Category: Industry News

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Ashton Gate Stadium Undergoes £45 Million Transformation


The Dolman Exhibition Hall features ground floor access, a ceiling height of 3.2m, is fully refurbished, has natural daylight and comes with air conditioning, complimentary Wi-Fi and free car parking.  


The venue’s South Stand will be open from September 2015 and they are now taking bookings. By September 2016 the Williams Stand will have a 850 seated restaurant and 20 executive boxes and will be the largest meeting and events venue in the South West. 


 The Dolman exhibition hall is one of the region’s largest multi-purpose conference, exhibition and banqueting venue. The Dolman Exhibition Hall boasts 1,700 square metres of floor space. The area is open with no obstructions or pillars and is perfect for exhibitions, conferences, large private parties and wedding receptions.


The Dolman Exhibition Hall features ground floor access, a ceiling height of 3.2m, is fully refurbished, has natural daylight and comes with air conditioning, complimentary Wi-Fi and free car parking.  


The venue’s South Stand will be open from September 2015 and they are now taking bookings. By September 2016 the Williams Stand will have a 850 seated restaurant and 20 executive boxes and will be the largest meeting and events venue in the South West. 


 The Dolman exhibition hall is one of the region’s largest multi-purpose conference, exhibition and banqueting venue. The Dolman Exhibition Hall boasts 1,700 square metres of floor space. The area is open with no obstructions or pillars and is perfect for exhibitions, conferences, large private parties and wedding receptions.


The Dolman Exhibition Hall features ground floor access, a ceiling height of 3.2m, is fully refurbished, has natural daylight and comes with air conditioning, complimentary Wi-Fi and free car parking.  


The venue’s South Stand will be open from September 2015 and they are now taking bookings. By September 2016 the Williams Stand will have a 850 seated restaurant and 20 executive boxes and will be the largest meeting and events venue in the South West. 

The Ashton Gate Stadium, the home of Bristol City Football Club and Bristol Rugby Club, is undergoing a £45 million transformation into a state-of-the-art 27,000 capacity stadium including new conference facilities, administration offices, a sports bar, café and shops. The work will consist of three separate phases to the Wedlock, Dolman and Williams Stands. The 86 year-old Wedlock Stand has been demolished and is currently being rebuilt, before the Dolman Stand is redeveloped. Work will then begin to demolish and rebuild the Williams Stand.


 The Dolman exhibition hall is one of the region’s largest multi-purpose conference, exhibition and banqueting venue. The Dolman Exhibition Hall boasts 1,700 square metres of floor space. The area is open with no obstructions or pillars and is perfect for exhibitions, conferences, large private parties and wedding receptions.


The Dolman Exhibition Hall features ground floor access, a ceiling height of 3.2m, is fully refurbished, has natural daylight and comes with air conditioning, complimentary Wi-Fi and free car parking.  


The venue’s South Stand will be open from September 2015 and they are now taking bookings. By September 2016 the Williams Stand will have a 850 seated restaurant and 20 executive boxes and will be the largest meeting and events venue in the South West. 
Ashton Gate Stadium undergoes £45 Million Transformation
Ashton Gate Stadium undergoes £45 Million Transformation

The Ashton Gate Stadium, the home of Bristol City Football Club and Bristol Rugby Club, is undergoing a £45 million transformation into a state-of-the-art 27,000 capacity stadium including new conference facilities, administration offices, a sports bar, café and shops. The work will consist of three separate phases to the Wedlock, Dolman and Williams Stands. The 86 year-old Wedlock Stand has been demolished and is currently being rebuilt, before the Dolman Stand is redeveloped. Work will then begin to demolish and rebuild the Williams Stand.


 The Dolman exhibition hall is one of the region’s largest multi-purpose conference, exhibition and banqueting venue. The Dolman Exhibition Hall boasts 1,700 square metres of floor space. The area is open with no obstructions or pillars and is perfect for exhibitions, conferences, large private parties and wedding receptions.


The Dolman Exhibition Hall features ground floor access, a ceiling height of 3.2m, is fully refurbished, has natural daylight and comes with air conditioning, complimentary Wi-Fi and free car parking.  


The venue’s South Stand will be open from September 2015 and they are now taking bookings. By September 2016 the Williams Stand will have a 850 seated restaurant and 20 executive boxes and will be the largest meeting and events venue in the South West. 
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Do You Really Know The Grove, The Runnymede-On-Thames And The Athenaeum Hotels?

Do you really know The Grove, The Runnymede-on-Thames and The Athenaeum Hotels?
Do you really know The Grove, The Runnymede-on-Thames and The Athenaeum Hotels?

Here are some fun facts that we learnt last week when these hotels came to visit … you’ll be able to amaze your delegates with this fascinating information .


THE GROVE


•         Queen Victoria is said to have invented ‘the weekend break’ following her visits to The Grove.

•         George Stubbs was a frequent guest of the Earls of Clarendon and many of his works feature the horses on the estate.

•         The Grove was the secret wartime HQ for the London, Midland & Scottish Railway.  It was of great strategic importance and called “Project X”. 

•         The cast of Harry Potter stayed at The Grove whilst filming the most successful film series of all time at nearby Warner Bros Studios Leavesden.

•         In 2006, The Grove welcomed the world’s top 64 players as part of the World Golf Championships, which was won by Tiger Woods.

•         The Grove is a popular destination for sports teams and has welcomed international sides for football, rugby, cricket and the NFL.


THE ATHENAEUM


•         To work on his movies, Steven Spielberg installed an edit suite in the adjoining apartment to his own and edited ET, First Encounters and Indiana Jones right there.

•         During World War II, Winston Churchill used the disused tube station on Down Street as a secret bunker and requested that the Athenaeum provide all his meals.

•         The 8-storey Living Wall at the front of the building contains more than 12,000 plants. It helps keep the hotel warm during the winter and cool during the summer!

•         The Whisky Bar is home to over 300 types of whisky (and counting) – an unrivalled selection in London!


THE RUNNYMEDE


•         The Runnymede-on-Thames has the UK’s only HotTug boat, if you fancy sailing down the river in a hot tub!

•         The hotel is located on the meadows opposite where the “Magna Carta” or “The Great Charter” was signed on 15th June 1215. It’s the 800th Anniversary this year. 

•         The JFK Memorial is nearby; it’s a British memorial to the assassinated president  and was jointly dedicated in May 1965, by Queen Elizabeth II and Jacqueline Kennedy, prior to a reception for the Kennedy family at Windsor Castle. 

•         Olympic welcome. On Bank Holiday Monday 25th August 2008, the Runnymede-on-Thames hosted Team GB’s homecoming following their most successful Olympics in 100 years.


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Jw Marriott Marquis Dubai

JW Marriott Marquis Dubai
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai

The 5* JW Marriott Marquis Dubai is the Guinness Book of Records tallest hotel in the world. It is also the largest hotel in Dubai with 1608 bedrooms, 804 in each tower.  With 24 meeting rooms and 2 ballrooms it has the largest conference space in Dubai. The hotel is a 72-story, twin-tower skyscraper complex with the first tower having opened in February 2013 and the second tower in January 2015.  The hotel is built in the shape of a palm tree and has 8 restaurants and 5 bars. The hotel will be hosting Expo 2020. 

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Tewin Bury Farm To Expand Accommodation Offering

Tewin Bury Farm, a independent hotel located in Welwyn Garden City is hoping to expand its accommodation offering by the end of 2015. The hotel, which is privately owned by 2 brothers is converting a block previously used for offices and are will increase their bedroom stock by between 7 and 9. Currently the hotel has 29 individually designed bedrooms but with 9 meeting spaces, the largest of which can accommodate 500 delegates theatre style, this will be a welcome addition to the property. Tewin Bury Farm is a beautiful venue located in stunning surrounding in Hertfordshire. The hotel is easy to access from the A1 and has lots of complimentary onsite car parking. All of the meeting rooms have daylight and views of the farm and countryside.

Tewin Bury Farm to expand accommodation offering
Tewin Bury Farm to expand accommodation offering

Tewin Bury Farm, a independent hotel located in Welwyn Garden City is hoping to expand its accommodation offering by the end of 2015. The hotel, which is privately owned by 2 brothers is converting a block previously used for offices and are will increase their bedroom stock by between 7 and 9. Currently the hotel has 29 individually designed bedrooms but with 9 meeting spaces, the largest of which can accommodate 500 delegates theatre style, this will be a welcome addition to the property. Tewin Bury Farm is a beautiful venue located in stunning surrounding in Hertfordshire. The hotel is easy to access from the A1 and has lots of complimentary onsite car parking. All of the meeting rooms have daylight and views of the farm and countryside.

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Principal Hayley’S Offer To Meeting Organisers

Principal Hayley's offer to meeting organisers
Principal Hayley’s offer to meeting organisers

We had a great visit from Hayley Goodwin last week to update us on all things Principal Hayley.  The continued merger of PH, De Vere and Four Pillars means that there are currently 60 properties in their portfolio, 30 of which fit the ‘Grand Space brief’, offering meeting rooms to hold between 300 and 1000 in theatre layout.  As a result PH have founded ‘The Grand Space Promise’, a selection of guaranteed inclusions for larger events. These include:

  • Prior night setup from 6pm
  • Complimentary organiser’s office
  • Dedicated event manager
  • Organiser radios
  • Organisation of delegate transport
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi for all guests
  • Express check-in area manned by the in-house events team
  • Comprehensive AV package
  • Luggage drops to bedrooms
  • Welcome desk with name badges for delegates manned by in the in-house events team
  • Organisation room drop off
  • Complimentary refreshments for set up operators who are onsite the night prior
  • Complimentary room hire for event team organisation pre and post event meetings
  • ‘Try Before You Buy’ incentive – complimentary meeting space for 10 to 12 delegates and an overnight stay for the organiser
  • Upgraded bedrooms for VIPs
  • Multiple event discounts
  • 5% added value back to the client, to be used for upgrades – welcome drinks, refreshment breaks, menu options, etc.

In addition, it was really interesting to learn about the two new small hotels that they’ve just acquired from the Town House Collection in Scotland:

Blythswood Square Hotel, Glasgow – a 5* boutique property, which is ideal for training courses and small, director level meetings.  The meeting capacity is maximum of 100 theatre style.  This hotel can be used in conjunction with the Grand Central Hotel for additional bedrooms, etc. and it’s only half a mile from Grand Central station

Bonham Hotel, Edinburgh – a boutique property with 49 bedrooms.  There are 2 meeting rooms, with maximum capacity of 26 in boardroom.  This hotel can be used in conjunction with the George Hotel for additional bedrooms, etc. and is located in the West End of the city centre.

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Exciting New 2015 Hilton Openings

In June, Hilton at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton will open its doors and in July the Double tree by Hilton Edinburgh will be open. It will be the only new Hilton launching in Scotland this year.

Finally in September, both Hilton London Bankside and Hilton Woking will also be opening their doors to the public.

April will see Hilton launch 3 new hotels, Doubletree by Hilton hotel & spa Liverpool, Hilton London docklands Riverside and Hampton by Hilton Bristol City Centre. 

Hampton by Hilton Bournemouth is set to be finished for the 12th of May. 

In June, Hilton at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton will open its doors and in July the Double tree by Hilton Edinburgh will be open. It will be the only new Hilton launching in Scotland this year.

Finally in September, both Hilton London Bankside and Hilton Woking will also be opening their doors to the public.

The Hampton by Hilton Newcastle on Baron House Neville Street will be the first to open on the 3rd of March, while the Doubletree by Hilton Nottingham Gateway will open its doors on the 18th of march on Nuthall Road.

April will see Hilton launch 3 new hotels, Doubletree by Hilton hotel & spa Liverpool, Hilton London docklands Riverside and Hampton by Hilton Bristol City Centre. 

Hampton by Hilton Bournemouth is set to be finished for the 12th of May. 

In June, Hilton at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton will open its doors and in July the Double tree by Hilton Edinburgh will be open. It will be the only new Hilton launching in Scotland this year.

Finally in September, both Hilton London Bankside and Hilton Woking will also be opening their doors to the public.

Hilton Worldwide will open ten new hotels across Britain this year with a further 17 also planned for 2016. The group are planning openings in Liverpool, Edinburgh, Newcastle, London, Bristol, Bournemouth, Southampton, Nottingham and Woking. The new developments are part of the group’s worldwide expansion over the next few years.

The Hampton by Hilton Newcastle on Baron House Neville Street will be the first to open on the 3rd of March, while the Doubletree by Hilton Nottingham Gateway will open its doors on the 18th of march on Nuthall Road.

April will see Hilton launch 3 new hotels, Doubletree by Hilton hotel & spa Liverpool, Hilton London docklands Riverside and Hampton by Hilton Bristol City Centre. 

Hampton by Hilton Bournemouth is set to be finished for the 12th of May. 

In June, Hilton at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton will open its doors and in July the Double tree by Hilton Edinburgh will be open. It will be the only new Hilton launching in Scotland this year.

Finally in September, both Hilton London Bankside and Hilton Woking will also be opening their doors to the public.

Hilton Worldwide will open ten new hotels across Britain this year with a further 17 also planned for 2016. The group are planning openings in Liverpool, Edinburgh, Newcastle, London, Bristol, Bournemouth, Southampton, Nottingham and Woking. The new developments are part of the group’s worldwide expansion over the next few years.

The Hampton by Hilton Newcastle on Baron House Neville Street will be the first to open on the 3rd of March, while the Doubletree by Hilton Nottingham Gateway will open its doors on the 18th of march on Nuthall Road.

April will see Hilton launch 3 new hotels, Doubletree by Hilton hotel & spa Liverpool, Hilton London docklands Riverside and Hampton by Hilton Bristol City Centre. 

Hampton by Hilton Bournemouth is set to be finished for the 12th of May. 

In June, Hilton at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton will open its doors and in July the Double tree by Hilton Edinburgh will be open. It will be the only new Hilton launching in Scotland this year.

Finally in September, both Hilton London Bankside and Hilton Woking will also be opening their doors to the public.

Exciting New 2015 Hilton Openings
Exciting New 2015 Hilton Openings

Hilton Worldwide will open ten new hotels across Britain this year with a further 17 also planned for 2016. The group are planning openings in Liverpool, Edinburgh, Newcastle, London, Bristol, Bournemouth, Southampton, Nottingham and Woking. The new developments are part of the group’s worldwide expansion over the next few years.

The Hampton by Hilton Newcastle on Baron House Neville Street will be the first to open on the 3rd of March, while the Doubletree by Hilton Nottingham Gateway will open its doors on the 18th of march on Nuthall Road.

April will see Hilton launch 3 new hotels, Doubletree by Hilton hotel & spa Liverpool, Hilton London docklands Riverside and Hampton by Hilton Bristol City Centre. 

Hampton by Hilton Bournemouth is set to be finished for the 12th of May. 

In June, Hilton at the Ageas Bowl, Southampton will open its doors and in July the Double tree by Hilton Edinburgh will be open. It will be the only new Hilton launching in Scotland this year.

Finally in September, both Hilton London Bankside and Hilton Woking will also be opening their doors to the public.

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Good Tax News For Events In Spain

For events that meet these requirements under this new legislation, it will represent potential savings of between 10% and 21% for agencies and end-user clients, according to the service in question.

Thanks Cititavel for this information

To be able to invoice without VAT, an event must be a B2B transaction involving a “complex organizational service”. It must clearly be shown that the event is a unique occasion and, generally speaking, a business event eg. a product launch, conference.

For events that meet these requirements under this new legislation, it will represent potential savings of between 10% and 21% for agencies and end-user clients, according to the service in question.

Thanks Cititavel for this information

New regulations introduced in January 2015 mean that there are more possibilities for Spanish DMCs to invoice their clients without the addition of VAT. The new legislation goes further than the provisions of the Reverse Charge Mechanism by extending the circumstances in which Spanish DMCs are able to invoice without the addition of VAT.

To be able to invoice without VAT, an event must be a B2B transaction involving a “complex organizational service”. It must clearly be shown that the event is a unique occasion and, generally speaking, a business event eg. a product launch, conference.

For events that meet these requirements under this new legislation, it will represent potential savings of between 10% and 21% for agencies and end-user clients, according to the service in question.

Thanks Cititavel for this information

New regulations introduced in January 2015 mean that there are more possibilities for Spanish DMCs to invoice their clients without the addition of VAT. The new legislation goes further than the provisions of the Reverse Charge Mechanism by extending the circumstances in which Spanish DMCs are able to invoice without the addition of VAT.

To be able to invoice without VAT, an event must be a B2B transaction involving a “complex organizational service”. It must clearly be shown that the event is a unique occasion and, generally speaking, a business event eg. a product launch, conference.

For events that meet these requirements under this new legislation, it will represent potential savings of between 10% and 21% for agencies and end-user clients, according to the service in question.

Thanks Cititavel for this information

Good Tax news for events in Spain
Good Tax news for events in Spain

New regulations introduced in January 2015 mean that there are more possibilities for Spanish DMCs to invoice their clients without the addition of VAT. The new legislation goes further than the provisions of the Reverse Charge Mechanism by extending the circumstances in which Spanish DMCs are able to invoice without the addition of VAT.

To be able to invoice without VAT, an event must be a B2B transaction involving a “complex organizational service”. It must clearly be shown that the event is a unique occasion and, generally speaking, a business event eg. a product launch, conference.

For events that meet these requirements under this new legislation, it will represent potential savings of between 10% and 21% for agencies and end-user clients, according to the service in question.

Thanks Cititavel for this information

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Doing Business Better And Doing Better Business Together

Doing business better and doing better business together...
Doing business better and doing better business together…

The Kick Off Meeting prior to the HBAA’s Annual Dinner last week was a fabulous start to the year.   Jacqui Kavanagh of Trinity Event Solutions is the HBAA Chair for 2015 and her mantra for the year is ‘doing better business and doing better business together’.  She will be working alongside Venue Vice Chair, Hayley Stokes of Principal Hayley, who highlighted two words: embrace and engage; to use the HBAA’s new code of Practice to raise our industry’s professionalism and encourage all members to be involved in the broad range of HBAA meetings and events on offer. Each committee shared their headline objectives for 2015 and the association is looking forward to taking these forward throughout the year.


In the evening, the annual dinner was held at Chelsea Football Club, attended by more than 400 agents and venues. Thank you to the very generous HBAA members who donated such fabulous prizes for our on line charity auction in aid of The Who Cares? Trust; and thank you to everyone who placed a bid.  We raised over £12,500!


Congratulations to SilverDoor’s Business Partnerships Director, Stuart Winstone, who was presented with the prestigious Tim Gasson Award.

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Macdonald Hotels Educational Visits

MacDonald Hotels educational visits
MacDonald Hotels educational visits

George Harriman-Hardy, Conference Administrator, attended the Macdonald Hotels educational and visited the following venues:


The MacDonald Berystede Hotel and Spa is the largest of the MacDonald properties. The hotel boasts a separate hall from the rest of the venue which can hold up 260 delegates in a dinner/dance layout. The venue also has numerous other spaces that can hold anything from a small boardroom to 120 delegates for a dinner.  One of the key features of the hotel is the state of the art spa facilities, which consist of a thermal spa with six spa treatment rooms, an 18-metre swimming pool, rock and infra-red saunas and an outdoor hydropool.   The area consist of large amounts of space, and a short distance from popular attractions such as Legoland, Thorpe Park, Windsor Castle and Wentworth Golf Course, perfect for team building.


MacDonald Complete Angler, Marlow


The Complete Angler hotel is situated in the town of Marlow next to the river Thames. The beautiful location of this venue makes it its unique selling point with two boardrooms, a restaurant and a large amount of the bedrooms are all situated looking over the river which provides a wonderful tranquil atmosphere. With regards to meeting space there are a few rooms which are situated in the main building and overlook the river. There are also two newly refurbished boardrooms that have the new smart boards and comfortable 24 hour chairs. The venue is also host to a restaurant owned by Atul Kochhar- the first Indian chef to receive the Michelin star.


MacDonald Hotel, Windsor


The MacDonald Windsor is the newest addition to the MacDonald portfolio. The property is very well designed with interior that is very welcoming and while also maintaining a somewhat homely atmosphere. The hotel is very eco-friendly while not compromising on luxury. The unique feature of this hotel is that they make their own honey and have 12,000 bee’s situated on the roof of the hotel that pollinate the royal gardens. There is also the changing of the guard every day outside the front of the property which has become a huge attraction.


Mercedes Benz World


Mercedes Benz World is a large and incredibly flexible venue that can accommodate a variety of bookings. The venue consists of several board rooms that are all appointed with the latest technology. There are rooms able to hold up to 70 for a dinner. For larger bookings, the hotel can rely upon their exhibition floor and The Brooklands Hall – both of which can hold 200+ for a dinner. The Mercedes Benz World really shines in the additional packages and experiences they offer for the clients, with a multitude of driving packages to make an event truly unique with friendly and professional instructors.

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London Stadium – Allianz Park

London stadium - Allianz Park
London stadium – Allianz Park

Allianz Park is London’s newest stadium which is located in the heart of North London amongst 26 acres of land. It boasts a total of 22 function suites with capacities ranging from small meeting spaces all the way up to 2000 reception. In addition to the function suites there is also an artificial grass pitch which is used all year long by Saracens RFU and has been used by a number of NFL teams also. Allianz Park is dedicated to living up to its name as “a green oasis in London” and this is shown by the fact that they are the first BREEAM Excellent stadium in the United Kingdom and also won the most sustainable stadium award in 2014.