Tag: Venue investments

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.

BAFTA, 110 Rochester Row, 20 Cavendish Square, The Athenaeum Hotel join TWC

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Four stylish venues have joined us as members of The Westminster Collection, following their debut at Destination Westminster, our annual London venue showcase (held on 13 Sept 2013 at 8 Northumberland Avenue): 110 Rochester Row, 20 Cavendish Square, The Athenaeum Hotel and 195 Piccadilly, the home of BAFTA. These exceptional properties join a high quality portfolio of the Westminster borough’s unique and charming event and meetings venues.

Newly launched to the events market on 12th September 2013, 110 Rochester Row is a superb new conferencing venue, purpose-built and located equidistant from Pimlico and London Victoria stations for easy access to major rail links. 110 Rochester Row is owned and operated by HFMA (Healthcare Financial Management Association), a registered charity and everything from its pricing to its environmental policy reflects its charitable status.

20 Cavendish Square is the long-time home of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Located to the north of Oxford Street, this beautifully restored Georgian mansion house offers an unusual blend of historic and contemporary architecture. Suitable for meetings, receptions and fine-dining experiences, the venue has 14 meeting rooms, with the largest capacity room accommodating 200. All rooms come equipped with the latest audio visual technology.

Intimate and sophisticated, the 164-bedroom, 5-star Athenaeum Hotel in Mayfair places emphasis on personalisation, whether a board meeting, cocktail party, or conference for up to 100 people. The hotel’s three meeting rooms – all with natural daylight – can be booked together providing a unique, dedicated meeting floor. This hotel has something to delight everyone: The Living Wall vertical garden, a luxury spa, Afternoon Tea (voted “Best in London 2012”), award winning restaurant and a discreet bar, home to one of London’s largest collection of whiskies.

The Westminster Collection is also delighted to welcome back to membership 195 Piccadilly, home of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). This cultured venue offers five spacious rooms perfect for corporate events, private dining and weddings. Located in the bright lights of the West End, 195 Piccadilly offers the finest contemporary cuisine combined with outstanding service in a vibrant and accessible location.

Jonathan Morris, TWC’s membership director and No.11 Cavendish Square’s commercial director, said: “Since its establishment in 2003 The Westminster Collection has gone from strength to strength with a growing portfolio of culturally interesting venues, located in the City of Westminster. The range is wonderfully diverse, from townhouses and private members clubs to historic houses, unique venues and attractions; there’s something different and special about each one to suit organisers’ wide ranging needs and our Destination Westminster showcase earlier this month provided the perfect platform for buyers wanting to discover more about them.

“By being part of a leading venue consortium, members benefit from the partnerships formed with business organisations, trade bodies and associations which provide a network for boosting sales leads and sharing referrals. Alongside this, member venues are actively promoted through targeted marketing using the Collection’s extensive database of UK event professionals.

“The Westminster Collection will continue to develop successfully and I look forward to the addition of many more new venues and the formation of new partnerships.”

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.

Church House recruits young AV talent

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Church House Conference Centre has welcomed two new graduates to its award winning in-house AV team. They join in the roles of as Junior AV Technicians.

Tom Young studied Audio Music Production at Buckinghamshire New University and worked as a playback sound engineer at Lord’s Cricket Ground for the London 2012 Olympic archery events. He also worked as a sound engineer at a variety of music venues.

Andrew Hitchcock, who graduated from the University of Derby last year, worked as an assistant technician at Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury, as well as working at Carnegie Hall in Dunfermline with the Young Theatre Group and with various recording studios across London.

“We are delighted to welcome Tom and Andrew to our team,” said Ian Locke, AV Manager. “At Church House we recognise the difficulties many graduates face in gaining their first steps in the working world. Tom and Andrew have great enthusiasm for AV and the events industry as well as an abundance of raw talent. Young people are the future of the events industry and it’s therefore essential that we pass on our expertise and knowledge to them, helping them kick-start their careers and encouraging their development.”

Church House Conference Centre continually invests in its in-house AV team and technology. Recent investments include web streaming services, a 100Mbps broadband line and digital signage.  The team was recently awarded AV Magazine’s In-house AV Team of the Year Award 2012.

 

No.11 Cavendish Sq proves it’s Carbon Smart

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No.11 Cavendish Square is now the proud holder of Carbon Smart’s Carbon Silver Certification for its CSR and green policies which are designed to reduce the carbon footprint of the business.

Jonathan Morris, Commercial Director of No.11 Cavendish Square, said: “We have taken comprehensive, effective action to reduce our impact on the environment. We are delighted that our achievements have been recognised and we are thrilled to have been awarded the Silver Certification by Carbon Smart. We are working towards improving our environmental impact further by integrating carbon and energy management solutions across the organisation, including a new communication campaign to boost efforts in recycling and saving energy. We hope to achieve the Gold Certification soon.” 

No.11 Cavendish Square is fully committed to continuous environmental improvement and heightened carbon performance is a part of the long-term business lifecycle. An environmental impact group regularly reviews sustainable practices and implemented initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint adopted by No.11. The venue has a water purification system in place to eliminate the use of plastic water bottles, everything that can be recycled is recycled, LED lighting and low energy light bulbs are used wherever possible, suppliers are encouraged to minimise their packaging and remove it from site and biodegradable packaging is used in the onsite café.

The Carbon Smart Certification recognises and promotes organisations of all types and sizes which have taken clear practical action to reduce their impact on the environment. There are three levels to Carbon Smart Certification: Carbon Smart Blue, Carbon Smart Silver, and Carbon Smart Gold. Each level has differing levels of commitment and action.

No.11 Cavendish completes £250k refurb

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The refurbishment of 10 meeting rooms at No.11 Cavendish Square is now complete and event organisers are invited to enjoy the spruced up surroundings at this centrally located venue, near Oxford Circus.

New carpets, re-painted walls and new blinds complement a collection of contemporary photographs of iconic London scenes hung on the walls, including views of the Shard, the London Eye and St Paul’s Cathedral.

One wall in each of the meeting rooms is now magnetised, enabling delegates to attach free-standing magnetic flip charts as required. Low wattage lighting and energy saving LCD panels also now feature in each room.

The £250,000 refurbishment, which includes renovation of the Marlborough and the Maynard Theatre and their adjoining break-out rooms, sees AV upgraded to include state-of-the-art, 55-inch slimline LCD monitors with wall-mounted sound bars. These provide high quality, easy-to-adjust audio without the need for data projectors and screens. Clients connect directly to a floor box for user-friendly, slick presentations.

Popular room The Orangery now boasts multi-colour LED lighting throughout, which can be used to colour match a brand or create a theme. The lighting is controlled from an iPad or via a wall-mounted control panel.

For more information on No.11 Cavendish Square click here, or to discuss your next event, please email Lucy Johnson Brown or call 020 7307 2488.

RSA completes £3m refurbishment and restoration

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The RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) has completed a £3m nine-month restoration and refurbishment of RSA House. The venue’s Great Room, Benjamin Franklin Room and ground-floor spaces have been developed in close collaboration with the Fellow-led RSA House Development Committee, Matthew Lloyd Architects and other specialist consultants. The refurbishment amplifies the original appearance of the 18th Century building, whilst providing a technologically advanced space it for the 21st century.

Fixed seating was stripped from the Great Room and replaced with movable seating, transforming the space into a multipurpose area that can be used for a wide range of events including conferences, exhibitions and dinners.

The Great Room staircase is enhanced with a new lighting feature by Troika and includes restoration of the glass mosaic floor discovered under the previous carpet. The ground floor areas now offer a more flexible open plan space which incorporates new informal meeting rooms.

All the rooms at the venue have the latest in technology, from high definition cameras for video streaming and simultaneous recording of live images, to 15 channels of discreet audio, capable of 7.1 surround and beyond alongside HD cinema capable projection.

The refurbishment has improved the technological facilities for visitors, including a bespoke, multi-touch interactive wall within the foyer created specifically for the RSA by Vanguardia. It provides the ability for Fellows and guests to interact with the RSA’s rich content whilst also relaying events live into the space from the Great Room.

Another multi touch wall is featured within the central meeting area, based on an interactive projected image and user gesture recognition.  Events can now be streamed across the web in HD, creating real-time links with audiences in the UK and internationally, with the added provision for external guests to connect in to the event itself.

RSA House comprises 13 event spaces and can cater for large events for 200 and intimate events for between 14 and 50 guests. The House boasts 18th Century Georgian design and was purpose built for the Society in 1774 by the celebrated Scottish architects Robert and James Adam.

Royal College of Surgeons launches webcasting services

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In today’s fast-paced business environment it often is impossible for everybody to be in the same place at the same time. The Royal College of Surgeons’ new webcasting service allows clients to broadcast their event in real time to as many global viewers as they like and, even more importantly, to actively engage with them.

Live webcasts bring many other benefits, such as increased brand coverage, playback on mobile devices and reduced travel costs. Moreover, the service provides multiple broadcast cameras for visual variety and professional audio systems, for additional content including PowerPoint slides, document attachment or agenda points and for polls, surveys and social media interaction.

Recently, Cancer Research successfully used the Royal College of Surgeons’ new webcasting service to broadcast to over 500 delegates. Dr Nicola Hawkes, Operations Manager at Cancer Research, was delighted with the result: “Webcasting allowed us to broadcast live and record the conference with six months’ access after the event, via the internet. This meant we could share our event with a wider audience.”

For more information on the Royal College of Surgeons’ new webcasting service, please call 020 7869 6702 or click here to visit the website.