Month: February 2021

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Live Broadcast – More details revealed!

We are delighted to finalise our agenda for our forthcoming Live Broadcast, and wanted to share some of the topics that we will be discussing.

As well as a packed agenda we are pleased to announce that Nigel Huddleston MP Tourism, will be sending a message of support to the industry.

EDGE Venues Broadcast Agenda 

Fitter for the Future

Insights and Trends from the UK and Global Industry

See what our research tells us on how our Industry is getting ready for the return. What is happening in the rest of the world, what are people saying and what does the data show to support it. 

What has the EDGE Team been doing to ensure we and our Licensee will beFitter for the Future and we have been busy!!!! So our venues and buyers will be ready. 

Tool Kit for Venues the Build Confidence and Win Business 

See all the new functionality and features that have been added into a new look and feel EDGE Venues. This will deliver a fantastic toolkit for venues to share their stories, build confidence in their Venue and really engage with both Agency and Corporate Buyers when decisions are being made on the selection process. Added to that see the new RFP process designed to deliver serious cost reduction to all stakeholders both  Buyers and Venues. Take advantage of a great limited offer designed to support Venues in their engagement as they prepare for a successful return to a new norm. 

What is the Data saying 

Experience first hand what the EDGE data and analytics tools and dashboards can tell about our industry, as we prepare for the swift return. See how we can ensure a quality increase in conversions by reducing the amount of noise that unsuitable RFP’s bring at a time when resources are scarce. 

Corporate Planner Future insights for the Short, Medium and Long term

Hear what 5 of Trinity Event Solutions Key Clients and Buyers are saying about the return of Live Events and what their predictions are for their companies and what will help them to buy and commit. 

Agency view of the Future 

Hear what 2 Leading Agencies insights are,  not just on our future but also where we feel the budgets will be spent, what and how the delegate experience will expect as the new norm. Crucially how quickly we can get to a level we were at pre Covid. More importantly,  how collaboration will play a critical part with all parts of the Industry to return safely and professionally. 

Hybrid Events an opportunity for Venues 

Many of the our Buyers and Venues key Teams will only just be returning from many months of furlough to a new world where Hybrid will be the new norm.  How can a Venues react quickly and safely to deliver to their needs from enquiry handling to tech requirements and event delivery – at a profit!! hear top tips to help you add to your venue offering safely and know when to get the experts in!!. 

No need to register, just join us on the day, by clicking the link below

https://broadcast.drpg.events/edge-venues/broadcast

 Remember to save the date in your calendar 

Wednesday 3rd March 2021 – 11am

Please feel free to share with your contacts.  All are welcome to join us, Your help and support will always so important to us all here at Trinity and EDGE venue

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New hotels opening in Scotland during 2021

Last week we looked at new hotels in London, this week, we’ve decided to see what exciting new hotels and venues Scotland will bring to the conference and meetings and events industry:

Cameron House, Scotland

Due to open in Spring 2021, this hotel has been closed since a fire in 2017. It is set on the banks of Loch Lomond, with 100 acres of woodland. There are 136 bedrooms, a spa and championship level golf course. A new ballroom and further bedrooms will be ready in 2022.

100 Princes Street, Edinburgh

This will be Red Carnation’s first hotel in Scotland and is located opposite Edinburgh Castle. There will be about 30 bedrooms and meeting space is to be confirmed. The building was previously occupied by the Royal Overseas League

Marine and Lawn Hotels

This group has three hotels in the pipeline: Rusacks, St Andrews and The Marine, North Berwick which are both due to open in 2021. Following that the Marine Troon should be ready in 2022. The hotels all are located on golf courses and will have a golf theme.

The Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh

This outpost of Gleneagles is situated in St Andrews Square. The hotel will have 33 bedrooms, an all-day restaurant and two bars, including a rooftop terrace. The site will also be home to a private members’ club. The building was originally developed on behalf of the British Linen Bank in 1846. It is located within the New Town Conservation Area and is part of the Edinburgh World Heritage Site.

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New hotels due to open in London during 2021

NoMad London

The NoMad is accepting bookings from 13th April. The building was previously Bow Street Magistrates Court, in Covent Garden, located opposite the Royal Opera House. This hotel brand already has properties in New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas and this is their first hotel outside the USA.

NoMad London will have space for meetings and events, using the original Magistrates’ Courtroom, which has been renamed the Magistrates’ Ballroom. There are two adjacent private dining rooms, a separate bar, with a dedicated entrance from the street. There will be 92 bedrooms.

The Londoner

The opening of The Londoner, in Leicester Square is due at the end of May 2021. It will be contemporary in design, over 16 floors, including subterranean levels that reportedly make it one of the deepest hotels in the world. The hotel will have about 350 guest rooms and suites, a Mediterranean restaurant, rooftop bar, gastro tavern, members club, fitness centre and spa.

There are five event spaces:

  • The Ballroom, with capacity for 838 people in theatre style or can be divided in to two sections
  • The Green Room, with capacity for 150 people
  • The Gallery – seven meeting rooms connected by a private lounge
  • Two screening rooms

Pan Pacific London

The Pan Pacific London, located in Bishopsgate, is due to open this year, but there isn’t an exact date yet. For events, the hotel will offer nine flexible spaces on two floors with a triple-height, pillar-free ballroom for 400 people in theatre style. There are 237 bedrooms and suites.

The development includes 160 private residences, a wellbeing floor with an infinity pool with city views and landscaped outdoor space, very close to Liverpool Street Station.

Mondrian Shoreditch

The Mondrian Shoreditch was previously The Curtain, a 5* hotel with 120 guest rooms and suites. There are 10 event spaces, including a ballroom and a 35-seat screening room. There is a rooftop pool and lounge with retractable roof.

Nobu Hotel London Portman Square

The Nobu opened briefly in 2020 but closed due to the pandemic and is now going to re-open when hospitality returns in 2021. It was previously the Radisson Blu Portman Hotel and has 249 bedrooms and suites. For meetings and conferences, there is a ballroom for 600 theatre-style (300 theatre-style with social distancing) and two boardrooms.

The Dilly

This hotel was previously Le Meridien Piccadilly and has now been re-branded as The Dilly. It dates from 1908, when it was first opened as The Piccadilly Hotel. There are 283 bedrooms, swimming pool, a health club and spa with squash courts. For meetings and events there are seven meeting rooms. The hotel will open after 1st April.

The Mayfair Townhouse

This hotel also opened briefly in 2020 and will return in 2021. It was previously the Hilton London Green Park, in Half Moon Street. There are 172 bedrooms and suites and flexible event spaces.

Chateau Denmark

Chateau Denmark has a music history and has been developed from several buildings including the studio where The Rolling Stones recorded their first album and the Sex Pistols once lived. The interior design will develop music themes with areas of punk, rock and gothic style. The hotel will have 55 session rooms and apartments. The opening date is to be confirmed.

The Beaumont

The Beaumont hotel in Mayfair has been undertaking extensive refurbishment and is due to open in late Spring. The hotel has 73 bedrooms and suites and two meeting rooms, one with capacity for 45 in theatre-style and a boardroom for 12 people.

Westin London City

The Westin London City is on Upper Thames Street, with views across the river to the Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. It is due to open in Summer 2021 with 222 bedrooms, pool, spa and fitness centre. The hotel will have a Junior Ballroom and four meeting rooms.

And looking further into the future, the following hotels are planned for openings in 2022 or haven’t got a confirmed date yet:

  • Peninsula London, Hyde Park Corner
  • Park Hyatt London River Thames, Nine Elms
  • Oberoi London, Mayfair
  • Raffles London, Whitehall
  • Amano Covent Garden
  • Hyatt Regency London Olympia
  • Art’otel London Hoxton
  • Mandarin Oriental, Hanover Square
  • Rosewood Hotel, Grosvenor Square,
  • Art’otel London Battersea Power Station

So plenty of exciting new hotels in the pipeline to look forward to.

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Invitation to our live broadcast on Wednesday, 3rd March

EDGE venues is really excited to announce our forthcoming Live Broadcast on Wednesday, 3rd March 2021 at 11am. This is definitely one not to be missed!

During the past 12 months EDGE has been working really hard to prepare for our industry’s comeback. We have used our time wisely to look at the various aspects of the business and technology, so that that we are not only fitter for the future, but will deliver what you need from a venue finding platform.

We will be showcasing our new designs and functionality across the site and really help you prepare for our industry’s revival, so that you will be Fitter for the Future.

There is no need to register just turn up on the day. Click here to attend

Agenda

  • What does the future look like from data insights
  • What has EDGE been doing for the last year

The toolkit

  • Who uses EDGE
  • The Request for Proposal
  • Engagements
  • The size of the Prize
  • Your Irresistible offer

Interviews

  • What does the agency sector say? Interview with Dale Parmenter, CEO, DRP and Jacqui Kavanagh
  • What are our customers saying about events returning – views from our clients

We really hope you will join us, on what will be an exciting insight to our industry, the future and how EDGE can really help you maximise all your opportunities.

Wednesday, 3rd March 11am-12pm

DONT FORGET TO SAVE THE DATE!

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2021: what does the future hold for conferences, meetings & events?

The ‘new normal’ is a term that we often hear, but what can we expect to happen to conferences and meetings this year and in the future?

We all want to get back to socialising and meeting again, but there is concern about safety.

The question ‘is this meeting necessary’ will become normal. Some people are fed up with virtual meetings, but others have got used to working from home, are more productive and don’t want to spend time travelling.

The Talk Talk Group has done some research in to home working productivity and discovered:

  • 58% of workers in the UK said they had been more productive because of working from home, while over half (52%) said they never expect to return to a five-day working week in the office
  • A quarter (24%) have started to learn a language over lockdown, while a nearly a fifth (18%) worked on their IT & digital skills
  • When business leaders were asked to select what the most important factors are in enabling effective working from home, 81% identified a safe, fast and reliable broadband connection
  • 40% of business leaders said they expect to invest in digital skills and training more in the future, while almost a quarter (23%) named home broadband

Large meetings -v- small meetings

So, does this mean that there will be fewer smaller meetings? Maybe not, as people do want a different experience to meeting via their phone, laptop or pc. But there are other options, such as group whiteboarding using a touchscreen or draw-on-screen computer.

Large meetings are expected to be popular, despite increasing costs. Air fares will go up as the airlines revise their timetables and plan for financial stability.

The bigger the event, the easier and more cost-effective it will be to offer the flexibility of live or virtual attendance. International attendees will have the choice of travelling or dialing in to sessions in their own time. This is likely to boost overall attendance. It also gives organisers the ability to extend the event by sharing content beforehand, during and afterwards.

Technology

We’ve all improved our technology skills in the last year and technology is a huge growth area. The tools that event organisers are using will be very different in the future to the ones they are using now.

Designers are working to improve the event experience. There’s a lot to learn about using cameras and microphones to engage the audience. Rehearsals are essential, as well as a guide to technical requirements and an emergency-backup plan.

Health, Safety and Hygiene Protocols

The hospitality industry was quick to adopt higher standards and will continue to improve their programmes. The two main accreditations in the UK are Visit Britain’s We’re Good to Go and AIM Secure. In addition, there are many others such as the HBAA and Quality in Tourism’s Safe Clean & Legal, AIPC, ICCA and UFI’s Good Practice Guide, COVID-19 Certify, COVID-19 Control, COVID-19 Aware and AA’s COVID-19 Confident. Hotel groups have introduced their own standards and best practices such as such as Hilton’s CleanStay programme, Accor’s ALLSAFE and Marriott International’s Global Cleanliness Council.

Longer hotel bookings

Hotels have introduced extended stay programs as they expect travellers to take longer, but fewer trips. It’s a case of travellers taking the opportunity when then can, rather than risking several shorter trips which could be cancelled.

Improved working facilities and technology

Hotels are expecting visitors to combine business with pleasure, so are introducing dedicated spaces (other than Business Centres or bedrooms with better working facilities and faster WIFI.

Technology is being used to reduce human contact, with online check-ins, mobile keys and room settings controlled by touchless tech.

There will be more use QR codes or scannable menus to order food and beverage. The grab-and-go options, or room service leaving a meal at the bedroom door are expected to increase.

Space and Privacy

Guests are requesting more space and privacy, so that travellers can avoid contact with strangers and relax in their own environment.

There is more demand for outside space, whether it is for meetings and events, dining, coffee breaks or leisure.

Sustainability

This trend continues as guests and event attendees want to reduce their impact on the environment. Reducing waste, the use of water and sourcing local products are all important factors.