400-acre estate.  On Saturday 27th September, up to 300 runners will join the “all-terrain” Fast and Furious run through the woods and parklands of Farncombe Estate, before enjoying prizes, food and live music at a post-race party.

Fast & Furious is the name of the event, and it’s the result of a new partnership between Farncombe and MIMN (Meetings Industry Meeting Needs), the registered charity founded by leading members of the conference and events industry.   MIMN aims to raise funds for relevant and worthy causes, especially where a tangible difference can be made.  Recent causes include the purchase of adapted audio equipment for six blind people and a £5,000 technical kit to help severely disabled adults and children use a computer.

“We are really excited about this new initiative and keen to work with MIMN to improve the lives of others,” says Rachael Buttery, Farncombe’s sales and marketing manager.  “Here at Farncombe we are known for our extensive outdoor activity programme.  As well as our own Nature Trail, we have recently mapped out jogging routes through the grounds.

“We thought we could offer our Cotswold estate as a beautiful, if challenging, 5k course and invite MICE agents to join us, as we know many of them share our desire to support the charity.  Members of the Farncombe team will be taking part and we expect at least 100 runners.  We are also looking for sponsors to help to make it a really memorable event.

“If it’s successful, we would love to go Fast & Furious on an annual basis!”

It costs £50 to take part (or £35 each for teams of three to six people) and all funds go to MIMN charity projects in the UK and abroad.  This will be an opportunity for agencies to embrace their natural competitiveness and not only go for winners’ glory but prizes too – for the individuals and teams who raise the most money for MIMN.

Arrival is at 10am and the race begins at 11am following welcome and warm-up sessions.  When it’s all over, Farncombe will play host to a post-race party with a live band and BBQ.  Some accommodation will be available at a preferential rate on 26th and 27th September.

To register your interest in participating and/or sponsoring the Fast & Furious event at Farncombe, please email marketing@farncombeestate.co.uk  

Meanwhile, follow Farncombe Conference Centre on twitter @meetcotswolds and use the hashtag #fast&furiousrun 

Beardmore achieves Gold Accreditation for Investors in People

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre has recently become one of an elite group of businesses in the UK to have achieved the prestigious Investors in People Gold Accreditation. 

Investors in People (IIP) is the UKs most successful framework for business improvement and recognising continuous dedication to having people at the core of an organisation. 

Following an intensive assessment period, which included interviews with 20 members of staff and in depth examinations of the Beardmore’s day to day practices, it was revealed that the hotel and conference centre had attained IIP’s highest accolade: their Gold Accreditation. 

Discussing the accomplishment, Manager of the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, Gary Rice said: “This is another milestone in our pursuit of delivering the highest possible standards of service and excellence to our customers.

“The Investors in People framework underpins everything we do at the Beardmore and provides a practical and tangible way of driving forward our goals and objectives, helping us implement our plans for the future. We firmly believe that our team are our success, and receiving the Gold Award for their achievements is a testament to their commitment and dedication.”

Peter Russian, Chief Executive of Investors in People Scotland, said “This is a fantastic achievement for The Beardmore. I would like to congratulate the organisation and its people on their commitment to continuous improvement. Investors in People offers a flexible, practical and easy to use business improvement tool designed to help organisations and their people achieve their objectives. I hope that more organisations in the area will be encouraged to sharpen their competitive edge by choosing to work with us.”

The Investors in People Gold Accreditation is the latest accolade to be awarded to the Beardmore in recent months, as they were awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2014 in June. 

Director of the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre Bronagh Bell commented on the accomplishment, saying: “The Beardmore achieved its first Investors in people Accreditation in 1996 and has aimed to improve year on year. To have achieved the Gold Award is an absolute honour and we could not be more delighted with the outcome. 

“Our workforce is our most important asset and we are totally committed to encouraging staff participation, engagement and taking an active role in their personal development.

“Looking forward, we will be aiming to increase our focus on conference business, specifically encouraging more international meetings. Our people have always been at the heart of our organisation, and they are the key to even more success in the future.”

CEME Conference Centre goes from strength-to-strength

The expansion and development of CEME Conference Centre is continuing at a pace. Now in 2014, the Conference Centre has already expanded its ‘footprint’ with two new Executive meeting rooms and a new ‘light-box’ room with state of the art Smart-board and ‘light-wall’ and the installation of a wireless conference presentation system. 

Occupancy within the conference centre has increased by over 100% since 2012 and awards and accreditation for the venue continue to pour in with CEME now accredited as a preferred training venue with the Learning & Performance Institute. The additional meeting rooms now mean that CEME has over 20 meeting rooms and some fantastic space covering everything from small syndicate rooms, through meeting and conference rooms for 12 to 350, a state of the art POD Theatre for 120 and reception areas for up to 800. 

.. and it doesn’t stop there.   In the coming months CEME are looking for more on-site expansion to meet clients’ requirements and are currently in talks regarding the development of a new 500 seat auditorium and conference space and a 120-bedroom hotel.

For more information call us on 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk

imago strengthens event management team

imago has appointed Naomi Purvis to the role of Event Services Manager as it strengthens its event services offering. 

imago’s event management team offers services that extend beyond the confines of imago itself.  As well as arranging all on-site activities, the team help groups looking to make the most of their time in the area by booking and organising team building events and logistics. 

Naomi has a background in the events industry having previously worked at Universal WorldEvents (now Ashfield Meetings and Events), and has experience of the pharmaceutical sector – a target market for imago. In her new role, Naomi will be responsible for managing events from the time they are booked through to delivery as well as developing the services offered to business groups across the portfolio of venues. She says: “I’m looking forward to being part of imago’s continuing success story through the development of its events service offering and bringing on new business in its target markets.” 

Emma Boynton, Head of Sales and Marketing at imago comments: “Our events management team offers a service that ensures all events held with imago are both creative and make the most of everything the area has to offer. Naomi brings with her a wealth of experience and makes a great addition to our team, particularly having worked in the pharmaceutical sector – a key target market for imago. Strengthening our events management offering allows us to maintain a first class client offering whilst giving us the opportunity to build and extend the services we provide and take advantage of new opportunities.” 

imago unifies Loughborough University’s conference and events venues under one brand which offers high quality meeting spaces, venues and accommodation along with excellent sports and leisure facilities. imago manages Burleigh Court, Holywell Park, Loughborough University’s conference and events facilities and The Link Hotel. 

Business Booms for Wyboston Lakes

Wyboston Lakes conference and leisure venue has seen business revenue soar by 17% in the first half of 2014, as the impact of a £5 million investment in extended facilities and new business directions begins to have its full impact. Overall, revenue for the venues side of the business in the first 6 months of the year has risen from £5.32 million in 2013 to £6.23 million in 2014.

The company has two specialist residential conference and training venues, Wyboston Lakes Executive Centre and Wyboston Lakes Training Centre. Also on site is Wyboston Lakes Hotel, Spa and Golf, which opened in 2011. The hotel includes a range of leisure facilities, including bar lounge and restaurant, and a premium spa facility, the Y Spa, which opened in November 2012. There is also a challenging 18 hole golf course and a driving range.

Following investment, two of the venues showed significant increases in revenue over the first half of 2014, with the Training Centre up by 20%, and the Hotel up by 28%.

In 2011 Wyboston Lakes decided to further invest in the business by upgrading to leading-edge conference AV and IT infrastructure, and developing a presence in the leisure sector, most particularly with the hugely successful Y Spa. 

In conference and training terms, the enhanced facilities and services have attracted several significant new clients and underpinned a 70% customer retention rate. The number of business events held on the Wyboston Lakes site rose by more than 40% in 2013 and has continued to increase.

“It’s very gratifying that all aspects of our activity are contributing to increased business revenue. The team are loving it!” said Mark Jones, Managing Director of Wyboston Lakes.

The first half of the year has already brought a number of other developments underlining the progress of the Wyboston Lakes business. The company achieved a place in the Sunday Times ‘100 Best (SME) Companies to work for 2014’, while last month it launched a range of water and land based leisure, team-building and corporate away-day activities.

For more information contact us on 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk

Conference Centres of Excellence Welcomes Madingley Hall to expand the membership group

Madingley Hall, a unique residential conference near Cambridge has joined Conference Centres of Excellence as its newest member.

Set in magnificent gardens just four miles from the centre of Cambridge, and a mere 60 minutes from London, Madingley Hall provides a memorable setting for conference, meeting or events.

Built in the 16th century, this elegant country house has 14 well-equipped meeting rooms capable of accommodating up to 100 delegates, and tasteful en-suite accommodation, all within seven acres of spectacular gardens and grounds, designed in the 18th century by ‘Capability’ Brown.

The Hall is one of the few University venues to offer all year-round availability for residential and non-residential events, offering superb catering using locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients, a bar for that post-meeting wind-down, ample car parking and even croquet lawns in season.

“With its striking architecture and historic gardens, Madingley Hall offers customers an impressive setting for their events. Delivering the exceptional levels of facility and service required for all Conference Centres of Excellence venues, Madingley Hall is a welcome inclusion in our portfolio” commented Amanda Stacey, Marketing Manager at Conference Centres of Excellence. 

Having met the requisite quality criteria for facilities and customer care, joining Conference Centres of Excellence enables Madingley Hall to benefit from the group’s marketing activities, providing customers with a single route to booking one of our nationwide venues, with consistent quality standards.

“Madingley Hall is delighted to be joining Conference Centres of Excellence” said Rebecca Burgess, Sales Manager.  “We feel that our stunning architecture and high standards of service provide the ideal setting for a wide range of corporate and private events, and we look forward to working closely with CCE in the future”.

The Meetings Show delivers results for Conference Centres of Excellence

Conference Centres of Excellence report that The Meetings Show was a successful and productive event for the group and their stand partners.

Attending The Meetings Show for the second year running, Conference Centres of Excellence took a larger stand with five member venues as partners, and were delighted with the quality and quantity of leads generated. The team on the stand reported enquiries generated through pre-scheduled meetings, and also with buyers approaching direct with business ready to place at our UK venues.

“The Meetings Show was a great event for us and we would like to confirm again for next year” said Sarah Glossop, Head of Sales and Marketing at Kents Hill Park Conference and Training Centre. “We are currently chasing a significant volume of enquiries, and the benefit of exhibiting with CCE at a reduced cost means that our potential ROI is very strong indeed.”

The Meetings Show welcomed 3,154 unique visitors to the event from 8-10 July, 2014.  This visitor figure includes 721 hosted buyers and 2,433 trade visitors.  Including exhibitors, 4,626 meetings industry professionals attended the show.

  

The show, which was physically 20% bigger than 2013 welcomed exhibitors and industry leaders from around the world. They came together to make The Meetings Show a week long networking and business event, and applauded the extremely high quality buyers.

Amanda Stacey, Marketing Manager for Conference Centres of Excellence said “The Meetings Show has proved its place in the industry- an event which delivers on its promise as the place for the industry to meet. We look forward to working with them again for next year’s event.”

imago targets growth through new business development appointment

imago has appointed Richard Money as Senior Business Development Manager as the organisation focuses on building long term relationships with clients.

Richard previously held business development roles at Zibrant, Q Lifestyle (Bonvo Travel Singapore), De Vere Belton Woods and The Belfry Hotel & Golf Resort and worked as Head of Sales and Marketing at 2BP Ltd. 

In his role with imago, Richard will be proactively looking for new opportunities to increase the number of business events taking place across imago’s diverse portfolio of venues – Burleigh Court, Holywell Park, Loughborough University campus and The Link Hotel. Of his appointment he says: “imago offers businesses an unique package for a wide range of events. It is a well established company that has already experienced significant growth. I have a passion for identifying and securing new business opportunities, as well as offering excellent customer care across all aspects of my work, which will help imago increase business even further.” 

Emma Boynton, Head of Sales and Marketing at imago, commented: “We are delighted that Richard has joined our business development team. He has a proven track record in this field and will help us reach our goals as we target new areas of business and look to increase sales across imago’s portfolio of venues.” 

Launched in 2003, imago unifies Loughborough University’s conference and events venues under one brand which offers high quality meeting spaces, venues and accommodation along with excellent sports and leisure facilities.

Conference Centres of Excellence looks to expand into key locations

Conference Centres of Excellence is looking to expand its membership in the 2014/2015 membership year, with new venues delivering outstanding facilities and service to customers.

The group intends to extend both its geographical coverage and range of venues, in order to provide a comprehensive selection for customers, and strengthen the message that consistent quality standards and excellence in events is best delivered by dedicated, specialist venues which understand and meet the needs of today’s event delegates.

Conference Centres of Excellence is determined not to compromise the standards for which it is renowned and therefore any prospective member venue will need to meet the exacting quality criteria required for membership.

For over 21 years, member venues have been entitled to a full range of the consortium’s activities and benefits. These include the work of its central sales and enquiry handling team; business referrals within the group; its extensive marketing effort to communicate the values of specialist venues; dedicated pages on the website and event planning brochures; use of the Conference Centres of Excellence branding; and regular member events throughout the year. 

While it is looking to grow membership in all geographical areas, Conference Centres of Excellence is particularly keen to find new members in city centres, and the north of England.  Having monitored trends in the meetings and industry market, the group is also keen to expand its membership by including hotels with specialist conference facilities, and encourages these venues to make contact.

 “Our priority is to develop a broader footprint which will enable us to provide even more options for our customers. By bringing new venues into membership, we offer variety to customers with a very clear quality promise about the service and facilities on offer” said Alan Robinson, Membership Director.  “In turn, our members have the benefit of sharing best practice which offers support in maintaining and raising the standards and service delivered to each delegate. It’s a win-win relationship and we are looking forward to welcoming new venues into the group this year”.

Venues interested in learning more can call 0845 230 1414 or email Alan Robinson, Membership Director at alanrobinson@cceonline.co.uk

155 Bishopsgate extends London Capacity for Conference Centres of Excellence

Etc.venues 155 Bishopsgate, located next to Liverpool St Station in London, has joined Conference Centres of Excellence as its newest member.

155 Bishopsgate is a 20,000 sq ft purpose-built conference and event venue, offering three conference suites with the largest accommodating up to 550 people, all adjacent to an exhibition space that can accommodate up to 35+ exhibition stands.

The striking, multi-function ‘galleria’ can be used for exhibitions, networking, catering or dining.  Break out space is provided with two further ‘suites’ with movable walls for ultimate flexibility. This is the perfect environment for a range of corporate and tech-based events, as 155 Bishopsgate has all the latest AV and IT systems, including superfast WiFi and video conferencing.

The vibrant Galleria area is supported by a series of stylish coffee points and break out spaces - with food prepared in the on-site kitchen by their own team of chefs.

The venue is situated in the heart of the City in the hugely impressive ‘Broadgate’ development virtually on the platforms of Liverpool Street main line and underground stations.

Amanda Stacey, Marketing Manager of Conference Centres of Excellence said “We are as committed as ever to maintaining our quality standards for membership, whilst inviting new venues into our nationwide group. Etc.venues 155 Bishopsgate delivers perfectly on these quality standards and increases our London venues to deliver an excellent event experience to our clients.”

Having met strict criteria in terms of facilities and customer care, joining Conference Centres of Excellence enables 155 Bishopsgate to benefit from the group’s marketing activities, providing customers with a single route to booking one of our nationwide venues, with consistent quality standards.

Warwick Conferences kicks off charity cycling event

As the crowds gathered in anticipation of the Grand Départ in Leeds, over 100 miles away at the University of Warwick, Warwick Conferences embarked on a two-wheeled journey all of their own.

Warwick Conferences’ longest-serving employee set the wheels of its epic two-week ‘Cycle for Change’ biking event in motion by taking on the first mile of a 2,271 mile adventure—all in the name of charity.

Leading the valiant troops of staff and delegates in their quest to match the same distance in miles covered by the Tour de France, Keith Tayler, in his 24th year of service as a head chef at the Coventry-and-Warwickshire-based conference business saddled up at Scarman to complete mile one out of 2,271 and donate the first £1 towards the target.

Warwick Conferences have teamed up with the UK’s largest bicycle retailer Halfords to host the Cycle for Change initiative, which will run from Friday 4 July to Monday 28 July. The Boardman Race bike—which is secured on rollers—will appear at all of Warwick Conferences’ venues and across the university campus with the aim to have delegates and staff participate to collectively cycle the Tour de France route distance and raise at least £1 for each mile covered.

The funds donated by guests and staff will go to Halfords’ chosen charity Re-Cycle, an organisation that sends unwanted bikes to Africa enabling people to travel to work and school, as well as allowing small-scale traders to reach customers further afield. The bikes can also be an invaluable resource for travelling health workers and provide access to training and employment, helping to improve lives in a sustainable way.

Cyclists will even have the chance to ride away with a prize, with each rider automatically entered into a draw to win the road bike that will be used for the event.

Rachael Bartlett, head of sales and marketing at Warwick Conferences, comments: “We’re thrilled that the Cycle for Change event has got off to a great start—it was brilliant to have Keith commence the race, and we expect to see many more of our staff and customers following his lead!

“Over the next two weeks, we hope to prove that a little pedal power really can make a huge difference, raising as much as we can for what is a fantastic cause.”

To find out more about Cycle for Change and to see a schedule detailing dates and locations, please visit www.warwickconferences.com/cycle-for-change.

Pride of place for EEF Venues

Woodland Grange, part of the EEF Venues group in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire has won ‘Business of the Year’ in this year’s Touch FM Pride of Warwick District Awards.

From the 150 entries received, the venue was short-listed down to the final three under four categories: Business of the Year, Hospitality Business of the Year, Customer Care Award and Green Business of the Year.

The overall winners were announced at an awards ceremony held on Friday 4th July at The Chesford Grange Hotel in Warwick.

David Vaughton, director of venues for EEF Venues, said:  “We are absolutely thrilled to have received this recognition. The short-listings alone were a great vote of confidence in our customer care standards and business practices. To stand shoulder-to-shoulder with many other exemplary short-listed local businesses and then walk away with this award was truly beyond our expectations”.

“All credit must go to our team at Woodland Grange but also to 102TouchFM for introducing the Pride of Warwick Awards to showcase and acknowledge local business success”.

Warwick Conferences head chef crowned ‘British BBQ Champion’

A Coventry and Warwickshire chef is banishing the cliché of burnt sausages and lackluster burgers after being crowned British BBQ Champion at the third annual British BBQ Battle.

Graham Crump, The University of Warwick and Warwick Conferences’ Group Executive Chef, impressed a panel of judges, led by World BBQ champion Ben Bartlett, during the live ‘cook-off’ held at Blenheim Palace on 18 June. His mouth-watering winning  menu consisted of king prawns with pickled lemon, coriander and garlic butter, with yogurt and mint dressing; lamb ox-spring kebab served on a toasted flatbread, crisp salad and crunchy pork popcorn, with hickory barbecue sauce and ranch dressing; and a banana, marshmallow and chocolate, brioche dessert.

Graham comments: “The BBQ Battle was great fun, with good company, some fierce competition, and the chance to cook on some very impressive equipment, all under the kind of wonderful balmy skies we all dream of during the summer months.

“I’m really proud to have won. It's a great personal accolade but also fabulous for the University and our guests. We take food very seriously here and my winning menu was typical of the kind of food we love to serve. I’m sure the demand for barbeques is set to increase as a result of this win, and as barbequing is one of my favourite methods of cooking, that’s fine by me!”

 Graham was rewarded with an impressive prize bundle for his success, including a top of the range Crown Verity mcb-36 BBQ and accessories pack, worth £3,000.

 Bill Verity, President of Crown Verity, who had the honour of announcing the British BBQ Battle Champion, said: “There were only a few points dividing the top places, making for a very, very close competition and exciting day. Congratulations to Graham!”

The competition, hosted by foodservice equipment supplier RH Hall, exclusive distributor of Crown Verity BBQ systems in the UK and Eire, took place within the Pleasure Gardens at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, where the finalists representing four hospitality sectors - pub and bar; hotels; golf club & outdoor/event catering; and universities - had to cook a three-course meal on a Crown Verity mcb-30 barbecue and serve it within one hour.

Each cooking session was presided over by the judging panel which consisted of Ben Bartlett, BBQ Champion & President of the British BBQ Association; Chris Basten and Martin Bates from the Craft Guild of Chefs and Bill Verity, President of Crown Verity over from Canada.

The chefs were marked individually on their dishes’ taste, texture and appearance and marks were also awarded for use of the Crown Verity BBQ and hygiene practices. 

Another Award for the College Court Construction Project

On Friday 4 of July 2014 the College Court construction project won the "Best Change of use of an Existing Building or Conversion award" at the East Midlands Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Building Excellence awards ceremony.

The project will go forward to the National Awards on 14 November 2014. This award is one of a set of regional awards already won by the project, to find out more visit the venue awards and news stories page.

Located just minutes from Leicester’s vibrant City Centre, College Court is a haven of tranquility, surrounded by established trees, landscaped gardens and quiet residential streets. Inspired by its surroundings, College Court have named each of the conferencing rooms after the many different varieties of tree on the site and the restaurant boasts dishes that echo the iconic sixties design of College Court itself.

For more information call us on 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk