Groups and Events e-Newsletter First Quarter 2007

The Atrium

The Atrium is housed in the Glasgow Science Centre.  Spread over three stories is has floor to ceiling glass and is netred via a walkway over Glasgow Science Centre's mote.

With a panoramic Clyde view backdrop it hosts up to 400 banquet or 500 reception with state of the art audio visual facilities, an LED starcloth, four plasma screens and two large projection screens.

"Millionaire" Studios

Based at the Elstree Studios complex in north London, this is the studio in which the television quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? is filmed.

It is now available for hire to corporate parties during March, April and May this year and is available from 9am to midnight.  The venue can accommodate up to 200 guests and is ideal for cocktail parties, product launches and live communication events.

Chaophraya

This venue is above Sam's Chop House on Chapel Walk in Manchester and is a luxurious modern Thai Restaurant and bar.  Along with it's sister restaurant in Leeds it is fast becoming one of the most talked about restaurants in the North.

The venue provides a spacious, comfortable environment spread across two floors, the ground floor is the Yee Rah Bar which can accommodate 300 guests for cocktails or 100 seated.  On the first floor, the a la carte restaurant can host up to 120 for dinner or 250 for a reception.  There are also two oprivate function rooms that can seat up to 25.

For details of these or other venues please contact our Groups and Events team who will me more than happy to help you.

The Tutankhamun Exhibition last visited London in 1972 breaking all attendance records, and now 30 years later it is back.  Larger than the 1970's tour the Exhibition includes priceless exhibits from Tutemkhamun's tomb and other ancestral burials, many never having been seen outside Egypt before.

The Exhibition will be the perfect setting to entertain corporate clients and to this end there will be a special hospitality suite creating a calm oasis for your visitors.  Along with this there will be a private VIP longe/Restaurant which will also give private exhibition access.  An inspiring setting thsi lounge will extend thye Exhibition atmosphere into your event and will provide flexible dining, conference or entertainment facilities for groups of between 50 and 300 guests.

For details of this or other venues please contact our Groups and Events team who will me more than happy to help you.

Set on a 700 acre campus in beautifully landscaped gardens the Conference Park can accommodate up to 1,200 delegates and has the widest choice of meeting space in the UK.

Our Award winning chefs develop menus form the freshest seasonal ingredients that cater for every taste and budget. They can also create a unique theme for your evening if you prefer. Opportunities are bounded only by imagination.

The Conference Park is available for 17 weeks of the year when the Students are on vacation. It is the perfect environment for concentration, learning and team building. The dynamic spaces and variety of facilities are backed by our expertise and professionalism lending maximum impact to your message.

1200 bedrooms available; 870 en suite and 330 standard bedrooms for delegates. Access to our extensive sports facilities including a 25metre swimming pool and ‘Bear rock’ indoor climbing centre; all on campus.

Scarman

Scarman was purpose built to meet the needs of blue-chip clients and gives a choice of facilities to match your needs.

The facilities at Scarman can match all your needs, all our meeting rooms benefit from natural daylight and offer the latest audio visual facilities manned by an easy to use control point. It is available all year round for your conference needs
Our 200 en suite bedrooms are equipped with al the small touches to help your delegates have a ‘home form home’ feel at the centre.

Radcliffe

Radcliffe combines the comfort, service and welcome of a first class hotel with excellent training and meeting facilities. Our team ensure a flawless event through their dedicated efforts and are supported by the modern technology our rooms are equipped with as standard.

Our coffee lounge provides unlimited refreshments and offers a space to unwind whenever you’re ready. Meals are produced by our award wining chefs and are served in a sumptuous setting.

Arden

Arden provides an ideal setting for your meeting and training needs. Our spacious and highly specified meeting rooms are equipped with all the latest technology and equipment. This, along with our highly experienced staff ensures a smooth running event from start to finish.

Our award winning food is prepared by our highly creative chefs and is served in an inviting and comfortable setting. The private dining facility allows our chefs create a meal exclusively for a special dinner!

For details of this or other venues please contact our Groups and Events team who will me more than happy to help you.

Principal Hotels is delighted to announce the acquisition of Hawkstone Park Hotel and Country club. Situated in 400 acres of beautiful Shropshire countryside the hotel boasts two championship golf courses, conference and event facilities, restaurants and a unique park and follies.

The hotel is set in the heart of the English countryside and enjoys a relaxing countryside location that is central to Manchester and Birmingham and easily accessible from the M6 and M54 motorways.

The 2 championship golf courses and 6 hole golf academy were designed in extensive parkland surrounding the ruins of a medieval castle, with the cliffs of the world famous 18th century follies providing a spectacular backdrop. It has been voted one of the top 20 golf holiday destinations in the world and Sandy Lyle the world famous golfer was taught the game at Hawkstone by his father Alex who was golf professional for more than 30 years.

The hotel currently has 66 bedrooms and is furnished to offer sumptuous style, comfort and a history that has welcomed visitors since 1790. It features 5 function rooms that seat up to 200 people and the unique 100 acre park and follies can cater up to 2000 delegates in marquees, its is the ideal location for any corporate event.

Mr Tony Troy, CEO of Principal Hotels, said "We are delighted with the addition of Hawkstone Park Golf and Country club; it is a unique hotel in a strategically important location"

Principal Hotels will invest in a planned expansion to over 120 rooms, brand new spa facilities and conference suites and forms part of a new strategy of developing golf destinations which already includes Selsdon Park Hotel and Golf club in South Croydon.

Principal has only very recently taken over the five star St. David's Hotel & Spa in Cardiff which forms a collection of eight hotels in key UK locations.

With state of the art facilities located in the heart of the Capital's Olympic borough, the Hackney Empire complex now offers a unique experience for all.

Following an extensive £22 million  restoration they can now offer a range of conference and event facilities.

• The magnificent Edwardian stage and auditorium for up to 1200 delegates.
• Hospitality suite with full conference facilities for up to 80 delegates.
• The studio - an intimate theatre and workshop space for up to 90 delegates.

The venue is now perfect for product launches, awards ceremonies, meetings, conferences, training days, parties and client hospitality.

Now, more than ever, companies are trying to save time and money and when this involves delegates arriving from an array of countries or areas then Airport Venues are coming into their own.

The advantages of using an Airport Venue include excellent road and air links, they tend to be cheaper than their city centre rivals and there is a lack of distraction to delegates meaning more focus on the meeting and better bonding between delegates.  Many Airport Venues now offer excellent restaurants and health facilities and also usually have free parking, which their city centre rivals often cannot offer.

 

The Sunshine State capital’s Hispanic influence makes for a unique slice of the US that locals have dubbed ‘almost America’. Of all the factors that make Miami a prime incentive choice – the beaches, the hotels, the pound-dollar imbalance – the most striking these days is its image. Once the butt of endless ‘God’s waiting room’ jokes, the city is today established as a hub of vitality and modern decadence.

Boutique boltholes, designer stores and high-end restaurants have all helped fluff up its stature to that of a glossy-magazine mainstay. Add to that the rich Hispanic flavour that permeates everything from music to menus and the overall package is attractive.

The likes of JC Decaux, Samsung, Renault and Clarins would endorse this.

The hotel sector is booming. It’s the trendy all-suite properties and new condominium towers around the North Beaches – courtesy of the likes of Le Méridien and luxury operator Rosewood – that are causing most chatter, but other established international chains are maintaining a strong presence too. Following the opening three years ago of the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, the group now has three properties in Miami alone. Sheraton, Hyatt Regency and Mandarin Oriental are present too, while the 91-room Hyatt-owned Hotel Victor on Ocean Drive is another recent addition, while a Shangri-La is planned in the mid-term.

The opening in September of the 5,295m2 Carnival Center for Performing Arts is the biggest news in the events market, complementing three existing convention centres in the Miami region. Moss admits, however, that UK business is almost wholly incentive-based. The colourful vibrancy of the Art Deco district in South Beach makes it an obligatory inclusion on itineraries, but the major lure is still water-based activities.

The city is blessed in terms of air access. American Airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic all run daily direct services from London, with BA laying on twice-daily flights over the summer. Also of industry interest is the fact that three cruise companies – Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line – all operate group-friendly ships out of Miami.

Florida: Beyond the city limits

The Sunshine State’s appeal is self-evident. A mix of hot climate and cool culture makes the peninsula one of the most visited corners of North America, and much of its appeal is pertinent to business groups.

Cities like Orlando and Fort Lauderdale have top-range meetings infrastructure, and the continued growth of the conference industry can also be put down to the eclectic nature of accommodation, function space and activities.

A short way north of Miami, Fort Lauderdale matches varied cuisine and inland waterways with strong facilities. As well as a convention centre, it offers properties such as the Westin Diplomat, which provides 19,416m2 of space.

New to the portfolio are the 166-room St Regis Resort, which opened in December, and the Hilton Beach Resort, unveiled this month. A Trump International Hotel and W Hotel are both due to open in 2008.

Orlando’s main claim to fame might come with mouse-ears on, but its C&I credentials are worthy of far more serious attention. Disney World itself provides a large amount of function space – as well as almost 6,000 guest rooms – but the main attraction is Orange County Convention Center and its more than 650,000m2 of function space.

Fifty miles to the north, the Ocean Center Convention and Entertainment Complex in Daytona Beach is currently constructing 12,000m2 of additional event space.

On the Gulf of Mexico, meanwhile, Tampa is another city with a regularly refreshed product (the Sheraton and Hyatt have both undergone recent renovations), while Jacksonville’s stock in the live events world has risen still further since hosting the Super Bowl extravaganza in 2005.

Miami showcase: Five of the best venues in town

Smith & Wollensky

Popular with the C&I market on the strength of both its portside location and a 600-diner capacity across two floors, Smith & Wollensky meets the requisites of style and reliability. Despite its size, the restaurant provides a quality experience with an emphasis on service, seafood and steak – you won’t be leaving hungry. The largest space holds groups of 300. www.smithandwollensky.com

Opium Garden

Blending Asian décor with a celebrity clientele has helped Opium Garden to forge a weighty reputation. The two-storey club is one of the biggest on Miami Beach, with an outside garden and four bars. Sister hangouts Privé and Mansion are hip, with waterfalls and designer sofas adding to the feel. And, if they’re good enough for Jessica Simpson and Paris Hilton.

Delano

Big on understated chic, the almost all-white interior of The Delano on South Beach is conducive to serious calm, with a casual relaxed atmosphere, despite being in the heart of the city’s 24-hour nightlife. The 208-room property counts a private beach, in-room massage and rooftop Agua Bathhouse Spa among key offerings, while its widely vaunted Blue Door restaurant serves memorable French-Brazilian fusion cuisine. There is also meeting space for up to 150 delegates, and the ocean-front terrace makes for a sunny venue for events.

The Sagamore

Any hotel with its own 450-piece fine art collection is one to be reckoned with. Also boasting 93 suites, 16 garden bungalows and eight rooftop penthouses, the Sagamore is cut out for high-end incentives. Located just off Ocean Drive, the hotel’s feature list alone is enough to whet the appetite, offering a poolside grill, indoor/outdoor spa and infinity pool. For business matters, there is 270m2 of conference space.

Yuca

Adding a “gourmet dash to Cuban cuisine”, Yuca is another hot-list staple. It offers an effective way of incorporating a Latino flavour into a group itinerary, and the restaurant’s long-standing popularity is testament to the overall experience. It can welcome parties of up to 400, and has several dedicated areas for private dining, including a VIP room.

Disneyland Resort Paris has kicked off its 15th anniversary celebrations with the announcement of a raft of new developments for corporate groups.

Two new event options come in the form of Crush’s Coaster – based on Finding Nemo and set for a June 2007 launch – and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, based on the Hollywood Tower Hotel, where guests plummet 13 storeys in a free-falling elevator and set to launch next year.

Crush’s Coaster can be tailored to accommodate receptions and parties of up to 1,500 people and sit-down dinners of up to 920. Capacities at Tower of Terror are yet to be confirmed, but it will offer themed settings for receptions and networking sessions.

The two will be complemented by the launch of Celestia, Disneyland Resort Paris’s first full-service spa next month and the expansion of the TGV rail link, joining the resort with Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, Basel and Zurich and Eastern Europe.

The Nevada hotspot is shifting the emphasis from gambling and showgirls to luxury resorts and top-end, big-budget attractions.

Putting white tigers, roulette wheels and replica Eiffel Towers to one side, this is a place where figures are big and getting bigger – and not just in the steakhouses. The latest conference visitor numbers have risen 20 per cent since 2002 to the current total of 6.2 million. More than 140,000 delegates attended January’s CES electronics meeting, while Unilever, Diageo and Butlins are among the many recent UK visitors.

The cascade of swish new openings in recent years includes properties by Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, JW Marriott and the five-diamond rated Wynn, and there are a further 41,000 hotel rooms planned by 2010. Celebrity chef-endorsed fine dining has become omnipresent, while countless designer boutiques and luxury ‘ultra-lounges’ have made the destination prime ‘A’-list territory.

The monorail, which runs the length of the Strip, is another new millennial addition, and spans one of the most regenerative visitor destinations on the planet. Among the household names – The Bellagio, Caesar’s Palace, MGM Grand, Luxor et al – are more than a few building sites. So what’s on its way?

The big news for this year is the Palazzo Resort-Casino, which opens in the autumn as a deluxe 3,025-room addition to the already remarkable Venetian. This, however, pales in the face of two other ongoing projects.

Echelon Place will open in 2010 on the old site of the Stardust Hotel as a colossal four-hotel complex aimed at the luxury visitor, while trumping the lot is MGM’s Citycenter project – a £3.5bn self-contained city. Due to be unveiled in 2009, it will offer more than 6,000 rooms and units (including a 400-room Mandarin Oriental), 20,900m2 of meeting space, a 6,500m2 spa and a gargantuan array of top-drawer visitor facilities.

Access is not a problem. All business-class airline Maxjet began a direct Stansted service in November to complement Virgin’s daily Gatwick flights and BMI’s three-times weekly direct links from Manchester. British Airways provides a stopping service via nearby Phoenix, and Icelandair and Aer Lingus are currently both in talks. Las Vegas McCarran Airport itself is in the process of building a new domestic terminal, while the international terminal is also set for an upgrade.

Enticements for Brits in particular are rife. As well as the maddeningly wide array of must-see bars and clubs – sleep becomes nothing short of an inconvenience – the technicolour roll call of nightly stage shows includes not only Monty Python’s Spamalot, but the much acclaimed Beatles/Cirque de Soleil collaboration, Love. Book early – it matches the hype emphatically.

With function space ranging anywhere from dolphin pools and 64th floor terraces to palm-treed golf courses and inch-perfect replica Munich beer halls, itineraries are pretty failsafe, not to mention the 360 days of sunshine?

A perfect day in Las Vegas

Escorted to Hummer limousines by a line of showgirls, guests are driven to waiting Maverick Helicopters. They are then whisked away on a low flight over Lake Mead, the Hoover Dam and Fortification Hill, before landing on the Grand Canyon floor in Hualapai Indian Territory. Champagne and hors d’oeuvres are served, before a return flight over the infamous Bowl of Fire.

On the way back, guests are taken to Lake Las Vegas, where, on exiting the helicopter, they are taken by yacht to the Sunset and Vines wine bar of the Ritz-Carlton. The restaurant overlooks the lake and is renowned for its rural Italian feel. After an upmarket lunch, complete with wine tasting, the afternoon ends with a flight over the Strip itself.

A limousine will then escort guests to the Fashion Show Mall for a “private” spree with a Saks Fifth Avenue personal shopper. A pedicure while sipping on Martinis will help bring on the second wind!

Guests are escorted to Stack, a new fine-dining bistro. Following dinner, guests move on to the Cirque du Soleil Love show, the critically acclaimed Beatles spectacular. Later, the Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay Hotel provides breathtaking views of the city and a unique setting for cocktails. Should the party continue, VIP tables await at A-list clubs around the city.

Situated in the large Pound Lane car park in the centre of Canterbury, access to this events and conference facility is easy.

Available for presentations, wedding receptions, conferences, fairs, meetings, and seminars, the Westgate Hall is located right in the heart of the old city.

Facilities include a fabulous new conference room with state-of-the-art computer presentation capabilities, an additional break-out room and a large main hall which can seat 400 and accommodate upto 700 for a buffet.

With some of the cheapest rates and friendliest staff this is a great venue for your event.

For details of this or other venues please contact our Groups and Events team who will me more than happy to help you.

The Radisson SAS Hotel London Stansted Airport opened in August 2004, is the ONLY hotel attached to the terminal at Stansted and benefits from the following facilities:

• 500 rooms decorated in 3 distinctive styles (Ocean, Chilli and Urban)
• 4 individually styled restaurants and bars.
• A 13 metre Wine Tower which takes pride of place in our atrium and which houses 4,000 bottles of wine!
• Fully equipped Health Club and Spa
• Business centre with 26 meeting and events rooms

SPECIAL RATES FOR DAY DELEGATES!

With 26 meeting rooms and a conference suite which can accommodate 400 people (theatre style) we are an excellent choice for meetings and events. We can even theme the Wine Tower with your company branding!

We are pleased to offer a Day Delegate rates starting from a special rate of £50 per person (subject to availability). For further information, further prices and availability please contact MedwayTravel.

**City Inn prepares to launch their Manchester hotel**

City Inn, winners of the “Best Business Hotel Brand 2007, 2006 – Business Travel World Award” are set to unveil their new Manchester hotel on 15th May 2007.

Occupying a landmark site at the gateway to Manchester within the new Piccadilly Place development, the hotel provides 285 guest rooms including six suites and a penthouse duplex suite. The hotel combines state of the art facilities, technology and services with stunning event, meeting and private dining suites, including the Sky Lounge with panoramic views of the cityscape.

City Inn Manchester will also bring a new stylish lounge bar, Piccadilly Lounge, and a new restaurant for Manchester, City Café with best “sourced” ingredients, successfully combining tradition and innovation. Al Fresco dining on the “sunny” summer terrace to City Café will complete the cosmopolitan appeal. City Inn Manchester will be an exciting new addition to visitor accommodation for the city, whether for business, leisure or cultural visits. For locals, the destination bars, restaurant, private dining, meeting and event spaces our award winning Brand brings will dramatically increases the quality options in the City.

“Manchester is a confident successful UK city with visionary civic leadership, establishing the City’s status within Europe, with credible aspirations on a world stage. For many years we have sought a landmark site in the city so we can create an exceptional new building and business for us and the city. It is pleasing to see that long wait is nearly over and we will soon be able to open our doors!” comments Sandy Orr Executive Chairman City Inn Ltd.

“We recognise the responsibility that goes with owning and operating a major new business in Manchester. We look forward to recruiting talented and motivated new colleagues with personality to develop within our business in what is a great professional career. We create buildings and run hotels with style, modernity, practicality and comfort with an obsession for highest personalised service standards, and giving value for money. ” comments David Orr, Chief Executive.

Directly connected via the Manchester Curve to Piccadilly mainline train station, City Inn Manchester is ideally located with fantastic connections to the airport, is within walking distance of the prime shopping area, Manchester Central (formerly G-MEX and MICC), Canal Street, Bridgewater Hall and the Central Business District.

City Inn provides personalised living, working and relaxing spaces for visitors and locals that are genuinely enjoyable. City Inn’s new build philosophy, optimised design, engineering and technology to deliver light, spacious, stylish and comfortable environments that people like to be in.

City Inn Manchester will be the fifth hotel in the expanding City Inn portfolio, which also includes hotels under development in Leeds, a second site in London and their first international hotel in Amsterdam.

To book this or any other City Inn property please contact our Groups and Events team who will be happy to help.