Category: Investments & Renovation

QEIICC commences £12m refurbishment on a high with revenue 143% ahead of target

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As extensive refurbishment works gain pace at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (QEIICC), the iconic meetings and events venue is demonstrating its dependability as an events destination with enquiries tracking 26% up in quarters one and two of 2014 compared with the same period last year. Operating surplus is 143% ahead of the year-to-date target.

Conferences incorporating catering and exhibition space are generating the highest number of enquiries, followed closely by requests for receptions, awards dinners and meetings. A stellar performance across all departments in June 2014 has seen the QEIICC exceed target by 143%, a figure reflective of 98% occupancy. Room hire generated revenue higher than ever achieved in a single month in the venue’s 28-year history.

Similar success is visible with the QEIICC’s in-house audio-visual service ‘Interface’, which has surpassed its budgetary forecast for June, achieving its highest ever revenue in a single month. This reflects an integrated approach to meeting event organisers’ needs, with clients opting to invest in the expert audio-visual consultancy and facilities available on-site.

The QEIICC’s catering partner Leith’s continues to demonstrate excellence in its delivery of on-trend, bespoke food and beverage solutions to discerning clients, seeing concessionary catering revenue increase by 83% in June compared with the same period in 2013. It’s the best performing food and beverage sales month in Leith’s 28-year partnership with the QEIICC. Clients can now look forward to the September launch of the brand new Executive Lounge within the Sanctuary Foyer, a stylish café lounge serving delicious cakes and snacks, light lunches, barista-made coffee and bar service.

Speaking of the QEIICC’s strong performance, chief executive Mark Taylor said: “This excellent team and business performance continues to suggest that the market is maintaining its recovery and we’re feeling very positive. Our client feedback continues to be exceedingly impressive with many positive comments and high satisfaction ratings. Overall client satisfaction for the last quarter was 98%, so I’m delighted not only with the volume of business we’re enjoying, but with the exceptional quality of our delivery too.

“We’re recognising our diversity and our capabilities and our capital investment programme is a clear indication of our move to re-energise and future-proof this iconic meetings and events destination.”

Works commenced on site on 19th July, with the centre set to reopen on 1st September.

Event spend on the up as UK emerges from recession

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The Chancellor of the Exchequer confirmed in his recent budget that the UK is gradually emerging from the recession, forecasting a 2.7% increase in growth for 2014. Although still a long way from full economic recovery, this positive indication is as much an encouragement for the London events market as it is for UK business as a whole.

As more and more cash flow frees up, companies are once again looking at their budgets and to meetings and events as good marketing and networking tools for their businesses.

As economic pace has started to gather momentum, so too it seems has a renewed willingness to invest more money in events through enhancements and add-ons, offering delegates a more rounded experience than ‘the basic package’, which became a trend through the lowest points of the recession, as companies looked to make savings.

This begs the question: Has there been an increase on event spend as the UK emerges from the recession?

We asked some of The Westminster Collection’s member venues for their views, focusing on activity in January – March 2014 compared with the same period last year. We also asked where they think event organisers are directing the extra spend:

Robin Parker, general manager at Church House Conference Centre, feels that there has been an upturn in spend on events:

“We can report a 20% increase in catering spend compared with the same period last year. Although the spend in the public sector remains flat, reflecting a large number of budget freezes across government departments, the private sector is definitely spending more on adding value to their events through post-event receptions or by upgrading their lunch from basic sandwiches to a hot fork buffet.”

Guy Booth, venue manager at etc. venues Victoria, agreed, highlighting the benefits of adding a networking reception to meetings and conferences:

“We can confirm an upturn in added-value events at etc. venues Victoria in comparison to this time last year. As the recession lifts, more and more organisers are increasing their average spend to add a networking reception to finish their event. It is a clear sign that companies are appreciating the important business development opportunities that these extra touches offer whilst adding a fuller experience for delegates. Two out of three of all large meetings and conferences at etc. venues Victoria now incorporate a reception at the end of the day, encouraging relaxation in the courtyard garden.”

Tom Walsh, director of sales MICE at St Ermin’s Hotel, was more cautious in his response but felt that organisers were more receptive to upscaling their events:

“We are finding that budgets for events have become less restrictive than in years gone by. Certainly blank cheques are not being issued but neither an increase in F&B spend, nor package enhancements are being shunned as we had previously seen.”

Has your venue seen an increase or decrease in spend on events in the first quarter of 2014? If you have a view on this issue we would love to hear from you. If so, please email your response to [email protected].

Westminster Abbey acquires royal portrait

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A portrait of Her Majesty The Queen depicted standing on the Cosmati pavement in Westminster Abbey has been moved to Cheyneygates, one of the spaces at the Abbey available for hire, for day and evening events. Originally available to view as part of a temporary exhibition in the Chapter House, it is now possible to see this extraordinary painting by attending an event held in this space, which was originally part of the Dean’s home.

In a rare act of acquisition, supported by private donors, Westminster Abbey acquired the painting ‘The Coronation Theatre: Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’ by Australian-born, London-based artist Ralph Heimans, for its collection, last year, as part of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary of The Queen’s Coronation.

The ambitious and large-scale 9 x 11ft painting (oil on canvas) depicts The Queen in a unique and highly symbolic setting, the Sacrarium of Westminster Abbey, sometimes described as ‘The Coronation Theatre’.  It is an imagined scene set at night in Westminster Abbey showing The Queen in a moment of solitary reflection and is an exceptional interpretation of the intricate mosaic patterns of the 13th century Cosmati pavement.

The Queen is pictured wearing State Dress, including the crimson velvet Robe of State, which she wore to Her Coronation on 2nd June 1953.

Half day, and day delegate rates are available. For further information on booking Cheyneygates please contact [email protected].

Three new directors join board of TWC to steer 2014 plans

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Three talented events professionals join The Westminster Collection’s Board of Directors today as we, London’s only venue marketing consortium exclusively promoting the City of Westminster, ready our plans for investment into direct and digital marketing, face-to-face events and website development through 2014.

Tom Walsh, director of MICE sales at St Ermin’s Hotel, Anna Glazebrook, marketing manager at One Great George Street and Rob Chambers, head of event sales for London Film Museum (LFM), join the board with immediate effect. It’s an exciting trio of appointments for the collection, which has been eager to bring bright, new talent in to support the work of the existing directors, ready for the busy year ahead.

Walsh, Glazebrook and Chambers join existing board directors Robin Parker of Church House Conference Centre, Allyson Hargreaves of St Martin-in-the-Fields, Jonathan Morris of No.11 Cavendish Square, Wendy Greenhalgh and Karin Parkinson of Central Hall Westminster.

Commenting on the new appointments, Allyson Hargreaves, TWC board director and executive director at St Martin-in-the-Fields, said:

“Having the support of TWC members is vital to ensure we achieve our objectives as a collection. Anna, Tom and Rob each bring valuable skills and experience in sales and marketing which will be a great support to the board as we roll out our programme of developments and initiatives for 2014. Anna and Tom have already been instrumental in some of TWC’s successes to date, as active members of TWC’s marketing committee, assisting with projects including our new website launch, our presence at trade shows and our own Destination Westminster venue showcase last September. We are delighted to now welcome Anna, Tom and Rob to the board of directors.”

Click here for more information about The Westminster Collection or to explore the full collection of venues available for hire, click here.

110 Rochester Row increases capacity

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Form an orderly queue! 110 Rochester Row is pleased to announce an increase in its capacity, with the venue now able to host events for up to 180 delegates.

The contemporary space in Victoria combines cutting-edge technology with excellent service to give an all-round conferencing experience. The increase in capacity represents the venue’s continuing commitment to providing high quality events in the heart of London.

Inspired by a number of cultural events taking place across the capital in the coming months, 110 Rochester Row is also offering event organisers a number of exclusive incentives, from free photography to fortune cookies.

No.4 Hamilton Place unveils new Business Lounge

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No.4 Hamilton Place is pleased to unveil its newly refurbished Business Lounge and Information Centre. The official opening took place earlier this month with special guests Professor Matthew Hudson CRAes and Sir Donald Spiers HonFRAeS.

Spiers, a major driving force behind the refurbishment of the rooms, introduced Professor Hudson who was honoured by the Royal Aeronautical Society as a Companion. His entrepreneurial skills and creativity as the saviour of Prestwick Airport were acknowledged before he took great pride in unveiling a commemorative plaque that recognised all of the Fellows and Companions who had supported the refurbishment project.

Located on the third floor of No.4 Hamilton Place, The Business Lounge is ideal for board and group meetings for up to 40 guests. Its high spec facilities include new air conditioning and heating, fully controllable lighting and a large smart TV.

The adjoining Information Centre has three work stations with computers connected to the WiFi network. A great deal of care and thought was invested into the décor to ensure it matched the heritage of the house. This included refurbishing the stair and access areas and opening up a further floor of the house.

For more information on the Business Lounge at No. 4 Hamilton Place please email the events team on [email protected].

New report indicates growth in London venue market

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Today marks the release of the 2013 London Venues Business Report and overall, the conference and events industry is reporting positivity in the period following the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Produced annually by The Westminster Collection (TWC), Unique Venues of London (UVL) and The Conference Bench, the new report collates the results of a survey into the performance of 110 tourist attractions, prestigious venues and renowned hotels across the capital. This year, for the first time, the committee producing the report also welcomed the addition of the London City Selection, with a number of this venu consortium’s member submitting performance data.

Here are some of the key findings:

– Venue optimism is high, with 94% of venues surveyed reportedly feeling positive about the future of the events market through 2013 and into 2014. Short lead times, smaller events and irregular booking patterns remain a concern, however.

– There is a positive post-Olympics feel, with 94% of venues expressing optimism, although there is an increase in smaller or more intimate events booked.

– Short lead times for large, medium and small events remain a trend,with events valued at more than £10,000 tending to be booked 5.7 months in advance, on average and events valued at £5,000 or less, 2.8 months in advance.

– 63% of venues predict positive year-on-year revenue growth in 2013 versus 2012.

– Weddings are an area of growth, with 58% of venues predicting seeing an average 17% increase in bookings for this type of event through 2013. Private events such as birthdays and anniversary events are also predicted to show growth.

– The use of discounting as a sales tactic decreased in 2012, with just 18% of venues reporting to have won business by cutting room hire, catering or AV fees, compared with 35% having secured business as a result of discounting in 2011. Venues did indicate that 7.8% of their bookings could be attributed to offering flexibility in packages where minimum numbers normally apply.

– Of the 57% of venues offering day delegate rates (DDRs), 61% of those allowed customer demand to influence their DDRs, with rates modified in response to high and low periods of demand. Discounts on venues’ highest average DDRs in 2012 averaged 30%. 40% of responding venues do not flex their prices in periods of high or low demand.

– ‘Word of mouth’ was reported by 41% of venues to be their number one method for driving sales. Direct sales was rated second (21%) and online advertising was the third most successful sales method (17%).

– Of the 84 venues using social media to promote their event spaces, 99% now use Twitter – in 2012, just 70% of venues were using it in this way.

– 73% of the London venues surveyed plan to invest capital into their event spaces in 2013.Tourist venues are planning to make large investments in 2013, with 30% of the 78 tourist venues which plan to invest reporting budgeted spend in excess of £1 million.

– 89% of responding venues offer delegates free WiFi within their events spaces and 80 of the venues questioned offer free WiFi in their public areas. 45% of venues indicated that they intend to upgrade their broadband capacity within the next 18 months.

The 2013 London Venues Business Report is available for purchase, priced £95+VAT. Please contact [email protected] to order your copy.

RIBA marries up room hire, doubles capacity, launches new DDR

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RIBA is excited to announce that it has doubled the capacity for conferences to 400 by introducing the grand Florence Hall as an exhibition and refreshment area in conjunction with the Jarvis auditorium. To mark this occasion and make it simple to book, RIBA has also just launched a new day delegate rate (DDR).

Stephanie Ellrott, head of venues at RIBA said: “This double first helps conferences to enjoy the very best of RIBA. We have also included access to our seasonal exhibitions which provide a great talking point for delegates, as they can appreciate displays of architecture design and craftsmanship from around the world. There are also no extra hidden costs in our first ever DDR and all profits from events at our venue go back into supporting the work of the RIBA charity and its role in supporting British architectural talents.”

The DDR includes day hire of the Jarvis auditorium and the Florence Hall with its high ceilings and large windows opening onto the Terrace. A personal event manager and the use of the auditorium’s audio-visual equipment supported by an AV technician are also included. The package offers full catering for the day (including Danish pastries, biscuits and homemade cookies) with a standing hot buffet lunch, certain to make an impression on all delegates.

Conferences taking place between November 2013 and March 2014 at The RIBA can take advantage of the introductory rate of £68+VAT per person. Minimum numbers of 200 apply.

IET London: Savoy Place closes for £30 million refurbishment

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On 19 July 2013 IET London: Savoy Place closed its doors and welcomed project workers on site to begin a £30 million, two-year refurbishment.

The first major structural reconfiguration of facilities and services in 30 years will see a significant enhancement in capacities, connectivity and feel of the event spaces.

Floor space will be reconfigured to maximise the views of the Thames, increasing the Riverside suite by 50%. A brand new lecture theatre will be built in the light well area above the current lecture theatre and the main lecture theatre will be modernised and reconfigured to ensure that each and every person will have the best possible view.

The investment will drive plans to make IET London: Savoy Place one of the most technologically advanced and low-carbon venues in London and will incorporate a number of new facilities to enable more virtual and interactive events. In addition, structural plans have been shaped with the goal of achieving BREEAM accreditation and international standard ISO 20121 within one year of opening, helping event organisers to deliver more sustainable events.

Find out more about the refurbishment at http://savoyplace.theiet.org/new-venue/index.cfm  or come and look at the plans at the #DestinationWestminster breakfast showcase on 13 September.

The Ri launches new venue hire website

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The Royal Institution of Great Britain (Ri) is pleased to unveil its new-look website, which has undergone a virtual make-over designed to showcase the stunning and historic architecture of its Grade I listed building, near New Bond Street, London.

Built with the event planner in mind, the Ri’s new website has been made fully accessible, so it can be navigated with ease by event type or by room. It also offers a large choice of event packages, room specifications and event menus, which can be browsed at leisure.

Taking full advantage of the wonderful photography from past events, the new website offers visitors a unique virtual tour of the Royal Institution’s many diverse event spaces. Emma Hill, events and conference sales manager, said, “This new site underpins a wider digital strategy for engaging new clients. We recognised a need for an image led site to allow event planners and potential clients to fully understand the spaces we have available to hire. After all, we are delighted that the revenue from the venue hire business supports the charitable work the Royal Institution does in science education and communication.”

For more information on events at the Ri please contact the venue and events team on [email protected] or call 020 7409 2992. Visit the new website at www.venue.rigb.org.