Broadway House, a conference venue located directly opposite St James’s Park tube station, has achieved Gold in the stringent Accredited in Meetings (AIM) assessment – the nationwide kitemark for accredited venues and service providers in the UK meetings, conference and events industry. It is now one of only 17 UK venues to have achieved AIM Gold status.
Part of EEF Venues, this historic venue features 12 distinctive meeting rooms, with a maximum room capacity for up to 120 delegates. Technology is state-of-the-art, including unlimited high speed internet access, complimentary WiFi, DVD and audio visual conferencing technology.
The Process
Three years ago, Broadway House gained entry-level AIM accreditation because, according to Amanda Sutton, venue manager at Broadway House, it gave the venue all of the member advantages of being part of the mia and it gave the venue a competitive edge, helping it to ‘stand out from the crowd’. Over the course of the last three years, EEF Venues has continued to invest in and make improvements at Broadway House, such as upgrading its washrooms and adding another room to the venue’s portfolio – The Stephenson Room, which is the venue’s largest room with capacity for 120 people.
Earlier this year, the Broadway House team decided to go for AIM Gold accreditation. The application required a substantial portfolio of evidence detailing all aspects of the operation from legal requirements, including health and safety, data protection and disability, through to commercial performance, business planning, investment, staff and contractor management, customer service and sustainability.
The venue’s AIM Entry Level verification visit three months ago highlighted areas which needed improvements, such as the security levels in four of its meeting rooms. This was immediately addressed by EEF Venues in preparation for the assessor’s return.
The all-day assessment for Gold involved an interview with Amanda Sutton, individual interviews with all staff members and an in-depth inspection of the venue.
“It was a very truthful process,” said Amanda. “When I briefed my team in advance of the visit, I just told them to be themselves and tell it as it is.”
The assessor’s report clearly outlined the venue’s impeccable standards, highlighting the efficiency of the business operation across its sales processes, its high customer levels (Broadway House holds BDRC Gold Standard with 97% score for ‘good’ and ‘above average’ customer feedback) and its strong relationships with staff and contractors.
In August of this year, EEF Venues will begin a major upgrade all of all public access spaces and conference areas within Broadway House. This will include lighting, décor and new carpeting throughout.
David Vaughton, director of venues for EEF Venues, said: “This refurbishment project is a considerable milestone for us. We view it as a huge vote of confidence in EEF Venues and also in the marketplace itself, which despite challenging economic times, is still buoyant. Competition from other venues, particularly within the Westminster area, is strong. However, as approximately 75% of all of our business comes from repeat bookings, this drives the business during difficult times. But there is no room for complacency; it’s vital to keep improving facilities and investing to meet increasingly high delegate expectations.”
