The Manor House completes latest refurbishment

The Manor House conference centre and hotel near Guildford, Surrey has completed the refurbishment of the smallest room in the house, the gents' toilets.

The Manor House is already accredited with a gold award by the Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS), the national sustainable tourism scheme for the UK. Although this refurbishment is only a small project, the conference centre's manager, Howard Canning, hopes that it will increase the Manor House's green credentials by reducing water and electricity consumption.

Waterless urinals have been installed, which according to Canning will reduce the conference centre's water usage by an estimated 66000 litres annually. "As we're expecting a drought this summer in Surrey, that's a small, but vital saving" he says.

The toilets are lit with new LED bulbs which, as well as giving much better lighting, use 50% less electricity than the previous lighting system. An efficient Airblade hand drier will altogether remove the need for expensive paper towels, "money" says Canning, "that goes straight in the bin."

The refurbishment has been done by the conference centre's Facilities Manager, Jeyson Fosbury, who has been keen to minimise the environmental impact of the work. "We were going to buy new doors" he says "but thought we'd try stripping the old doors down first." He was delighted and amazed to discover they were original solid oak doors from the 1920's." Naturally, these doors have been re-instated they will finish the job off to a tee

WARWICK CONFERENCES STRIKES GOLD AT INDUSTRY AWARDS

Warwick Conferences has added to its awards cabinet after once again sweeping up at this year’s prestigious Meetings & Incentive Travel (M&IT) Awards.

The University of Warwick-based collection of venues bought home two gold’s and a silver at the awards, dubbed the ‘Oscars’ of the meetings and conference industry.

This is the 17th time in the awards’ 22 year history the venue has taken home the gold award for Best Academic Venue.

Warwick Conferences also won gold in the Best Value for Money Conference Centre award, and was presented silver in the Best UK Management Training Centre category.

The M&IT Awards are voted for by conference organisers and the readers of M&IT, the conference industry’s leading publication.

These latest accolades are a tremendous boost for Warwick Conferences and cement its reputation as a truly world-class facility, drawing the attention of delegates from around the globe.

Rachael Bartlett, head of sales and marketing at Warwick Conferences said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have once again come away from this year’s ceremony with an award in every category for which we qualified. This is a fabulous result and credit is due to everyone who has worked so hard to make Warwick Conferences the world-class collection of venues it is.

“To bring home gold for Best Academic Venue for the 17th time in 22 years is fantastic and a great reflection on the service and facilities we provide. The fact that the awards are the result of votes cast by event organisers is all the more gratifying. It’s the most credible endorsement a business could wish for.

“The industry as a whole has faced a lean couple of years, but the fact that we have thrived is a testament to our staff’s hard work, professionalism and passion for making Warwick Conferences a genuine leader in our industry.”

This year’s prestigious black tie event, took place on Monday 5th March at the Westminster Park Plaza, and was hosted by popular BBC news presenter Kate Silverton.

The Møller Centre gets Gold for environmental award

With an ongoing commitment to reducing carbon emissions and protecting the environment wherever possible, The Møller Centre has achieved gold standard in The International Association of Conference Centre’s rigorous Code of Sustainability. The Centre complies with over 85% of 55 tenets, covering the following areas:

• Education, Awareness and Public Declaration
• Waste Management

• Recycling

• Reuse
• Water Conservation

• Purchasing
• Energy Management
• Air Quality
• Food & Beverage

“The Møller Centre takes its corporate responsibilities very seriously. This award signifies to our clients the processes and procedures we put in place to deliver the most environmentally friendly service we can to our clients”, says Christine Hartshorne, Marketing Manager at The Møller Centre. “This we know is very important to many clients who now look for environmental credentials in suppliers and working partners as a sign of responsibility to the community and aligns with their own business objectives. We are pleased that we can work with our clients to offer a greener more efficient service.”

The many recent initiatives introduced at The Møller Centre to support its environmental policy include updating departmental procedures, new energy-efficient boilers, an improved co-mingled recycling system and an updated purchasing procedure, ensuring The Møller Centre demands more from its suppliers.

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Tourism Minister welcomes £¼m conference investment in the Cotswolds

The Tourism & Heritage Minister led a delegation of industry VIPs at the unveiling of a new conservatory-style dining room in the heart of the Cotswolds yesterday.

John Penrose MP was on hand to open Cotswold Conference Centre’s stylish new £250,000 resource, named the Willersey Room.

The light and airy conservatory, with views over the Farncombe Estate and its natural lake, provides significant extra dining capacity for both leisure and corporate customers.

The Champagne opening was part of a regional tour arranged by the Cotswolds Conservation Board to consider the unique position of the Cotswolds in attracting tourists from around the globe. Cotswold Conference Centre was chosen to host the event by the Conservation Board, which is a regular customer of the centre.

The Minister was invited to attend a meeting with key tourism stakeholders, businesses and local authorities. During the tour, the group also visited Broadway Tower, a unique Capability Brown Folly, and one of England's outstanding viewpoints.

Richard Howdle, Operations Manager at Cotswold Conference Centre, said: “It was great to welcome both the Tourism & Heritage Minister and VisitEngland to showcase some of the first-class facilities we have here on the Farncombe Estate.

“The Cotswolds is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and have been extremely popular with leisure visitors for many years.

“However, conference centres such as ours are increasingly attracting business tourists to the region too, making it a favourite destination for many different people from across the world.”

After unveiling a plaque officially naming the Willersey Room, John Penrose MP said: “This business is a real success story. It is an organisation that has had to branch out and invent new lines of business, becoming so successful that it needs more space. This is a high-quality problem to have.

“It’s superb to see high-quality facilities springing up anywhere, but particularly in such a beautiful part of the country. What an amazing facility.”

James Berresford, chief executive of VisitEngland, was also part of the delegation.

“The Cotswolds is a real gem of a destination,” he said. “We are excited to be featuring the Cotswolds in our forthcoming advertising campaign which launches later next month.”

Cotswold Conference Centre is a modern, award-winning venue based on the 370-acre Farncombe Estate, five minutes from the picturesque town of Broadway and just half-an-hour from Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon.

For more information please contact the Hotline today on 0845 230 1414 or info@cceonline.co.cuk

IMAGO PREPARES TO INTRODUCE LOUGHBOROUGH TO INTERNATIONAL MARKET

imago, the hospitality and conferencing brand of Loughborough University, is setting its sights on Europe after confirming its attendance at leading meetings exhibition IMEX in Frankfurt and international events exhibition EIBTM in Barcelona.

Having access to a number of new buyers and markets will not only provide exposure for imago but for Loughborough University and the East Midlands as a whole. The main message at both exhibitions will be the strength of Loughborough’s central location and imago’s role as the official host to the Japanese Olympic team and Team GB, making it ideal for international events.

Emma Boynton, Sales and Marketing Manager at imago, said: “We have traditionally attended UK only exhibitions, building on the strong foundation that we already have in many sectors including academic and sporting markets. The decision to attend EIBTM and IMEX reflects our wider objective of promoting Loughborough as a key, central destination for international events. We believe that our offering is unique in combining outstanding hotels, sports and conference facilities and dedicated event management services.”

This strategy to target European customers follows imago’s appointment of Paul Cooper, Business Development Manager, who was recruited to assist with fresh sales ideas and customer incentives. The additional of a Coordination Manager, a Revenue Manager, a Marketing Executive and Event Management Assistant reflects the continued success of imago’s services which span the University, The Link Hotel, Holywell Park and Burleigh Court.

IMEX is held from 22nd to 24th May in Frankfurt. EIBTM will take place in Barcelona from 27th to 29th November. For further information on imago visit www.welcometoimago.com, call 0845 036 4624, or follow @imagolboro on twitter.

It’s double gold for The Møller Centre

The Møller Centre picked up Gold for “Best UK Management Training Centre”, and Gold for “Best Conferencing and Banqueting Staff” at the Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge in London last night in the 2012 Meetings & Incentive Travel (M&IT) awards. In the glitz and glamour, the mistress or ceremonies, Kate Silverton, BBC news presenter, hosted a fantastic evening where a total of 21 awards were given out to recognise achievement within the meetings and travel market.

The M&IT awards event brings together the various sectors of the business to measure market reaction in rewarding excellence of service and product and to enjoy excellent cuisine, fine wines, fantastic live entertainment and raise funds for Save the Children. It is a great opportunity for venues from around the world to get together and celebrate success. The Møller Centre has won the category for “Best UK Management Training Centre” three times out of the last four years.

“The M&IT awards are always special, as these awards are based on votes from our clients”, says Christine Hartshorne, Marketing Manager at The Møller Centre. “Winning Gold for two awards this year is a great achievement for the Centre and the staff, we thank everyone who has voted for us, as we continue to maintain and improve the very high standard of service we provide to our clients.”

"Having been a regular visitor to The Moller Centre over the past 7 years I'm not surprised to hear that yet again they've scooped awards at the 2012 M&IT awards ceremony” says Peter O'Riley from RBS Global Banking & Markets, and client of The Møller Centre, “I have nothing but praise for their determination in ensuring that the high standards that they set themselves are repeated every year. A top team and a real quality venue!"