New era for Cotswold Conference Centre

Cotswold Conference Centre near Broadway is getting a new name after 12 years of award-winning business.  

The meeting, training and teambuilding venue, which is located on the stunning 400-acre Farncombe Estate between Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon, will be renamed Farncombe Conference Centre from 25 June.

It is part of leading hospitality brand Farncombe, which also includes Farncombe Courses, Farncombe Events and the luxury hotel Dormy House. The move brings all the Farncombe Estate `family` together.

CEO Andrew Grahame said: “We felt that after 12 years it was time to bring all our businesses under a single Farncombe banner. As our businesses grow in strength, we believe the Farncombe brand will become synonymous with the best of hospitality, in the best of locations.

“We are continuing to invest heavily as we look forward to an exciting future ahead. For example, we have expanded our dining room and are planning an upgrade to our training rooms.  Dormy House is currently undergoing a £10m refurbishment, while next year a prestigious new spa will open its doors to hotel guests, spa members and day visitors.” 

Farncombe Conference Centre has 11 flexible meeting and training rooms ¬- in addition to separate syndicate rooms and coffee lounges – arranged village-style around the private estate.  The largest meeting room holds up to 120 people and there are 89 en-suite bedrooms available for staying delegates.

Last year it unveiled a new £250,000 conservatory-style dining room, named the Willersey Room, to increase dining capacity.  Early in 2014, there will be an upgrade of facilities in the Coach House building, which features three flexible training rooms and a west-facing terrace with views over the Vale of Evesham. 

The venue has a long string of awards, including twice winning the VisitEngland national title for Business Tourism and a VenueVerdict Gold award from customers every year since the standard was launched in 2009.

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

imago Christmas Conference

Hold an event during December with imago and receive a Christmas party for free!

Have you ever thought about combining your conference with a Christmas party? Anyone who holds an event with imago during December 2013 will receive a Christmas party free of charge.*

imago's Christmas Conference package includes: 

• Free Wi-Fi
• Accommodation
• Main meeting room
• Full English breakfast
• Christmas carvery lunch
• Essential audio-visual equipment
• Tea/coffee and refreshments
• Unlimited use of spa and leisure complex
• Christmas party (includes a three-course Christmas dinner and music entertainment)

Price -  Burleigh Court 24 hour delegate rate - from £110 per person (+VAT)
         
Call us on 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk for more details.

*Subject to availability. Conferences must be held on a Monday-Thursday, with a minimum of 20 delegates. Smaller bookings could result in a shared party on a different evening, depending on availability.

"Leaders in Venue Management Prepare for Future Success"

Keynote Speaker, Adrian Furnham

ConferenceCentres of Excellence hosts its third annual conference in July, bringing together all of its member venues, along with fellow professionals in the meetings and events industry.

The Conference, which takes place on July 19^th at imago Burleigh Court, Loughborough offers an excellent line up of keynote speakers and workshops, focusing on overcoming challenges within the industry, and preparing for increased future success for venues.

Bringing people together is essential for the success of business, according to the UK’s leading sales and marketing consortium for specialist venues. And to underline their commitment to recognising excellence, Conference Centres of Excellence will also be celebrating its awards for the second year running.

Anthony Lishman, Executive Director commented “I’m delighted that this year’s conference returns for its third year with a stronger line up of speakers and workshops than ever. It is a great opportunity to reward your team for a job well done in these most challenging of times.
The peer to peer networking and educational benefits speak for themselves, but the whole event is designed to not only move our consortium forward and demonstrate our passion for our industry, but also give us a glimpse into what very large organisations are doing to get the best out of their most precious resources. “

Keynote Speaker, Liggy Webb

Keynote speakers at the event include Adrian Furnham, renowned business psychologist, academic and media commentator, and Liggy Webb, a leading expert in the field of Modern Life Skills.

There will be a series of workshops available to delegates as well as a networking lunch and supplier exhibition.

Conference Centres ofExcellence will also hold its annual awards dinner on Thursday 18^th July prior to the conference, bringing together past Chairs of the consortium to celebrate 21 years of recognising Excellence.

To view the full CONFERENCE PROGRAMME, and to reserve your place, CLICK HERE to visit our website.

Summertime meeting offers at the manor house

Hotter than a summer's day - well an English one, anyway! - our meeting offers are just the thing to brighten up your meeting plans.

the manor house free one

It's been so popular, we've extended it a third time! For every ten delegates you book, we'll give you one free, so you only pay for nine! With a full day package from just £40 per person and a residential package from £140 per delegate, meeting within your budget just got easier! Meet for half a day and the per person price is £33 or for a morning or afternoon, it's just £23. Available for all new bookings for June and July.

august bonanza

Come and meet at the Manor House in August! You'll be able to enjoy all our facilities at the best price ever, starting at £13 if you want to meet just for a morning or afternoon. Meet for half a day and the price is £23, rising to £30 for the full day package. Like the idea of a barbeque on the terrace on a warm summer's evening? The price to stay for a residential package is £120  and the barbie's included!

meet & treat - a quick meeting in an informal setting 

If you need to have a quick, informal meeting over coffee or with a bite to eat, the Manor House can help. 

Meet in Smiths bar and lounge and for £5.00 per person, we will include a bacon bap or Danish pastry and coffee (with free refill). Add £6.00 per person, and we'll give you a sandwich lunch and soft drink too.

Comfy, quiet and free WiFi comes as standard. It's great if you can tell us you're coming so we can keep a place for you if it's busy. Otherwise, there's no need to reserve - just turn up and take a seat!

nitty gritty details

All prices and offers quoted exclude VAT, except meet and treat, which includes VAT. Offers cannot be used in conjunction with each other. Offers are subject to availability and must be mentioned at the time of enquiry. They apply to new bookings only and apply for the dates made in the offer.

Call us today on 0845 230 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk

All inclusive packages at Kents Hill Park

The team at Kents Hill Park really go the extra mile to make sure you have everything you need in our day delegate and 24 hour packages. That way there are no hidden extras when you get the invoice, or the expense claims through after the event for things like car parking and Wi-Fi.  What we quote you is what you will pay, making it easy for you to manage the cost of your event.

Our Conference and Events team: Sally, Laura and Sara, have between them, over 21 years’ experience of running events at Kents Hill Park. They are on hand to give you all the information and support you will need to run a successful event. From the best use of time and space, to making sure you get the best possible value for money. Their wealth of experience and knowledge gives you the peace of mind that your event is in safe hands.

We also make sure you have the same event manager for all your events, providing continuity for you and your team.

Just another benefit of using Kents Hill Park, member of Conference Centres of Excellence.

For more information visit our website today, call 0845 030 1414 or email info@cceonline.co.uk

New Chair for Conference Centres of Excellence board as it celebrates 21 years of Excellence

John Carson, Managing Director at Warwickshire’s renowned training and development and conference venue Ashorne Hill, has become the new Chair of Conference Centres of Excellence.

John was appointed Chair in May 2013, having been both a stalwart supporter of Conference Centres of Excellence and serving member of the board during the period of his company’s almost 9 years of membership.

Celebrating 21 years as the UK’s only marketing consortium to represent specialist, quality conference and training centres in the UK, Conference Centres of Excellence now has 34 members nationwide, including many of the country’s best known specialist conference and training venues, covering a geographical area extending from the South East of England to Scotland. Before joining, venues have to meet stringent criteria in terms of quality, facilities, accommodation and customer care. 

John is quite different from past Chairs having spent his former years as an officer in the Royal Navy and more latterly as an HR Director. Taking over Ashorne Hill was a real career change and membership of Conference Centres of Excellence gave him an ideal opportunity to benefit from the experience of his peers. He is convinced this was really beneficial in his transition from one career to another. He still believes that he has more to learn! 

John said, “I am absolutely proud to be taking over the Chair of Conference Centres of Excellence and hope to grow membership and membership value through the promotion of an organisation that clients can trust to deliver real quality’.

Executive Director Anthony Lishman said “John has been an active Board Member for the majority of the past 6 years, his business and management knowledge combined with great foresight will ensure our consortium thrives under his leadership. I know John will give the Chairmanship his full attention and steer the business in the right direction over the coming months".

Conference Centres of Excellence also welcomes Shaun Bowles, General Manager of Eynsham Hall in Oxfordshire, as a board member.

Awards Dinner and Annual Conference 2013

Conference Centres of Excellence is delighted to be holding its 2013 conference and awards dinner at imago, Loughborough. 

Thursday 18th/ Friday 19th July 2013

This annual event provides an opportunity for CCE Members, industry professionals and suppliers to network and discuss the latest issues affecting our industry in a friendly and supportive environment.

The awards dinner is an opportunity for Conference Centres of Excellence to recognise quality venues and suppliers to the meetings and events industry and the celebratory dinner kicks off the conference in style.

Anthony Lishman, Executive Director said: 

"The peer to peer networking and educational benefits speak for themselves, but the whole event is designed to not only move our consortium forward and demonstrate our passion for our industry, but also give us a glimpse into what very large organisations are doing to get the best out of their most precious resources.

I’m delighted that this year’s conference returns for its third year with a stronger line up of speakers and workshops than ever. It is a great opportunity to reward your team for a job well done in these most challenging of times. "

For the full conference schedule and booking details visit our website today or email summerconference@cceonline.co.uk