Author: Suzi Johnson

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2021 hotel openings

Although the Coronavirus pandemic plagued the hospitality industry during 2021 there were still several new openings. In our latest feature, we identify four of the best that are all available to book now on Edgevenues.com.

The Londoner, London

The Londoner (part of the Radisson Hotel Group) is the world’s first super boutique hotel located in the southwest corner of Leicester Square, and opened on the 6th September 2021. It provides a collection of amazing spaces, tastes and experiences, all brought to life across its 16 storeys.

As a guest at the Londoner, your suite key opens the door to The Residence, 3 areas to socialise, dine, and relax for residents only. You also get access to the pool, gym and so much more.

Events at The Londoner will provide inspiration and discovery. The versatile and vast capacities also bring individualism and are designed for seamless entertaining. Rooms include The Ballroom which sets the bar for 21st Century conference spaces, The Green Room – a self-contained space shaped to host up to 150 guests dressed in marble and velvet, The Gallery – which blends visual beauty, and functional versatility with 7 adjoining meeting rooms. There are also 2 private screening rooms that can be hired for bespoke cinematic experience, presentations, and meetings, and can hold up to 168 guests.

Visit The Londoner profile

The Parkgate Hotel, Cardiff

The Parkgate Hotel welcomed guests for the first time on the 25th October 2021 following two years of redevelopment. The hotel combines stylish innovation with elegance located a stone’s throw away from the Principality Stadium and is a collaboration between the Welsh Rugby Union and The Celtic Collection.

The hotel has elegantly brought together two historic buildings from the turn of the 20th century – the grand former Post Office and the city’s old County Court. Today, with its stunning Postmaster Suite and historic private dining room, this unique venue provides the perfect backdrop for meetings and social events.  

The Postmaster suite is the largest function space for up to 432 guests, the room is the perfect place for larger meetings, dinners, weddings, and events of all kinds. The flexible space includes a private pre-event bar, and the room can be divided into smaller spaces to offer the perfect backdrop for each unique occasion.

If you are looking for that more intimate atmosphere, The Telegraph Room offers elegant private dining with open theatre kitchen so you can enjoy the view of the chefs cooking away. This room is a fantastic setting for private lunches and dinners, board meetings, and smaller events for up to 50 guests.

Visit the Parkgate Hotel Cardiff Profile

Canopy by Hilton London City  

The Canopy by Hilton London City is an impressive hotel located in one of Europe’s trendiest urban areas – London’s East End. The neighbourhood is an eclectic and vibrant place filled with iconic landmarks including The Tower of London and Tower Bridge within 5 minutes, alongside magnificent modern architecture.

The hotel thinks beyond the boardroom when it comes to meetings and events by offering private and semi-private spaces that truly inspire. Rooms are art-filled, high-tech, offer co-working and breakout areas. So, whether you are brainstorming or hosting a dinner, a pro planner or new to hosting events, The Canopy by Hilton London City offers a seamless, stress-free experience that will dazzle your guests.

Visit Canopy by Hilton London City Profile

Swinfen Hall Hotel, Lichfield

Swinfen Hall Hotel is a beautiful country mansion set in a 100-acre Estate with landscaped gardens and a private deer park.

Located just 25 miles from Birmingham, the independent Hotel has 3 meeting rooms, a bar, cocktail lounge, games room, a range of options for conferences, and is the perfect hideaway for a business meeting, team building event or large conference.

All 17 bedrooms and suites are individually furnished and offer bathrobes, hospitality tray, satellite television, free wi-fi and private secure free parking.

The extensive grounds and gardens can be used for outdoor corporate activities such as archery, clay pigeon shooting and private use of the games room. The Estate is being re-developed into a five-star luxury estate from 2023, in the meantime the hotel is open for exclusive use, conferences, meetings, private dining and weddings.

Visit Swinfen Hall Hotel Profile
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Monday Insights – 10th January

Welcome to 2022 and the first of our Monday Insights features, aimed at covering the prior week’s industry news headlines. 

And 2022 indeed started with a bang, didn’t it?! – with BBC One’s live show of fireworks, an inspiring light display, and drones sharing some significant moments of an emotionally charged 2021. While many hospitality businesses have been facing the pressures of the pandemic, this audio-visual display will have hopefully boosted viewers’ moods while showcasing some of the possibilities of today’s technology to prospective event organisers.

Headlines

Martin Fullard, Mash Media editorial director, has sent a clear message to the Government in an open letter in the latest edition of Conference News magazine. Calling for the industry to be ‘shown the respect it deserves’, Martin reminded the Government that our fragmented market is not all about festivals and big sporting events. It does, as we know – but the Government still seems not to grasp, envelope large swathes of business events such as exhibitions, trade shows, conferences, and other business events.

The letter concludes: “This is not an industry that forever cries for financial support, it is quite happy to go about its business, leading on knowledge exchange and legacy. All it wants is to be properly recognised by Government: to be properly administrated by Companies House, the Office for National Statistics, and the Treasury. The conference and meetings industry may not have the voter appeal of music or hospitality, but it is no less important to the UK’s economic strength.”

Read the letter here.

Perfectly said, Mr Fullard, thank you for your ongoing support.

The Meetings Industry Association (mia) new chief executive, Kerrin MacPhie, has wasted no time jumping to the hospitality industry’s defence. Kerrin, who took over from Jane Longhurst, has continued in the same vein as Jane in championing the sector, calling the Government’s £1bn hospitality fund grants insulting while urging industry members to write to their MPs.

The call-out followed a tough run-up to Christmas and New Year celebrations. Many businesses lost out following a drop in business and public confidence after Omicron’ Plan B’ announcements and updates. You can read the full mia update with Kerrin’s comments here.

£67m Coatham Arena could open in Yorkshire in 2024, according to Exhibition News.  Plans have been submitted for the new events arena, which could open in 2024. The venue would host an all-year entertainment, sporting, conference, exhibition and social events. It would sit on the former Redcar Bowl site in North Yorkshire, which has stood empty for several years. Described by developers as a “major catalyst” for the area’s regeneration, the venue would host 5,000 people. Read more on ExhibitionNews.co.uk.

We’ll be watching this one with interest!

Doubletake

In case you missed the fantastic news last week, Fay Sharpe, founder of the mentorship programme Fast Forward 15, has been named as an OBE in the 2022 Queen’s New in the 2022 Queen’s New Year Honours List. According to Conference News magazine, Fay, winner of 2018 M&IT Personality of the Year, said, “What an honour. This is not just for me, it’s for women and our industry.” 

Well, we’d like to say, “Thank you, Fay”, for recognising and acting on a need for greater equality and diversity in our inspiring industry.

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Sustainability: how the industry is playing its part

COP26 saw world leaders come together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

On 13 November 2021, COP26 concluded in Glasgow with all countries agreeing to the Glasgow Climate Pact to keep 1.5C alive and finalise the outstanding elements of the Paris Agreement.

The Glasgow Climate Pact, combined with increased ambition and action from countries, means that 1.5C remains in sight and scales up action on dealing with climate impacts, but it will only be delivered with concerted and immediate global efforts.

So, what does this mean for our industry?

Sustainability has been on the agenda for many years, but in recent years this is steadily rising on the Corporates agenda when planning meetings and events, with clients looking for more venues with green accreditations.

On the back of COP26, the importance and awareness of green initiatives are only going to become more important as we all look do our bit to support global efforts.

Understanding consumer behaviour helps us shape our sustainable initiatives.

With this in mind, we thought we’d look at some of the standards available and highlight some of our EDGE Venues licensees who we feel are doing particularly well when it comes to their ‘green’ initiatives and policies.

Download our latest whitepaper.

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Ideas to make sure attendees get the most out of your events

We all know that planning is the key to a successful conference, meeting or event. So how do you plan to make sure delegates get the best out of your events?

The German Convention Bureau has identified five elements to improve the delegate experience. We explore them, here.

Get the most out of your events:

1. Networking

Research has shown that networking is an important reason for attending an event. Event organisers should plan enough time for everyone to have the opportunity to meet and introduce themselves.

There are plenty of things organisers can do to facilitate networking. There are matchmaking systems to connect people before the event has begun. At the event, icebreakers can start communication and get people familiar with each other. Or interactive displays will create a reaction and get people talking.

2. Sharing Knowledge and Information

Another top reason for attending an event is to have access to new and exciting information. For many events, attendee satisfaction depends on the quality of content. The content must deliver new knowledge, improve understanding, and attendees need to be able to use it when they are back in the office. The information must have the power to motivate them or change their behaviour.

Speakers must be able to discuss a topic thoroughly and be engaging so the audience listen and take in what they say. They must also be able to answer questions, so, they should be very knowledgeable in their chosen topic. Think about the formats of sessions. Can some be interactive, or can a session be delivered by attendees working in small groups?

3. Disruption

Events that surprise and create change can positively impact both individuals and organisations. First-hand experience is important, and to introduce something different can create a lasting memory and sense of community.

Event organisers should consider building in an element that ties in with their organisation’s CSR policy, such as a meditation session, an inspiring speaker, creating artwork or a team-building exercise. This element needs to have a purpose but it can introduce attendees to something unusual and change their mindset.

4. Technology

Everyone expects technology to be at the forefront of the event. While it’s nice to introduce some innovative elements, they must be meaningful. There are apps and software to facilitate interaction between attendees and speakers, and using technology to engage delegates will create more interaction. Elements such as live streaming, virtual reality, specialist apps, and so on can elevate an event to the next level.

Organisers should consider whether it would be possible to mix digital and real-life options for people to interact with each other, while remembering that different personality types (more or less introvert or extrovert) have different ways of communicating.

5. Satisfaction

The main overall aim is that the attendees are happy with the event. They will have had different reasons for being there, and if they leave having achieved their goal, they will be satisfied. If they have gone to learn something new, made new contacts, and met their goals, they will deem it a successful event and hopefully attend again.

There is many aspects to remember when organising an event which contribute to the overall success. However, the most important factor to consider is the clients’ and delegates’ satisfaction. If they are happy, it was a successful event!

Need help planning your next event? Try our very own Trinity Event Solutions