Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel: The Future is Golden

From Monday 11 January, The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre is officially known as the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel.

The exciting rebrand reflects the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel’s key role as part of the Golden Jubilee Foundation family, which also includes the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, the Golden Jubilee Research Institute and the Golden Jubilee Innovation Centre.

Bronagh Bell, Director of the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, said: “There has been a huge amount of preparation leading up to today’s official launch, and our team have been busy ensuring a seamless transition whilst continuing to provide first-class meeting and hospitality services for our clients.

“As part of our 2020 Vision, this will allow us to continue to build on our reputation as an internationally renowned facility, offering a tailor-made, state-of-the-art, venue for events providing collaboration in health, hospitality and learning for both the private and public sector.”

The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel continues to host an increasing number of high profile international, medical and innovative conferences and events and further enhancements to both the bedroom stock and conference space are planned over the coming years. Already an accredited Conference Centre of Excellence, the Conference Hotel was recently accepted as the first and only Scottish member of the prestigious International Association of Conference Centres (IACC).

The Hotel and Conference Centre also has a stellar track record of customer satisfaction, receiving five consecutive VenueVerdict Gold Accreditations, the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame Award and being named the Top Large, Scottish Hotel in the Late Rooms Simply the Guest Awards.

Bronagh added: “This is an extremely exciting time for all of us, and we look forward to the new opportunities and challenges which lay ahead. We are in the unique position of being able to offer our clients the shared campus, meaning we are able to offer access to our cutting edge research and clinical skills suites, live audio visual links, and our new Innovation Centre.

“While we may have a new name, our team has not changed and we will continue to offer the same gold standard of service for every client, guest and visitor that comes through our doors.”

Big changes at the Beardmore

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre has announced earlier this week that they will be rebranding as the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel in January 2016.

The rebrand supports the hotel’s 2020 vision to continue developing as an internationally recognised conference centre of excellence. 

The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel will be at the heart the Golden Jubilee Foundation, the new brand name for the family of facilities which also includes the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, the Golden Jubilee Research Institute and Golden Jubilee Innovation Centre. 

Director of the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, Bronagh Bell, said: “This announcement marks the next stage in our evolution as a provider of first-class meeting and hospitality services. Our shared campus means that our clients, guests and delegates not only have access to our custom-built facilities, but to state-of-the art research and clinical  skills suites, live audio visual links and our new Innovation Centre. 

“We are delighted to be a core part of the Golden Jubilee Foundation, which will allow the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel to keep finding pioneering ways to support high level international, medical and innovative conferences and events.”

The Beardmore will transition into the new brand over the next few months, officially becoming the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel on 11 January 2016. The hotel will still be running business as usual, welcoming and serving regular clients and guests from across Scotland, the UK and beyond. 

The Beardmore enters Hotel Hall of Fame

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre has joined an elite list of hotels around the world, by being welcomed into the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame. 

TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel website, collates information from over 150 million reviews and opinions from consumers around the world. 

The Hall of Fame induction follows The Beardmore receiving the prestigious Certificate of Excellence from the site for five consecutive years. 

Gary Rice, General Manager of The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, commented on the accomplishment, saying: “The Certificate of Excellence requires us to maintain a consistent “Bubble Rating” from our customers of a minimum of four out of five in our most recent reviews. 

“To have received this consistently for five years and be invited to join the Hall of Fame is an absolutely incredible accomplishment; I am very proud of everyone in our team for all the hard work and dedication that has made this possible.” 

The Hall of Fame recognition continues an impressive run for The Beardmore in 2015, having secured two consecutive VenueVerdict Gold Accreditation’s for customer feedback, along with being named the Best Large Hotel in Scotland at the LateRooms Simply the Guest Awards. 

Gary added: “Awards like this are significant, as they remind us how important it is to make sure we are providing the best possible experience for every customer and delegate that comes through our doors. 

The Beardmore welcomes LGBT conference

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, which last year became the only UK hotel to be ranked in the top 100 employers in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index (WEI), will host the fourth Annual Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) Workers Conference on Saturday 16 May.

LGBT trade union members from across Scotland will gather at the Beardmore to discuss and debate a wide range of issues affecting LGBT people both in the workplace and in society as a whole. 

In addition to being ranked 73rd in the UK in the prestigious  WEI, as part of the National Waiting Times Centre alongside the Golden Jubilee National Hospital and Beardmore Centre for Health Science, The Beardmore climbed 53 places in the last 12 months and receiving the “Most Improved Employer” Award in the process. 

The WEI measures how well an organisation meets the needs of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) staff members, and is widely accepted as a good indicator of progress against equality targets generally. 

Gary Rice, General Manager of the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, commented: “We firmly believe that the Beardmore provides the highest possible standard of service for every guest, visitor and delegate that comes through our doors. This can only happen by creating a work environment that not only welcomes individuals of all backgrounds, but actively highlights and celebrates our unique mix of people.

“Over the past few years we have continuously invested in finding new ways to create an inclusive work environment for all of our staff and are delighted to be hosting the STUC LGBT Conference, which encourages more employers around the UK to take positive steps to do the same.” 

Quality Standards remain top of the list for CCE Venues

Conference Centres of Excellence is delighted once again to see member venues achieve a number of BDRC Continental’s VenueVerdict Gold Standard Accreditations at the end of Q1 2015.

The VenueVerdict Gold Standard Accreditation is the top level accolade issued to venues, based on independent customer feedback including their ‘likelihood to recommend’ Net Promoter Score.

Our venues consistently demonstrate the high standards required to provide an outstanding event experience for customers, across a number of key areas including service, facilities, food and accommodation. For those who take part in the BDRC VenueVerdict programme, achieving these accreditations on a regular basis independently confirms the excellent ongoing service delivery.

Just under 21,000 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 April 2014 to March 2015.

The Conference Centre of Excellence gold accredited venues are:

• Broadway House (EEF Venues), London

• Engineers House (EEF Venues), Bristol

• Scarman Training and Conference Centre (Warwick Conferences), Warwick

• The Møller Centre, Cambridge

• Nottingham Conference Centre, Nottingham

• The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, Glasgow

• Woodland Grange (EEF Venues), Warwickshire

Amanda Stacey, Marketing Manager of Conference Centres of Excellence commented: 

“At a time when service delivery and customer experience are once again becoming a priority factor for event bookers, rather than low pricing and reduced rate packages, we’re delighted to see that our members are consistently being rewarded with the highest level of customer feedback. BDRC VenueVerdict is a well-recognised industry standard and our venues can rightly be proud of their achievements.”

Beardmore is Simply the Guest

The Beardmore Hotel and  Conference Centre has been ranked as the top Scottish hotel and number two in the UK in the LateRooms Simply the Guest Awards in the Large Hotels Category. 

The awards are based on consumer feedback and reviews on the official LateRooms website, ranking the top 10 venues across the UK in a variety of categories. 

Discussing the achievement, General Manager of the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, Gary Rice said: “This is an absolutely fantastic accomplishment and we couldn’t be happier with the result. The hotel and conference industry in the UK is incredibly competitive, and with so many high quality establishments to choose from, we are delighted to have received such positive feedback from our customers and guests that we are not only considered as one of the top two in the UK, but the best in Scotland in the Large Hotels category.”

The LateRooms Simply the Guest nomination is the Beardmore’s second accolade for consumer feedback since the beginning of 2015, recently receiving the VenueVerdict Gold Accreditation for the fourth time in a row. This follows on from an incredibly successful 2014, which saw the hotel shortlisted for the prestigious Goldstar Green Tourism Awards as well as being awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.

Discussing their  plan going forward, Gary said: “Awards like this emphasise just how important it is that every single person who comes here as a guest, visitor or conference delegate has the best experience possible. As we begin 2015, we are currently looking into some refurbishment of our bedrooms as well as continuing to find new, innovative and exciting ways to give our customers those all important added extras, whether this is free Wifi access or our electric car charging points, making sure we are providing the elite standard of service we are known for.”   

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).

Promotion for Beardmore Hotel Manager

Following a period of sustained growth, The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre is delighted to announce that Gary Rice has been promoted to General Manager. 

Discussing the appointment, Director of the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, Bronagh Bell, said: “Gary has been a fantastic asset to the Beardmore for the past two years, and after 18 months of sustained growth, we have promoted Gary to the role of General Manager.” 

Hotel Manager of the Beardmore since November 2012, Gary previously spent 17 years working in the hotel and hospitality industry, working in a variety of roles for Posthouse, Devere, Mint and City Inn and the Hilton Group. 

In this new role, Gary will focus on delivering the day to day operations at The Beardmore and implementing plans to fulfil the Beardmore’s long term strategy.

Commenting on his new post, Gary said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been promoted to the post of General Manager at the Beardmore, and look forward to continuing to work with our fantastic team to grow and develop our services.

“In my new role, I will be delivering the new operational strategy which aims to support an increase  in medical, healthcare and international conferences and events, allowing us to continue to grow and expand as a conference centre of excellence. 

“This is a very exciting time for all of us at the Beardmore as we continue to grow and develop innovative ways to ensure that all of our delegates, guests and visitors receive the highest possible standard of hospitality and service across the organisation.”

Gary’s appointment as General Manager continues an incredibly successful 2014 for the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, recently receiving multiple awards and nominations for excellence. 

As well as receiving International Association of Conference Centres (IACC) accreditation, VenueVerdict Gold Accreditation and a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, the Beardmore is the only Scottish hotel nominated for the prestigious Green Tourism Goldstar Awards 2014 in the Best Hotel category. 

The Beardmore is also nominated for the People’s Choice Award at the Green Tourism Goldstar Awards. To make your opinion known and vote for the Beardmore, head over to the following link: http://www.green-tourism.com/go-green/events/peoples-choice-2014/. 

Take a walk on the Clydeside at the Beardmore

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre has unveiled its new walking route, continuing its dedication to promoting active, healthy and environmentally friendly lifestyles. 

Gary Rice

The walking route has been set up to encourage guests, delegates and conference organisers to take advantage of the fantastic scenery surrounding the Beardmore. 

The Beardmore’s walking route is approximately 1.75 kilometres in length, with benches positioned along the route to allow the opportunity to rest at regular intervals. 

Running through the beautiful Beardmore Gardens and taking in views of the River Clyde, the route follows clearly marked paths and roads. Suitable for walking and jogging, they can also be easily accessed by wheelchairs, pushchairs and those with mobility problems. 

Beardmore Hotel Manager, Gary Rice, commented: “We understand that in the fast paced world of events and conferences, it can sometimes feel impossible to find the time to go outside, get some fresh air and exercise. With our new walking route, we hope that more people than ever before will take advantage of the fantastic scenery on our doorstep to get some fresh air during their conference or unwind after a busy day. 

“We have made fantastic progress with our commitment to providing sustainable, eco-friendly events and tourism in recent years, with the introduction of our Green Conference Package, electric car parking spaces and bicycles available to hire on site. 

“This new walking route is the latest step we have taken in encouraging people to think about the environment when making their arrangements, whether for a conference, event or quiet get-away, and enjoy an active and healthy experience at the Beardmore.”

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre has been awarded the prestigious Gold Award for Green Tourism three years in a row, in addition to being named the Top Eco Hotel in Scotland at the 2013 AA Hospitality Awards.  They have also recently been nominated for Best Hotel in the Goldstar Green Tourism Awards, taking place in November 2014. 

International Recognition for Scottish Conference Venue ‘The Beardmore’

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, Glasgow, Scotland has been  accepted into the world renowned International Association of Conference Centres (IACC). 

There are over 350 certified IACC conference centres in 20 counties worldwide including venues in the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Kenya and Australia. 

For over 30 years IACC has brought together and represented the world’s most trusted meeting environments, services and support, with the aim of creating a “community of passionate people and organisations delivering innovative and exceptional meeting experiences”. 

Bronagh Bell, Director of the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, said: “IACC is an internationally recognised symbol of quality and excellence in the conferencing industry, and it is important that Scotland has a venue which is committed to developing and supporting international meetings at this level. We look forward to collaborating with venues across the world to raise standards and to develop excellent service to a global meeting audience.  

“Becoming a member of the IACC is a fantastic step forward for the Beardmore and underpins our strategy to welcome more international conferences to the venue’.  

Mark Cooper, IACC’s CEO commented: “We are delighted to welcome The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre into the IACC portfolio and family. IACC represents only the best examples of conference centres globally and The Beardmore has demonstrated the attitude, passion and facilities we look for in an IACC certified conference centre. We look forward to representing this focused meeting venue on the world stage as they strive to deliver the IACC Meetings Experience to their clients”.   

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre is one of the UK’s Conference Centres of Excellence and has recently been awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, the VenueVerdict Gold Standard and been shortlisted for Hotel of the Year at the Green Tourism Goldstar Awards. 

The Beardmore going for gold in green tourism award

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre has reached the finals of the Green Tourism Goldstar Awards 2014 – and is the only Scottish hotel to have been shortlisted in the coveted Best Hotel category. 

The Goldstar Awards recognise businesses who have ‘gone above and beyond’ to actively promote and implement sustainable, environmentally friendly practices for the benefit of the customers and the organisation as a whole.

Out of 2,400 contenders, the Beardmore is one of only 60 venues to have been nominated for an award, ranking them in the top three percent in the UK for environmentally friendly practices.   

Discussing the nomination, Hotel Manager Gary Rice said: “To be nominated in the Best Hotel category is an incredible accomplishment.

“We have worked tirelessly over the past few years to ensure The Beardmore is an environmentally friendly and sustainable venue. Our recent installation of electric car charging points and ongoing dedication to promoting our Green Conference packages to event organisers are just two of the steps taken.

“Our dedicated Green Team features representatives from each department, and we are constantly looking at new ways to ensure the Beardmore continues to evolve as an innovative, sustainable and eco friendly establishment for the benefit of our customers, clients and conference delegates.”

The Beardmore already has a proven track record in this area, having achieved the Green Tourism Gold Award for the past three years. In 2013, the venue was also named the Top Eco Hotel in Scotland at the prestigious AA Hospitality Awards. 

The Goldstar Awards will take place during the Green Tourism Annual Conference in Manchester on Monday 10 November. 

Another Gold for The Beardmore from VenueVerdict

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre has once again achieved the prestigious VenueVerdict Gold Accreditation.  

The VenueVerdict Accreditation is based on customer feedback from 360 venues across the UK, and over 22,000 events. The accreditation is based on the twelve months ending in quarter two 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: “To have achieved our second VenueVerdict Gold Accreditation of 2014 is an incredible accomplishment, and demonstrates that our commitment to customer service, attention to detail and dedication to continuous improvement is paying off.”

James Bland, Client Services Director at BDRC Continental, is responsible for the programme. Congratulating the Beardmore on its achievement, James said: “Achieving the Gold Standard for the second quarter of 2014 is a brilliant accomplishment for the Beardmore. Our targets for achieving this standard are rigorous and involves meeting a very diverse and specialised series of criteria to demonstrate a continued dedication to excellence and improvement throughout the organisation; to have accomplished this for the first two quarters of 2014 is a wonderful achievement and the team at the Beardmore should be very proud.” 

The VenueVerdict Accreditation continues a fantastic 2014 for the Beardmore Hotel, having recently been awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence and attaining the prestigious Investors in People Gold Accreditation for the first time. 

Bronagh added: “Everything we do is with the goal of improving quality standards for our customers, clients and delegates. Over the past several years we have continually adapted and upgraded our facilities and technology to keep up with the fast paced world of modern conferencing and events.

“As we move into the second half of the year, we are in the middle of some big changes and developments and are looking forward to what promises to be one of our most exciting and innovative years yet.” 

Beardmore achieves Gold Accreditation for Investors in People

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre has recently become one of an elite group of businesses in the UK to have achieved the prestigious Investors in People Gold Accreditation. 

Investors in People (IIP) is the UKs most successful framework for business improvement and recognising continuous dedication to having people at the core of an organisation. 

Following an intensive assessment period, which included interviews with 20 members of staff and in depth examinations of the Beardmore’s day to day practices, it was revealed that the hotel and conference centre had attained IIP’s highest accolade: their Gold Accreditation. 

Discussing the accomplishment, Manager of the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, Gary Rice said: “This is another milestone in our pursuit of delivering the highest possible standards of service and excellence to our customers.

“The Investors in People framework underpins everything we do at the Beardmore and provides a practical and tangible way of driving forward our goals and objectives, helping us implement our plans for the future. We firmly believe that our team are our success, and receiving the Gold Award for their achievements is a testament to their commitment and dedication.”

Peter Russian, Chief Executive of Investors in People Scotland, said “This is a fantastic achievement for The Beardmore. I would like to congratulate the organisation and its people on their commitment to continuous improvement. Investors in People offers a flexible, practical and easy to use business improvement tool designed to help organisations and their people achieve their objectives. I hope that more organisations in the area will be encouraged to sharpen their competitive edge by choosing to work with us.”

The Investors in People Gold Accreditation is the latest accolade to be awarded to the Beardmore in recent months, as they were awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2014 in June. 

Director of the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre Bronagh Bell commented on the accomplishment, saying: “The Beardmore achieved its first Investors in people Accreditation in 1996 and has aimed to improve year on year. To have achieved the Gold Award is an absolute honour and we could not be more delighted with the outcome. 

“Our workforce is our most important asset and we are totally committed to encouraging staff participation, engagement and taking an active role in their personal development.

“Looking forward, we will be aiming to increase our focus on conference business, specifically encouraging more international meetings. Our people have always been at the heart of our organisation, and they are the key to even more success in the future.”

TripAdvisor certificate of excellence awarded to the Beardmore

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre is celebrating this week after receiving a 2014 Certificate of Excellence from the world’s biggest travel website, TripAdvisor.  

The website, which collates information gathered from over 150 million reviews and opinions of consumers around the world, award their Certificate of Excellence to establishments which maintain an overall “bubble rating” of a minimum of four out of five in their most recent reviews. It also takes into account the number of reviews, the tenure of the business and its overall popularity on the site. 

Gary Rice, Hotel Manager of the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, commented: “This is an incredible achievement for all of us here at the Beardmore and we could not be happier. Our top priority as a four star hotel and conference centre of excellence is to continually provide an elite level of customer service for all of our guests, conference delegates and organisers. 

“To receive an award which is based purely on customer experience is extremely gratifying and we want to thank everyone who took the time to write a review and let people know what they think of our facilities and service. Our team work very hard to find new, exciting and innovative ways to continue to improve our service in the fast moving world of conference and hotel management.”

The TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence comes just one month after the Beardmore became one of only 29 venues in the UK to receive the prestigious VenueVerdict Gold Standard Accreditation which is also based on positive customer experience and reviews. 

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

The Beardmore is coming to IMEX

Representatives of the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre will be part of the Visit Scotland Stand at this year’s IMEX Exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany. 

As a UK Conference Centre of Excellence, the Beardmore will be on hand to promote their award winning conference centre and hotel to the more than 9,000 prospective clients expected to attend. 

Bronagh Bell, Director of the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, commented: “The Beardmore is coming off the back of an incredibly successful 2013, and are already poised to have a fantastic 2014.” 

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre have continued their dedication to enhancing and improving customer experience since the start of 2014, once again securing the VenueVerdict Gold Standard Accreditation for the first quarter of 2014. 

Bronagh said: “2014 is only just getting started, and to be one of only 29 venues throughout the UK (out of a possible 360) to have been given such overwhelmingly positive feedback from our guests is incredible and we are very excited about the possibilities and potential opportunities that IMEX offers as we move forward.   

“The Beardmore is gearing up to welcome more international meetings particularly, association meetings and medical events. Our location within easy reach of Glasgow Airport and the City Centre, with convenient access to Loch Lomond and the beautiful west coast of Scotland, makes us an ideal setting for international conferences. 

“We are thrilled at the positive steps we have taken over the past 12 months to become a more environmentally friendly and eco conscious hotel; being named the top Eco-Hotel in Scotland at the prestigious AA Hospitality Awards and securing the Green Tourism Business Scheme’s Gold Award for Green Tourism for the third year in a row. 

“We have also invested in our conference centre infrastructure, with our new Central Plaza designed to maximise the networking, registration and exhibiting opportunities for any conferences using our state of the art main auditorium.”

IMEX is an annual exhibition for planners who are interested in booking and organising meetings, events and incentive travel programmes from around the world. 3,500 exhibitors are expected to be in attendance and will take place from Tuesday 20 till Thursday 22 May. 

New Senior Event Co-ordinators at the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre

Ahead of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre have appointed two new Senior Event Co-ordinators, Heather Steven and Claire Wilson, to join their team. 

Claire Wilson, a 2009 graduate of Glasgow University, has joined the Beardmore, bringing with her extensive specialist experience in corporate and conference event planning at a 4 star, Greater Glasgow, hotel. 

Heather Steven is a former Assistant Manager for a 3 star, Perthshire, hotel and graduate of Glasgow’s Metropolitan College who has been working within the Beardmore since the beginning of 2013. 

Bronagh Bell, Director of the Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre, commented on the appointments saying: “Our Events Team are responsible for arranging and co-ordinating events, as well as liaising with conference and events organisers to ensure that we provide the highest standard of service possible.

“As we continue to develop the Hotel and Conference Centre, constantly improving, upgrading and enhancing our facilities, and as demand increases ahead of Glasgow 2014 and the Commonwealth Games, it is essential that we have the right team in place.  

“We are delighted to welcome Claire and Heather to the team, and look forward to benefiting from their experience and enthusiasm as we move on to this exciting time in the Hotel’s development.”

Blind athlete raises over £1,000 for charity

Chris Marshall, a 21 year old blind athlete from Parkhall, Clydebank, has successfully completed a charity triathlon at the Beardmore Health Club, raising over £1,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind. 

Chris has been blind since suffering a blood clot at age 15. After spending six weeks in a coma, he awoke to discover he could no longer see: having to learn how to walk, talk and even eat again. 

A member of the Beardmore Health Club since then, Chris has been training for just over two months to complete the sprint-led triathlon; replacing the traditional swim, bike ride and run with 20 kilometres on a static exercise bike, 750 metres on a rowing machine and 5 kilometres on a cross-trainer. 

Fitness instructor Chris McGoogan and Health Club Manager Craig McKinnon, were delighted to see the hard work and dedication had paid off, when Chris completed the circuit in one hour, eight minutes and 54 seconds: beating his target time of one hour 15 minutes.

Commenting on the success of the triathlon, Craig McKinnon said: “We’re very proud of Chris; we knew he would do well, but he has surpassed every target we set for him. He’s been training with us for about 6 years now and is truly an inspiration to everyone here, he has an incredible attitude. 

“It was really important for him to do this triathlon and raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind to show that you shouldn’t let anything stand in your way: you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to.”

With the initial target of raising £250, Chris has now raised £580 through his JustGiving page (www.justgiving.com/chris-marshal12) and taken this total to well over £1,000 thanks to the support and sponsorship of local shops and businesses.  

Chris, who carried on exercising after completing the triathlon, said: “raising money for Guide Dogs for the Blind means a lot to me; outside of the gym, guide dogs are probably my main interest. A lot of people don’t realise it takes £50,000 to raise and train a guide dog and that this is generated through a charity. Guide dogs can make such a positive difference to so many people, so I want to raise as much money and awareness as possible to let them carry on the amazing work.

“I’m keen to get on the waiting list to get a guide dog of my own. I don’t know what the plan is for the next fundraiser, but I’m definitely going to stay involved with the charity.”

Gold Award Hat-Trick for the Beardmore

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference Centre has once again received the Gold Award for Green Tourism for the third year running.

First receiving the accreditation from the Green Tourism Business Scheme in the summer of 2010, the Beardmore were recognised again in July last year. Following a recent inspection of the four star residential venue, the team at the Beardmore are celebrating as they receive the prestigious honour for the third straight year, achieving a score of 86%: their highest score to date.

The Beardmore takes pride in its Green Team, which is represented by every department and meets regularly to come up unique and innovative ways to improve their eco-friendly status and encourage guests to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Gary Rice, General Manager of the Beardmore, said: “We are delighted to have received the Gold Award once again. Our team work extremely hard all year, and it is an honour to have our dedication to reducing our impact on the environment recognised by the Green Tourism Business Scheme.

“From the fundamentals of sustainable practices, such as recycling and monitoring energy consumption, we are constantly trying to adapt new ways to encourage our guests to be eco-aware, to re-use linen and towels, and help us make a difference.

“We have many innovative schemes in place, many of which have come from our own staff: such as growing our own herbs to use in the Beardmore kitchen to complimentary bikes for our guests.”

The Gold Award comes just weeks after the Beardmore was recognised as the top Eco Hotel in Scotland and third in the UK at the AA Hospitality Awards in London.

Commenting on the success, Gary said: “Here at the Beardmore, we try to go above and beyond to make a positive difference to the environment. We even offer a Green Conference Package to encourage event organisers to hold sustainable events.

“This package encourages them to use less paper and take public transport to name a few. It’s important to remember that all of this takes place in our upgraded, state of the art auditorium. It’s the complete package.”

Customers give Beardmore the Gold Standard

The Beardmore Hotel and Conference centre are delighted to announce that they have once again achieved the VenueVerdict Gold Standard Accreditation. 

The Accreditation is awarded based purely on customer feedback and the Beardmore is one of only 3 venues in Scotland and 33 across the UK, out of 400, to have achieved this honour.

The market research agency BDRC Continental, announced the venues which have achieved Gold Standard, awarding this only to those that had 

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, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to have received the VenueVerdict Gold Standard Accreditation for the second time. For conference and meeting venues around the UK this is the key distinction to receive and demonstrates our commitment to providing excellence to the events sector. 

“We pride ourselves on providing a personalised, professional service for every client, with attention to detail underpinned by an infrastructure to meet the needs of the specific conference. 

 “Our team have worked extremely hard to ensure our customers have the best experience possible; to have such positive feedback from our clients that we secure a spot in the top 33 is fantastic. 

“With the Commonwealth Games fast approaching, we are excited to continue enhancing our client experience through innovation, enriching our client experience and constantly striving to improve throughout 2014 and beyond.” 

James Bland, Client Services Director at BDRC Continental, is responsible for the programme. Congratulating the Beardmore on its achievement, James said: “Achieving the Gold Standard Accreditation once is difficult enough, so the Beardmore should be very proud of having retained the accolade at the end of this most recent period.  To do so represents fifteen months of consistently excellent customer hospitality to meet the very specialist (and often varied) needs of meeting and event hosts”

Blind athlete to compete triathlon at Beardmore Health Club

Fitness instructors at the Beardmore Health Club are training a blind member to complete a fund-raising triathlon with a difference.

Instead of the traditional swim, bike ride and run, Chris Marshall will complete the sprint-led triathlon of 20 kilometres on a static exercise bike, 750 metres on a rowing machine and 5 kilometres on a cross-trainer.

The 21-year-old, from Parkhall, Clydebank, is hoping to go on the waiting list to get his own guide dog, so wants to raise at least £250 for Guide Dogs for the Blind from his challenge.

He will complete his sprint-led triathlon at the Beardmore Health Club on Wednesday 30 October with the aid of fitness instructor Chris McGoogan and Health Club Manager Craig McKinnon.

Craig commented: “Chris has an excellent relationship with his fitness instructor, and usually trains with us five or six days a week for more than an hour at a time. The idea of a sprint triathlon is that you complete each part as quickly as you can, and, with all the training he is doing, we are sure that Chris will do this well within his target.

 “Chris is an inspiration to all of the staff and members of the Beardmore Health Club and we are all 100 per cent behind him for this triathlon. We have learned a lot from working with Chris and hope his story makes people understand that you can do anything that you put your mind to.”

Chris has been blind since suffering a blood clot at age 15. After spending six weeks in a coma, he woke up to discover he could no longer see and had to learn how to walk, talk and even eat again.

Seven years later, he is determined not to let his blindness get in the way of his life and has been attending the Beardmore Health Club for 6 years with the aim of improving his general fitness. Since deciding to complete the triathlon, his training has been stepped up to help him achieve his goal of completing it in just one hour and fifteen minutes.

John Smith, Chris’s step-dad, added: “The staff at the Beardmore Health Club have been brilliant and we can’t thank them enough for what they are doing for Chris. Coming to the gym is one of his main social activities, and it is wonderful that the support he receives here is helping him achieve his goal of completing this triathlon.”