Weekly Round Up

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Aloft Birmingham Eastside’s first foray into art and cultural events sees major sale

The recent art exhibition Essence of Jazz by renowned artist Rachel Akers , a first for Aloft Birmingham Eastside , concluded with remarkable success.? The launch event, which was the first time the venue has ventured into art and cultural activities as a part of its event business mix, saw the sale of the artist’s largest piece, The Four-Piece Band.

Rachel Akers’ vibrant collection captivated attendees, blending the soulful rhythms of jazz with the dynamic energy of her visual art. While The Four-Piece Band found a new home on the opening night, two smaller pieces, The Individual Instruments, remain available for purchase. On the night, Rachel Akers also announced her desire and availability to take on commissioned pieces, both musical and non-musical themed, allowing art enthusiasts to own a unique piece of her imaginative work.

The exhibition will continue to be on display at Aloft Birmingham Eastside until August 9th, offering an extended opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves in the Essence of Jazz.

Leanne Bladen , Director of Sales & Marketing at The Eastside Rooms and Aloft Birmingham Eastside, added: " To succeeed as a venue we need to consistenly explore new markets and ideas, some will succeed others might not.? Hosting the Essence of Jazz exhibition has been a unique experience for the venue. Rachel’s art has brought a new vibrancy to our spaces, and we are thrilled to have been a part of something so successful. It has been a pleasure to support such an extraordinary talent and see so many people engage with her work.? Hosting an art exhibition on this scale was a risk for us, but it has paid off for us and Rachel.? We look forward to seeing more art and cultural events as part of our business mix going forward.”

The Aloft Birmingham Eastside invites everyone to visit the exhibition and experience the creative fusion of jazz and art. For more information about the available pieces and to explore Rachel Akers' portfolio, please visit her official website or contact Aloft Birmingham Eastside.

https://www.akers-of-art.co.uk/

https://eastsiderooms.com/accommodation/

Nottingham Venues Shortlisted for Best Venue at National Awards

Nottingham Venues is pleased to announce that it has been named as a finalist at the 2024 Conference and Events Awards.

The company, which operates a collection of hospitality destinations located on the University of Nottingham’s campuses - including the 4* Orchard Hill Hotel & Restaurant , The East Midlands Conference Centre, The Jubilee Hotel and Conferences and Campus Venues has been shortlisted in the Best Venue (500-1100 attendees Theatre Style) category.

The Conference and Events Awards are the event industry's pinnacle of recognition. The annual awards celebrate and champion everyone involved in the events industry including conference and trade-show organisers, in-house events teams, event, PR & marketing agencies and the venues themselves.

Tom Waldron-Lynch FIH MI , General Manager at Nottingham Venues said: “We’re extremely excited to have made the shortlist for Best Venue over 500 attendees. We believe we are not just another venue as we offer an unparalleled guest experience, and this is such a boost for the whole team.”

The Best Venue (500-1100 attendees Theatre Style) award is given to the Best Conference or Event Venue that caters for larger audiences of over 500. Judges will be looking for innovation, expertise and success in all areas including first-class interior design and facilities; flexible and versatile spaces to adapt to clients’ requirements; modern equipment and technology and superb acoustics; excellent customer service and support; competitive pricing and value for money and outstanding catering for event attendees.

The winners will be announced at the lunchtime Awards Ceremony at City Central at the HAC, London on Friday 5th July.

For more information and to see the full shortlist, visit: https://conferenceawards.co.uk/finalists-2024/.

Exclusive Scottish Venue Mar Hall Golf and Spa Resort joins Venues of Excellence

Venues of Excellence , the UK’s leading consortium for independent venues, are proud to announce 5-star Mar Hall Golf and Spa Resort has joined their collection of outstanding conference and events venues, adding another fantastic independent Scottish venue to their membership.

A leading resort in Scotland overlooking the River Clyde and set in a tranquil 240 acres woodland estate, Mar Hall is an ideal location for residential conferences, events, product launches, reception dinners and private events which call for a touch of grandeur. Located just 10 minutes away from Glasgow International Airport and with great transport connections, Mar Hall is easily accessible for delegates from across the UK and abroad.

Mar Hall never fails to impress with a range of meeting rooms and a marquee able to host up to 250 delegates. The extensive leisure pursuits available at the resort allow delegates to relax and unwind at the end of the working day, with a choice of spa treatments, the gym and pool or a round or two of golf on the championship Earl of Mar Par 70 golf course.

Mar Hall was recently purchased by Align Partners who are investing over ï¿¡15M across the Estate to enhance the facilities on offer to guests for both business and leisure.

With a fabulous trio of unique venues on the West Coast of Scotland, including thestudio Glasgow city centre, and the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, Venues of Excellence continues to expand its geographical footprint across the UK.

Mar Hall Golf and Spa Resort will be joining 14 stand partners on the Venues of Excellence Stand (E51) at The Meetings Show at ExCeL London on 19-20th June, when conference and event planners can learn more about this outstanding Scottish conference and events venue in addition to hearing all the latest news from Venues of Excellence.

BMA House appoints Hannah Robinson to lead the team as Venue Manager

BMA House has announced two management changes - Hannah Robinson is their new Venue Manager and Sasha Dearden has been promoted to Venue Sales Manager.

These significant internal advancements highlight BMA House's commitment to fostering talent and promoting from within.

Hannah Robinson, who has been with BMA House for over five years, has been appointed to lead the venue’s sales and operations teams as Venue Manager. ?Hannah is a an exceptionally dedicated member of the team. She has drawn on her participation in the BMA mentorship programme and is included in the MIA List 2023 as well as being a frequent speaker at industry events representing BMA House with her expertise.

Simon Kelly, who heads up the Venues and Estates team at the BMA said “Hannah has led significant projects, including the implementation of a new CRM system and an enhanced social media presence. Her efforts have contributed to the venue achieving challenging revenue targets in a difficult market.?? Her ongoing leadership will ensure that we continue to position BMA House as a leading venue for large-scale events with a diverse clientele.”

Commenting on the new role, Hannah said: “I am looking forward to the challenges ahead, my journey to here has been incredibly rewarding, and I look forward to leading our team with compassion, integrity, and a focus on inclusion. Together, we will continue to deliver exceptional experiences for our clients and uphold the high standards that BMA House is known for."

BMA House has also promoted Sasha Dearden (Lee) to Venue Sales Manager. Sasha has been an integral part of the BMA House team for over six years, progressing through various roles in the team - from Event Planner to Senior and Deputy Sales Manager. Sasha's professional development has been supported by the BMA, including ongoing participation in a wide range of training and personal development opportunities.

Simon Kelly concludes: “Sasha's extensive experience and proven track record in sales and event planning make her a perfect fit for this new role. Her promotion reflects BMA House's commitment to nurturing talent and recognising outstanding contributions within the organisation.”

Lime Venue Portfolio Partners Across The Meetings Show

Lime Venue Portfolio will arrive at this year’s edition of The Meetings Show with a series of partnerships that will support initiatives including a focus on Neurodiversity, as well as hospitality, learning opportunities, insight, and networking across the show week.

The main theme for the brand’s presence this year will once again underline its aim of 'Betterment’, bringing new intelligence to existing trends within the meetings and events industry, whether it be sustainability through food, event legacy and impact, and now, accessibility and Neurodiversity.

Lime Venue Portfolio have been working alongside Stress Matters | B Corp to offer information, advice, and discussion forums on the subject. On day two The Meeting Show, the brands will host a roundtable, alongside Brighter, the specialist meetings, events and venue find division of Clarity Business Travel , and some of the agency’s key clients, to discuss openly experience and insight into the subject.

In the meantime, the portfolio will also be spreading its customary cheer. Firstly, though its support of the official Hosted Buyer Opening event on the Tuesday night before the show opens. The group’s newest addition, Riverside East , will host the networking event as part of its launch programme. The venue, based in the heart of the Queen Elizabeth Park, adjacent to the London Stadium and the ArcelorMittal Orbital Slide, will showcase its many eco-friendly practices and its role as part of the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics.

Later in the week Lime Venue Portfolio will once again join forces with both Excel London and The Delegate Wranglers? as the three brands provide networking and drinks for buyers, at 4pm on day one of the show.

Venues of Excellence announces an outstanding membership year

Venues of Excellence (VOE), the UK’s leading consortium for independent venues, specialising in conference and events, has announced outstanding success in its key business objectives over the past year.

The consortium, now in its third year of ownership with Mandy Jennings , CEO at the helm, has continued to expand the portfolio, introducing 14 new venues in the past 12 months.? From exclusive use venues to large conference and event venues, the consortium now boasts its most diverse collection of independent venues in its history.? The latest venues to join bringing a new dimension to membership are the luxurious 5-star Mar Hall Hotel Golf and Spa Resort near Glasgow, Friend’s House in Euston, offering a fantastic new London venue to the collection and to add to the unique offerings for clients we are proud to be working in partnership with Center Parcs UK & Ireland Woburn and Center Parcs Sherwood.? Jennings, reflecting on the significant growth and mix of venues signing up says: “We are absolutely delighted to see such diverse venues applying to join our membership collection. We are so proud to offer one of the most exciting conference and events portfolios across the UK, all offering the golden thread of excellence and working to the highest standards and ethics.”

There is a fine balance with independent consortiums, to support the membership with a range of tangible ROI’s, whilst marketing the venues to conference and event planners to choose something unique, diverse and different to traditional corporate venues to host their events.

For members, 2024 kicked off with The Power of Discovery Annual Conference, and the continued Journey of Excellence provides members with a range of benefits and opportunities underpinning the core principles of the consortium.

Venues of Excellence will be exhibiting at The Meetings Show , Excel London on stand E51, and welcomes delegates attending the show to pop by the stand and meet 16 venues stand partnering at the show, find out more about membership and to hear all the latest news from the consortium.

Friends of beam

World first reusable zero waste exhibition stand made from event waste carpet to be unveiled at The Meetings Show

A world first zero waste, reusable exhibition stand made from event waste carpet will make its global debut at The Meetings Show when it returns later this month.

Thanks to a collaboration between creator Paradigm and partners isla , The Bulb (Part of Trivandi Group) , Informa and The Meetings Show, a prototype of the innovative reusable zero waste stand will be revealed to the world’s meetings and events community when the show takes place 19-20 June at Excel London .

The walls and floor of the truly circular and sustainable stand are built out of Reform, a ‘game-changing’ recycled plastic tile made from old exhibition carpet, with the flooring made using post-consumer ocean plastic fabricated using renewable electricity in the UK. The substructure of the stand is built out of repurposed metal from disused shell scheme, meaning the structure of the stand is made from 100% post-consumer materials.

Further consideration has been taken to ensure no toxic impacts from paints and glues, and there is no miscellaneous waste from screws and nails, as Reform tiles simply click together by hand, and can be rolled up like carpet at the end of a show, ready to be reused. Additionally, thanks to their durability and robustness, no protective single-use plastic pallet wrap is required to protect the stand during transit.

As part of the end of life-management, the tiles are reformed in-house by Paradigm’s granulator, ensuring a closed-loop recycling system.

Creator Lee Cooper of Paradigm designed the curved stand, which can be found situated at A41 in hall S2, to represent the circular economy. He said: “Traditionally there’s been a stigma that sustainable stands are compromised by their design and quality, particularly for smaller stands and shell-scheme. Until recently, the options have been largely limited to recycled cardboard and using unfinished ply and pallets for furniture, which is a very specific aesthetic. However, with Paradigm’s approach, this is no longer the case. We’re using end-of-life event materials to offer an alternative solution with circularity at the core – and it looks amazing.”

Beyond its sustainability credentials, the new stand is also efficiently designed to ensure that all exhibitors have lockable storage, while effective cable-management is designed to provide flexibility and accessible power arrangements for exhibitors. The structure is so simple it can be rigged and de-rigged in just two hours. Similarly, because the stands are lightweight and pack down to a small size, transport, installation?and storage costs are cheaper.

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