Month: May 2021

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Edwardian Hotels vision for a sustainable future

Edwardian Hotels have let us know how they promote and achieve sustainability at their hotels in London and their vision for the future.

It’s not an easy task, but they continuously review and evolve their practices, partnerships and behaviour with the aim of creating a better future. It’s also in the best interest of guests, conference delegates and staff. As a result, in 2018, all Edwardian Hotels London properties were certified Gold Standard by Green Tourism Award.

Their four key initiatives look at:

  • Reduction in the use of energy
  • Minimise the carbon footprint
  • Decrease the use of water
  • Lessen food wastage

Carbon Emissions

Edwardian Hotels’ targets in this area are:

  • Between 2009 and 2016 the group reduced carbon emissions by 26.7%, against a target of 20%
  • Between 2016 and 2018 that figure increased to 30.7%, an increase of 4%
  • The company has a partnership with Tesla, promoting electric cars. Electric charging points have been installed at the Heathrow and New Providence Wharf properties, offering complimentary charging to guests

Reducing Single-Use

  • Edwardian Hotels London was one of the first hotel groups to introduce refillable shampoo, conditioner and soap in bedrooms, public and staff areas to reduce single use plastic
  • They are looking at alternative products and packaging to reduce plastic further
  • Most items in the event areas are re-usable and any items which can be recycled are done so automatically
  • Any polystyrene is sent to recycling and used to create insulation

In the wake of COVID-19, products are being reviewed to ensure they are hygienic as well as environmentally friendly wherever possible.

Reducing Waste

  • General waste has been reduced by 20% compared with 2016 and each property is aiming to reduce water use by 4% against 2018 consumption
  • The target set by the Mayor of London is to recycle 75% by 2025 and card, paper, cans, plastic bottles, glass and mixed plastics are recycled. Food waste is collected separately
  • Edwardian Hotels use Globechain, a marketplace for unneeded items.
  • The group uses GSC certified paper

Food and Beverage

  • Produce and food waste is constantly reviewed
  • Local products are used where possible
  • Coffee beans are collected and Nespresso machine pods are recycled
  • Meetings, conferences and events
  • Delegates are encouraged to use public transport
  • Items in the meeting rooms are re-usable or recyclable
  • Menus use locally sourced ingredients where possible

Charities

Cancer Research UK is the group’s corporate charity. In addition, the bars and restaurants support Springboard and each hotel has local charity partnerships.

The Londoner

  • When this hotel opens in Leicester Square, it will have achieved:
  • 30% less carbon usage that the regulations demand
  • CHP and LED lighting
  • A £175m Green Loan from HSBC. This is the first loan in this sector to encourage and facilitate environmentally friendly activity
  • ‘Excellent’ Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method rating, to sent high standards for the procurement, design, construction and operation of new developments
  • And it will have a liquid film that reduces evaporation and energy loss from the swimming pool

For more information about the individual Edwardian Hotels, search on www.edgevenues.com.

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BMA House continues to develop hybrid and digital offering

As part of ongoing investment in the services most needed by clients, BMA House’s expert technicians have created a range of hybrid and digital event packages that reflect ongoing changes in the corporate and association meeting industry. These upgrades will ensure BMA House’s place as a leading London hybrid venue.

BMA’s flagship space, the Great Hall, is currently undergoing refurbishment that includes a fully equipped Hybrid Virtual Studio. A bespoke, custom-build to fit the Great Hall, the Studio is one of a kind and includes a prominent 20×10 green screen, 4 x PTZ HD camera set-up, streaming PC, VMix 4k Pro Software, relay monitors and professional lighting.

Including options for webcasting, breakouts, speaker only conferences and exhibitor/sponsor packages, the offering reflects both the challenges presented by COVID-19 and the future needs of event organisers.

Highlights from the packages include:

  • Webcasting – fully branded live streaming platform with up to 2,000 viewing hours of content. Created using professional cameras and sound suite managed by two technicians.
  • Fully Equipped TV Studio Layout including – Interview/chat style set up, sales or product launches, conferences/meetings, AGM’s etc. All with the ability to bring in remote guests to feature in the event.
  • Fully Virtual – Including a fully brandable Teams/Teams live solution and GotoWebinar platform
  • Dedicated technical support – taking the pressure off event organisers to ensure a smooth-running hybrid event from start to finish.
  • Breakout sessions – available direct from main sessions or via bespoke joining links. Full presentation setup with Q&A and interaction for up to 250 delegates.
  • Exhibitor and Sponsor spotlights – interactive demonstrations, virtual pitches and scheduled Q&A sessions. Run live or created in advance by professional film and edit teams.
  • Fully digital meetings – facilitated by BMA’s technical experts and capable of hosting virtual events for up to 2,000, this option takes away the hassle and challenges of running a digital event, allowing organisers to focus on the content.

Home to the British Medical Association since 1925, the sustainable venue boasts 22 unique and versatile spaces for up to 320 (without social distancing), including 11 purpose-built meeting rooms, all fitted with cutting edge AV technology.

Sustainability is a way of life for the team at BMA House, adopting green initiatives is essential, not only for the venue but also for clients, suppliers and events. As part of an ongoing drive to ensure event spaces provide top of the range technology, BMA House will also guarantee this is carried out in the most sustainable way, keeping a delegate’s carbon footprint as low as possible. In essence, BMA House is delivering the perfect balance between sustainability and technology.

Digital and hybrid solutions offer a new take on the concept of sustainable events. Digital only events have a far lower impact on the world as travel decreases. In addition, hybrid events allow event planners to market to a wider audience, bringing in more people both domestically and internationally for (relatively) little cost, helping to increase attendee numbers on the day and create an overall more engaging event.

For more information about BMA House, its meeting rooms and what it can offer for your your events click here.

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Vienna – New venue openings and funding packages to encourage organisers to return

Vienna is ready and waiting to welcome conference, meeting and events visitors again.  There’s lots going on in the city with new hotels and venues opening during this year and beyond.

Austria has recently introduced a €300 million protective shield, which means that the Austrian government will cover financial damage resulting from events being cancelled or restricted due to Covid-19.  An event is considered restricted if more than 30% of the participants cannot take part in the event due to COVID-19.  Applications can be made for events until December 2021.  The scheme applies to event organisers from outside Austria as long as the event is held in Austria.

In addition, Vienna also has a fund of €4m for domestic and international organisers who are planning meetings to be held in Vienna between 1 May 2021 and 31 December 2023.  Its aim is to encourage organisers to host congresses and corporate events in Vienna in the current circumstances.  Funding is provided for costs incurred when organizing meetings and is not intended as compensation for any financial losses.

This is particularly aimed at association congresses and meetings, as well as corporate events and meetings.  The event must be attended by at least 50 on-site participants and it lasts a minimum of four hours.  There is also funding for overnight stays and hybrid meetings.

Centrally located in Europe, Vienna is under 2 hours by plan from most other European capital cities.  It has a quick rail link from the airport to the city centre, which is compact, green and regarded as a safe city.

New Hotels

  • Almanac – opening in the summer of 2021, with 111 bedrooms and 11 meeting rooms
  • Hotel Motto – has 91 bedrooms and two meeting rooms is due to open in September 2021
  • Radisson Red Vienna – with 179 bedrooms and 480m² of meeting space will open during 2021
  • Hampton by Hilton – just opened in February 2021 and located next to the Messe.  This hotel has 192 bedrooms and one meeting room
  • Moons – a contemporary property with 170 bedrooms will open this summer.
  • Jaz in the city – opening in August will have 163 bedrooms and 150m² of meeting space
  • Zoku – 131 loft spaces with the option of a balcony, these are combined living and working space and there’s communal workspace and private meeting rooms.
  • Superbude – a combined hostel and hotel will open in June and has 75m² of meeting space

New Venues

  • Palais Wertheim – a contemporary venue which opened in 2019.  There are three meeting spaces and the largest has capacity for 300 in theatre style.
  • MQ Libelle – a rooftop venue with indoor and outdoor space.  The multi-functional room has capacity for 160 in theatre style.
  • Ariana – opening in 2021 with capacity for up to 500 people in theatre style and five meeting rooms in total
  • Austria Center Vienna ‘Danube Sail’ – has been refurbished, extended and is due to open in 2022.

Opening in 2022

At the luxury end of the market, The Rosewood is due to open in 2022.  It is located in the old town and will have 99 bedrooms, a rooftop bar, spa and meeting space.  This is Rosewood’s 5th property in Europe.

Opening in 2023

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is being built in Vienna’s old law court building.  There will be 151 bedrooms and the amount of meeting space will be confirmed nearer to completion of the build.

Vienna has three conference centres and is a well-established conference destination, particularly popular with associations as there are numerous international organisations located in the city.  There is a city-wide Coronavirus policy, called Stay Safe, which has set safety and hygiene standards for hotels, including testing for guests.

If you’re interesting in holding your event in Vienna, search for your venue on www.edgevenues.com or call us on 01780 484051 for more information.

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Rate Check – How much can you expect to pay?

It’s great news that events are starting again, so we thought it would be interesting to look at the rates that are being quoted by venues in different parts of the country.

There is demand, but event bookers are reluctant to confirm the booking until the government guidelines are clear about social distancing and the pilot events have been completed.

As usual rates are higher in months where there is less availability and they are lower outside London.

For example, we’ve looking at a 3-day event for 350 people in February 2021 and comparing various locations around the country. The rates vary, as follows:

Location Catering B&B
Liverpool £32.00-£39.00 £75.00-£105.00
Manchester £27.50-£36.00 £125.00-£146.00
Birmingham £32.00-£38.00 £96.00-£121.00
East Midlands £37.00-£44.00 £87.00
South Wales £53.00-£60.00 £120.00

However, the rates are higher for 2021. This is for a mid-week one day event for 30 people, where we’ve been quoted daily delegate rates of:

Location Date DDR
Hertfordshire June £55.00
Leeds July £36.00-£40.00
Milton Keynes July £35.00
London September £55.00-60.00
London November £65.00-£85.00

Some venues are sticking to previous rates, some venues are increasing rates to take account of fewer people in the same space. Pricing isn’t consistent at the moment, with some venues requesting supplements or additional room hire costs.

Social distancing is a big problem for venues and both they and the event bookers need to know what they can do in terms of capacity. It’s not just for the meeting rooms, but moving around the venue, catering and restrooms. Venues with outside space definitely have an advantage. After a turbulent year, the venues will need to be confident that they can operate at a profit when they open.

The Meetings Industry Association carried out a survey into social distancing in May 2020 and found that:

  • The majority (82%) of venues confirmed they can operate with social distancing measures in place.
  • Nearly half (46%) of respondents identified that their venue’s capacity would have to be more than halved, with 27% highlighting a reduction of between 41-50% would be required.
  • As a result of these reduced capacities, 59% of venues would not break even.
  • Over 80% expect to lose more than half of their turnover per month.
  • 17.5% of venue operators say it would be ‘impossible’ to open their venue while adhering to social distancing measures, both on commercial and operations grounds.

It will take some time for things to settle down. We will continue to review rates and report on trends as the bookings increase and report.

For more information and advice on booking venues for conferences, meetings and events, call us on 01780 484051 or email enquiries@edgevenues.com