Month: December 2016

Celebrations as our collection goes from strength to strength

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The last few months have been an extremely exciting time for the Westminster Venue collection (WVC). We have a new name new branding and a smarter, more intuitive website creating a strengthened platform for both our clients and our members.

Our showcase event, which took place at Central Hall Westminster on Monday, 12 December, provided a wonderful opportunity to meet and network with over 100 event professionals from across the UK and introduce them to our new look alongside our incredible selection of member venues and preferred suppliers.

We were delighted with the feedback that we received as significantly investing in the new identity and website has been quite a milestone for the collection.

This year has also seen some fantastic returns on investment highlighting both our integral position in the market and the high value our members receive from being part  of our great collection.

Jayna Patel, from One Great George Street, became a board member in 2016 and her venue has recorded a fantastic return on membership in the last 12 months with £25,000 of confirmed business coming directly from  the collection – covering the membership fee of £1,700 p/a almost 15 times over!.

Church House Westminster has also had a great year with the collection that is set to continue into 2017. Thanks to their membership, they are looking forward to a large event in June, which is worth approximately £20,000.

Elsewhere, Cavendish Venues and London Film Museum have also had a fantastic end to the year thanks to the collection. Cavendish Conference Centre has confirmed over £14,000 worth of revenue, generated from a single enquiry made via the collection’s stand at The Meetings Show in 2016, while London Film Museum has reported a £10,000 booking from the collection’s website.

It is fantastic to hear both our members and our clients getting such great success from the collection and that we provide an effective platform for fruitful business opportunities in the events community.

As a collection, we are greatly looking forward to 2017 and  hearing more successes from other members.

If you are interested in becoming a member venue with us, please click here or if you’re an event buyer looking for a venue in Westminster, you can quickly and easily enquire with any of our venues here.

We wish you a very happy and successful 2017.

Clare Arouche Westminster Venue Collection Chair

2017 trends for the events industry

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The events industry is one that constantly needs to have one eye on the here and now and one on the future with emerging trends, new technology innovations and changing buyer behaviour continuing to affect the way event professionals do business.

With this in mind, two of the board members of our collection have put their heads together to identify some of the expected trends and changes set to emerge in 2017.

Paul Martins, Westminster Venue Collection board member and director of sales at Cavendish Venues:  

“Given the current political instability after Brexit and the recent US elections, confidence to spend more on larger events may be affected. Working relations may also become strained by travel or VISA complications causing corporate businesses to look to other destinations outside the UK. Therefore, it’s significantly important that the UK events industry strive to demonstrate the added value our venues can offer

“Additionally if living costs continue to increase and there is prolonged difficulty attracting skilled event professionals with a sufficient work ethic, service levels may be stretched and profit margins subsequently reviewed. To combat this, I believe AIM accreditation with the Meetings Industry Association should remain paramount for a measure of standard across the industry.

“On a more positive note, we could see the weakening of the English pound initially encouraging more international visitors to the UK leading to increased revenue streams.”

Rosa Davies, Westminster Venue Collection board member and events manager at Victory Services Club added: “As we move into 2017, I think that we will see an increase in event spaces throughout the country giving buyers an advantage in the negotiation of rates. This, I think, will be one of the main factors for both buyers and venues influencing the events sector in 2017.

“With busy work schedules and delegates looking for faster solutions that deliver the same quality results, I think in 2017 we will continue to see the rise of virtual meetings. I have noticed that while face-to-face meetings are still the preferred option, there has been an increase in teleconferencing which is something all venues will have to adapt to and find ways around in order to keep up-to-date with what delegates are looking for in 2017.

If you’re looking for a Westminster venue for your event in 2017 take a look at our unique collection and enquire now here.

Welcome to Westminster Venue Collection

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On Monday, 12 December event professionals from across the UK gave a resounding thumbs up to the grand reveal of the Westminster Venue Collection’s new website and branding.

Formerly known as The Westminster Collection, the consortium hosted a suitably festive showcase at Central Hall Westminster that saw members come together to unveil the new identity. After being the first to witness the changes to the leading marketing consortium, event buyers were also treated to a

demonstration of the new website by chair, Clare Arouche, and board member, Rob Chambers.

In his address Rob explained the brand overhaul is the biggest shake-up since the consortium’s conception and is a responsive move to the changing behaviours of event buyers and the importance of providing time-saving intuitive venue finding tools.

Julia Belgrove, office manager at interactive design and user experience agency Allofus, shared her thoughts on the collection’s new website. She said: “I can’t think of another website where I can tailor my needs so precisely. The new Westminster Venue Collection’s website will save me time and I look forward to using it in the future”.

Sarah Gautier, head of studio at digital product design company Ostmodern, added: “For me, it is the ease of use and the ability to have so many great venues in one place that will make the Westminster Venue Collection’s new website such a great tool for event planners.”

The evening was also given a suitable festive touch with carols and music provided by member venue St Martin-in-the-Field’s resident choir St Martin’s Voices.

The pinnacle of the evening came in the form of a prize giving ceremony where 12 lucky event professionals got their hands on one of the collection’s ‘12 treats of Christmas’ including bespoke suits, designer shoes, dining experiences and a remote-control James Bond Car.

Jerina Brown, corporate secretary at CQC, the Care Quality Commission, was also named as the winner of the ‘Westminster Way’ grand prize which included two tickets to the London Transport Museum, lunch for two at One Great George Street, afternoon tea at Conrad London St James and dinner at the Lansdowne Club – everything needed for a perfect day out in iconic Westminster.

Chair of The Westminster Collection, Clare Arouche said: “As chair of the new Westminster Venue Collection board, I am absolutely thrilled to finally reveal the new brand to our members, industry peers and clients. Everything about the new look is designed to improve functionality, create smarter more intuitive searching and ultimately make researching, sourcing and booking a Westminster venue quicker, easier and more efficient for our clients. The showcase event was a fantastic success and the perfect opportunity to highlight our diverse collection of venues and for our members to make solid and lasting business connections. We were truly delighted with the initial response from event buyers.

Last chance to register for the launch of The Westminster Collection’s new identity

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There is just a few days left for event buyers to register for their place at leading venue consortium, The Westminster Collection’s glamourous launch event to unveil its re-brand including new name, website and identity.

In an innovative and exciting move for the collection, the new branding will be revealed at Central Hall Westminster on 12 December, and will create a more contemporary, engaging and intuitive event booking system that allows event professionals from around the world to access 34 unique Westminster venues at the click of a button.

The full new-look branding will be revealed exclusively to those in attendance at the launch event which will also give guests the chance to meet and network with the collection’s member venues as well as industry peers and key media.

Entertainment will be in abundance on the night with music provided by member venue St Martin-in-the-Field’s resident choir St Martin’s Voices and guests can get snap-happy with a photo booth provided by PhotoBooth Magic, a preferred supplier for the collection.

Following an introduction from The Westminster Collection’s chair Clare Arouche, Rob Chambers, collection board member and events manager at London Film Museum, will deliver an opening speech highlighting the key features of the new website, the thought-process behind the branding and plans for the collection’s future.

Those in attendance on the night will also have the chance to win one of ‘12 treats of Christmas’ as well as the ultimate ‘Westminster Way’ grand prize with everything needed for the perfect Westminster day out including two tickets to the London Transport Museum, lunch for two at One Great George Street, afternoon tea at Conrad London St James and dinner at the Lansdowne Club.

Chair of The Westminster Collection, Clare Arouche said: “We, as a collection, are thrilled to be able to reveal our re-brand and new website that offers event buyers and planners an even more efficient way of accessing a host of premium and diverse Westminster venues all in one place. A lot of work, research and development has taken place to ensure that the new website offers today’s time-poor planners all of the functionality they need to easily access, enquire and book prestigious venues in the heart of London. The news marks a dynamic time of change and development for the well-established collection.”

To pre-register for your place at The Westminster Collection’s exciting re-brand showcase contact Verity Lethbridge on [email protected] before Big Ben strikes midnight on Sunday, 11 December.

Places are strictly limited and The Westminster Collection reserve the right to qualify your event planning credentials in order to confirm your place.