Month: March 2018

A new meeting academy has opened  at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow. The facility is a £500,000 investment, and the newly created space is ideal for self-contained small to medium-sized meetings.

Alternatively, the space can be integrated with the wider SEC conference facilities providing a VIP space for larger meetings.

The SEC Meeting Academy features a central 300-400 theatre-style capacity room and links with breakout rooms and networking spaces overlooking the concourse.

Alongside the larger theatre space, the four smaller meeting rooms formerly known as the Seminar Suite are being upgraded in line with the new facility and form part of the SEC Meeting Academy.

he new space acts as both a stand-alone conference offering, and as an additional provision for larger congresses.

The area has its own contemporary colour palette and a fresh new identity, that sits, alongside the growing suite of Scottish Event Campus brands.

For the very first time, Somerset House has announced that its East and West Wings, primarily used as exhibition spaces throughout the year, are now available for private hire during the summer.

Hire of these two spaces will include an outdoor section of the Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court, where guests will be able to experience a large-scale light installation by Anglo-Korean artist duo Kimchi and Chips, entitled Halo.

Over 100 mirrors will reflect the sun through the mist of Somerset House’s famous fountains to ‘draw’ a shape of light suspended in the air. The shapes will appear and disappear throughout the day depending on the sun’s position.

The East Wing can accommodate up to 300 for a standing reception and the West Wing 150.

Travelodge has revealed plans to open 20 hotels in the UK during 2018, including its largest ever new build. London City Travelodge located in Middlesex Street, close to the Gherkin, will be the group’s new 395-room flagship hotel and will open in the summer 

The group is targeting key business hubs with its new locations, including London Dagenham, the Port of Dover, Chester, Glasgow and Solihull.

2018 will also see the operator roll out its premium economy concept SuperRooms to 400 more bedrooms in London, Edinburgh, Bristol, Manchester and York, bringing the total to 1,400.

The 20 Travelodge hotels expected to open in 2018 are:  

• London City
• London Acton
• London Bromley
• Bury St Edmunds
• Chester
• Chippenham
• Dagenham
• Dover
• Gainsborough
• Glasgow
• Gravesend
• Lincoln
• Redruth
• Solihull
• Stirling
• Swindon
• Telford
• Walsall
• Welwyn Garden City
• York

• In 2017 they were awarded Most Innovative and Tech-friendly Venue at the Event Technology awards. 

• Manchester Central is an iconic venue in the heart of Manchester. They are right in the centre of the UK and easy to reach via Manchester’s extensive multi-modal transport network. 

• Manchester Central isn’t just ideal for large scale events – the Cobden, Charter and Exchange rooms are perfect for smaller meetings and events.

• Manchester Central offers world class flexibility and facilities, and four dedicated event entrances ensure exclusivity

• Last year they launched an online information portal to simplify the pitching process for agents. The online portal provides you with immediate access to venue-related information – from floorplans and images to capacities and other logistical information – to make the pitching process quicker and more effective. The portal is accessed by logging into our website with a specific login which can be requested from the Manchester Central team. 

• In 2017 they were awarded Most Innovative and Tech-friendly Venue at the Event Technology awards. 

• Manchester Central is an iconic venue in the heart of Manchester. They are right in the centre of the UK and easy to reach via Manchester’s extensive multi-modal transport network. 

• Manchester Central isn’t just ideal for large scale events – the Cobden, Charter and Exchange rooms are perfect for smaller meetings and events.

• Manchester Central offers world class flexibility and facilities, and four dedicated event entrances ensure exclusivity

• Last year they launched an online information portal to simplify the pitching process for agents. The online portal provides you with immediate access to venue-related information – from floorplans and images to capacities and other logistical information – to make the pitching process quicker and more effective. The portal is accessed by logging into our website with a specific login which can be requested from the Manchester Central team. 

• In 2017 they were awarded Most Innovative and Tech-friendly Venue at the Event Technology awards. 

• Manchester Central is an iconic venue in the heart of Manchester. They are right in the centre of the UK and easy to reach via Manchester’s extensive multi-modal transport network. 

• Manchester Central isn’t just ideal for large scale events – the Cobden, Charter and Exchange rooms are perfect for smaller meetings and events.

• Manchester Central offers world class flexibility and facilities, and four dedicated event entrances ensure exclusivity

Following a record-breaking 2017, Best Western Great Britain has added three new hotels to its collection of over 250 independently owned properties. This year has seen additions and interest particularly in its new soft brands, Sure Hotel Collection which sits in upper economy and BW Signature Collection which sits in upper midscale.

Joining the Sure Hotel Collection are Risley Hall Hotel in Derbyshire and Hotel Collingwood in the seaside town of Bournemouth, while the Cheltenham Regency Hotel joins the hard-branded Best Western Plus collection of properties.

Risley Hall Hotel, Sure Hotel Collection by Best Western, is a Grade Two listed building, which sits among acres of its own gardens and has a unique heritage as a Saxon Manor, with a history of hospitality dating back to the 11th Century. The hotel has 35 bedrooms and a conference capacity of 110 in a 16th-Century Baronial Hall.

Hotel Collingwood, Sure Hotel Collection by Best Western, is a modern building located a stone’s throw away from the famous Bournemouth beach. The family run establishment has 53 individually-styled en-suite bedrooms and leisure facilities, including a whirlpool spa and heated indoor pool.

Best Western Plus Cheltenham Regency Hotel, situated close to the centre of Cheltenham and on the doorstep of the Cotswolds. The hotel provides 47 bedrooms, as well as a conference suite with capacity for 40 people.

Due to open later this year, The Fife Arms in Braemar is being restored and returned to its former glory as a first-class hotel.  It is located in the centre of the Cairngorms National Park and is a one and a half hour drive from Aberdeen airport.

The Fife Arms was once a 19th-century hunting lodge for the Duke of Fife.  The hotel will have 46 bedrooms, a restaurant serving seasonal Scottish produce, a cinema, a cocktail bar and a spa, all set around a pretty courtyard planted with a heather roof.  The renovation is being done by owners of an art gallery and will combine their interest in heritage, tradition, contemporary art and culture.