Warwick Conferences AIMs Higher with Gold Hat-trick

Warwick Conferences has cause for celebration after announcing today that all three of its conference and training venues have been awarded the prestigious Gold AIM Accreditation from the Meetings Industry Association (MIA). 

Endorsed by the likes of Visit Britain, Visit England and the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers, the Gold AIM Accreditation 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. J

Jane Longhurst, chief executive of the MIA said: “AIM is the meeting industry’s national standard and AIM Gold is the highest level a venue can achieve. Meeting the criteria, following stringent assessment by independent assessors, demonstrates exceptional levels of service and facilities. “For buyers considering using Warwick Conferences, AIM Gold is an assurance of excellence beyond expectation, and I believe all involved in this achievement should be commended for the competitive advantage they have created for their business.” 

Alan Robinson, Director of Warwick Conferences’ comments: “We are beyond thrilled that our Radcliffe, Scarman and Arden venues have all been awarded the coveted Gold AIM Accreditation. “There are 382 venues at entry level of the scheme and now only 14 are at the Gold standard so this is a real achievement indeed. “It was a hugely intensive process spent gathering significant information over a very long time - as well as completing a portfolio of excellence and undergoing rigorous assessments - so I would like to say a huge thank you to the project team involved in making this happen. “These awards are testament to the exceptional facilities and outstanding customer service that we pride ourselves on delivering and further cement Warwick Conferences’ position as a world-class venue.” 

Warwick Conferences has also recently been awarded Gold Standard in the BDRC Continental’s VenueVerdict and scooped up two gold awards and a silver award at this year’s M&IT Awards.

One step ahead...Free wifi in all 41 Conference Centres of Excellence venues

With increasing demand for free wifi to be standard in venues within the meeting, training and conference industry, Conference Centres of Excellence are proud to be one step ahead with all 41 venues offering free wifi.
“Our dedicated training and conference venues are all highly focused on providing fantastic learning environments and with technology improving at such a rapid rate we believed that wifi would be and has become a necessity.” Anthony Lishman. Executive Director, Conference Centres of Excellence

As leading providers of dedicated training and conference venues within the UK, Conference Centres of Excellence know the things that are important to the client so it is no surprise that all venues already offer free wifi.

“Free wifi is just one of the many tangible parts of our overall offering. We believe it is important to understand what clients expect and need, and what we can offer to make their experience the best it can be. Whether it is good transport links, free wifi or residential capability that our venues already offer or a personalised service that involves going the extra mile.” Richard Harrison, Chairman of Conference Centres of Excellence.

The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) recently launched the Conference Cloud campaign, which calls for free Wi-Fi for conference delegates at venues across the UK. The campaign follows feedback from PCO members regarding the negative impact of high Wi-Fi access prices for delegates and calls from buyers for venues to review their pricing strategies when it comes to separate charging for Wi-Fi. An open forum debate on the topic at the recent Summer Summit in Belfast further reinforced the need for a campaign to address this issue for PCOs.

Newly appointed ABPCO Chair Michael Foreman commented: ‘The Conference Cloud campaign has already achieved great support from both venues and individuals signing the petition. Providing Wi-Fi free of charge to conference delegates is a growing demand and as ABPCO we are pleased to have highlighted this issue and stimulated debate on the topic in the industry. We are currently planning a round table debate in the next few months.’

Nottingham Conference Centre is proud to support The Conference Cloud campaign

Nottingham Conference Centre has always offered delegates free Wi-Fi access throughout the venue and is proud to be supporting The Conference Cloud campaign. Like all 41 Conference Centres of Excellence venues, we believe that Wi-Fi is an essential service for any event and that additional fees should not be charged to delegates wishing to use it.

The Conference Cloud campaign is an initiative by ABPCO, the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers, to encourage conference venues across the UK to offer free Wi-Fi to conference delegates.

The campaign follows feedback regarding the negative impact of high Wi-Fi access prices for delegates. Most conferences are now using Wi-Fi enabled tools, allowing delegates to access information during the event, encouraging interaction such as social media comments and networking within conference venues. ABPCO believes that venues that are committed to enhancing the delegate experience should work with event organisers to make these tools as accessible as possible through provision of good quality Wi-Fi.

ABPCO Chair Michael Foreman commented: “Online access is a fundamental part of everyday working life and we know that delegates attending our members’ events need to stay connected while on the move. Even with the proliferation of mobile broadband coverage, quality Wi-Fi is still the preferred online access route, especially for overseas delegates keen to avoid excessive data roaming charges.

Meetings and events professionals are also encouraged to support The Conference Cloud through its online petition available via the website at www.theconferencecloud.co.uk, or join the debate on social media via ABPCO’s Linked In Group, Facebook or Twitter using #confcloud

Anthony Lishman joins ABPCO Executive Committee

Conference Centres of Excellence is now represented on one of the country’s most significant conference industry bodies. Its Executive Director, Anthony Lishman, has been co-opted to join the executive committee of the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO).

ABPCO (www.abpco.org) is the leading UK organisation for professional conference and event organisers and their colleagues within the industry. It seeks to build fully effective working relationships between organisers and suppliers – including venues and other destinations -- within the sector, and also to provide advice and support for those studying for or building a career in the meetings industry. ABPCO members are required to deliver the highest business and ethical standards, in the management of national and international association and corporate conferences, seminars, meetings, exhibitions and special events.

“A presence close to the heart of ABPCO is testament to the significance of the specialist conference venues sector and what it stands for,” commented Anthony Lishman: “Like the Association, our members represent the pinnacle of professional facilities and services, and we are delighted to help guide those who seek to achieve the highest standards.”