Electric options for conference delegates

Conference Centres of Excellence venues are leading the way with electric car charging points for delegates.

The government has announced plans for thousands of new charging points for electric vehicles (EVs) to be installed across the country, as part of their strategy to boost the market for zero emission cars and tackle climate change.

For some Conference Centres of Excellence venues, this forward thinking approach has already been put into place with electric charging points currently being used by conference delegates at Wyboston Lakes, Conference Aston and Warwick Conferences.

“Our member venues are always looking at ways they can improve customer experience, and for all delegates at business events or conferences, transport is a big factor in choosing the right venue. By offering attendees this option, our venues are providing their customers with the broadest choice, and remaining committed to their clear environmental policies.” said Anthony Lishman, Executive Director of Conference Centres of Excellence.

With sales of electric cars predicted to double in 2013, and reports that the majority or cars already owned are part of company fleets, it looks likely that business venues staying ahead of the electric evolution and offering customers the widest choice, will be in greater demand.

Further details about our venues can be found online at www.cceonline.co.uk

Behind the scenes at new website photo shoot

In the run up to our new website launch on 1^st March, the Conference Centres of Excellence team embarked on a whistle stop tour of member venues, which provided the backdrops for our new website images.

Having worked over the last few months on the customer journey, functionality, search features, layout and graphics of the new website, last week found us ready for an exciting photo shoot for our new images.

Working with highly recommended photographer Andrew Hatfield we visited three member venues to capture the essence of Conference Centres of Excellence – quality standards, dedicated venues and service excellence.

Working with Andrew offered an insight into venue photography with preparation, lighting, and attention to detail proving vital in making our day successful. Having spent considerable time in preparing a detailed brief, outlining the style and context of the images along with technical requirements for the new site, Andrew totally understood our goals and helped us achieve fantastic results.

snapshots from the shoot

Having the support of the dedicated staff at each venue ensured we kept to a tight schedule, although will-power was required when presented with such amazing food to photograph!

Thanks again to our member venues Ashorne Hill, Warwick Conferences and Conference Aston and to all those who supported us.

Don't forget to visit the new site on 1st March to see the final results.

Wi-Flying High with Conference Aston!

Conference Aston are making sure meetings and events within their conference centres are off to a flying start with the installation of a brand new, high speed WiFi and internet service. 

Stage one of the venue’s investment programme for 2013 has been the successful partnership with global IT specialist, iBahn, to completely overhaul and upgrade the Wi-Fi and internet technologies across the conference centres and hotel, from the rooftop to the restaurant.

Not only has the free WiFi service been upgraded for all hotel and conference centre guests, but the partnership places Conference Aston as one of the UK’s leading conference centres, with capabilities now in place to meet the specific needs of national and international IT and communication organisations. 

“Having welcomed a number of new and existing IT and software organisations during 2012, and coupled with growing requirements, in general, for organisations to connect securely to their own servers and intranet systems whilst hosting meeting and events, the investment plans for 2013 naturally included a commitment to ensuring we are responding to and exceeding the expectations of our customers in these sectors.” Comments Paul Bunce, Marketing Manager. 

Conference Aston are investing £1/4Million into the Birmingham city centre venues between January and April to upgrade IT services, audio visual technology, and the addition of three new meeting rooms and brand new meeting room furniture, tried and tested by guests and delegates. 

Conference Aston

Conference Aston offers three meeting, conference and banqueting venues in the heart of Birmingham. At Conference Aston there are over 30 conference and meeting rooms available year round, accommodation up to 235 delegates and a further 650 during the summer months. Residential conferences can also be catered for, with 162 en-suite bedrooms available year round with an additional 400 in the summer. 

2013 Meeting offers for Birmingham City Centre

Conference Aston have two fantastic offers for your 2013 conferences, meetings and events when booking either Aston Business School Conference Centre & Hotel or the Lakeside Centre in the New Year...

32 Hour Meeting Package: £150 including VAT

New for 2013, we've listened to your feedback and created a brand new meeting package which combines a residential and day delegate package to give you even better value for money!

32 Hour Package includes:

Overnight accommodation

Full English breakfast

Sandwich lunch on both days

Dinner in the Courtyard Restaurant

Unlimited tea, coffee and biscuits

Main meeting room

Meeting room stationery including flipchart, pens and paper

LCD projector and screen, and mic/PA if required

Free WiFi and includes car parking

Free Syndicate Room with your Day Meeting Packages

Book your day meetings with Conference Aston and we'll give you a syndicate room, absolutely free.

If your meeting is for 10-30 delegates, you'll get one free syndicate

Meetings of 31-70 benefit from two free syndicate rooms

Meetings of 71+ will benefit from three free syndicate rooms

Day Meeting Package includes:

Main meeting room,

Three course buffet lunch in our restaurant

Unlimited tea, coffee and biscuits

Meeting room stationery including flipchart, pens and paper

LCD projector and screen, and mic/PA if required

Free WiFi internet access

Special offers are available for brand new bookings received from 19/12/12 only,

for events taking place from 2nd January 2013 to 31st March 2013

The small print:

32 Hour Rate is inclusive of 20% VAT

32 Hour Rate subject to minimum numbers of 15

All offers are subject to availability

Cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion or offer

Only valid for new bookings made from 19th December 2012

Events must take place between 02/01/13 - 31/03/13 to benefit from offers

Free Syndicate offer is subject to minimum numbers of 10.

Conference Aston - Achieve the mark of quality in the UK’s second city

Conference Aston, Birmingham city centre’s premier portfolio of award winning conference, hotel and event venues is celebrating after a recent double achievement for quality.

The organisation is proud to offer one of Birmingham’s greenest venues, having being re-accredited with British Standard ISO14001 in November 2012 for a sustainable, integrated environmental management system. The team are also celebrating after gaining recognition as an exceptional organisation by being awarded the Investors in People bronze level, placing it within the top 4% of accredited organisations, nationally.

Investors in People helps organisations improve by enabling transformation through valuing their people and charting the company’s progress through their effective management, training and leadership.

Marketing Manager, Paul Bunce, said: 'As a business, everything we do involves bringing people together, whether it’s for a meeting or a night in the hotel to visit friends in Birmingham, we exist to develop relationships personally and professionally and our team are instrumental in this, helping us to stand out and show that the physical facilities can be anywhere, but the team at the heart of our brand remain unique to Conference Aston.'

Conference Aston have recently announced the appointment of Sodexo Prestige, also accredited with Investors in People, to work in partnership with the venues to manage the provision of catering, cleaning and housekeeping services within the business; the focus moving forward aims to develop joint initiatives to further the existing awards.

Flexible Meeting Venues in the heart of the city

Set in and around Birmingham City Centre, the venues are ideally placed to take advantage of the city’s vibrant shopping, arts and culture, nightlife and restaurants. Conference Aston offers two purpose built conference, hotel and event venues with 30 fully-equipped conference and meeting rooms accommodating up to 235 delegates and 162 stylish ensuite bedrooms.

Both of the venues are located on the Aston University campus, minutes from three mainline rail stations and junction 6 of the M6. 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.

The conference centres and hotel are located on the campus 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. As a subsidiary company of the University, all surplus revenues are invested into teaching and research.

From lakeside settings to contemporary, urban chic, the venues are purpose built and offer the perfect central location for a variety of residential and non-residential events including large conferences, meetings, training courses, exhibitions, banqueting and a host of other corporate events, all with the latest technology, onsite car parking and free WiFi throughout.

Aston Business School Conference Centre and Hotel

Aston Business School Conference Centre and Hotel is the flagship year round venue within Conference Aston. The venue is Birmingham’s largest dedicated residential conference centre with 24 conference and meeting rooms accommodating up to 235 delegates, banqueting for up to 260 and 162 stylish ensuite bedrooms.

The Lakeside Centre

The Lakeside Centre offers a non-residential conference and banqueting venue, available year round, with six air conditioned suites for conferences, exhibitions, product launches and corporate entertainment for up to 200 guests or over 400 when the venue is used exclusively.

Aston Business School Conference Centre and Hotel, and the Lakeside Centre operate as part of Aston University’s commercial services, providing dedicated, purpose built conference centres.

800 Ensuite Bedrooms Available Outside of Term Time

Alongside the two dedicated commercial conference centres, from July to September when Aston University students return home for the summer, Conference Aston offer the University’s teaching and accommodation facilities for large association conferences, international education programmes and other large scale events.

During this period, there are an additional 800 ensuite bedrooms, dining areas and over 50 syndicate rooms, conference suites and lecture theatres available, with the University’s Great Hall seating 650.

Access Routes

The venues offers great road, rail and air links.

There are three mainline rail stations within walking distance: Birmingham New Street, Snow Hill and Moor Street.

The venues are a mere 9 miles from Birmingham Airport and a taxi journey should take approximately 20-30 minutes dependent on traffic.

There are also trains from Birmingham International station to Birmingham New Street (approximately 5-10 minutes journey time).

Conference Centres of Excellence Awards

CCE awards highlight outstanding performance of member venues and external providers

Conference Centres of Excellence has announced the winners of its first-ever awards. Presented at the consortium’s recent annual conference at the Wyboston Lakes Executive Centre, the awards recognise excellence from within the CCE membership, and also  in three categories for non-members - ‘best supplier’, ‘best booking agency’, and ‘non-CCE venue most admired by members’.

Submissions were invited from all members of the consortium, which is the UK’s leading group of specialist conference and training venues and has thirty six members. The judging panel comprised industry experts Tony Rogers, Anna Clover and Tim Chudley, and was chaired by CCE executive director Anthony Lishman.

Awards involving member venues were as follows:

The Innovation Award was won by Warwick Conferences’ Scarman House for its ‘comparetheconference.com’ campaign. The judges commented that the initiative  was both very creative and specifically targeted, and “will benefit the whole of our industry by promoting the conference centre concept”. Runner up was Conference Aston for its ‘aston.app’ initiative.

The Sustainability Award was won by Prospero House. The panel described its actions as “taking sustainability and CSR policy to the next level, with a big community aspect.”

The Best Non-Residential Venue Award went to Nottingham Conference Centre. Judges complimented the venue on its “creative use of an old building”, the focus of its SOPs and the quality of its customer feedback. Runner up was Maple House.

The Best Residential Venue Award went to The  Møller Centre. Judges complimented the venue on its regular customer focus groups, and the  excellence of its website. They also referred to the venue’s consistent achievement of gold standard in the BDRC VenueVerdict awards. Runner up was Scarman House.

Three other categories allowed CCE member venues to express their opinions on third-party organisations which were themselves not part of the consortium.  In the case of ‘Best Supplier’ and ‘Best Booking Agency’, the only requirement was that nominated companies must have an ongoing relationship with one or more CCE members. In the case of the ‘non-CCE venue most admired by members’, submissions were open to interpretation, and could be for service, quality, innovation.  The winners were as follows:

The Best Supplier to Conferencing award went to Berkmann Wine Cellars, which were described as “going above and beyond” and “adding value”. Runner-up was Wilson Vale.

The Best Conference Booking Agency was Trinity Conferences, which was described as demonstrating “ the ability to be a strategic partner” and as “particularly effective at engaging with the venue team so they have a good understanding of how their business works.”

The ‘Non-Conference Centre of Excellence venue most admired by members’ award was achieved by the Kingston upon Thames venue Warren House, which was described as “a venue that has consistently maintained exceptionally high standards of service” and which has “remained true to the conference and training centre concept”. Runner up was Dillington House in Somerset.

A special award for his ‘outstanding contribution to Conference Centres of Excellence’ was presented to Barry Stonham OBE, general manager of Wyboston Lakes. During his career in the conference sector, Barry has been a board member and treasurer of Conference Centres of Excellence and a board member and treasurer of IACC, the International Association of Conference Centre. He has ensured the financial stability of both organisations in difficult times, roles which have been undertaken voluntarily. Retiring at the end of this year, he is a Fellow of The Institute of Hospitality.

“Our awards achieve a number of primary objectives, one of which is to help enhance awareness of the role and purpose of dedicated venues and their continuing commitment to progressive enhancement of their services,” commented Anthony Lishman: “ They also help to strengthen still further the competitiveness of member venues, which must be good for their customers – and they also enable members to give a pat on the back to  organisations that are impressing them.”  

Conference Aston Launches iPad App

Conference Aston, the conference centre and hotel venues at Aston University in Birmingham, are leading the way in the world of venue finding by launching the first iPad app in the Academic Venues arena. 

Offering a sneak preview at the Academic Venue Show on the 16th May in London the new venue guide app, which incorporates a delegate information feature, attracted a lot of interest from industry associations and other venues ahead of its official launch on the 1st June. 

As the tablet revolution has gripped the business world, the new app has been developed in response to increasing interactions from the hand held devices. 

“We are constantly looking at how event organisers and delegates are finding out about the venues and in the past 6 months we have seen a notable increase in traffic from tablet devices. Although the website is always available, we wanted to develop something customised for tablet users that would allow quick and easy access for everything from room capacities for organisers looking for the perfect meeting space, to hotel check in times for delegates arriving for their conference, it even has a copy of the bar menu so delegates can choose what they would like to eat before they get here! 

The app also offers 24/7 access. Once the app has been downloaded, there is no need to worry about connecting to the internet to find out information about the venues, it’s in the palm of your hands, all the time.” says Paul Bunce, Marketing Manager for Conference Aston. “So far we’ve received fantastic feedback on how easy the app is to use and the information it provides, and it’s great to be able to say we’re the first academic venue in the UK to launch an iPad app, even more so that it’s from a Birmingham based venue. 

We have also had interest from event organisers who can offer the tool to their conference delegates to provide them with all the information they will need during their events.” continues Paul. 

Conference Aston offers Birmingham’s leading Academic Venue with two year round centres, Aston Business School Conference Centre and Hotel, and the Lakeside Conference and Banqueting Centre, as well as the extensive University teaching and accommodation facilities which are available during the summer. 

Aston Business School Conference Centre and Hotel has recently completed a quarterof a million pound investment into their stylish hotel facilities and offers Birmingham’s largest residential conference centre. All of the venues can be found within the green and focussed campus of Aston University and the impressive choice of facilities offer flexible meeting space for small meetings for five people, up to large conferences for 235. 

Conference Aston also offers one of the city’s greenest meeting venues having recently achieved the British Standard ISO14001 for commitment to providing an integrated Environmental Management System. The brand new Conference Aston iPad app is now available to download from the app store 

Take advantage of the Leap Year with Conference Aston

2012 is a leap year and in celebration Conference Aston are offering a cool £29 Day Delegate Rate for new bookings booked to take place 1st March - 31st May 2012. And as an extra bonus, any delegate whose birthday is Feb 29th, goes free!!


For one day only - Wednesday 29th February - you can get this fantastic £29 rate for your event which must take place in March, April or May 2012!!

Leap Year Day Delegate £29 per delegate includes:
• Main meeting room
• Three servings of tea, coffee & biscuits
• Three course buffet lunch
• Meeting room stationery including flipchart, pens & paper
• LCD projector & screen

Only valid for new bookings to take place1 March - 31st May 2012. Subject to availability. Minimum of 20 delegates and not in conjunction with any other promotion or offer. Rate subject to VAT.


For further information contact the Hotline team on 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk

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.

Sports Centre gets £5m Refurb at Conference Aston

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conference Aston keeps it local when it comes to the perfect breakfast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conference Centres of Excellence hold their first annual conference

This summer, Conference Centres of Excellence held their first annual conference. This successful event brought members of the association and industry colleagues together under one roof, providing a fantastic networking and learning environment, enabling benchmarking and best practise sharing opportunities and a real feeling of community within the sector.

The conference program included key note speakers, panel discussions and a variety of workshops with industry experts covering a wide range of hot topics including; innovative ways of using media and technology, achieving a competitive edge through quality benchmarking and the benefits of using a strategic PR approach. Conference Centres of excellence wanted to provide their members with informative and interactive sessions to help them gain an advantage in the market place.

This conference really highlighted the benefits of being part of such a prestigious and high profile association with over 40 members, providing a rich resource of expertise and experience.

'Very rarely do you get this amount of competitors in one place, all very focused in terms of sharing and discussing best practice within our industry. So it’s been a great networking opportunity to share ideas, come together and look at how the industry is moving forward and how we can collectively move the dedicated conference centre concept forward' - Paul Bunce, Marketing Manager at Conference Aston.



Conference Centres of Excellence’s annual conference was perceived as a rare but great opportunity to get so many venue representatives in one place networking and building relationships.'We were delighted by the way this event was received by our members and the support it received from both our members and those that have a stake in the provision of venues for conferences, training and meetings. This event could not have taken place without the support of the Sponsor and Speakers and we were delighted by their response to our invitation to take part, I’m sure it was our standing in the industry and the access to so many key decision makers at venues that made it worth their while in attending' says Anthony Lishman the association’s Executive Director.

Richard Harrison, Member and Chairman of Conference Centres of Excellence also commented 'The programme of speakers was a big draw, in these tough economic times you have to ask yourself whether you can justify time away from the office and whether an event like this can really deliver any new ideas that can be implemented back in the work place. I can genuinely identify some ideas and techniques that will help me improve my business and also an insight in to challenges that may present themselves in the future'.

Roy Sheppard, a business relationships professional speaker and author of 6 books including ‘Rapid Results Referrals’ gave a keynote speech on the art of networking and business influence. His interactive session provided practical tips, ideas and techniques to delegates, helping them realise how much they could do in being proactive about building relationships. Something which Roy believes will 'crucially add value to their clients and perspective clients'.

This is an annual event and will be repeated next year so if you want to take part or be involved in helping us design the programme for next year contact AnthonyLishman@cceonline.co.uk

Day delegate rates from just £25

Conference Aston offers three meeting, conference and banqueting venues in the heart of Birmingham. 

Book your conference during October and November and benefit from or autumnal delegate rates! Day Delegate Rate £40.00 inc VAT and 24 Hour Rate £115.00 inc VAT.

Valid for new enquiries and bookings throughout October and November 2011. Call us to discuss your needs on 0845 230 1414 quoting "Autumn Rates" or email info@cceonline.co.uk


**Hat Trick Deal**

Booking your 2011 conferences, meetings and events?

Make it a Hat Trick for day delegate rates from just £25 ex VAT
Book a trio or more of your 2011 meetings in either of the Conference Aston venues and enjoy day delegate rates from just £25 ex VAT

How does it work? Simple!
If your event is for more than 10 delegates, at the time of enquiry...

If you book one meeting for 2011,
enjoy a day delegate rate of £35 ex VAT

If you book two meetings for 2011,
enjoy a day delegate rate of £30 ex VAT

...and if you book three or more,
enjoy a day delegate rate of £25 ex VAT

What does it include?
Purpose built main meeting room
2 servings of fairtrade tea and coffee
Buffet lunch in our courtyard restaurant
Meeting room stationery including flipchart, pens and paper.

Our award winning conference team offers a flexible service alongside flexible venues to cater to your every need. Take advantage of our discounted rates by calling us to discuss your needs on 0845 230 1414 quoting
"Hat Trick" or email info@cceonline.co.uk

Following our Summer Conference on Twitter? use hashtag #CCEConf11

This year’s conference aims to bring together experts of our industry to provide information on how we can improve and prepare for the future challenges in a competitive market at an excellent value for money, whilst offering a great platform for networking and sharing of best practice amongst quality driven operators.

The programme is outlined within this document, providing you with a taste of the event to follow. Click here for programme details.

This forum is open to both Conference Centre of Excellence members and non-members and is aimed in particular at Venue Directors, General Managers and Heads of Sales and Marketing as well as upcoming leadership talent within our industry.

The event will be hosted by Conference Aston Event Venues in the centre of Birmingham, who will also offer overnight accommodation for those who wish to travel to the conference the night prior, and those who will join the Conference Dinner at the end of the event.

Follow us on Twitter @CCEVenuesOnline and using hashtag #CCEConf11

Conference Aston plays host to Cherie Blair and Network of Aspiring Women

Leading QC and human rights campaigner Cherie Blair will be inspiring women as a key note speaker at an event hosted by Conference Aston.

The former prime minister’s wife will be speaking at the lunch on July 8th which is hosted by the Network of Aspiring Woman, founded by former Apprentice star Jo Cameron.

‘An Afternoon with Cherie Blair’ forms part of a larger networking event, with more than 400 female business owners and directors expected to network at an exhibition and a morning of seminars.

Cherie was the ideal speaker for the event, which is focused on empowering women and encouraging them to network, according to Jo.

“Cherie is one of the highest profile female ambassadors in the UK for human rights through her charity work and through her work as a barrister,” said Jo.

“And she successfully juggled her family and career alongside being the wife of the Prime Minister during her years at 10 Downing Street, which makes her the perfect person to inspire our network.
“We are delighted that she speaking at the event and look forward to welcoming her, along with the hundreds of delegates to the event on July 8.”

Conference Aston was the perfect venue for the event according to Jo, for its central location as well as for its fantastic facilities.
“It’s a great learning environment as it’s at the heart of Aston University and is so accessible from the city centre,” she said.
“But it also has a lovely atmosphere and the facilities we were looking for in one place, from break out rooms for seminars to a restaurant big enough to host the 200 people we are expecting for lunch.
“The Conference Aston team have worked closely with us to develop the itinerary for the day and are a key part of making the event a great success.”

Conference Aston head of sales and marketing Christine Page said she was looking forward to showcasing Conference Aston’s facilities to Cherie and the delegates.

“We are delighted to playing host to such a high profile event, which is so positively supporting women’s networking in the region,” she said.
“It’s a great example of the diverse range of events we can accommodate and all our staff are looking forward to welcoming Cherie Blair, Jo and the delegates.”

Entry to the exhibition is free and tickets for the lunch can be purchased at www.networkofaspiringwomen.com.

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.

"Meet, Greet and Prosper" - Roy Sheppard presents at 1st Annual Summer Conference

"Roy Sheppard breaks more ice than the Russian fishing fleet.” delegate feedback

Every conference/event where networking is a vital ingredient will benefit from this keynote presentation “Meet Greet & Prosper”.

A fun, entertaining, interactive session, it teaches delegates how to network more effectively at your event. It is especially appreciated by senior executives. This session is guaranteed to create a ‘buzz’ - Roy’s style is interactive, inspiring, respectful and humorous.

Meet Greet and Prosper is a key note presentation forming part of the Conference Centres of Excellence 1st Annual Summer Conference open to members and non-members within the meetings industry.

The event takes place 21 July at Conference Aston, Birmingham.

For more details visit www.cceonline.co.uk or email summerconference@cceonline.co.uk

Academic Venue Show could go with a bang for Conference Aston

Birmingham’s leading academic venue is preparing for a dynamite time at the Academic Venue Show, as two of their buildings have been knocked down to make way for a new accommodation development.

Two student accommodation towers, just minutes from Conference Aston, were demolished on May 8, just before the show on May 11 at the Emirates Stadium. (http://youtu.be/QdnsBSDk12o)

The blocks, part of Aston University’s student accommodation will be replaced by a state of the art student residences which will also be used by Conference Aston for summer campus conferencing.

The new accommodation buildings, scheduled to be completed in 2012, form part of a four year development plan which will increase the campus accommodation available during the summer months to 1000 ensuite bedrooms.

Head of sales and marketing Christine Page believes the new development will help make the show a busy one for Conference Aston.

“Campus conferencing and summer schools have become a significant growth market for us, with more than 33,000 bed nights booked for July and August,” she said.

“Our attraction for organisers is the combination of a fantastic central location, just minutes walk from the centre of Birmingham with routes to other Midland attractions, and accessible through public transport links and a friendly, small campus environment with onsite facilities for accommodation, eating and teaching activities.

“It is ideal for summer schools covering anything from school pupils sampling university life to international summer schools for those a little older learning about British culture.”

The programme of refurbishment will see not just an increase in room numbers but in the quality of accommodation, something which opens up new markets for Conference Aston.

“We are seeing more and more enquiries from organisations with tight budgets looking at cost effective ways to host conferences,” said Christine.

“They make use of the fantastic conference facilities we have at Conference Aston, while staff stay in the campus accommodation, which reduces costs considerably while still offering a quality service.”

To celebrate the fact that phase one of the Aston Student Village is already available for campus conferencing and work on phase two has started, Conference Aston is offering an explosive rate for residential delegates.
The 24 hour Residential Conference Rate of 75 includes:

Accommodation in the Lakeside bedrooms and new residences in single occupancy, ensuite rooms, Continental Breakfast
Two Tea and Coffee Breaks
Main Meeting Room Hire
3 Course Buffet Lunch (or barbecue)
3 Course Dinner (or barbecue)
Registration Desk
Conference stationery.

To speak to the Conference Aston team stop off at Stand 4 in the Heart of England region.

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.

For more details about Conference Aston visit www.cceonline.co.uk or call 0845 230 1414

Cool Summer Conference Rates at Conference Aston, Birmingham

**Cool Summer Conference Rates** for events to be held 25th July - 3rd September at Conference Aston, Birmingham

Summer is on its way and it's going to be a hot one!
We have some super cool summer rates for new bookings placed for events to be held 25th July to 3rd September 2011 inclusive.

Escape the office and come to the tranquil environment at Conference Aston for your summer meetings and conferences, where the air con is on full blast and 5 o'clock is 'Pimms o'clock'!!

Day Delegate from £30 per delegate includes:

Purpose built main meeting room; three servings of fair-trade tea, coffee and biscuits; three course buffet lunch in our contemporary restaurant; meeting room stationery including flipchart, pens and paper; LCD projector and screen.

24 Hour Delegate from £99 per delegate includes:

Overnight accommodation, full English breakfast, purpose built main meeting room; three servings of fair-trade tea, coffee and biscuits; three course buffet lunch in our contemporary restaurant; meeting room stationery including flipchart, pens and paper; LCD projector and screen.

These cool summer rates are available for all new enquiries and bookings made from 4th May 2011 for events held from 25th July to 3rd September 2011 inclusive.

Call us to discuss your needs on 0845 230 1414 quoting 'Summer Rates' or email info@cceonline.co.uk

A bit of forward planning can save you money

Times are hard and budgets are tight, so if you've got several meetings on the horizon...
...we can help you by pulling some great rates out of our hat!

The more you book, the less you pay so make it a hat trick of bookingsand pay a Day Delegate rate of just £25.


Book a three or more of your 2011 meetings at any of the Conference Aston venues and enjoy
Day Delegate rates from just £25 ex VAT.

How does it work?
It's quite simple
If your event is for more than 10 delegates:

Book 1 meeting for 2011 and the Day Delegate rate is £35
Book 2 meetings for 2011 and the Day Delegate rate is £30
Book 3 meetings or more and the Day Delegate rate is just £25

Plan ahead and book your meetings now to benefit from these great discounted rates!

Conference Aston offers three meeting, conference and banqueting venues in the heart of Birmingham. At Conference Aston there are over 30 conference and meeting rooms available year round, accommodation up to 235 delegates and a further 650 during the summer months. Residential conferences can also be catered for, with 162 en-suite bedrooms available year round with an additional 400 in the summer.

For more details visit www.cceonline.co.uk and request a brochure or call 0845 230 1414 / email info@cceonline.co.uk

5 o'clock is Pimms o'clock! New & cool summer rates at Conference Aston

**Cool Summer Conference Rates** for events to be held 25th July - 3rd September

Summer is on its way and it's going to be a hot one!
We have some super cool summer rates for new bookings placed for events to be held 25th July to 3rd September 2011 inclusive.

Escape the office and come to the tranquil environment at Conference Aston for your summer meetings and conferences, where the air con is on full blast and 5 o'clock is 'Pimms o'clock'!!

Day Delegate from £30 per delegate includes:

Purpose built main meeting room; three servings of fair-trade tea, coffee and biscuits; three course buffet lunch in our contemporary restaurant; meeting room stationery including flipchart, pens and paper; LCD projector and screen.

24 Hour Delegate from £99 per delegate includes:

Overnight accommodation, full English breakfast, purpose built main meeting room; three servings of fair-trade tea, coffee and biscuits; three course buffet lunch in our contemporary restaurant; meeting room stationery including flipchart, pens and paper; LCD projector and screen.

These cool summer rates are available for all new enquiries and bookings made from 4th May 2011 for events held from 25th July to 3rd September 2011 inclusive.

Call us to discuss your needs on 0845 230 1414 quoting 'Summer Rates' Or email info@cceonline.co.uk

For more details about Conference Aston visit www.cceonline.co.uk