Edinburgh First Launches Delegate Management Service

In July, more than 200 delegates from the UK Research Office (UKRO) used Edinburgh First’s Delegate Management service to organise its annual conference. 

With the event held in the John McIntyreConference Centre, UKRO booked this service to utilise the experience of Edinburgh First’s event managers and provide a professional service for its guests.

The conference was aimed primarily at European Liaison Officers, European Research Managers, research councils and policy makers. The conference provided an excellent forum for discussion and networking, including invited speakers from the European Commission, on a range of different EU funding programmes and policies.

Phil Holliday, from UKRO, said: “Using the delegate registration service made our job much easier as there was a dedicated website that delegates used to input all the relevant information. The planning and organisation was much easier with another party working on our behalf.

“The biggest benefit was Edinburgh First’s handling of all the registration and payments as well as answering delegates’ queries. In the lead up to the event I felt that the support was excellent, emails were responded to quickly and Edinburgh First was accommodating in all the changes that were required.

“I would recommend the service as it made my job much easier having a separate delegate registration service and there were no issues with the management of the delegates.”

Lyndsay Wilkie, Head of Conference and Events at Edinburgh First, said: “We launched this service to increase our flexible approach in assisting event organisers with every aspect of their event. Delegate Management not only gives more time to the organiser to look after their guests but also assists them in attracting more delegates.”

Farncombe hosts hostile environment awareness familiarisation event

Dealing with high threat or complex environments are not usually features of the working day but for organisations posting staff into these situations, Farncombe Conference Centre is running a familiarisation event on Monday 2 September.

The Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) course is a week-long training package run by specialist company Edson Tiger based in Exeter. The familiarisation event is aimed at senior HR managers and security managers.

From 10am to 1pm on 2 September, delegates will have the chance to sample elements of the package with a view to booking their staff onto the full, week-long course.

The HEAT package is intended to help organisations support staff who are being posted to complex or high threat environments. Challenges presented there may be due to conflict, political instability, a general lack of law and order or a specific threat to foreign nationals. 

As David Curran from Edson Tiger explains:

“We run these courses nationwide, working with major UK organisations. With 400 acres of land in a quiet location, Farncombe Estate is the perfect place to demonstrate many of the techniques we advocate such as helping to understand your environment, low profile threat avoidance and, if things do go wrong, how to respond appropriately.

“Military expertise within the business, and following closely the approaches taken by the Diplomatic Service and the Intelligence and Security Services, means we can provide practical and realistic course content and delivery methods, including the use of appropriate scenario training”.

The morning concludes with a complimentary lunch in the Farncombe restaurant followed by a chance to explore Farncombe Conference Centre.

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

Nottingham Conference Centre achieves leading industry accreditation

Nottingham Conference Centre has recently received the Accredited in Meetings (AIM) Gold standard award. AIM is the nationwide 'kitemark' for venues and service providers in the meetings, conference and events industry.

Administered by the meetings industry association (mia) and endorsed by Visit Britain, Visit England and the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers, AIM is awarded to venues that have met or exceeded 50 criteria including customer service, quality of facilities, compliance with codes of conduct and corporate social responsibility.

AIM Gold is the highest level of the accreditation and demonstrates a venue’s compliance with a more stringent set of criteria, completing a self-assessment, producing a portfolio of evidence in support of its application and receiving a visit from an independent assessor.

Jennifer Canto, Nottingham Conference Centre business development and sales manager, said: “We believe this is an important accreditation within the industry, showing customers the level of standards we are operating at.

“As an AIM accredited supplier we are committed to making our clients’ events a success and by using our expertise we strive to exceed the highest standards.”

Jane Longhurst, mia chief executive, added: “AIM is a mark of reassurance to meetings buyers; a demonstration that a venue is compliant, competent and capable. When a venue has achieved AIM Gold, buyers know the facilities will be of the highest standard and that they will receive service that is second to none with exceptional catering and hospitality.”

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

Warwick Conferences harnesses future industry talent

As Warwick Conferences’ apprentice scheme draws to the end of a successful first year, the next band of selected recruits are getting ready to embark on the second instalment of the training programme.

Participants in the apprenticeship—partnered with Stratford-upon-Avon college—spend four days a week gaining valuable hands-on experience at Warwick Conferences’ facilities, and one day a week working towards an NVQ at Stratford college.

Each apprentice also receives a mentor from their department and is encouraged to attend regular meetings and skills workshops to ensure their employability is maximised by the time they complete the scheme.

The five apprentices from the 2012/2013 cohort will celebrate their success at a special graduation dinner hosted by Warwick Conferences on 20th August.

One current apprentice, Sam Bagworth, impressed his managers so much over the course of the year that he has been offered a full-time permanent position at Conference Park.

Sam comments: “My time at Warwick Conferences has definitely provided me with an invaluable insight into the meeting and conferencing industry.

“The varied and relevant experience that I have gained over the past year is testament to the quality of the scheme on offer. I now feel prepared and excited about beginning my career at Warwick Conferences.”

In September, the scheme will welcome a group of six new starters—all of whom were selected from around 80 applicants following an assessment day and panel interviews with Warwick staff.

Three of the chosen applicants for 2013/14 will undertake a chef apprenticeship working with the centres’ award-winning menus, while three will rotate around each department of the business, including housekeeping, reception, restaurant, conference assistance and kitchen.

Richard Harrison, General Manager at Warwick Conferences’ Scarman centre, comments: “We are delighted to see that the first year of the apprentice scheme has been such a success and how our first participants have risen to the challenge.

“Apprentices are absolutely essential to the growth of the meetings and conferences industry, and Warwick Conferences is dedicated to nurturing and encouraging its future talent.

“It is therefore paramount that our apprentice scheme provides a comprehensive and applicable training programme to ensure that our apprentices graduate stood in good stead for their futures – and for the future of the industry.

“We wish our first apprentices the very best of luck in their careers, and look forward to welcoming the next group of six participants on board in September.”

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

The Møller Centre are Spartan Tough!

Many of us have seen the promotions and signs at the side of the road, “Are you Spartan Tough?” Well, The Møller Centre staff team is going to find out if they are!

 Ten motivated members of staff from the Centre have volunteered to descend upon Carver Barracks in Saffron Walden on the 1st September to take part in this adventure. This charitable event is run in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, The Møller Centre’s nominated charity for 2013.

Stefan Mitham, Key Account Manager of The Møller Centre and member of The Møller Centre’s Spartan race team, comments: “I am always looking for the next sporting challenge, and the Spartan Race ticks the box completely. It will be a gruelling course but I know Team Møller will be fully prepared to be Spartan Tough! Raising money for Macmillian Cancer Support will give us the motivation required to complete the race on the 1st September.”

Charlotte Darlow from Macmillan Cancer Support also commented: “It is fantastic that The Møller Centre is taking part in the Spartan Race. The funds raised will be used to support people affected by cancer, enabling Macmillan to offer medical, practical, financial and emotional support. We are 98% funded by voluntary donations; therefore it is corporate partnerships like these that enable us to support the 2 million people living with cancer in the UK today.”

To find out more information on the team’s preparations and how to support them to raise funds for this excellent cause, please click here.

Muggy's guest appearance at The Møller Centre

Muggy the mascot made a guest appearance at The Moller Centre, and enjoyed a cup of coffee with staff. 

Muggy is Macmillan Cancer Support's World's Biggest Coffee Morning mascot, and visits various Macmillan supporters, like The Moller Centre, prior to the World's Biggest Coffee Morning which is held annually at the end of September. The Moller Centre will be co-organising a coffee morning with Churchill College at 10-11.30am on the 27th September where staff and clients can enjoy this charitable event.

Summer Networking Event at Engineers House

Live jazz, sunshine, a free running bar….. A summer networking event at Engineer’s House in Bristol on 3rd July attracted 230 guests who gathered at our historic venue.

One of the highlights of the evening was an open-top tour bus which escorted delegates on a sight-seeing tour of the famous Clifton Downs and Avon Gorge every thirty minutes.

According to Martyn Bowen, venue manager at Engineers’ House, Bristol was buzzing for days after with talk of the event.

“ We made a huge effort to ensure that it was a highly productive and enjoyable networking event. We had 34 exhibition stands throughout our lounges and board room, including five leading venue finders; Venue Select, In Any Event, Conference Centres of Excellence, Browns, Moulton Marketing and Destination Bristol. The Referral Institute UK & Europe gave lectures on maximising business opportunities through referral partners so it was an informative yet enjoyable experience for all.

“Our executive chef created a delicious BBQ made from locally sourced, fresh ingredients and we had goodie bags for all attending. The icing on the cake was the weather – we couldn’t have asked for a better summer’s evening.”

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