Tag: Destination marketing

Concerts, exhibitions, botanical art: 5 things to do in Westminster this April

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The City of Westminster will play host to some of the capital’s most exciting events this April, from restaurant openings to concerts and exhibitions. Here are five top picks to explore:

1) 12 ‘Bach to Bach’ hours of music to celebrate the composer

What: Bach Marathon – Monteverdi Choir

Where: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London, SW7 2AP

When: 1st April 2014

Revered conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner features 12 inspiring and elevating hours of back to back music celebrating the baroque composer Bach. Join an array of distinguished guests including Sir John’s Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists for a day paying homage to the man Mozart described as the “original father of harmony”.

2) 11-day graphic art fair showcasing innovative design

What: ‘Pick Me Up’ Contemporary Graphic Art Fair

Where: Somerset House, Strand, London London, WC2R 1LA

When: 24th April – 5th May 2014

This is the fourth year in the fair’s history. The 11 day fair will display innovative graphic artists, collectives and galleries from the UK and across the world offering an exuberant mix of artworks for sale to the public. A lively series of events and activities accompanies the fair including Portfolio Surgeries. The spectacular Somerset House once again hosts this excellent opportunity to discover the latest talents in the graphic art scene and purchase prints from as little as £10.

3) Two Michelin starred Simon Rogan expands his rapidly growing empire

What: Simon Rogan at Claridges

Where: Claridge’s Brook Street, Mayfair, London W1K 4HR

When: April/May 2014

Simon Rogan, one of the most creative and exciting chefs in the UK today, will soon be opening the doors to his new restaurant at Claridge’s (opens to public on 6 May). Rogan’s belief in using local British produce, all sourced from his own farm in Cumbria, creativity and inventive techniques will be a defining element for the new restaurant. Rogan currently holds two Michelin stars at his flagship restaurant L’Enclume, in Cartmel, Cumbria.

4) Specialist orchids and botanical art at the Royal Horticultural Halls

What: RHS London Orchid Show and Botanical Art Show

Where: Royal Horticultural Halls and Conference Centre, 80 Vincent Square, Westminster, London, SW1P 2PE

When: 11th – 12th April 2014

The world’s finest specialist orchid growers are putting their best work on display alongside beautiful botanical art. Discover remarkable displays of tropical and hardy orchids from all around the world, hear from a selection of esteemed orchid experts and shop from a wide variety of species and hybrids. The event also doubles as the largest botanical art show of the year, making it a not-to-be-missed event for the green fingered.

5) Discover the wonderful world of Renaissance woodcuts at the Royal Academy

What: Renaissance Impressions: Chiaroscuro woodcuts from the Collections of Georg Baselitz and the Albertina, Vienna

When: 15th March – 8th June 2014

Where: Royal Academy of Art, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD

Running throughout April, the Royal Academy of Art is staging a special exhibition of Chiaroscuro woodcuts, based on the designs of the great Renaissance artists. A pioneering printing technique, this collection gives a fascinating insight into the craftsmanship and intricacies behind this method. Focusing on the leading proponents of the medium, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands, this exhibition concentrates on how the art form successfully captured shadow and light to create masterpieces.

London attractions welcomed record-breaking 34m visitors in 2013

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London’s visitor attractions have experienced a 12% increase in visitor numbers, according to statistics released by the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) today. With the top 10 attractions being based in London, and the city on course to welcome more than 16 million overseas visitors in one year, 2013 has been a record-breaker for the capital.

The most popular visitor attraction in 2013 remained The British Museum, which saw a 20% increase in its visitor numbers to 6,701,036 – making it the museum’s most successful year on record. In second place, was the National Gallery, which saw a 14% increase to 6,031,574 and in third place was the Natural History Museum, with 5,356,884.

Julie Chappell, director of consumer marketing and digital channels at London & Partners, said, “London’s cultural offering is unparalleled. We have a fantastically diverse range of attractions that showcase not only the history and heritage of our city, but also the wide range of cultural attractions. As the home to some of the most significant museums and landmarks in the world, it’s not surprising that 76% of visitors to London come to enjoy its world-class museums and galleries.”

Bernard Donoghue, Director, ALVA (The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions), noted that “London’s attractions had a fantastic year last year: new must-see exhibitions, great weather, superb new facilities like Tiger Territory at London Zoo, all contributed to record tourism figures for London – tipped to be nearly 16 million visitors in one year. Overseas visitors especially love their time at London’s attractions and tell us that our museums, galleries and heritage are the number one reason to visit our city.”

The top 10 attractions, amassing more than 34 million visits, are:

1. British Museum – 6,701,036
2. National Gallery – 6,031,574
3. Natural  History Museum – 5,356,884
4. Tate Modern – 4,884,939
5. Science Museum – 3,316,00
6. V & A – 3,290,500
7. Tower of London – 2,894,698
8. Somerset House Trust – 2,398,066
9. St Paul’s Cathedral – 2,138,130
10. Westminster Abbey – 2,020,637

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.

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.

Win incredible London experiences at Destination Westminster 2013

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To celebrate 10 years of The Westminster Collection (TWC), visitors to Destination Westminster 2013, the London venue showcase, will have the chance to win an incredible, high-value selection of memorable experiences in an exclusive competition taking place at the event – on Friday 13th September, 8:30 – 11:30am, at 8 Northumberland Avenue, London.

Visitors to Destination Westminster 2013 can compete to win these prizes, which showcase the creativity of Westminster as a business and lifestyle destination, by completing a competition card at the event. Prizes will be allocated at random and the winners will be notified by email following the event.

Prizes include:

1 Wimpole Street – Win an exclusive overnight stay for 2 at an Edwardian London townhouse

Win an exclusive overnight stay for two at 1 Wimpole Street’s Grade II listed sister venue and boutique hotel, Chandos House. Spend an evening in the period surrounds of one of Chandos House’s six luxurious bedrooms, before enjoying a delicious continental breakfast the next morning.

St. Ermin’s Hotel – Win a luxury one-night London stay for 2, with breakfast

St. Ermin’s Hotel in St. James’s Park invites one lucky winner and their guest to enjoy an overnight stay in the newly refurbished surrounds of its hotel. Relax and unwind in the building’s historic interiors or take advantage of the hotel’s proximity to some of London’s most iconic attractions.

Round off this luxury break with a sumptuous breakfast. This prize is valid for any date up to 29th August 2014, subject to availability. Blackout dates apply.

8 Northumberland Avenue – Win a 3-course meal at Boyd’s Brasserie

Enjoy a delicious three-course meal combining the best of British cuisine with a modern twist in Boyd’s Brasserie at 8 Northumberland Avenue. Here, you and your guest will enjoy innovative dishes such as lobster bisque with lobster dumplings, and chocolate mousse and popcorn ice cream with a salted caramel milkshake.

The Chesterfield Mayfair – Win an award-winning Afternoon Tea for 2

The prestigious Chesterfield Mayfair is gifting a traditional, award-winning British afternoon tea for two, especially for one lucky winner and guest. Enjoy a selection of delicious treats, including a delightfully playful selection of Willy Wonka themed pastries and cakes including Oompa Loompa cupcakes, fizzy lifting cakes and chocolate Wonka bars.

The Cinnamon Club – Win a cocktail masterclass

Win an exclusive cocktail masterclass at The Cinnamon Club’s cool and contemporary bar, where master mixologists will guide the winner and their guest through mixing and matching premium spirits with deliciously spiced ingredients. Learn a few tricks of the trade on the way.

St Martin-in-the-Fields – Win a wine & jazz night experience for 4 at Café in the Crypt

Put a swing in your step by scooping an exclusive evening of wine and jazz for you and four of your friends at Jazz Night in the Café in the Crypt at St Martin-in-the-Fields, on Wednesday 3rd October 2013.

Central Hall Westminster – Win 2 tickets to Neil Gaiman’s exclusive book signing

Win two tickets to an exclusive book signing session with best-selling children’s author Neil Gaiman, at 6pm on Tuesday 15th October 2013. See Neil read and talk about his silliest adventure yet as he takes you on a time-travelling, space-exploring adventure filled with lots of laughs. This is a sold-out family event and one not to miss. The winner will also receive a signed copy of Fortunately, the Milk.

Banqueting House – Win a tour of Banqueting house for 2, plus guidebook

Experience the majestic interiors and beautiful ceilings painted by legendary Flemish artist Peter Paul Reuben as you and your guests steep yourselves in the unique history of The Banqueting House, part of Historic Royal Palaces.

You and your guest will also receive a beautifully produced guidebook giving unrivalled information on one of London’s most historically significant buildings.

41 Portland Place – Win a Brazilian ‘Brigadeiro’ chocolate bootcamp for 4

As well as being famous for his amazing brownies, 41 Portland Place’s head chef Will Carvalho’s is also a master of creating delicious Brazilian Brigadeiro – a South American twist on chocolate truffles.

Chef Carvalho has offered to share his family Brigadeiro recipe with one lucky visitor to Destination Westminster 2013 and three of your friends in a chocolate masterclass at 41 Portland Place. Learn how to create your own Brigadeiros and as an extra treat, you will be treated to a bottle of their finest Champagne while you cook.

Victory Services Club – Win Sparkling Champagne Tea for 2

Win a sumptuous, sparkling afternoon tea in VSC’s stylish Lounge Bar, where you can enjoy all the trappings of a traditional English afternoon tea, accompanied by a refreshing glass of chilled Champagne.

The Rag – Army & Navy Club – Win Champagne Afternoon Tea for 5

Take a delicious Champagne Afternoon Tea in the sophisticated surroundings of The Rag’s Ladies’ Lounge for you and up to four of your friends. Afternoon tea is served Mondays to Fridays from 2.30pm – 5.30pm and this prize is valid until the end of January 2014. Tea must be pre-booked with the venue.

etc.venues Victoria – Win a garden BBQ party for 10

The sizzle of late summer comes to etc.venues Victoria as you and nine of your chosen guests enjoy a delicious, two-course BBQ in the contemporary courtyard garden.

The Lansdowne Club – Win a Champagne dinner for 2

The prestigious Lansdowne Club is putting sparkle into Destination Westminster 2013, offering a luxurious Champagne dinner for two in the surrounds of its exquisite Art Moderne Dining Room. Tuck into British classics including bone-fresh Cornish sole, filling spring chicken pie and a tasty trio of beef, all accompanied with chilled glasses of Champagne.

The Athenaeum Hotel – Win a 5-star meeting for 12 with luxury accommodation

The 5-star Athenaeum Hotel is offering one lucky person the chance to win a meeting for up to 12 people and an overnight stay in its luxurious hotel rooms. The winner and their delegates will have the opportunity to experience the Athenaeum’s sophisticated facilities and its unrivalled access to lovely natural daylight and stunning views, the ideal backdrop for discussion, debate and putting the world right.

Bistro 51 at 51 Buckingham Gate – Dinner for two and a Bottle of House Wine at ‘Bistro 51’

To register for FREE, and for more information about the timings and full programme for the showcase and panel discussion, click here.

Register now: Destination Westminster

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The Westminster Collection (TWC) is pleased to welcome anyone in the business of booking corporate and private events, meetings and conferences to register now for Destination Westminster, its 10th anniversary London venue showcase. The event takes place on Friday 13th September 2013 at London’s most central venue, 8 Northumberland Avenue, from 8.30am – 11.30am.

The breakfast showcase event, which is free to attend, is an opportunity for event buyers and planners to spend a morning with the sales and marketing teams at 50 of central London’s most iconic venues. The Westminster Collection is renowned for its eclectic portfolio of member venues, which encompass everything from historic institutes and societies, colleges, museums and private members clubs, to luxury hotels, concert halls, modern training venues, churches and Thames river boats.

New for 2013 is an Unleash Your Creativity forum, designed to inspire new and innovative ways of creating cost-effective events. It will feature a panel of renowned creative talents from venues, suppliers, agencies and production. Details of the panellists can be found here.

Host venue 8 Northumberland Avenue will also take the opportunity to showcase its prowess as the first venue in the UK to offer clients a permanent high definition holographic projection system within its stunning Ballroom, with a presentation by Musion, the world leaders in holographic projection technology and telepresence.

Speaking of the TWC showcase, marketing director Robin Parker said: “It is 10 years since The Westminster Collection formed to create a community of like-minded venues that believed in championing Westminster as a top-class destination for business and events. In this time we’ve grown and gained prominence as a reliable venue sourcing service for event organisers and as a credible marketing platform for venues.

“Our annual showcase has always been a popular date in the calendar and with new features like the creativity workshop, a host of venues eager to introduce you to investments and brand new services, plus eight new member venues to discover since our last showcase, we hope that guests will make the most of this opportunity to explore, learn, socialise and better understand what’s on offer in Westminster. It really is the go-to destination for events, lifestyle, culture and entertainment.”

Registration is open now at http://destination-westminster.eventbrite.co.uk/. This is a free business event especially for professionals responsible for sourcing venues and planning events and as such, TWC does reserve the right to limit or refuse registrations.

If you wish to stay in London the night before Destination Westminster 2013, a number of TWC hotels are happy to offer promotional rates to event guests on Thursday 12th September and over that weekend. Click here for details.

Related news

– Creative gurus accept challenge to Unleash Your Creativity at TWC showcase

– Unleash Your Creativity forum: The speakers

Mandarin website launches Central Hall’s march on China

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Central Hall Westminster has launched a series of sales and marketing initiatives aimed at attracting bookings from China. The drive to target the Chinese market comes as a result of steady growth in this sector in the last two years.

Earlier this month, Central Hall rolled out a Chinese version of its venue website, written entirely in Mandarin. This is bolstered by a portfolio of new marketing collateral, including brochures, banners and case studies specifically highlighting the public and private events held by Chinese delegations in 2012.

Paul Southern, managing director at Central Hall Westminster, said: “During 2011 we were able to generate significant interest for Central Hall Westminster as a key player for hosting conferences and events in the UK. It shows the Asian market is increasingly important in the years ahead and it is vital to take advantage of the growing opportunity.”

Longstanding employee and Chinese culture enthusiast Kevin Blackman, senior sales manager at Central Hall, has been appointed dedicated account manager for the campaign.

The new Chinese website was launched this month at China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market (COTTM), with Blackman present to promote Central Hall to the 4,000 leading, outbound tour operators from all over China. He later travelled for a further 10 days, attending various business meetings with corporate clients in Beijing and other locations.

Victoria BID team to present at WKC event, 19th Mar, 5.30-7pm

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Westminster Kingsway College invites you to get together with other professionals from the Westminster business community at a free networking evening on Tuesday 19th March, 5.30 – 7.00pm.

Hosted at The Vincent Rooms in the Victoria Centre, the evening will see the Victoria Business Improvement District (BID) present on their work and the opportunities and support they can provide for business, enterprise, the community and the development of the environment in the Victoria area of London.

Victoria BID provides a collective voice for business, driving forward a powerful agenda to develop an identity for Victoria as a vibrant and cultural destination, with strong historic background and flourishing future for all who work, visit and live in the area.

The BID will also highlight its Victoria BID Privilege Card scheme for those who live, work or do business in Victoria. It provides a great range of unique and exciting offers on eating, drinking, leisure, shopping and health opportunities within the locality of Victoria, London.

This ‘Westminster Kingsway Business Club’ event is a great opportunity for local businesses, organisations and employers to get together, and explore what’s happening in Victoria and Westminster and to find out about the latest in skills and career development activities.

The Business Club will also introduce Professional Development opportunities offered in conjunction with the Westminster Kingsway Business and Enterprise Professional Team. Wine and tapas will be served throughout the event.

To book your free place now, email [email protected] or call 020 7802 8364.

 

Image source: http://www.victoriabid.co.uk/wp-content/themes/vbid/images/maps/BID-Map-All.pdf