University of Leicester Conference venue receives new accolade

College Court win at Niche Business Awards follows East Midlands Chamber of Commerce Award last week

The University of Leicester’s conference and training venue College Court has taken pride of place in a prestigious local awards dinner.

It is the winner of the ‘Professional Services’ category at the Niche Business Awards organised by Niche Magazine, a Leicestershire publication presenting some of the very best of what the county has to offer.

The award recognises those that provide excellent facilities, outstanding collaborations and the best staff training as well as individuals or teams who have made positive contributions to the business and local community.

The £17.5million facility has already won a clutch of awards and was last week announced as the Winner of the Business Improvement through Technology and Finalist for Excellence in Customer Service categories at the East Midlands Chamber of Commerce Awards dinner.

College Court Director Steve Crawford said: “Our success is down to a team effort so a huge thank you to all who work at College Court. As we head toward our 3rd Anniversary I am sure that we can look forward to future success and indeed the need to buy a bigger trophy cabinet!

“We are a truly passionate team who strive for excellence every day, whether it be process, procedure, setting and achieving goals, hitting budgets, hitting top line sales targets, delivering that perfect buffet lunch or reserving a car space, this award will be an opportunity to thank those staff for all that they do.”

Since opening in October 2013 College Court has generated sales of £6.5 million. With the combined offer of College Court, Stamford Court and the broader portfolio, annual sales for the next financial year will be in excess of £4.5 million. All profits feed directly into the University.

In just a short time, College Court has developed a reputation for quality and service which has put it ahead of many competitors and has attracted national and international clients to Leicester, not only benefitting College Court but the City as a whole.

College Court is officially 5 Star!

Following an audit by the Environmental Health Officer College Court are delighted to have been awarded 5 Star which ranks the venue as ‘Very Good’ in their standards of food hygiene.

The catering team led by Riccardo Corbinzolu are passionate about food and want all guests to leave with a memorable experience.

"Since opening, guests have enjoyed wonderful food and while we know that we have always carried out best practice it is great for the team to have it recognised following an independent audit. Working with Wilson Vale, our catering partner, this is an excellent endorsement of the quality measures that they have in place and re-enforces that quality is one of the key building blocks at College Court" commented Steve Crawford, Centre Director.

Riccardo Corbinzolu Head Chef says "My team and I are always aiming high and this is a quality mark that recognises the commitment and efforts made by my team at all times, which ultimately delivers the best possible experience to all our guests."

A huge well done to College Court and their dedicated team.

College Court expands capacities due to high demand

Due to an extremely high volume of enquiries College Court, only opened in October 2013, is already increasing its capacities to include another conference room to hold 100 delegates.

The existing Willow and Sycamore suites will undergo renovation in August 2015 transforming the two training rooms into one large meeting room to hold up to 100 delegates in a theatre style set up. 

Business Development Manager, Charlotte Sanders says ‘This is an extremely exciting time for us here at College Court as we look to expand our offering in the conference and events market. We have been overwhelmed by the success of the University of Leicester’s new all year round conference centre and are thrilled to be able to meet the demand for space by expanding our existing offer. We already have clients booked in to use the new Willow suite from September 2015 and look forward to welcoming many more delegates through our doors.’

The work is to be undertaken by the University Estates department, and will start on Monday 10th August lasting approximately three weeks. Although a large project much of the work is internal and will cause very limited disruption to delegates and neighbours. Following a softening project in the Knighton Restaurant which has seen a new planting and lighting scheme this addition will take College Court even further in offering a truly exceptional offer to delegates.

The expansion also brings a brand new third coffee station offering guests a speedy cup of fresh bean to cup coffee with the addition of a dynamic new ‘Grazing Station’ which offers all the treats you could wish for when re-charging your batteries during break time.

And speaking of expansion, the venue is growing the team as 5 staff members at College Court are expecting new additions to their families. We wish them all the best of luck and a huge Congratulations.

Leicester Conferences ‘highly commended’ in Tourism Awards

Leicester Conferences has been highly commended in the Business Tourism category at the Leicester and Leicestershire Excellence in Tourism Awards 2014.

The team beat off competition from other local venues. The category winner was another organisation with close links to the University – the National Space Centre.

Emma Rathbone, Conference Sales and Marketing Executive, said, ‘We are delighted to be highly commended in the Best Business Tourism category. We were the overall winners in this category last year so we didn’t really expect to receive any recognition again this year. To be highly commended given the level of competition is a great achievement.’

The Awards, created by Leicester Shire Promotions and now in their third year, celebrate the excellent work that a wide range of attractions, accommodation providers, restaurants, pubs and event organisers undertake to ensure their customers have the best possible experience.

The Business Tourism category is aimed at organisations at the forefront of the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions sector of the tourism industry. In particular, it seeks to reward innovation in products and services, and improvements to quality and infrastructure.

Another Award for the College Court Construction Project

On Friday 4 of July 2014 the College Court construction project won the "Best Change of use of an Existing Building or Conversion award" at the East Midlands Local Authority Building Control (LABC) Building Excellence awards ceremony.

The project will go forward to the National Awards on 14 November 2014. This award is one of a set of regional awards already won by the project, to find out more visit the venue awards and news stories page.

Located just minutes from Leicester’s vibrant City Centre, College Court is a haven of tranquility, surrounded by established trees, landscaped gardens and quiet residential streets. Inspired by its surroundings, College Court have named each of the conferencing rooms after the many different varieties of tree on the site and the restaurant boasts dishes that echo the iconic sixties design of College Court itself.

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

Leicester Conferences shortlisted for GTO Award

Group Travel Organiser magazine has shortlisted Leicester Conferences for the Best University Group Accommodation Award.

The Leicester Conferences team had some great news at the Best of Britain and Ireland show when they found out Leicester has been shortlisted by readers of Group Travel Organiser magazine for Best University Group Accommodation.

Leicester Conferences includes the Conference Centres of Excellence member venue, Stamford Court, a premier conference centre set in the heart of landscaped Edwardian gardens.

The venue can be used in its entirety combining Gilbert Murray hall with seven breakout rooms and hospitality lounge or each room individually for smaller meetings and events. Each meeting room features high quality data projection facilities, in addition Gilbert Murray boasts dual projection, lectern, a microphones including hand held, lapel and table top with a fully integrated PA system.

Emma Rathbone, Conferences Sales Manager said, 'This was a delightful surprise and we could not be happier. We will keep you up to date when the winner is announced in June.'

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

College Court scores a hattrick at RIBA East Midlands awards

Three more accolades, including Building of the Year, follow RICS award earlier this month

Good things come in threes, and College Court certainly proves the rule as it has walked away from the Royal Institute of British Architects East Midlands Awards with wins in no less than three categories.

The University of Leicester's Conference Centre and Hotel Project, which transformed a former University Halls of Residence into a state-of-the-art conference facility and Hotel, was named Building of Year at the RIBA regional awards ceremony on 15 May, as well receiving a Conservation Award and an East Midlands Regional Award. 

It follows the award of a Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) East Midlands Regional Award for Building Conservation Project of the Year earlier in May.

Members of College Court and the University’s Division of Estates and Facilities Management collected the awards, which celebrate of architectural excellence in the region. Regional winners will be put forward for the RIBA National Awards in June.

Trevor Humphreys, Director of Estates, said: “This is testament to the excellent project team that work tirelessly to deliver a high quality facility on time and on budget.  The University is quite rightly proud of College Court and I am flattered that the RIBA has recognised our work with these awards.”

Steve Crawford, College Court Conference Centre Director, said: "The recent awards won by College Court have come about from great teamwork, clear focus on what we wanted to achieve, and at the heart of all our decisions when developing the project was the customer. These have laid the foundations for College Court as it now successfully operates as a leading conference centre & hotel. The customer is the heart of the business and with the excellent team in place to run College Court I am confident that we will build upon the recent success."

College Court is a £17.5 million project which turned the University's Grade II listed College Hall buildings into a leading residential conference venue.

The buildings were originally designed by internationally renowned architects Trevor Dannatt and Leslie Martin and were originally built as catered student accommodation.

The refurbishment was designed by Associated Architects of Birmingham and constructed by Wilmott Dixon. The new designs met with the approval of one of the original architects, Trevor Dannatt.

The development also houses 18 conference rooms, 123 en suite bedrooms, restaurant, bar, private dining room and garden lounge.

The Grade II listed buildings, located close to the City Centre, had been out of use for around eight years.

Stamford Court Consolidates Growth for Conference Centres of Excellence

Stamford Court has joined Conference Centres of Excellence, the UK’s only sales and marketing consortium of dedicated meeting providers.

Set amongst 40 acres of landscaped grounds and a stunning botanic garden, Stamford Court is the latest venue from Leicester Conferences at the University of Leicester. Stamford Court offers a modern, state-of-the-art conference experience with excellent flexibility and multi-purpose rooms. With its large central hall, surrounding seminar rooms and hospitality lounge. Stamford Court has been designed to suit any type of conference, meeting or event making it the ideal and very accessible venue centrally located at the heart of England.

This purpose built facility will not only provide delegates with an all-round high quality conference experience it will also keep them in touch with each other and the outside world with its fully integrated audio visual and IT system and free wi-fi access throughout the building.

Having met stringent criteria in terms of facilities, accommodation and customer care, joining Conference Centres of Excellence enables Stamford Court to benefit from the group’s marketing activities, providing customers with a single route to booking one of our nationwide venues, with consistent quality standards.

Anthony Lishman, Executive Director of Conference Centres of Excellence said “The Midlands is the second biggest area for event bookings outside of London, and we have a strong presence in the area, with Stamford Court providing the addition of large flexible space accommodating up to 270 delegates in one flat-floored space, along with a number of other dedicated meeting rooms. We adapt our membership to meet customer demand, and are delighted to have Stamford Court join our broad venue portfolio.”

Conference Centres of Excellence has been working with specialist venues in the meetings, training and events industry for 21 years, and its 34 members include many of the country’s best known specialist venues, covering a geographical area extending from the south coast of England to Scotland. 

"For Stamford Court to become a member of the CCE consortium is a huge accolade and demonstrates the quality of the service and facilities we provide," says Conference Sales Manager, Emma Rathbone. "It is a massive boost to our team to know that our high standards are recognised by an organisation that prides itself on only working with the best in the sector. Our membership should provide a boost to business, clients’ satisfaction and team morale."   

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

Two Renowned Centre Directors Join the Conference Centres of Excellence Board

Conference Centres of Excellence, the UK's only marketing consortium to represent specialist, quality conference and training centres in the UK has appointed two new Centre Directors to its board.

Joining the ten-strong board are Stewart Elsmore, Director of Residential Services at Cranfield University, and Steve Crawford, Centre Director for College Court Conference Centre, Leicester.

Conference Centre of Excellence now has 32 members nationwide, including many of the country’s best known specialist conference and training venues, covering a geographical area extending from the South Coast of England to Scotland. Before joining, venues have to meet our stringent criteria in terms of quality, facilities, accommodation and customer care. 

Stewart Elsmore

Stewart Elsmore

Stewart Elsmore, Centre Director of Residential Services at Cranfield University, a world leading and distinctive, wholly postgraduate University, spent ten years in hotel general management, before he moved into the conference centre sector in 1989 and joined Cranfield Management Development Centre, one of the first purpose built centres in the UK.

Stewart’s role has included Director of IT & Data Services and Interim Director of Careers in Cranfield School of Management.

In 2010 Stewart became Director of Residential Services at Cranfield University a role which includes all student and delegate accommodation, a range of lecture rooms and food outlets.

Stewart has long been a supporter of the Conference Centres of Excellence marketing consortium and has widely participated in various roles as Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Chair of Communications and the Membership Committee.  

Commenting on his appointment, Stewart said “I am delighted to be re-joining the Conference Centres of Excellence board, which is so completely focussed within its venues on high quality and customer service.”

Steve Crawford

Steve Crawford, Centre Director for College Court Conference Centre, has focussed on working in commercial areas within University environments, the majority of which has been in professional conference centres.

Steve’s previous roles have included posts at the University of Warwick (Warwick Conferences) and Centre Director at Missenden Abbey, prior to setting up the new 123 bedroom College Court Conference Centre in Leicester which opened on 1st October 2013.

As the first Director for this new conference venue, Steve has sympathetically reinstated a Grade II listed building, creating 55 jobs, bringing new business to the city of Leicester, supporting local suppliers and indeed the University’s strategic aims as all profits generated by College Court are gift aided back to the University.

Steve is also no stranger to the Conference Centres of Excellence board, having previously served for 8 years, two of which were as Chairman. 

Commenting on his appointment, Steve said “It’s great to be back and involved with Conference Centres of Excellence again; I hope to play a major part in the future direction of the consortium and offer support to members where it’s needed”.

The majority of CCE’s members are independent operators, all of whom benefit from the Consortium’s marketing support and central sales function.

 “We are delighted to have both Steve and Stewart join us again on the board, and welcome their experience and breadth of knowledge at a time when renewed business confidence is becoming evident. As a group our aim is to continue to grow our membership footprint and we have complete confidence that our service remains invaluable in promoting the benefits of independent, specialist venues.” commented Anthony Lishman, Executive Director of Conference Centres of Excellence.