Second Quarter 2006

Welcome to the latest edition of our Conference, Group and Events email newletter.

This newsletter is available on free subscription only and is our way of keeping you informed about developments in the travel industry, as well as telling you a little more about ourselves. To review or amend your subscription details, please see the notes at the end.

Medway Travel also offers a Leisure Travel email newsletter and you can subscribe or see previous newsletters by clicking here.

Medway Travel is proud to have arranged many very successful groups and events in the first quarter of this year, amongst which are:-

• English Chess Youth Team representing England in Greece.
• Incoming Pilgrimage to Canterbury of 180 people for the Consecration of St. Anselm's Altar (including guided trips to Canterbury City, London and Leeds Castle).
• Schools expo group to Dubai.
• Numerous training sessions and seminars countrywide for our corporate clients from 10 to 33 people.
• Staff Incentive travel to the South of France for 40 people including Gala Dinner arrangements and day excursion to Monte Carlo.
• Staff incentive Cruise reward for 12 people.
• Group accommodation for attendees to various trade fares in Germany and London.
• Conference of 120 people in Canterbury with accommodation.

Medway Travel will be pleased to advise on possibilities for your function/group/event and quote for it, in order to ensure it is as successful as possible and every last penny of value is obtained from your investment. We are happy to research venues to fit exactly with your requirements, but you may like to read about some here that could be of interest to you one day.

For further information then you can visit our website Group Travel pages and please do contact us if we can help in any way..

In this issue:

• Hotel West End Paris
• Space to meet in Kent
• Kew - Plants, People, Possibilities
• Groups News
• International Trade Fairs

These are just a few ideas for you but at Medway Travel we pride ourselves on creating tailored arrangements for conferences, events, and group travel so please do contact us for an initial chat about how we can help you.

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Hotel West End Paris

If you are attending a trade fair, exhibition or event in Paris then you could not look for a better hotel to stay in than the Hotel West-End which enjoys an exceptional location in the heart of the most exclusive area of Paris, between the Champs-Elysées, the world famous avenues Montaigne and George V.

Surrounded by the most elegant designer and Haute Couture houses; jewellery; traditional as well as trendy restaurants; museums; theatres; cinemas and clubs. Just two steps from the Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe , the Grand Palais museum, the Lido, the Crazy Horse and within a walking distance from the Louvre museum, the Eiffel Tower, the Place de la Concorde and Jardin des Tuileries as well as the river Seine for a cruise.

In the heart of the golden Triangle of Paris, a small charming and luxurious boutique hotel, with an excellent price-value ratio. Far from home, you will immediately feel just like home. The professional and international staff, the elegant French style, comfortable and cosy ambiance as well as the privileged location, will make your stay unforgettable.

All rooms are equipped with a safe deposit box, air-conditioning, flat screen cable TV, minibar, double glazing, couettes, room-service, laundry service. The marble bathrooms are all equipped with a magnifying mirror, a hair-dryer and a range of amenities. They also offer a bathrobe, sleepers and varied accessories, on request.

The hotel provides international newspapers, internet access with printer, concierge desk and WIFI access in the whole hotel.

For more details please contact us.

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Space to meet in Kent     
 

The conference centre, meeting rooms and lecture theatre at Kent Science Park are ideal for your important meeting or event.

Set in 114 acres of mature landscaped grounds, Kent Science Park has a range of flexible and modern rooms to hire. The largest capacity for one single room is 118 in the Lecture Theatre and 90 in the Newton House Conference Centre; the capacity of which is increased by fully using all of the interconnecting rooms.

The Conference Centre is equipped with the latest technology including CAT 5 cabling, video conference and audio visual equipment and a kitchen for catering. The centre has a lobby reception for an impressive delegate welcome, smart washroom facilities and is close to the Japanese Garden and Galley Kitchen, ideal for breakouts.

An important feature of Kent Science Park is its security. Delegate safety and privacy is ensured thanks to the security gatehouse monitoring visitors and the use of electronic passes.

Kent Science Park is just five minutes drive from Sittingbourne railway station where there are always lots of taxis to hire. The M2 and M20 are within 15 minutes by car and train journey times to/from London Victoria or London Canon Street are just over an hour.

For more details please contact us.

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Kew - Plants, Possibilities, People

 Kew Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has a growing reputation for hosting some of the most original and memorable events in London.

Clients include some of the biggest financial, medical and media companies in the world, with their events helping Kew Gardens to win "Best Live Event Venue of the Year" at last year's Event Awards.

Kew Gardens can accommodate meetings, parties, dinners and receptions in a variety of stunning, awe-inspiring venues. Cambridge Cottage is an elegant former royal residence, set within its own private gardens, with two large function rooms.

The magnificent Orangery is ideal for large evening receptions, with the adjoining conference room providing a modern daytime facility for meetings and presentations.

To complete your day at Kew, enjoy a canapé reception at the Princess of Wales Conservatory, famed for its rare orchids; or dine and dance the night away in the Temperate House among the tropical plants and trees.

By choosing Kew as your venue, not only are you ensuring your event has that important wow factor, but you will also be helping with valuable plant conservation and life-saving research work.

For more details please contact us.
 

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Groups News

New Deal at Heathrow

Holiday Inn London Heathrow has launched a new 24-hour conference rate of £99.00 per person. A refurbished Meetings Academy offers 15 rooms, accommodating up to 140 delegates. They also offer complimentary car parking.

New at St Andrews

The Old Course Hotel Golf Resort and Spa, St Andrews, has launched a new conference wing. Along with the meetings facilities they offer a dedicated entrance, kitchen and breakout rooms and can accommodate up to 400 people. They have also launched a new spa concept.

Cutting Edge Facilities now at Henley

Henley Management College has just completed phase one of their refurbishment offering cutting edge technology for the conference market.

The new facilities include:

AMX touch screen control panel, this is a bluetooth tablet PC which can operate all of the equipment from any position in the room.
Built-in digital camera and microphones with one touch record to a DVD, allowing you to record a session without a technician.
In addition to a main projection screen, each conference room is fitted with 2 plasma repeater screens.
Built in "sound reinforcement" in the ceiling and a "hearing loop" for the hard of hearing.
Syndicate rooms have a 50 inch plasma screen with laptop and AV connectivity.

UK conference and meetings industry showing 'solid demand'

"Solid demand" in the UK conference and meetings industry has been forecast with "continued signs of confidence and growth" and increased client budgets for the coming 12 months is predicted.

In 2005, the average meeting size rose to more than 18 delegates up from 16.3 delegates in 2004, reversing a trend seen in the past two years towards smaller delegate numbers.

A survey has found a generally buoyant conference and meetings industry, with fewer events being booked at short notice - less than 20% in 2005 compared to 33% in 2004.

The average length of meetings has decreased from 1.8 days in 2004 to 1.6 days in 2005 - indicative of clients' continued preference to invest a higher proportion of their budgets in day meetings as opposed to residential events.

The survey also found the number of clients booking more than eight weeks in advance rose to 23% in 2005 from 15% in 2004.

Domestic conference and meeting bookings far outweighed those made internationally. London was the most popular UK conference destination in 2005, with Manchester and Birmingham also seeing "significant" bookings. In Scotland, Edinburgh was highlighted as the premier conference location, followed by Glasgow.

Internationally, nine of the top ten conference destinations are in Europe with Dubai the only long-haul city to make it to this 2005 league table - in ninth place.

Venues' terms and conditions, particularly cancellation policies, have been a major cause for concern for meetings and conference bookers. This has resulted in companies holding meeting spaces provisionally, for excessive periods of time due to a general reluctance to confirm for fear of possible cancellation charges.

To ease this scenario, many suppliers have relaxed their terms and conditions and shown a greater degree of flexibility to secure confirmed business. However, in a buoyant market there is evidence to suggest that venues are becoming more stringent again, to avoid having last minute empty meeting rooms.

Our Groups and Events department specialises in helping clients to select the best venue for conferences or events. We will then negotiate best rates and make all the logistical arrangements including fares, airport transfers, themed banquets, sight-seeing outings and entertainments, in close collaboration with you. So please contact us about your next event and we will take its burden off your shoulders!

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International Trade Fairs

The following are some of the more significant trade fairs taking place into 2006. If you wish to attend, then please contact us and we will be happy to arrange your trip. On the other hand, you may prefer to try to avoid the host cities during these fairs, as they will inevitably be more crowded than usual!

In general, we will be able to obtain better deals for you on airfares and hotel accommodation, the earlier you decide to attend such events.

Australia - Melbourne - OFFICE & BANK '06: 21st - 23rd May, 2006

Australia - Sydney - CeBIT Australia: 9th - 11th May, 2006

Canada - Toronto - JEWELLERY WORLD EXPO: 13th - 15th August, 2006

China - Shanghai - CeBIT Asia: 10th - 13th May, 2006

Hong Kong - ELECTRONICASIA: 13th - 16th October 2006

Hong Kong - FASHION WEEK: 12th - 15th July 2006

Kenya - Nairobi - AUTO EXPO KENYA '06: 8th - 10th September 2006

South Africa - Cape Town - COMPUTER FAIRE: 16th - 19th May, 2006

Thailand - Bangkok - THAIFEX, World of Asia 2006: 17th - 19th May, 2006 (Trade); 20th - 22nd May (Public)

Thailand - Bangkok - BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL FASHION FAIR: 27th - 29th September, 2006 (Trade); 30th September - 1st October (Public)

UAE - Dubai - TOY FAIR MIDDLE EAST: May 2006

USA - Chicago - NASFT SPRING: 7th - 9th May, 2006

USA - Los Angeles - E3: 10th - 12th May 2006

If you or your colleagues have plans to visit any overseas trade fair in the future, please contact us as soon as possible about your arrangements for travel and accommodation, as the earlier we can make the bookings for you, the lower will be the cost of the airfares, and the greater the selection of hotel accommodation. We would also suggest you take a look at our website Trade Fairs page from time to time, to help with your forward planning.

Also, don't forget, if there are a number of you travelling together, there are major savings possible for groups of 9 or more, when we negotiate group rates with the airlines. Click here to see more about our Group travel services.

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