Blog

Mandy Jennings, Executive Director venues of Excellence and owner of Paje consultancy Ltd, shares top tips for venues to bring their sales team on Par. Imagine – every venue and conference centre in the country re-launching at the same time – what’s going to make you stand out from the crowd?…

It’s almost two years since the announcement of the collaboration between Keele University and Tower Hotel Management, to deliver the 150-bedroom Courtyard Hotel Keele Staffordshire, which opens on February 1st 2021. …

HBAA board and senior management share their predictions for 2021  Collaboration and consolidation will be key trends for the business events, accommodation and meetings industry in 2021, according to the HBAA.…

Who are Hospitality Digital Services? We were the first UK business to launch a dedicated hotel-based cloud solution for digital signage (DisplayHub), and app-less mobile order and pay (ConciergeHub). Since 2018 our business has grown organically, and as an implication of supporting hospitality businesses throughout Covid-19.…

When Warwick Conferences re-opened its doors following the lockdown period, one of the first companies to return was British Mensa. The high IQ society not only held its first post-lockdown board meeting in the COVID-secure facilities, but also hosted its first ever virtual annual general meeting (AGM), for its 18,000 members.…

Hayley Smith, Head of Sales, Silverstone Circuits Ltd talks us through how they adapted their business in COVID-19 times. With the coronavirus pandemic having sudden and long-lasting effects on the meetings and events industry, venues are having to adapt to survive.…

Well what a year it’s been… one that we will always look back and say .. Remember 2020…what  a year that was! It’s really encouraging to see some green shoots in the hospitality world..…

As the events and hospitality industry prepares to raise the safety curtain when released from lockdown, technology will take centre stage in providing solutions to keep everyone safe and give them confidence.…

Meetings and events post CoronaVirus What will they look like? The hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis. The industry and our clients are left wondering what events will look like when restrictions are lifted.…

Terry Gordon, Learning Solutions Manager with Ashorne Hill, has in the current climate written an article which explores a few thoughts on the role of body language in communication. Download his full article here.…

A guest blog from our Preferred Partner, Wilson Vale.  Independent caterers, Wilson Vale, believe that good animal welfare is fundamental to good food. The company’s latest commitment to good animal husbandry is that they have signed up to the European Chicken Commitment to ensure that all chickens in its supply chain meet recommended animal welfare standards and regulations.…

In our last Excellence in Practice feature of 2019, Lane End Conference Centre in Buckinghamshire gives us an insight into the venue’s 50th year in business. As the UK’s first purpose-built conference centre, Lane End has been at the forefront of the meetings and events industry for decades, officially celebrating its 50th year in business in 2019.…

In our latest Excellence in Practice feature we take a look at The Sundial Group and its sister company – Teamscapes Learning. The Sundial Group is an award-winning events group, established in 1964 creating the UK’s first conference hotel at Highgate House in Northamptonshire.…

For this edition of Excellence in Practice we head to Gloucester Rugby, to find out more about how the sporting venue has maximised its potential as a meetings and events location.…

Meeting planners are now able to book showrounds and events at Wyboston Lakes Resort 24/7 since the venue introduced an interactive ‘Drift’ chatbot. The chatbot is instantly able, at the pace of the event booker, to capture sales enquiries, perform virtual show rounds, book physical show rounds and enable quotations to be produced quickly.…

In our latest Excellence in Practice feature, we talk with Pavan Gill, E-commerce & Marketing Executive at Coombe Abbey Hotel, about how a unique partnership with thrilling tree top adventure challenge Go Ape, allows their venue to really stand out from the crowd!…

This is a guest blog from one of our fabulous preferred partners, Wilson Vale. Wilson Vale is a privately-owned niche catering company, established by Andrew Wilson and Carolyne Vale in 2002.…

Define your format and purpose of your event This may seem obvious, but being clear from the outset about what your event is about and what it’s trying to achieve, will help your planning later.…

In this month’s Excellence in Practice feature, we head to Leamington Spa to find out more about Ashorne Hill’s newest addition – the Shedden Centre. Unveiled in 2018, the facility is a self-contained assessment and development centre that offers clients full use of the space for recruitment, assessment and development-focused events that require privacy and confidentiality.…

In our latest Excellence in Practice feature, we talk sustainability with Naomi Cooper, Business Development Manager at Lancaster Conferences +. As part of Lancaster University, Lancaster Conferences + places sustainability at the heart of everything it does.…

Did you know The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel is a fully assessed Healthcare Venue that ticks all the boxes for meetings and events for the medical and pharma sector? Following rigorous assessment in 2017, the Golden Jubilee received the Green assessment rating, the highest ranking available, meaning the Hotel is now recognised as being part of an elite group of venues in the UK which are able to meet the strict criteria required for medical events from across the globe.…

Now in its third year, IACC has released its annual Meeting Room of The Future™ report. Exploring the emerging and ongoing trends in the meeting industry, the report seeks insight from IACC Members, meeting planner and industry experts to build a perspective on how the world of events is evolving.…

Mandy Jennings, Managing Director of Paje Consultancy and Executive Director of Venues of Excellence shares insight into her top 3 soft skills that really make a difference in a hospitality sales environment.…

In his latest blog, Heni Fourie – sales and marketing director at Lane End Conference Centre, a Venues of Excellence member – shares an insight into how the site is working for a greener future.…

In the first of our new Excellence in Practice features, we meet Lumley Castle – a historic venue dating back to the 14th century. The team at the venue, which boasts elegant event spaces suitable for everything from Elizabethan Banquets to fairytale weddings, has recently turned towards a contemporary trend to enhance the customer experience.…

Guest Blog By Luis De Souza, CEO of NFS Technology Group one of our Preferred Partners Is it really possible that not too long ago, business experts were predicting the end of meetings?…

This is a guest blog by Katherine White, HR Director, Wyboston Lakes Resort This is Mental Health Awareness Week (13 -19 May), helping to place the spotlight on a major issue that affects 1 in 4 people at work and 1 in 3 in our sector, hospitality and events.…

Read our guest blog from Preferred Partner Viewit 360. As many of you know, during our recent annual conference, we held a workshop hosted by Noel Sexton, director of View It 360. …

Harry Kerr-King, conference and events manager at Burleigh Court Conference Centre and Hotel, part of the Imago Venues Portfolio, explains how he’s worked his way up in the hospitality industry. Harry was named on the miaList 2018 – an award which recognises the very best talent within the meetings and events sector.…

Rendezvous Version 5 from NFS This is a sponsored article from one of our preferred partners.  Rendezvous Version 5 is the fully-integrated venue management solution from NFS Technology that streamlines venue operations, sorts out your financial transactions and frees up time for your staff to spend on customer service and new business.…

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Greener business: How our industry can lead the way Mandy Jennings, executive director at Venues of Excellence, takes a close look at how Venues of Excellence members are leading by example when it comes to greener business.…

What do Google and Virgin have in common? They both focus on having the happiest and most engaged employees. Richard Branson famously said “If you look after your employees, they’ll look after your customers.…

4 real-life trends that are important to our industry – and how our venues can and are maximising them Bleisure – Everyone loves a new word, and this one is causing a fair bit of discussion.…

Making your venue stand out from the crowd by Mandy Jennings Executive Director of Venues of Excellence Mandy Jennings spoke exclusively to C&IT about how venues ca standout from the crowd.…

We all know that the key to successful training is making sure that people retain and recall what they have learned. Whether you’re organising the training or tasked with finding the perfect venue, these 5 top tips will take your training from good to great!…

Latest UK Conference and Meetings Survey 2018 The latest UK Conference and Meetings Survey has been released revealing that expenditure is up to an estimated £18.1 billion of direct expenditure generated by conference and meeting delegates in venues and in wider destination spend in 2017.…

Meeting Room of the Future™ latest report from IACC The meeting industry continues to expand and evolve, and so we are constantly looking to understand better the requirements of meeting planners and decision makers.…

Food for Thought Food choice can be one of the biggest challenges in event planning, now more than ever. According to ONS in the UK we eat out more than we have in 5 years, spending on average £45 per week in restaurants and hotels (March 2016) and therefore our food expectations are higher.…

Team Building Team building is a small word for a huge topic. Employee wellbeing and morale is a consistently hot topic, and more companies than ever see its value. At Venues of Excellence, we know that team building isn’t as simple as an activity to encourage teamwork.…