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12/2019

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Organisers and delegates willing to ditch meat and crackers for an eco-friendly Christmas party

Tuesday, 10 December, 2019 - 12:41

In a survey of 375* respondents conducted by BMA House:  84% of event organisers said they would consider not using Christmas crackers to improve the environmental credentials of their Christmas parties.

The results are backed up by 78% of delegates saying they would not be disappointed if there were no crackers at their Christmas parties.

Additionally, 58% of all respondents (57% of organisers and 60% of delegates) said they would consider meat free alternatives to a traditional Christmas menu.

“Christmas, in addition to being a time of generosity, happiness and joy for many is also often a time of indulgence and waste.  This survey however, shows the importance both delegates and organisers are placing on the environment not just at their day to day events but also at Christmas time,” comments, Kat Winfield, venue manager at BMA House.  “Additional responses to the research highlighted the fact that 58% of organisers consider a venue’s environmental policies before selecting it for a Christmas event, whilst 74% of attendees think Christmas party themeing should be sustainable.”

Winfield concludes: “These positive and inspiring results have confirmed our decision that for 2019 we are only offering sustainable crackers as part of our passion for the environment.  However, looking ahead to 2020 we are now considering not offering them at all.  As a Green Tourism Gold accredited venue we are always looking for new ways to improve our sustainability and this seems such a simple and easy option due to its strong support from both organisers and delegates.”

For further information on holding your sustainable event at BMA House, please contact the events team on 020 7874 7020 or visit http://www.bmahouse.org.uk/

 

Andrew Winterburn Joins Top Banana as Non-Executive Director

Tuesday, 10 December, 2019 - 12:40

Creative Communications Agency, Top Banana, have just announced that Andrew Winterburn has joined the team as a Non-Executive Director.

Bringing with him over 30 years in the event industry, Andrew’s role as Non-Executive Director at Top Banana will be to guide and support the leadership team and business strategy to help drive the agency forward. With his vast experience in building and growing businesses, Andrew will play an instrumental role in the business’s future strategy, having already worked in collaboration with the agency to create their current 5-year growth plan. He will help mentor the team and challenge the way they do things by adding an external, objective view and advice.

“I’ve worked with Richard {Bridge} and other members of the Top Banana leadership team for around 18 months now and we found we worked really well together. My role is to help support and guide the team and ensure they are taking a step back and look at things with a different viewpoint to help them shape the successful future of the company.” Commented Andrew.

He continued “I love being part of a vibrant and dynamic business that has values that I can personally associate with. Top Banana are going through a really exciting time and I can’t wait to be part of their continued growth and success.”

In 2019 Top Banana have grown their team to over 60 employees across their three offices in the Midlands, London and Manchester. Whilst celebrating their milestone birthday of 20 years, Top Banana have celebrated winning multiple awards including the much-coveted titles of C&IT & EVCOM Agency of the year.

Richard Bridge adds “As a business we’ve really taken a step forward in 2019. We’re in a really great position, not just financially, but in terms of our client relationships and growing expert team. Welcoming Andrew onboard is a really exciting step for us. Having worked with myself and the leadership team for a number of months already, we have really seen the value he brings to the business. We now have someone to challenge us and help drive us forward in all areas of the business. We can’t wait to see where this journey takes us and for Andrew to play a part in that.”

Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa staff flaunt their finest festive knitwear to raise money for EAAA

Tuesday, 10 December, 2019 - 12:37

Team members at Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa, the 4 red star luxury Hotel in Newmarket, Suffolk, have embraced the festive season and raised £179 for its charity of the year, East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA), during the Hotel’s annual Christmas Jumper Day. Staff members from all departments were invited to don their best Christmas jumpers and join in the celebrations, donating £5 in the process.

The two members of staff with the best Christmas jumpers were presented with a bottle of Moët & Chandon from Chief Executive, Noel Byrne.

The festive fundraising rounds off a year of activities undertaken by the Hotel team,  throughout the course of the year the team has hosted: a Halloween Cake Bake; a series of donation days, where £1 from each sale at the bar, and £5 from each Hotel stay, is donated to the charity; a Molton Brown advent calendar raffle; and an Inner Peace Spa Day & Break where £5 per guest is donated. In September, two staff members also took on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in just 12 hours, raising valuable funds for the charity.

Each year, Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa selects a local charity to support as part of its charity of the year initiative. In May 2019, following a staff vote, the team chose East Anglian Air Ambulance, a service which exists to save lives by delivering highly skilled doctors and critical care paramedics by air to seriously ill or injured people across East Anglia.

Noel Byrne, Chief Executive at Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa, commented: “It is always fantastic to see our staff members getting so involved in the fundraising events at the Hotel, and even better to know that the money we raise is going to such a worthy cause that benefits the local community. The work that East Anglian Air Ambulance carries out is incredibly important and they work tirelessly, especially over the Christmas period. The charity is currently looking to operate 24/7 by helicopter and I feel proud that our donation will support them in reaching that goal.”

Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa will continue its charitable initiatives for EAAA until the end of its working year in May. 

Double award win for Lancaster Conferences+

Wednesday, 4 December, 2019 - 11:30

Lancaster University’s Conference and Events team have won two awards in the national Academic Venue Awards.

Lancaster Conferences+ won ‘Best Sustainability’ and ‘Best Event Management Team.’ The awards recognise excellence in academic venues across a range of categories, from Sustainability to Sales. The award for Sustainability recognises innovative sustainable practice and policies that help deliver truly environmentally friendly events whilst the award for Event Management pays tribute to those teams who have exceeded their customers’ expectations and delivered outstanding events.

Over the past 12 months, Lancaster Conferences+ has managed some significant residential conferences for 950+ delegates such as the Association of University Director of Estates (AUDE), European Association for the Study of Science & Technology (EASST) and the Association of Engineers (AUE).

Academic Venue’s ‘Conference News’ Editor, Martin Fullard, who compered the awards event said: “I believe it’s far more impactful to recognise specific sub-sectors of our industry rather than shoehorn them into a broader awards campaign. I am assured by the judges that the calibre of entry this year was very high, certainly the comments noted specific achievements rather than just broad observations.

“One thing that was apparent was that investment reaps rewards. We know academic venues work in testing environments and face challenges, which other venues do not, so to invest is a big deal as those above will want to see returns. Our winners represent what can be achieved.”

Helen Davenport, Head of Conferences, Events & Visitor Services at Lancaster University said: “I am thrilled for the teams to have won these highly sought after awards. Such accolades are testament to the whole team’s passion and commitment – from sales through to delivery – to look after our customers and our planet. We were up against some stiff competition for both of these titles and I am incredibly proud that the judges recognised our excellent people and our drive for truly sustainable conferences and events here at Lancaster University.”

Hilary Barraclough, Conference and Events Manager added: “It’s fantastic to have won the ‘Best Event Management Team’ award. It is always such a thrill to be part of delivering fantastic conferences for our customers and to have the team effort recognised by an industry award is a really proud moment.”

Lancaster Conferences+ help all their customers reduce waste and their environmental impact, with its new Conference App, recycled pens and recyclable lunchboxes and the chance to offset their travel carbon emissions.  They also encourage clients and delegates to make personal choices, which have less environmental impact, with the provision of bicycles, electric charging points, recycling stations and refillable freshwater machines.

For more information on Lancaster Conferences+ visit Lancaster.ac.uk/conferences

 

BMA House sees 55% increase in evening and weekend events

Wednesday, 4 December, 2019 - 11:18

Following a strategic decision to raise awareness of BMA House as more than a meeting and conference location, the central London venue has seen a 55% increase in receptions, dinners, parties and awards ceremonies over the last 12 months.   

The increase has included:

·       30% increase in summer parties

·       80% increase in Courtyard & Garden events

·       55% Great Hall evening & weekend events 

Kat Winfield, venue manager at BMA House comments: “BMA House is well known as a leading venue for meetings and events, particularly those looking for a sustainable event in a venue that balances rich historic architecture with the latest event technology.  We have in the past been associated with conferences and meetings rather than a wider mix of evening and weekend events, where guests can relax and enjoy our beautiful venue in the heart of London.  A concerted effort over the last twelve months to market our full offering has seen a significant increase in events such as parties, receptions and dinners.” 

The broader range of events has included a significant increase in usage of the grand, lodge entrance that leads guests directly into the Courtyard and a less-corporate journey to its Botanical Garden, from which many ingredients are used in the venue’s creative catering. 

Examples of recent evening and weekend events include: 

·       The SfAM Fellowship - Reception (Society for Applied Microbiology)

·       Safeguard Pest Control - Retirement Party

·       ACF - Networking Reception

·       Grantham Book Services - Client Networking Evening 

For further information on holding evening and weekend events at BMA House, please contact the events team on 020 7874 7020 or visit http://www.bmahouse.org.uk/

 

CHS Group Promises to Give the Midlands the ‘Event it Deserves'

Wednesday, 4 December, 2019 - 10:06

The CHS Group has announced further details of CHS Birmingham and is promising the meetings, hospitality and events community, across the region, ‘the event it deserves’ next October. The event organisers are working closely with the event companies across the city region, including the show’s Founding Partner ICC Birmingham.  

“Events are a really important part of Birmingham’s economy, so at the ICC we’re going to make sure we connect all the elements of that economy with CHS Birmingham,” commented Ian Taylor, NEC Group Venue Sales Director - Conventions and Exhibitions. “The city has some fantastic momentum behind it at the moment and there is a real sense that our future is incredibly bright. It’s not just our infrastructure developments, it’s the future events that we’re going to be hosting; things like Commonwealth Games 2022, which is an iconic international event, lets us tell that story on a global stage, so there couldn’t be a better time for CHS to be launching into this community.” 

“It’s just so exciting, Birmingham is in a great location and it gives us a great opportunity to show people exactly what Birmingham has to offer,” added Kevin Holland, Trident Hospitality Consultants Ltd. 

The organisers are also working in partnership with the West Midlands Growth Company and forging other destination partnerships across the Midlands. “There has never been a better time to come to Birmingham and we owe it to the region to put on a show this community really deserves,” commented Emma Cartmell, CHS Group’s CEO. “Coventry will be the European City of Culture next year, we have huge developments in the Wolverhampton and Black Country area, and our show is part of a massive legacy ambition around the Commonwealth Games in 2022.” 

“CHS Birmingham will help to showcase the best of the business tourism sector across the West Midlands,” commented Roger Mendonca, Chief Operating Officer at the West Midlands Growth Company – which aims to attract new and existing conferences and events to the region. “A £1 billion Tourism Strategy for the West Midlands was launched in September, recognising the vital role that this vibrant industry plays in growing our local economy. The West Midlands has a strong track record in hosting meetings, hospitality and events, and is home to some of the world's most recognisable venues and creative agencies. CHS Birmingham will highlight the successful businesses and people that are making such an impact here.

“We’re absolutely delighted that the Midlands has been chosen by the CHS Group for this show.  The demand for an event like this has been apparent for some years and needed the experience and expertise of the CHS team to manage it and make it happen,” commented Jan Denning, Founder and Managing Director - Destination Wolverhampton and The Black Country. “The Midlands is a large region and we’re excited about the opportunity to showcase our destination.”

“I think it’s exciting that the group has chosen Birmingham as the long-term home of their next event. It’s a region with a great organiser and exhibitor community, a fantastic strategic location in the UK, and really the most fantastic facilities and supporting team that you would want to see,” commented Paul Kennedy, Chair of the show’s Advisory Board.

The event will take place 27th October 2020 at the ICC Birmingham.

 

 

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