Thursday 22 January 2015

Gold Standard Accreditation demonstrates consistent quality standards for venues

Conference Centres of Excellence is delighted to see member venues once again achieve a number of BDRC Continental’s VenueVerdict accreditations and commendations at the end of Q4 2014, based on a customer’s ‘likelihood to recommend’ using feedback across a number of key areas.

These accreditations, particularly the top level Gold Standard Accreditation, demonstrate the high standards required by the membership group to provide consistently superior standards in service and facilities for all customers.

Just under 21,250 individual pieces of feedback were collated to determine the VenueVerdict results, providing a completely independent assessment of experience. In choosing a venue where customer feedback and in particular the ‘likelihood to recommend’ has been measured in this way, customers can rest assured that they are in safe hands.

Seven Conference Centres of Excellence member venues have achieved the BDRC Continental VenueVerdict Gold Standard Accreditation following ongoing assessment of customer feedback during the year from January to December 2014. 

The Conference Centre of Excellence gold accredited venues are:

Highly commended venues also include CCE members:

Commended venues include CCE members:

Amanda Stacey, Marketing Manager of Conference Centres of Excellence commented: 
“Our members consistently strive to maintain the highest possible quality standards in the meetings, training and events industry, and there’s no better endorsement than that from independently monitored customer feedback. As a consortium which measures quality standards in terms of dedicated facilities, exceptional food, superior staff expertise, and overall event experience, we are delighted at the consistent quality standards our venues achieve year after year and congratulate those members in particular who achieve the gold standard accreditation.”

Wednesday 21 January 2015

imago venues recognised by BDRC Continental VenueVerdict


Two of imago’s venues have been recognised in the latest BDRC Continental VenueVerdict results. 

Holywell Park has achieved BDRC Continental VenueVerdict Gold Standard Accreditation which is given to those properties recording a twelve-month Net Promoter Score of +70 or higher from 40 or more Business Event Host responses in the twelve month period January to December 2014. Furthermore, each of the four calendar quarters is required to contain at least ten responses. In the last two years, the dedicated conference centre in Loughborough, Leicestershire, has achieved BDRC Continental VenueVerdict Gold Standard Accreditation on four occasions.

In addition to Holywell Park achieving Gold accreditation, Burleigh Court – its four star conference centre and hotel - achieved Highly Commended under the scheme. 

Emma Boynton, head of Sales and Marketing at imago, comments: “Feedback from clients is extremely important to imago. It helps us to build a strategy which allows us to continually improve our customer service. Being awarded BDRC Continental VenueVerdict Gold Standard Accreditation is recognition of the high standards we are achieving at Holywell Park. As it is calculated by responses from people who have attended events held here the accreditation is even more valuable. It is also pleasing that Burleigh Court has achieved Highly Commended and we look to build on this in future.”  

Launched in 2003, imago unifies Loughborough University’s conference and events venues under one brand, providing 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. 

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

Tuesday 20 January 2015

EEF Venues takes the title for the second year running

For the second consecutive year, EEF Venues has been named ‘No 1 Small Group’ and ‘Best Value for Money Group’ in BDCR Continental’s VenueVerdict Awards – the only industry awards programme based entirely on the voice of the customer. 

In addition, EEF Venues’ Bristol venue, Engineers’ House, has been named No 1 Specialist Venue and Overall Venue for 2014.
This year's results are based on 21,250 individual responses throughout 2014 from event planners across a pool of over 375 participating venues nationwide.

David Vaughton, director of venues for EEF Venues, said: "These awards are an acknowledgement of our people, our performance, our investment in product and service and the relationships we hold with our customers. The credibility and brand recognition we gain from this award programme cannot be underestimated, particularly because of its transparent process as it is based entirely on direct customer feedback. This is a great motivational start to the year and we view it as an opportunity for increased confidence and further growth ahead.”

James Bland, director of the Hotels and Hospitality team at BDRC Continental, said: "Based entirely on genuine, verified customer feedback, these accolades reflect the cream of the nation’s meetings providers.”

2014 was an exceptional year for EEF Venues, with 13% year-on-year revenue growth across its three venues: Broadway House in Westminster, Engineers’ House in Bristol and Woodland Grange in Leamington Spa.
EEF Venue’s three venues have also scooped gold standard accreditation in The VenueVerdict Gold Standard Accreditation Programme 2014, with an aggregate Net Promoter Score of 89.0 from customers, in comparison to a national average of just 54.2. 

In 2014 EEF Venues also achieved AIM gold across the group in 2014, as well as a second TripAdvsior Certificate of Excellence for Woodland Grange, which was also named ‘Business of the Year’ in the Pride of Warwick Awards.  

David Vaughton said: "Customer service excellence drives this business so achieving these accolades endorses everything we stand for. Repeat bookings account for 70 per cent of business across our three venues so keeping our customers happy and satisfied is vital as it has a direct impact on our performance as a group. It is truly humbling that our efforts have been acknowledged in this way.”

Monday 19 January 2015

Golden year for the Beardmore

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre have secured their fourth consecutive Gold Accreditation from VenueVerdict. 

The prestigious accreditation is based on feedback from approximately 370 venues all across the UK, taking into account more than 22,500 pieces of feedback from customers in the fourth quarter 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: “We are absolutely delighted to receive our fourth consecutive VenueVerdict Gold Accreditation. We are constantly looking for new ways to develop and expand our services to deliver the highest possible standard of service in the fast paced world of modern conferencing, and this accreditation is a testament to this hard work.”

James Bland, Client Services Director at BDRC Continental, congratulated the Beardmore on its achievement saying: “The team at the Beardmore should be extremely proud of this accomplishment. Our criteria are very selective and require organisations to meet a diverse and specialised series of objectives, demonstrating consistent dedication to improvement and delivering excellence across the organisation; to have accomplished this for the fourth time is a fantastic achievement.”

Bronagh added: “Continuous improvement and investment is vital in all dedicated hotel and conference venues. We believe it is essential to develop those all important added extras, as well as guaranteeing attention to detail and personalisation to all of our customers. Having recently invested in our Wifi to ensure all clients have fast, reliable, internet access and opening our new Innovation Centre, we are now moving forward and looking into the remodelling of our 168 bedrooms to create the ideal guest room as we work towards our 2020 strategy.” 

The Beardmore has had a very successful 12 months, receiving the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, as well as becoming the only Scottish venue to be accepted into the prestigious International Association of Conference Centres (IACC).

Conference Centres of Excellence venues nominated again as finalists in M&IT Awards

Conference Centres of Excellence member venues have once again been nominated as finalists in the renowned annual Meetings & Incentive Travel Awards, with winners due to be announced on 3rd March.

Organised by Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine, the awards event at Battersea Revolution brings together the various sectors of the business to measure market reaction in rewarding excellence of service and product and to enjoy fantastic cuisine, fine wines, live entertainment and raise funds for charity. There are 19 awards voted for by the readers of Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine, plus a special award: M&IT Personality of the Year.

Conference Centres of Excellence are once again well represented with a number of member venues shortlisted as finalists in 5 out of the award categories. For the second year running, Conference Centres of Excellence is also proud to be sponsoring the award for ‘Best UK Conference Centre’ as it fully compliments the consortium’s ethos of promoting consistently high quality standards in the meetings and events industry.

“These awards are particularly prestigious to our individual members, and to the consortium as a whole” commented Amanda Stacey, Marketing Manager. “They are voted for entirely independently by customers, and therefore truly represent those venues who have delivered exceptional quality and a successful experience for delegates. We wish all our shortlisted members the very best of luck on the evening.”

Full details of the awards and finalists can be found at:
http://www.meetpie.com/StaticPageDisplay.aspx?code=event_mit_winners

Thursday 15 January 2015

CCE venues adapt, innovate and invest to meet changing demands of the market in 2015

Conference Centres of Excellence, the marketing consortium representing dedicated conference, meeting and events venues nationwide, looks at the future trends for 2015 with reports from individual member venues:

Amanda Stacey, Marketing Manager of Conference Centres of Excellence
“2014 started with predictions for growth and a strong market, and in the majority of cases this certainly held true. As we now see occupancy levels steadying at a high level, particularly during peak times, we are finding rates held firm or on the increase, and our venues are able to consistently deliver the high level of facilities and service expected by clients at these levels. We anticipate another growth year in 2015, as our venues continue to adapt, innovate and invest in order to deliver excellence to all sectors.”

Alistair Stewart, MD of etc. venues
“2014 proved to a be a tumultuous year for the major residential conference centre groups as the banks faced up to the reality of their losses and sold out to American investors who now control much of the provincial mid market .  Strategies will unfold in 2015 and it’s a fair bet we will start to see a disposal programme of smaller venues that cannot adapt to changing markets. All of this could be good news for the privately or institutionally owned venues who can innovate the delegate experience, be best in class and recognise that a new generation of delegates is coming through with very different needs to the generation for whom most of the venues were built for.   As the desperation discounters of the big groups are given their marching orders by their new American owners, 24hr and Day delegate rates will continue to recover bolstered by rising demand from an improving economy with the London effect progressively spreading to the Regions.”  

Tracey Bell, Marketing Manager of Warwick Conferences
“We’re certainly feeling more confident about what 2015 has in store compared to this time last year, thanks to the welcome upswing in the economy driving more business across the board. With demand starting to increase and 2015 set to hopefully continue the trend, venues can afford to be a little bolder in their business decisions.  Understandably, when budgets are squeezed, external meetings are the first to be squashed – and venues have sometimes accepted business that may not be the perfect fit for their particular operation. However, with things picking up, venues can now exert the confidence to make more of the opportunities that are right for their venue, realign their USPs with their target market, and utilise their space in the most relevant ways for their business. During the economic downturn, venues were forced to adapt and relax their approach. 2015 will be another defining year, but hopefully this time centred on how we react and change to the positive upturn in business, encouraging venues to provide the best service they can for the opportunities most suited to their facilities.”

Carol Shearman, Henley Conferences
“2014 has been stronger than expected and we have had an extremely successful year. 2015 is looking positive too with many regulars booking in their series of dates for the year, giving a sound base to business. Ad hoc enquiries are still working to a later lead in but calls to prospects are proving to be much more positive and upbeat than in the past. So we are looking forward optimistically for another strong year.” 

Sarah Glossop, Head of Sales & Marketing, Kents Hill Park
“2014 has been a very exciting year for Kents Hill Park. The market place is definitely more confident, occupancy is up and we have won several new training contracts. The site is busy there is definitely a buzz in the air. 2015 will see the continuation of our refurbishment programme, giving us a contemporary and fresh bedroom product to take to market and refreshed public areas.  This will put us in a great position to deliver a better service to our existing loyal customers and win new contracts. We believe that midweek availability is going to remain tight, with very high demand in peak periods.  Event organisers are going to have to plan further ahead to secure the dates they want, so lead times will lengthen. The lack of availability will start driving rates up, with venues having to yield carefully to meet financial targets. We firmly believe that 2015 is going to be another successful and exciting year and we are looking forward to standing out from the crowd with our CCE quality stamp of approval.”

Mark Jones, Managing Director at Wyboston Lakes
“Wyboston Lakes 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 begin 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 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. We believe we will see more product differentiation within the dedicated venues sector, leading the way with technology, inclusive pricing and leisure additions. We enter 2015 with confidence that our business model is robust and will stand us in good stead for the challenges that lay ahead.”

Jilly Jones, Farncombe Conference Centre Sales Manager
“Large-scale bookings have been the success story for Farncombe in 2014. We are seeing bigger budgets and more staged ‘events’. During the lean years, many companies concentrated on small meetings and essential training. The trend towards bigger, bolder events tells us that business is growing in confidence, and there’s a huge opportunity for the meetings industry here. Meeting space is changing and traditional meeting rooms are being replaced by the great outdoors, or intimate nooks for smaller gatherings.  Clients often have better equipped meeting rooms than the venues they book, so they come to us for something completely different.  We give them head space for thinking, imagining, teambuilding, planning and getting inspired. With 400-acres of private countryside at Farncombe, we’ll be investing in our outdoor meeting options: braziers and bean bags and portable equipment.  Our customers tell us they want to be impressed and we are here to add the wow factor.  Looking forward to 2015, we have confidence in economy growth and expect to see more training programmes as organisations invest in their people.  At the same time, venues are back in the driving seat and we will be standing firm on rates!”

EEF Venues, David Vaughton (Director of Venues)
“2014 has been an exceptional year for EEF Venues, with 13% year-on-year revenue growth across all of our three AIM gold accredited venues.  One of the highlights of the year was our Number 1 group ranking in the BDRC customer satisfaction benchmarking scheme, which we view as a reflection of our passionate teams whose commitment to excellence continues to reap benefits for the Group. Another highlight of 2014 was Woodland Grange being named Business of the Year in the Pride of Warwick Awards. We continue to invest in product to maintain a competitive edge and offer added value to clients, such as the recent kitchen refurbishments at both Engineers’ House and Broadway House and new gymnasium equipment and lounges refurbishment at Woodland Grange. For 2015, we predict a 5% year-on-year growth after the accelerated growth witnessed in 2014. Our current order book stands 8% ahead of the corresponding point last year, which is a very encouraging sign. There is no doubt that continued economic recovery is maintaining services sector growth, albeit less accelerated.  Increased demand for training as talent development becomes necessary because of the more buoyant employment market, will also have a positive impact on bookings, as will an increase in visitors from ‘across the pond.” 

Stewart Elsmore, Director of Cranfield Management Development Centre
“2014 has been a positive year for Cranfield Management Development Centre, one of the many highlights being the opportunity to welcome you all to join us at the annual Chefs’ Challenge Competition Awards Dinner in October.
The New Year delivers the launch of a strategic Sales and Marketing plan bringing together the four venues we manage across Cranfield University under one new brand, Venue Cranfield.  This focused brand identity now provides our clients with one cohesive solution whilst, as always, encouraging feedback and constantly seeking ways in which to continually improve. Investment in our people was also rewarded in 2014 with all our teams having now achieved the Investors in People accreditation, an accolade that the CMDC team have held for eight years.
As in previous years 2015 will see a continuing programme of investment for our customers in all areas of the business, our people, our property and our services. We are encouraged by a more buoyant economic climate and are very excited to see what new opportunities this year will offer.”

The Møller Centre, Stuart Websdale (General Manager)
Highlights of 2014 include embarking on a major building expansion project to meet the increasing demand for innovative meeting rooms, quality bedrooms and flexible catering areas to satisfy our venue and executive education markets. Despite the presence of contractors – and the noise, traffic and dust they create - our BDRC Net Promoter AND Overall Performance Index feedback scores have increased and we remain firmly entrenched in the top tier. Our business has been built on the foundation of delivering constant care to clients and we continue to develop meaningful relationships with our existing clients who account for 80% of our business, whilst nurturing our new contacts in growth sectors. Considerable research has also been conducted into client requirements and subsequently we will launch a revised all-inclusive delegate package in 2015.  The improvements include a number of innovative features, notably in the areas of technology and enhanced client services.  Listening to our clients has helped us to identify where we are able to add additional value through embedding our event management expertise and executive education experience into the entire customer journey.  An increase in the use of social media and technology will complement the improvements further.

Emma Rathbone, Conference Sales & Marketing Executive, Leicester Conferences
“Leicester Conferences are starting to see an increase in their conversion rate and retention of business which we feel is a direct result of building strong and important relationships with our customers.  Staff conferences will take place throughout January 2015 to encourage all members of staff to think about who their customers are, the relationships they have and their responsibility to create a WOW service, going beyond the core of the role and the extra mile for customers.”

Claire Pearce, General Manager of Moor Hall Conference Centre
“The last 12 months have seen Moor Hall go from strength to strength. 2014 saw the completion of the £500k eighty bedroom refurbishment, which further enhanced Moor Hall’s position in the market. The year was capped off with the announcement that Moor Hall would join the Elite of CCE, which further showed the quality of the team and high standards practised on site. Moor Hall continues to strive to provide excellence through their plethora of services which includes accommodation, food and first-rate customer service. This is reflected in high levels of both repeat business and business referrals which is a testament to all involved. The next 12 months promise to be the most exciting to date with continued increases in business year on year whilst including introducing new sectors to Moor Hall. This will be combined with further improvements on site including top of the range AV equipment and enhanced offerings for delegates during their stay and a fresh new look for their main restaurant.”

Emma Boynton, Head of Sales & Marketing, imago
“The last 12 months have been hugely successful at imago. Our portfolio of venues has continued to experience strong growth which can be attributed to our commitment to excellent customer service. This in itself has been recognised through the achievement of AIM Gold, Investors in People Gold, BDRC Continental VenueVerdict Gold, Green Tourism Business Scheme Gold and winning Large Hotel of the Year category at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence. Our portfolio of venues has a clear corporate focus so we’re looking to build the relationships we have with agencies and bring in more business through this channel. To help us achieve this we’ve strengthened our business development team, with a number of key appointments, to push imago forward in this market and secure further large scale conferences and residential courses. We’re also looking to grow our association and not for profit offering, taking advantage of our academic links with Loughborough University. The industry is changing and we’re doing all we can to make sure we move forward and deliver on our customer needs.”

Details of all member venues can be found at www.cceonline.co.uk

Tuesday 13 January 2015

CEME Conference Centre is recruiting...

JOB ADVERTISEMENT – EVENT SALES COORDINATOR

Title: Event Sales Coordinator
Location:         CEME Conference Centre, London Borough of Havering RM13 8EU
Sector: Conference & Events (Sales, Marketing & Administration)
Job role:         Administration of enquiries and bookings in busy Conference Office
Salary: £23000.00 Basic (with annual staff bonus)
Working:         Full time 

Overview
CEME Conference Centre is a modern, purpose built conference centre with 23 meeting rooms including a POD Theatre, large exhibition space, boardroom and a variety of contemporary meeting rooms. CEME provide conference, meeting and event facilities for training and business seminars, team building, product launches, corporate hospitality, weddings and private functions. CEME is a Gold accredited venue with the MIA – the only one in East London or Essex, a World Host venue and a member of Conference Centres of Excellence.

We are now seeking an experienced, professional Event Sales Coordinator to support the busy conference office in the areas of conference enquiry handling, the production of financial information for charging and supporting the marketing activities within the conference centre. You must possess substantial knowledge and experience within the events and conference market, preferably with London experience, and have worked in a similar role in a comparable venue. 

Your main responsibilities will be to deal with new event enquiries and promptly submit proposal to clients and agents, produce the weekly financial figures from the event management system for charging and support the marketing manager across a number of marketing activities, specifically digital and e-marketing, e-mail distribution, CMS, SEO maximisation and social media and attending exhibitions and MICE industry events. The position is office based, mainly Monday to Friday with some requirement for support to the operations team in the supervision/management of evening and weekend events 

You will be directly responsible for taking sales enquiries and putting bookings onto the Rendezvous event management system and extracting sales information and developing the CRM system. Exceptional customer service and communication skills are critical to the role as is the ability to work under pressure, to organise and prioritise effectively, be flexible and do everything that is required to get the job done. 

You will have a strong sales focus in winning and growing business. You will conduct show-rounds and be well presented. You will have financial acumen and be able to produce weekly sales reports and financial information. You will be able to demonstrate a good operational knowledge of hospitality and conference services for up to 800 delegates and of the wider London events market. 
This is an unprecedented opportunity with an excellent benefits package to join a new events team in the development of one of East London’s most impressive Conference venues that has grown business by over 125% in just two years and play a substantial role in the ongoing success and growth of the operation. 

For more information please contact Debbie Beckett, Marketing Manager at debbie.beckett@ceme.co.uk 

Monday 12 January 2015

Eynsham Hall announces extensive venue refurbishment for 2015

2014 has been an incredible year for Eynsham Hall – made particularly special by its people and those who visit us for conferences, events, weddings and leisure breaks.

This year saw the start of extensive refurbishment work with 24 bedrooms being refurbished, plus work in the main hall undertaken.

This marks the start of plans to complete bedroom refurbishment work in 2015 as well as the launch of a brand new conference centre with state of the art facilities, as well as a new brasserie with a focus on locally sourced produce.

We expect to extensively increase our conferencing business over the coming three years – with our location in the Cotswolds in easy reach of London and main transport links, the facilities we will add will allow us to cater for more bespoke requirements in addition to the small and large groups we currently host for training, events and team building.

This work will culminate in a relaunch in June 2015 and a series of events for the media to explore and see first hand the new offering at Eynsham Hall.

The design led work features great attention to detail, reflecting the history and background of Eynsham Hall.  In 1904 the original house was demolished and totally rebuilt with larger rooms, designed for entertaining.

The fine oak panelling, stone fireplaces and strapwork floors bring the grand allure to life.  Mixed with contemporary talking points, the history and modern day personality mix together to make Eynsham Hall a very special place.

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

Friday 9 January 2015

Warwick Conferences Creates New Delegate Magazine

As part of Warwick Conferences’ commitment to innovation and thought-leadership, a brand new magazine has been created for our delegates that includes inspiring articles and useful information, which can be used both in the world of work and at home. 

Each issue is themed and contains a variety of regular features to include a crash course in, one to watch, there’s an app for that, 10 ways to … and a jargon buster. Inside the current edition we’re predominantly focusing on the digital world and exploring the impact of technology and the evolution of the modern workplace - with some insightful research that may want you to rethink on the way you work, not only in the office, but also at home. Plus there’s a range of articles on the ever growing social media, our own Graham Crump – Executive Chef and British BBQ champion – giving his tips on fine dining, how to get the perfect night sleep and our take 5 on the most inspirational Ted talks.

We also reveal the top hot-spots on Warwick Conferences’ doorstep including Warwickshire’s attractions, history and culture. 

We hope you enjoy your copy of Confer when you next visit Warwick Conferences!

Tuesday 6 January 2015

CCE expands geographical footprint with two new venues

Conference Centres of Excellence has welcomed two additional venues into membership to increase its geographical footprint in 2015.

Broadway House in the heart of Westminster, and Engineers’ House in Bristol, both part of the EEF venues group, have joined the marketing consortium for dedicated meetings and conference venues, taking the membership numbers to 31. 

Broadway House is a six-storey Edwardian building directly opposite St James’ Park tube station, and within walking distance of three mainline stations making it an excellent position for London city meetings. The technology throughout is state of the art, with 12 well equipped meeting rooms and an exceptional team of people committed to providing superb facilities and catering.

Engineers’ House is a Grade II listed conference centre in Clifton Down, a prestigious suburb of Bristol. It is just three miles from Temple Meads Station and easily accessible from the M4 and M5. Whilst the venue itself is steeped in history, the IT and conference facilities are absolutely state of the art. With 9 well equipped meeting rooms, the venue can provide tailored packages for up to 170 delegates all underpinned by a consistently warm and friendly service.

“We are delighted to welcome Broadway House and Engineers’ House back into membership. Having previously been part of the group, we know both venues deliver the exceptional levels of facility and service required for all Conference Centres of Excellence venues, and expand our geographical footprint to provide a wider range of meeting and event venues for our clients”, 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 both venues to benefit from the group’s marketing activities, providing customers with a single route to booking nationwide venues, with consistent quality standards.

David Vaughton, director of venues for EEF Venues, said: “All three of our venues are now part of this quality-driven organisation which promotes best practice and a shared ethos of quality and customer care excellence. CCE gives independent players like EEF Venues enhanced marketing resources, as well as strength by numbers. The Consortium brings like-minded, specialist venues together under one umbrella to provide a targeted solution for discerning meetings buyers.”



Friday 2 January 2015

Bumper year of events boost growth at imago Holywell Park

A bumper year of events at imago Holywell Park has boosted growth, with the venue seeing a 100% increase in the number of exclusive use bookings year on year. 

Based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, Holywell Park is one of the most popular venues in the East Midlands thanks to its extensive facilities. The purpose built event venue offers a large exhibition area, nine versatile meeting rooms and a well-equipped lecture theatre. It also benefits from spacious break out areas, free Wi-Fi, state-of-the-art AV equipment and free parking. 

Events held at Holywell Park over the last 12 months include gala dinners, product launches, small trade shows and conferences and it is forecast that total sales will be 8% ahead of target.  

Event organisers choosing Holywell Park can take advantage of its all inclusive package, which costs as little as £7,000 (excluding VAT), and the benefit of booking accommodation at preferential rates at Burleigh Court and the Link Hotel (subject to availability). 

Emma Boynton, head of sales and marketing at imago, comments: “During the last year we have seen a significant increase in the number of organisations looking for a venue which provides space and flexibility. And this is where Holywell Park comes into its own. It can be used for a wide variety of events from meetings and conferences to trade exhibitions and gala dinners. Our exclusive package has proved extremely popular – it provides event organisers with everything they need at an affordable price - and has been a factor in the venue’s growth. 

“One of its biggest assets is its location. Holywell Park’s central location and excellent transport links by road, rail and air makes it an ideal venue in the East Midlands. We are forecasting our growth to continue into the New Year and we hope that new and existing clients will take advantage of all Holywell Park offers.”

Holywell Park is one of the venues in imago’s portfolio of venues. Launched in 2003, imago unifies Loughborough University’s conference and events venues under one brand, which also includes Burleigh Court, Loughborough University’s conference and events facilities and The Link Hotel. 

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

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