imago Filmed for Google's 'Business Photos' Feature

Loughborough based imago is one of the first UK businesses to be filmed for Google’s brand new ‘business photos’ feature. 

Expanding on its current ‘street view’ mode, Google will offer 360-degree tours inside a number of businesses and venues.

Chris Jones, on behalf of Google

Four star conference centre Burleigh Court and The Link hotel were the first venues in Leicestershire to be visited by Google, building on imago’s ‘virtual tours’ which are a new feature on its own website.

Emma Boynton, Head of Marketing and Sales at imago, said: “It’s very exciting to be involved in Google’s latest innovation at such an early stage. The internet has become a very important tool for searching and selecting venues in the hotel and conference industry – I’m sure that the added option of seeing inside the venue will assist potential clients in finding the perfect setting for their event.” 

imago Burleigh Court

Burleigh Court is one of the Midlands largest 4-Star accredited residential conference and training centres. Facilities include 225 quality bedrooms including executive suites, 26 top specification training rooms, equipped with the latest audio-visual equipment, a versatile exhibition area, superb restaurant and private dining room.

Burleigh Court is proud to be Mobility 3 accredited, boasting some of the most accessible facilities in the region.

Ideally located in the Midlands, one mile from the M1 and 8 miles from East Midlands Airport.

For bookings and more information on imago Burleigh Court call the Conference Centres of Excellence Hotline 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk

You are invited to Missenden Abbey's Open Evening!

We would like to invite you to come and see us here at Missenden Abbey during our Open Evening, and receive 10% discount on bookings that are confirmed and have taken place by 11th January 2013. 

September 25th 2012 4.30pm to 7.30pm 

All our facilities will be open for you to explore and understand what we do at the Abbey and how we can help you with any future training, conference or meeting needs. 

Not only will you be able to view all of our meeting rooms and historic Abbey, you will also be able to sample our delicious food, enjoy live music and experience our team building activities with Morale Solutions, as well as our professional leadership courses with Instal. 

Missenden Abbey Conference Centre

Combining historical atmosphere, modern conference facilities and first class hospitality, this fine 12th Century Abbey is located in the heart of Buckinghamshire and surrounded by 10 acres of spectacular grounds.

Missenden Abbey Conference Centre is perfect for residential training, day meetings, corporate events, private dining, Wedding Receptions, Barbeques, Christmas parties and much more.

Only 30 miles from London, with excellent rail links direct to Marylebone, just 20 minutes from the M40, M4, M25.

We look forward to meeting you! 

Call our hotline now on 0845 230 1414 to register or email info@cceonline.co.uk for more information.

Half Term Incentive at Engineers House, Bristol

It's all back to business this month, but Half Term is coming soon.  Get ahead of the pack with our latest incentive. 

24th October - 2nd November - get 5 free delegate places

We're offering 5 free delegate places on all new bookings of 30 delegates or more, between the 24th October and 2nd November.

We know the pressure is on to keep your costs down and your productivity up, so we're keeping our offers rolling on the dates that you need.  We've put together this special package around the Half Term week, and we know that places will go fast.

Expect warm Bristol hospitality from the exceptional team at Engineers’ House. Quality is assured with AIM accredited facilities for up to 170 delegates and a prime location just 3 miles from Bristol Temple Meads train station and minutes from the M4 and M5.

For more information or to check availability contact the hotline on 0845 230 1414 or info@cceonline.co.uk.

Conference Centres of Excellence Supports Britain for Events

Events in Britain, whether for business or pleasure, are worth an estimated £36 billion and the UK has a reputation globally for being world leaders in creating and staging events of all types and sizes. There has never been a more significant time for the events industry and the Britain for Events campaign is a celebration of the knowledge and skills of those that host, produce and manage events across the UK.

House of Commons Briefing

The Britain for Events Partnership held a special briefing on the state of the UK events business and its role in the local community to Members of Parliament and municipal leaders, at the House of Commons on 5th September.

Anthony Lishman, Executive Director of Conference Centres of Excellence, attended the briefing.

Anthony Lishman

“The meeting at the Houses of Parliament are an opportunity to our industry, as a united group, to lobby our MPS’s regarding the importance of our sector and how they can, with very little investment create Jobs and long term employment for thousands of young and low skilled individuals.” Anthony continued: “The event of at the Houses of Parliament is also the launch of the annual Business for Events Campaign, which hopes to draw media interest and government focus on a sector that often gets forgotten in the wider scheme of things, but delivers annually £36 billion in trade a contribution in tax revenues to the Exchequer which is exceeded by very few specific industry sectors.”

Michael Hirst, Chairman of the Business Visits and Events Partnership, recently wrote to the Prime Minister saying there is estimated to be a £500 million boost to business events from the London Olympics and Paralympic Games, as an additional 20% in expenditure is derived from business and incentive groups visiting the Games, holding meetings and special events and extending their stay around Britain.

In addition, latest research reveals that 20% of existing conference and exhibition venues are being upgraded or extended with £1 billion being spent on improvements.

Michael Hirst says, “Britain’s Events Industry will be a major beneficiary of the London Olympics. Through the creativity of the sector, conferences and trade shows in Britain can proudly present Britain’s business opportunities to the World. By stepping up their involvement in bidding for international events which relate to their Departmental responsibilities, Government Ministers can help facilitate more business events in Britain. These will help promote British goods and services and develop our expertise for medical and scientific research”.

“The Olympic Games shows just how good our event management skills are in staging international events. We must build on these strengths to help our economic recovery”, Hirst concluded.

The letter also draws attention to the inclusion of the Events Sector in the Government’s GREAT promotion and the current “Britain For Events” campaign”, which promotes Britain as a world-class destination for global events and highlights the economic and social benefits of holding events in local destinations.

In a response from Downing Street, Prime Minister David Cameron confirms his support for the campaign adding “I applaud the work you and your associates are doing in showcasing the excellent work carried out by the UK events industry”.

For more information please contact pr@cceonline.co.uk or phone 0845 230 1416

Mix Business and Pleasure this Christmas at Cotswold Conference Centre

Perhaps you are planning a works’ Christmas party and would like to combine it with a brainstorm session, teambuild or mini-conference? Or do you have an important meeting to organise in December? Let us help you mix business with pleasure at the versatile Cotswold Conference Centre.

We have lots of great meeting spaces and we know how to put on a party here at Farncombe, between Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon. 

Cotswold Conference Centre at Farncombe:

 Let us take care of your Christmas party or event

Talk to us about planning a 24-hour package that might include a training room, energising / teambuilding activities and an evening’s food and entertainment. We can arrange all sorts of themes, from cocktail mixology to a disco, tribute or cover band. And we’ll throw in a free Christmas meal upgrade to keep things festive.

We are easy to reach from the M5 and M40 motorways, and we’re only 1.5 hours from London Paddington. If you stay overnight, we’ll arrange free transfers for your delegates from Moreton-in-Marsh Station.

Call the hotline 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk to find out more.

EEF Venues appoints Kanga Marketing

EEF Venues are pleased to announce the recent appointment of Kanga Marketing to help drive their business development, increase sales and realise marketing targets for the foreseeable future. 

Woodland Grange, Warwickshire

With three outstanding conference and meeting venues in London, Warwickshire and Bristol EEF Venues have a great reputation within the conferencing and events industry and a passion for hospitality and exceptional service. Kanga Marketing have been commissioned to build awareness of these venues and develop fresh business opportunities in new market sectors.

Kanga Marketing have worked with some of the biggest and most successful venues in the UK and will work alongside EEF Venues to help deliver the plan, which will use both traditional and digital marketing. With their many years of experience in business development and a great marketing team, Kanga will work on a campaign which will push the PR in a new direction, utilise new and patented technology previously unused in the events industry and work closer with EEF’s sales teams to create a more integrated approach.

Broadway House, London

Karl Neal, Kanga Marketing Client Director, said “We’re very proud to be working with EEF Venues. Having met many members of the EEF team at all three UK locations we have been hugely impressed by their commitment to outstanding customer service and their obvious desire for growth; we are really looking forward to taking the company to the next level. We have already completed our initial review and we can  see a number of opportunities that will impact in their business on a big way, really making a difference to bookings both on B2B and B2C.”

David Vaughton, EEF Venues Director, said “We are thrilled to have appointed Kanga Marketing to help us drive and deliver a bigger and better plan for the future. The growth of our business is an important factor and we’re positive about the changes we’re making. Our current clients can be assured that they will still receive the same exceptional service we pride ourselves upon. We are looking forward to opening our doors to some fresh new faces and welcoming back familiar clients at our venues.“

Engineers House, Bristol

For more information please call the Conference Centres of Excellence Hotline 0845 230 1414 or email info@ccceonline.co.uk

Bewitching Offers at Ashorne Hill

In the heart of England, set in 35 acres of landscaped grounds and yet only a few miles from the hub of the Midlands motorway network, Ashorne Hill is set around a beautiful Grade II listed building. Ashorne Hill offers a choice of well-equipped facilities to meet training and meeting needs including 13 acres of landscaped grounds - ideal for team building exercises and an array of leisure facilities. Our innovative, award-winning chefs offer a wide choice and variety, all freshly prepared using seasonal local produce. Ashorne Hill also provides a comprehensive range of training solutions in addition to the venue facilities, expert training consultants are happy to discuss both open courses and the design of bespoke training solutions.

Ashorne Hill

For more information about the latest offer from Ashorne Hill call the Conference Centres of Excellence hotline on 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk

Back To Business

Companies need to plan now to catch back effects of summer of celebrations, says Conference Centres of Excellence 

The frenetic pace of major events in the UK this year has affected the ability of many companies to implement the conference and training schedules of a normal summer – and in the autumn they may face challenges in finding space to catch up. That’s the concern of Conference Centres of Excellence, the UK’s leading marketing consortium of specialist venues, which is also expecting a surge in demand for team-building space after the Olympic Games.

With more than 30 of the country’s leading venues in membership, Conference Centres of Excellence is well placed to monitor the effects of events such as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Olympic Flame tour and the Games themselves - and the recent European football tournament - on corporate activities. “While it hasn’t been appropriate to carry out a specific survey, there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence from our members that demand for space for corporate events, including training, hasn’t followed the normal pattern this year,” explains Anthony Lishman, the consortium’s Executive Director: “What concerns us is that if events are being postponed until all the excitement is over, companies may not be able to use the venues they want at the time they require.”

Act now

Conference Centres of Excellence believes that many companies may have postponed customer events such as sales conferences and marketing briefings because client response will be adversely affected by the distractions of the programme of significant events and occasions. It also thinks that internal training events may have been adjusted or even deferred, particularly during June and July.

The consortium is urging companies not to wait until the last winner’s tape has been broken before seeking to catch up.

 “Now is the time to plan for getting back to normal business when it's all over,” added Mr Lishman: “What nobody wants is to find that a sensible decision to postpone an event backfires because the space that the company had in mind has been booked by someone else.”

All Conference Centres of Excellence members are suitable for the full range of internal and external activities, including conferences, briefings, marketing events and corporate dinners or lunches. In particular, they are specialists in providing focused, distraction-free environments that optimise the training process, with many of them also offering extensive scope for outdoor team-building activities. A number of them are themselves accommodating Olympic delegations or hosting receptions or pre-Games training for athletes.

Increased demand

Team-building at Cotswold Conference Centre

The summer’s events have opened up another potential area of demand in terms motivational events for employees – an increased focus on team-building. “The pervading ethos of the summer of events, in various forms, is team spirit, whether it’s the UK's sportsmen and women working together to clinch success, or that feeling of togetherness that the Queen’s Jubilee has engendered,” says Anthony Lishman: “Companies will want to capitalise on these emotions, harnessing them for the corporate benefit, and that’s bound to raise demand for team-building events.”

Conference Centres of Excellence’s Hotline service gives a ‘one-stop- shop’ service to clients seeking the benefits of a specialist venue. The group has 33 residential and non-residential member venues across the UK from East Sussex to Stirling in Scotland, in both countryside and city: a call to Hotline gives immediate access to information about availability, rates and facilities for each venue - 0845 230 1414.

Queen’s Award for Møller Centre Executive Education

Queen’s Award 

The Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Hugh Duberly, CBE this week presented Jeffy Li and Mark Carberry representatives of the team at The Møller Centre for Continuing Education with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. 

 It was a very special celebration for the staff at The Møller Centre who were delighted to welcome back The Lord-Lieutenant who has previously visited the Centre as a client on more than one occasion. During the first week of the Olympics, The Møller Team was delighted to have its very own award ceremony!

This prestigious Queens award recognises the outstanding achievement and growth over the last three years at The Møller Centre, through the delivery of bespoke Executive Education programmes to leaders from overseas companies.  Income from this market grew by 90% last year and now represents 40% of revenue

Gillian Secrett, CEO of The Møller Centre commented: “We are both honoured and delighted to receive this award in the year of the Queens Diamond Jubilee.  It is an accolade to the entire team at The Møller Centre for their dedication and commitment to our clients.  The Centre identified eight years ago the potential to offer bespoke Executive Education to the Asian market and it has taken much hard work and dedication from both staff and associates to get to the position we are in today. We strongly believe that there are still significant opportunities for growth, and we would like to now build on what we have achieved and extend our Executive Education programmes into new markets.”  

The quality and proven success of the residential programmes, which initially targeted Japan, then developed substantially into the Chinese market, combine academic and practitioner-based learning for international business leaders particularly in the corporate, banking and healthcare sectors. .  The Møller Centre is located at Churchill College, University of Cambridge, and all profits from The Centre are covenanted to Churchill College for investment in undergraduate and graduate education and student support.

Meet our Hotline Team: Katharine

Katharine Armstrong is our Hotline Sales Manager

Katharine will be responsible for generating new business and developing the existing client portfolio within CCE. Working closely with key accounts to find them the solution that most accurately meets their needs.

Meet our Hotline Team: Rebecca

Rebecca White - Business Development Executive

Rebecca graduated from De Montfort University in 2009 with a 2:1 BA Hons in Dance and Arts Management.

Whilst studying an events management module on the course in her final year she became interested in perusing the events and hospitality side into greater depth. This led her to gain the opportunity to work as an Administrator for Conference Centres of Excellence upon graduating.

Rebecca has developed her role within the company and succeeded to the position of Enquiry Co-ordinator and is now progressing into the role of Business Development Executive.

Rebecca will be responsible for generating new business, growing the existing client basis and developing relationships with small to medium agents.

Meet our Hotline Team: Pauline

Pauline Saunders is our Enquiry Co-ordinator

Pauline graduated from University College Birmingham with a 2:1 degree in Events Management. This degree gave her knowledge and understanding of the industry and encouraged her to pursue a career in this sector.

After university Pauline spent a year working in Australia and travelling Fiji and New Zealand, when she returned to the UK she worked at Ardencote Manor Hotel before joining the team at Conference Centres of Excellence as enquiry co-ordinator.