Destinations News

Special Fabergé eggs are springing up all over London as part of the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt charity initiative.

InterContinental Hotels Group is to create nearly 3,000 new jobs across its 275 UK hotels over the next three years, including over 1,100 new jobs this year. 

Great Hotels of the World experienced a 51 per cent increase in meetings and incentives enquiries for 2011 in comparison with 2010

The Brewery is offering ‘Year of Sport’ tailor made screening packages for customers keen to watch the 2012 action as part of a group

The annual Trades Union Congress will return to the Bournemouth International Centre in 2013 after an absence of 24 years

Smaller and more frequent events as opposed to larger one-offs will be the trend in 2012 according to a survey undertaken by Venue Reservations.

The second London Future Forum will take place at this year’s Confex on Wednesday 7 March.

Jockey Club Venues, the 14 strong collection of racecourses will be officially launched at Kempton Park on 29 February.

Kudos has announced the signing of a new five-year bar, retail and events contract with the Hackney Empire said to be worth an estimated £3 million in total turnover.

The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers has a new president in the form of Gonzalo Perez Constanzó, managing director of Kenes Latin America.

Birmingham venues are already profiting from events moving out of London during the busy Olympic season.

The Cumberland Hotel has appointed Venue IT its technology provider for meetings and events.

Sundial Group has launched http://mobile.sundialgroup.com, a dedicated site that will be the mobile version of the firm’s main website.

Lord’s Cricket Ground has added Aztec Event Services to its exclusive list of official AV suppliers for corporate events.

BBC Worldwide Showcase, the world’s largest international television market hosted by a single distributor, opens at the ACC Liverpool on 26 February.

Spring Fair International 2012 attracted over 63,500 retailers to the NEC between 5-9 February.

Tower Bridge Walkways threw a special event on Valentine’s night that saw seven couples deciding to tie the knot.

The adventurer Richard Parks, former Welsh rugby union International and conqueror of the infamous 737 challenge, will be keynote speaker at the ICCA UK & Ireland Winter Debate.

Eventia has launched the 2012 UK Events Market Trends Survey research alongside sponsors drpgroup, Accor Hotels, Conference Centres of Excellence, Event Assured, and Glasgow City Marketing Bureau.

ACC Liverpool has launched a ‘Keep Calm Think ACC Liverpool’ campaign aimed at the corporate events industry.

Sovereign, the exhibition and event design and build firm, has appointed Nick Iredale as managing director to work alongside company founders Vincent and Caroline McCullagh.

The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company, ADNEC, has announced the launch of the ICC (International Convention Centre) Abu Dhabi.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have launched a service whereby customers can pick their seat according to the profiles of other passengers they find on social media.

Parthen is today unveiling Edison, a new online registration software package.

De Boer Structures has been appointed to supply hospitality and VIP facilities to the 2012 European Football Championships in Poland and Ukraine.

Visitor numbers at this year’s Business Travel Show increased by 27 per cent with 63 per cent of floor space already rebooked for 2013.

In the last six months of 2011 Birmingham hotel occupancy rates achieved the highest levels seen for four years.

10-11 Carlton House Terrace has appointed Clare Arouche as its new business and development manager. 

Kent Cricket has joined forces with Dignity, the Funeral Service provider, in what is being viewed as an innovative business partnership. 

The HBAA has launched the HBAA National Placement Scheme to support future talent in the meetings, events and business travel sector. 

The US diving squad is the latest team to choose Sheffield for its Olympic build up

Piggotts has been named as a partner in the Fabergé Big Egg Hunt, the world’s largest egg hunt taking place over 40 days in London this Easter.

Venue IT, the permanent infrastructure division of Etherlive, has installed a new communications system across the entire Goodwood Estate. 

The University of Brighton and the Institute of Travel and Meetings recently held a conference to encourage students to think about a career in the travel industry. 

The Mermaid Conference and Event Centre is to be the setting for London’s latest living green wall

Hundreds of homeless people across Merseyside were donated food by Asda following its annual meeting at the ACC Liverpool.

This year’s Harrogate Christmas and Gift Fair saw record breaking visitor numbers with more than 4000 people in attendance, an increase of 10 per cent on last year. 

Lime Venue Portfolio will be showcasing its collection of unique and unusual venues on March 6 at The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.

The Trade Only Show has committed to three more years at the Ricoh Arena following this year’s record breaking event.

Cardiff Council is set to fund the Welsh capital’s marketing company, Cardiff & Co, for another year.

The annual Merlin’s Magic Wand charity dinner raised over £75,000 last Thursday at Madame Tussauds in London. 

International Confex has unveiled ‘Association Day’ an educational conference aimed specifically at buyers and planners of association run events. 

QHotels have come out top of a nationwide enquiry-handling study, looking at how well venues respond to mystery meetings and events enquiries.

Amiando has rolled out a mobile app which can be tailored to individual conferences giving attendees easy mobile access to the relevant information surrounding an event.

‘All sorts’ is the theme for this year’s Academic Venue Show as visitors can meet ‘all sorts’ of venues from ‘all sorts’ of locations offering ‘all sorts’ of rates. 

Adrian Evans has joined the NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau as senior business tourism manager following the departure of Jessica Roberts.

This year’s AEO conference exceeded all expectations according to a post event survey.

Final preparations are underway at Central Hall Westminster for one of the year’s important sporting events.

The Mermaid Conference and Event Centre has a new general manager, Alicia Duncan.

The fourth Global Event Summit will take place at Le Palais des Congrès in Paris on Tuesday 4 until Thursday 6 September.

International Confex enjoyed a good few days last week with 26 new exhibitors signing up for this year’s show.

Boris Johnston has backed London as the destination of choice for 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards to be held at Central Hall Westminster.

The Point, Old Trafford Cricket Ground’s conference and events venue, is offering a special reduced daily delegate rate of £35 for events taking place in February.

ABPCO revealed the winners of its first ever awards at its celebratory 25th anniversary gala dinner held at St Paul’s cathedral in London last night. 

International Confex has unveiled what it describes as its most extensive educational programme to date.

VisitBrighton has won the bid for the Labour Party Annual Conference in 2013.

The Jockey Club is to target the meetings and events sector with the launch of Jockey Club Venues on 29th February. 

HSBC’s former chief economist, Dennis Turner, will open the Summer Eventia 2012 conference. 

Meeting Makers has appointed Michelle Gallagher its new business development manager in the firm’s Glasgow office.

Lord’s cricket ground has again been named the UK’s number one sporting venue by BDRC Continental’s VenueVerdict.

Roger Pride, director of marketing for the Welsh Government, is to lead Cardiff & Co for an initial 18 months when its managing director leaves at the end of next month.

Harrogate International Centre scooped two of the prizes at the annual Kudos ‘K’ Awards  held last week. 

Excel and the Professional Convention Management Association have agreed a two-year strategic partnership.

How to help the events industry survive and thrive in the current economic climate was firmly on the agenda at the recent EFAPCO congress.

Media 10 has acquired 100% Design London from Reed Exhibitions adding to its portfolio that includes the Ideal Home Show, Grand Designs Live and Clerkenwell Design Week.

Meetings and event management agency Zibrant has joined the International Congress and Convention Association.

Keith Prowse has landed a five-year contract to provide overseas tours and UK hospitality programmes at The Championships, Wimbledon, from 2013. 

The Ultimate Experience has appointed Katie Beard and Carly Mitchell as its new deputy managing director and sales director. 

Jacqui Bentley-McKenna, owner of consultancy business Regoran, received the Tim Gasson Memorial Award at the recent HBBA annual dinner.

Sheffield has landed the FIA & Matrix Flame 2012 Conference and Ball, billed as the leisure industry’s top awards conference and event party.

Carlson, the global hospitality and travel company, and The Rezidor Hotel Group have established The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.

Regus, the flexible workspace provider, has announced deals with Shell and SNCF that will see business centres on motorways and in train stations across Europe.

Sir Richard Branson is headline speaker at the Global Entrepreneurship Congress (GEC) 2012 to be held at the ACC Liverpool in March.

David Moran and Ulric Kenny of Ion Equity have acquired Ocean Media Group from Anglo Irish Bank.

The travel and tourism industry could do more for responsible and sustainable tourism according to a survey conducted at World Travel Market.

Experts from Disney Institute will lead a series of training events to help businesses benchmark best practices from one of the world’s premier entertainment companies. 

Zibrant and Concerto will head the UK Venue Show’s event seminar programme at Olympia on 1-2 February. 

Amiando, the German online registration and ticketing company is launching in the UK on Thursday.

Despite the difficult financial climate, the London Boat Show attracted 134,753 visitors, six per cent behind last year but slightly ahead of 2010. 

The special day delegate rate of £49.50, originally offered for conferences booked at Lord’s Cricket Ground during January and February, has been extended to events taking place in April. 

New chair of the HBAA, Chris Peacock, began his year at the helm with the launch of new objectives and a charity auction that raised over £24K. 

The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre is expecting ‘a massive year’ across its conference, exhibition and live event businesses.

It has been confirmed that The Belfry, the business, golf and leisure resort, is up for sale.

The 2012 AEO Awards will be held at The Artillery Garden at The Honourable Artillery Club on 6 July 2012.

Abbey Road and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts have agreed a global partnership in which guests of the hotel chain will be able to visit the world famous studios.

Chelsea Football Club has rolled out an initiative designed to help delegates stay supple during long meetings.

As ABPCO enters its 25th anniversary year, it has been looking back on how life in the meetings industry has changed over the last quarter of a century.

Merlin Events has drastically reduced the number of caterers that serve their three venues namely Madame Tussauds, SEALIFE London Aquarium and the London Dungeons.

Welcome to Yorkshire has scooped the World Travel Award for the world’s leading marketing campaign for the second year running.

Keith Prowse, the corporate hospitality provider, is to roll out a complete virtual tour programme of the UK’s iconic sporting venues.

Chris Peacock, co-founder and managing director of Conference Care, is the new HBAA chairman. 

The Business Visits & Events Partnership has submitted a series of recommendations for consideration by the minister for tourism and other government departments.

Unique Venues of London has six new members in the form of Kew Palace, the National Portrait Gallery, Twickenham Stadium, the Royal Hospital Chelsea, the Wellcome Collection and the Whitechapel Gallery.

Sundial Group is once again the ‘Best Value for Money’ meeting venue group according to BDRC’s Venue Verdict survey.

The Heritage Motor Centre is to host a new gallery style exhibition showcasing exceptional motoring photography from the archives. 

Centaur Exhibitions says its Travel Technology Europe event is on track to grow by at least 30 per cent in 2012.

The NEC in using this year’s Confex to launch a new range of solutions for the conference and live event market.

EuroLED will host its ninth annual exhibition, conference and gala dinner at the NEC in June 2012.

Lime Venue Portfolio is responding to customer demand to see healthier options in conference and meetings menus.

Meet Oxfordshire has unveiled its new website that is intended to increase the focus on venues and services across the county.

Centaur Media has acquired The Event and Exhibiting Show and Technology for Events Show from f2f events, which will be rebranded as The Live Marketing Show, at Marketing Week Live.

In 2011 The Point at Old Trafford donated £1,604.00 to the Macmillan cancer charity.

Birmingham and the ICC have won the bid to host IEEE NANO 2012, a leading international conference on nanotechnology.

VisitBritain has unveiled its tourism boosting rallying call for 2012, ‘Great Britain – You’re invited’.

Venuemasters, the academic venues consortium, has launched a new website, www.firstclassvenuesuk.com. 

Zibrant has launched an online portal which allows clients to access all of its services from their desktop. 

According to a survey conducted by the Business Travel Show cost will remain the big issue for buyers in 2012

The minister for tourism, John Penrose is scheduled to visit International Confex and the International Outdoor Events Exhibition on the shows’ opening day.

Hilton Worldwide is to exhibit at International Confex in March after a break of six years.

Melville Exhibition and Event Services has unveiled an event and exhibition app for smartphones and tablets.

The Mermaid Conference and Events Centre has appointed Carol Anderson its new head of public relations. 

SO Group has added a new wing to its portfolio, SO Live, an initiative that will target events that are outside the usual exhibition arena

Fiona Jeffery, chair of Reed Travel Exhibitions, was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s honours for services to tourism.

Hiscox, the specialist event insurance provider, has renewed its marketing partnership with the Association of Event Organisers until March 2013. 

The Global Event Summit and Melville Exhibition and Event Services have agreed a three year partnership.

The Crown Foundation, Crown Group’s charitable arm, has reached the £150k milestone for fundraising.

Simon Maier has joined international event management agency TFI Group as board director responsible for business development. 

In its 2012 visitor forecast, Visit Britain predicts 30.7 million overseas visitors who will bring £17.6 billion of economic impact. 

Aberdeen has been chosen as the destination for the Association of Paediatric Anaesthetists Annual Conference in 2015.

The UK Snooker Championship is estimated to have helped York’s economy to the tune of £7.5m

The AEO has lashed out against Boris Johnson’s comment last week that Earls Court is ‘not required’. We reproduce the statement in full.

Silverstone has gained local authority approval for its outline plan intended to secure the venue’s long term future.

The Ultimate Experience has agreed a partnership with The Roundhouse to manage the events at the venue in November and December next year.

The 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony will be staged at Central Hall Westminster on the evening of Monday 6 February. 

The Event Production Awards are to move to The Hilton Park lane following a 40 per cent rise in bookings

Mobex, the specialist roadshow exhibition firm, helped ScotRail meet 84,000 customers during a campaign in November.

The team at De Boer is looking forward to a restful holiday before going into the busiest ever year in its history.

With responsibility for building the venue’s share of the meeting, conference and exhibition market, Will Aylott is the Ricoh Arena’s new head of sales

Paul Potts headlined the Parkinson’s UK Christmas Concert at Central Hall Westminster last Friday night. 

According to press reports the Verta hotel in London has been bought by a company that numbers Simon Cowell’s brother among its directors.

Excel has won praise from the Olympic organisers following a series of warm-up events held at the venue.

Andy Gibb is to join Melville Event and Exhibition Services in the role of chief operating officer. 

‘Staying relevant in today’s market’ is chairman, Jim Bignal’s, recipe for keeping the Cavendish Group successful for 30 years.

The NEC group has unveiled plans for the National Indoor Arena’s £20.6 million transformation.

Unique Venues of London (UVL) is gearing up for the Olympics with a focus on top things for delegates to do in London next summer.

The Montgomery Group has changed Fresh RM’s name to Fresh Montgomery following this year’s acquisition of Reed’s 50 per cent stake in the business.

With nearly three months still to go before the event, Newcastle Gateshead already has big plans for Confex 2012.

The International Centre, Telford, has landed three big association events for 2012

The Concerto Group has announced a pre-tax profit of £475k with sales growing by over 23 per cent to £26.4 million.

Etherlive has launched a Top 10 guide to help event bookers get a grip with the requisite IT considerations for conferences and meetings.

Following an increase in enquiries for one day events Senate House has created a special day delegate rate in order to satisfy demand. 

Some of Yorkshire’s most successful companies have joined forces with Welcome to Yorkshire, to support its work promoting the county on a global scale.

Earls Court and Olympia are the first large public venues in the UK to move to higher speed, dual-band Wi-Fi technology capable of supporting speeds of up to 600 Mbps.

The International Special Events Society is to investigate the impact of Summer 2012 on the supply chains of UK event organisations.

The Institute of Travel & Meetings’ Industry Affairs Group has released the results of research on buyer attitudes to issues affecting the industry in the UK & Ireland.

Olympia’s redeveloped West Hall has opened as planned as a two-storey, 90,000 square feet exhibition facility.

ABPCO is to roll out a set of special awards at the gala dinner of its forthcoming 25th anniversary annual conference in London in January. 

A survey conducted by Center Parcs reveals that 85 per cent of respondents who have in the past hosted summer events in the capital will be moving their events away next summer.  

Five kilos of plain flour, 25 kilos of unsalted butter, 11 kilos of caster sugar, five kilos of cocoa powder and 28 kilos of icing sugar, plus 400 free range eggs made Birmingham’s longest Yuletide log at the ICC

The latest MIA Pathfinder research has revealed that in the third quarter of 2011 July to September the rates paid to venues for meetings and events services rose by up to 30 per cent.

Dolce Hotels and Resorts, has become one of the first global hotel chains to sign up to the HBAA International Charter.

The Hallé Orchestra made a triumphant return to The Point just over a year since it performed at the venue’s opening night.

Visitors to the Event Production Show will see the highest number of new exhibitors in the show’s decade-long history

Lord’s Cricket Ground will kick start 2012 with a new delegate rate exclusive to January and February.

EC&O Venues has appointed a new marketing manager, Jazmin Beale. 

Reports in the press say Edinburgh council has voted, in principle, to look into levying a bed tax in the city’s hotels that would help pay for conferences, festivals and venues.

Melville Exhibition and Event Services has invested over £400,000 across four new ranges of furniture to provide organisers and exhibitors with carefully considered and styled themes.

The fourth MBNA North West Football Awards took place recently at Old Trafford Cricket Ground’s conference and events venue, The Point.

Confex has unveiled Newswire, the new brand for exhibitor media opportunities before and after the show along with the onsite press office.

Michael Hirst and Nick de Bois MP will chair a dinner discussion with key leaders within the events industry as part of the Britain for Events campaign.

The HBAA is to publish ‘Meetings plastic: Drastic or fantastic?’, a paper looking at the consequences of credit card payments in meetings management. 

The 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards will be held on Monday 6 February at Central Hall Westminster.

The Edible Garden Show has been voted Most Popular Garden Event of the Year in the annual Horticultural Channel Awards.

René Dee, chief executive of The Westminster Collection, will retire in March after eight years in charge of the London consortium.

The Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau has appointed Rachel Downing in the newly created role of director of business tourism.

Pre audited figures suggest this year’s EIBTM has enjoyed encouraging growth with 10 per cent more visitors than last year.

Anthony Coyle-Dowling, Gareth Crowder and Hannah Wilkinson are now Zibrant's directors of global sales, global procurement and global business development–healthcare, respectively.

Chairman of the Business Visits & Events Partnership, Michael Hirst, gives an events industry reaction to the chancellor’s Autumn Statement

Confex has a new event manager in the form of James Samuel who takes up the new role today, 1 December.

Elton John will perform at the Yorkshire Event Centre in June, the first time the venue will have held a rock concert

Melville Exhibition and Event Services’ new exhibitor product, the Dashboard, made its debut at this year’s Mortgage Business Expo.

London & Partners has unveiled Motivation Month, claimed to be the first ever global business tourism campaign. 

Dominique Dashwood-Evans, a final year Hospitality student at Bournemouth University, has been announced as the winner of the Vanessa Cotton Memorial scholarship 2011.

easyFairs, has acquired the Storage Terminal Operators’ Conference and Exhibition, a portfolio of international events for the bulk liquid storage sector. 

The Professional Convention Management Association and Reed Travel Exhibitions have formed a partnership that will begin in January.

A high profile win for imago which has been named the event manager and hospitality provider for the 2012 AUDE conference.

The Qatar National Convention Centre will officially open on 4 December. 

UK exhibition and conference organiser, ITE Group, has seen a full-year profit rise of 40 per cent in the year ending September 2011.

Lurene Joseph is the new CEO of Marketing Leeds, the organisation responsible for promoting the city nationally and internationally and attracting inward investment.

Melbourne is to host the International AIDS Conference in 2014, the largest medical conference ever to be held in Australia.

Hilton Worldwide is to create 1500 jobs with the opening of 20 new hotels in the UK over the next few years.

Center Parcs has unveiled a new team building package, Aqueous Endeavour, designed to test delegates’ skills, aim and knowledge with four aqua themed elements.

Be Inspired, Be Brilliant, Be Energised and Be Curious are the slogans in Aberdeen Convention Bureau’s new marketing campaign 

ACC Liverpool will use this week’s EIBTM to unveil plans for a new exhibition centre.

The Convention Centre Dublin has gained accreditation in two ISO systems, Quality Management and Environmental management

The first winner of the Vanessa Cotton Memorial scholarship will be announced at EIBTM this week.

Visit Scotland has launched a major new corporate campaign designed to encourage the tourism industry and investors in tourism to grasp the opportunities ahead.

AMA Events has been selected to manage the UK & Ireland SAP Users conference account for the next three years following a six way pitch. 

Thorns Group is joining a star-studded line-up to ensure Birmingham’s biggest Christmas show Rock with Laughter is a resounding hit.

With five days still to go before next Wednesday’s proposed strikes, Heathrow Airport has expressed concern at the possible resulting travel problems.

The Enterprise Hotel in Kensington, London is launching Asian Fusion events as part of its corporate hospitality offer.

The Cedar Court Grand Hotel and Spa has become York’s first 5 star hotel and the only AA 5 star rated hotel in Yorkshire.

Lemon Drop Events are pleased to announce that they have moved to a fabulous new home in Chelsea Gate Studios, just off the New King’s Road in Fulham.

Restec, organiser of the newly launched Europe + Asia Event Forum, and tfconnect, organiser of the Global Event Summit agreed a new partnership. 

Potential clients can now witness The Point, at Lancashire County Cricket Club, transform from a blank canvas into an extravagant wedding reception in a new film.

Adding to an already lengthy list of different activities seen in its exhibition halls, The NEC will welcome the Birmingham Royal Ballet for rehearsals in December

Great Hotels of the World, the global hotel sales and marketing alliance, is to roll out a new trade directory combining their meetings, incentive and corporate travel collections for 2012.

After its first running last week Zibrant’s new healthcare forum has already been called ‘a must in the industry diary’.

EIBTM has launched its first full show APP which has been designed to meet the individual needs of all the event’s attendees. 

Sheffield City Hall, part of the Sheffield International Venues events portfolio, has picked up another prize this time taking the venue of the year crown at the Eventia Awards.

A group of leading American conference and event planners recently enjoyed a successful fact-finding visit to Northern Ireland, that was organised by Tourism Ireland.

ACC Liverpool held its sixth annual showcase event in London yesterday and used the occasion to launch its delegate card initiative.

The QEII Conference Centre has been selected as host venue for the next five years for The International Marine Purchasing Association’s annual event.

Compass group has reported a pre-tax profit of £958m with revenues having reached the £15.8bn mark.

EIBTM has implemented a variety of initiatives intended to contribute towards the overall environmental conscience and business success for the industry.

Max WiFi has unveiled its newVenue WiFi Service for managed venues with the Mermaid Conference and Events Centre being the first to have it installed.

Paul Gould, group executive head chef at Amadeus, The NEC Group’s catering division, was honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the FSM awards dinner.

Melville Event and Exhibition Services has made two promotions as it strengthens its customer outlook. Dan Corderoy is now commercial director with Justin Squires promoted to sales director.

The Brewery is today launching its new look that aims to emphasise the quality, history and uniqueness of the venue as well as its City location.

Lord’s Cricket Ground has forecast that cricket hospitality will not be affected by its status as an official venue for the 2012 London Olympic Games. 

International Golf Travel Market will take place in the Algarve, Portugal, when it runs next year between 12-15 November. 

ABPCO has confirmed that its 25th anniversary in 2012 will begin with a gala dinner at St Paul’s Cathedral on Thursday 26 January, the final night of the association’s two day conference.

Click here for the list of who won what at Friday’s Eventia awards

A number of news sources are reporting further job cuts at the Harrogate International Centre as it attempts to limit its losses over the next two years.

World Travel Market saw a five per cent visitor increase at this year's show over last year which was istelf 10 per cent up on 2009.

Square Meal’s Venues & Events exhibition welcomed 7,804 visitors in September, a 12 per cent rise on last year according to the official ABC audit

Excel has a new head of corporate account development in the shape of Jane Hague who returns to the venue after a few years away.

To commemorate its 10th anniversary The IMEX Group has announced its intention to undertake a major new research study on the future of the meetings industry.

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE, will address delegates at the AEO Conference 2012, on Friday 13 January at the Business Design Centre in London.

Sodexo Prestige has signed a deal with The Montcalm hotel to provide dining, bar, restaurant and in-room dining services. 

EventCity has appointed SO Group as its mains and piped services supplier with effect from 1 January 2012.

ACC Liverpool has won the contract to bring the International Bible Student’s Association annual event to the city for three consecutive years, with the first event being held in August 2012.

To celebrate the £28 million transformation of Exhibition Road, the Natural History Museum, Science Museum and The V&A are joining forces for the first time to host a party at all three venues.

Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull have launched a £17m three year inward investment and visitor marketing campaign intended to raise the profile of the area as a place in which  to do business, invest, visit and host major events.

Eventia has welcomed the prime minister's support for the Britain for Events campaign, but cautions that the on-going uncertainty over the future procurement of live events in the public sector needs to be tackled as a matter of urgency.

According to various reports in today’s press the Queen has given the go-ahead to hiring out space in St James Palace during the Olympics.

Casa Hotel in Derbyshire is offering a number of special delegate deals as it celebrates a successful first year.

After nearly 20 successful years, the only dedicated residential management training centre in Cambridge, The Møller Centre, is rebranding.

Stoke Mandeville Stadium’s Olympic Lodge is to undergo a series of refurbishment works in a bid to improve the hotel accommodation and develop its service to teams that use the venue as a training camp. 

Ricoh Arena is set to exhibit at EIBTM following an invitation to take part from Visit England

The Aviva Indoor UK Trials and Championships is returning to Sheffield for the seventh year in a row in February.

Noemí Rosell, assistant to the director of the Barcelona Convention Bureau has been chosen as Hotleader of the Year 2011.

Hundreds of industry professionals descended on the Britannia Stadium in Stoke yesterday for Ceramics 2011.

BBC Worldwide is to roll out a Dr Who convention next March at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff.

Paul Southern has been appointed managing director of Central Hall Westminster.

ABPCO plans to host a round-table debate with venues, PCOs and campaign supporters to discuss the issues surrounding the implementation of a free Wi-Fi service for conference delegates

Momentum continues to gather for this year’s Britain for Events campaign. 

Hilton Worldwide is to bring seven of its recently purchased UK Mint Hotels under its Doubletree and Garden Inn Brands

One of the industry’s leading chefs has launched a new recipe book for children in a joint initiative with the National Fostering Agency and food charity, Magic Breakfast.

The NEC has appointed the well known and widely respected exhibition figure, Stephen Richards, as its new venue sales director. 

Chelsea Football Club has added two new products to its matchday offer for the 2011-12 season following, what it calls the highest levels of bookings.

The UK Venue Show has issued a call for papers for speaking opportunities at the show. 

InBev UK Limited, the UK trading arm of global brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev, is now the official beer partner for the NEC Group.

Informa Exhibitions has appointed Melville Middle East to provide a range of services to 14 of its UAE-based shows in 2012

Hospitality industry sales agency, The Solutions Company, has been appointed to manage the pre-opening sales campaign for the new Legoland Hotel which is scheduled to open in March 2012.

A group of venues in Bankside have grouped together to raise awareness of the wealth of choice available for corporate hospitality, conferences and meetings in the thriving riverside area of London.

The prime minister has written a letter to Nick de Bois MP in which he voices his support for the Britain For Events campaign.

Reed Travel Exhibitions is to undertake worldwide research among its total buyer and supplier database in an effort to establish qualitative data on the major issues affecting the industry.

VisitBritain is to receive a further £27 million of funding to help promote Britain in key overseas markets in an effort to drive greater numbers of visitors to the country over the next four years.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has appointed Jennifer Fox its new president. 

Manchester Central has joined the growing list of venues that have formally adopted the eGuide, the common regulative policy for major UK exhibition venues created by the Association of Event Venues. 

The Ricoh Arena has appointed Chancelle Driscoll as its first commercial sales manager to continue to build upon its successful sponsorship portfolio. 

Julie Coates-Walker has been appointed as Central Sales & Revenue Support Manager at Lime Venue Portfolio. 

September’s International MINT Conference delivered 350 delegates and nearly £300,000 worth of economic benefit to the Sheffield city region.

The Meeting Support Institute has unveiled The Fresh Conference, billed as being its first innovative event that will have a unique, 100 per cent focus on the content side of meetings.

Reed Travel Exhibitions and The Association of Corporate Travel Executives have announced a joint collaboration across all events in the IBTM portfolio. 

The Qatar National Convention Centre will be ‘an industry trailblazer’ when it opens next month.

Reed Travel Exhibitions has acquired Business Travel Market, the annual corporate travel conference and exhibition held at London’s Excel, for an undisclosed sum. 

The Event Supplier and Services Association has announced the dates and venues for its 2012 programme of industry events.

Miss World is celebrating its 60th birthday in London this week with the final taking place at Earls Court 2 on Sunday.

For the 57th successive year, Piggotts, the provider of Christmas lights, branding and marquees, has designed, manufactured and installed the Christmas lights along London’s Oxford Street.

Wales Online has reported that Cardiff council will this week commit £200,000 towards the city hosting the WBC World Boxing Convention and possibly a world title fight in 2013.

The MIA has confirmed its participation at the UK Venue Show, 1-2 February 2012. Members of the association will showcase their venues in the MIA Pavilion and will be appealing to the £2bn buying power of qualified buyers of events and ancillary services. 

This year’s EIBTM CEO Summit will discuss the trends that can and will affect and influence the events business now and in the future. 

Zibrant, the meetings, events and accommodation agency has appointed James Goulder as account manager based in their global operations office.

Senate House, the art deco centrepiece of the University of London, has launched a Top 10 Tips to good behaviour at conferences. 

Hotelzon Online has released an encouraging analysis of corporate accommodation buying patterns in the third quarter of 2011. 

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has opened Aloft London Excel. The hotel is owned by ADNEC which also own ExceL, as well as Aloft Abu Dhabi, the Middle East's first Aloft hotel.

Southwater Event Group has appointed Linda Hill its new group conferences sales manager.

Welcome to Yorkshire, the official destination management organisation for Yorkshire, will host the 2011 Annual General Meeting at the National Railway Museum, York on Monday 21 November. 

Over 100 high profile industry figures attended the Britain For Events launch last night at The Deck at the National Theatre

The Aberdeen Convention Bureau has signed a partnership agreement with social enterprise Transition Extreme Sports, which uses urban and extreme sports to attract and positively engage local young people.

The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust based at the Heritage Motor Centre at Gaydon in Warwickshire has received initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund  for the multi-storey Museum’s Collections Centre project

Wyboston Lakes has appointed Rachael Waldron as its new national sales manager.

London caterer, Zafferano, has won the contract to operate the catering at this year's Natural History Museum ice rink.

Exhibition and roadshow specialists, Mobex, helped The Red Cross begin its first ever ‘Ready for Winter’ roadshow.

Glasgow has won the coveted Best Marketing Award at this year's ICCA congress

The Event Production Show has seen exhibitor sales up by 10 per cent year-on-year from October 2010 with sponsorship revenue seeing a 75 poer cent rise this year

Former ICCA CEO Tom Hulton received the Moises Shuster Award at last night's gala dinner at ICCA's 50th Congress in Leipzig

ABPCO’s Conference Cloud campaign which calls for free Wi-Fi for conference delegates continues to gain momentum with over 40 venues signed up to the scheme and some 200 signatures on the petition since it launched in August.

Following a successful collaboration last year, the industry Christmas event ‘Mistletoe’ will return on the 5 December at Christ Church Spitalfields, London.

Diversified Business Communications UK is to roll out Office Interiors, a new trade exhibition at Olympia next September aimed at the UK’s office interiors industry.

According to reports in today’s press, Prince Charles could use Windsor as his base leaving Buckingham Palace available for development as a hotel or other events venue.

Following a successful three-year tenancy at The Artillery Garden at The HAC, The Ultimate Experience has signed a second contract for Summer and Christmas seasons through to December 2014.

Central Hall Westminster has added 'house full' concerts to its roster of successful events.

Birmingham has been selected as the top UK events destination outside London for the third year in a row, according to The British Meetings & Events Industry Survey 2011/12.

The UK events industry can help boost the nation's economy according to a report currently being circulated among MPs

The Heritage Motor Centre in conjunction with local design agency, Box Clever Marketing,scooped the Best Brochure–Venues/Destinations prize at last week's Meetings Industry Marketing Awards.

Somerset House has a new head and deputy head of events in the shape of Emma Barrow and Sarah Wray

Seasoned Events, part of the Crown Group, has secured an exclusive three-year contract with Thames Luxury Charters to provide banqueting and events services aboard its fleet of four luxury charter boats. 

Sheffield Convention Bureau and Hospitality Sheffield members have joined forces to deliver a conference sales drive for the city in an effort to secure Sheffield’s next phase of conferences, events and exhibitions.

Etherlive, the supplier of technology services for the events industry, has undertaken research with a large number of event production contacts to evaluate the importance of technology at events. 

Melville Exhibition and Events Services has become the first exhibition and event services contractor in the UK to be awarded BS8901 through independent certification.

Torquay is celebrating being awarded a Purple Flag, the national recognition scheme for night-time economy strategies and best practice. 

The SECC landed a 12000 delegate booking at IMEX from a buyer who came to the show with no appointments arranged but who was looking to place an event

The national centre for wheelchair sport has been re-awarded and reaccredited with the Hospitality Assured standard, the standard for service and business excellence in hospitality. 

Centaur Media has appointed Mark Kerswell chief financial officer with immediate effect following the resignation of Mike Lally.

Occupancy in Scottish hotels during August was higher than any other part of the UK including London according to the latest report by accountants and business advisers PKF. 

Queen Mary, University of London’s Octagon played host to BBC One’s current affairs panel show ‘Question Time’ for a third time on Thursday 13^th October 2011.

The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre has achieved a record £2.04million of sales in one month.

ABPCO will celebrate 25 years since incorporation in 2012 and plans to begin celebrations for its Silver Jubilee year in style at its annual conference on 25–27 January. 

Passkey International has acquired UK-based Velvet Software, the provider of conference, event and accommodation technologies for organisations, conference destinations and individuals in the UK. 

EIBTM will welcome 42 new exhibiting destinations, DMCs and venues to this year’s show at the Fira Gran Via, Barcelona from 29 November–1 December. 

NewcastleGateshead Initiative has begun the hunt for someone to drive forward its successful convention bureau team following the announcement that head of business tourism, Jessica Roberts, will leave at the end of the year.

Earls Court and Olympia has unveiled a new state-of-the-art wireless system following extensive investment in the venues’ IT infrastructure. 

The 2011 ICCA Congress has already broken the association's record for attendees with nearly 1000 expected to attend.

Well Met Conferencing is inviting conference organisers to take advantage of a special pay as you go offer between now and December.

Richard Kadri-Langford has been confirmed as head of marketing for Lime Venue Portfolio overseeing all above and below the line marketing activity for Lime Venue Portfolio’s 100 plus venues. 

The Belfry was unveiled as England’s 'Leading Golf Resort’ at the annual World Travel Awards Ceremony, held recently in Antalya, Turkey.

IET Venues has unveiled its recently renovated Teacher Building in Glasgow.

International Confex has signed an agreement to incorporate the London event show RSVP, into Confex beginning with the next show, at Excel in March. 

The International Special Events Society has appointed the well known industry figure, Simon Mills, as director of fundraising and partnerships for the association.

In its first six months London & Partners has secured over two million pounds worth of private sector funding to support the ongoing international promotion of the capital. 

Kudos, part of the Crown Group has signed a six-year multimillion pound contract to provide food and venue management services at the National Football Museum, soon to be relocated to the Urbis building in Manchester.

Amsterdam RAI and KLM have signed a multi-year contract in which they agree to join forces in attracting international exhibitions, conferences, events and their visitors to Amsterdam at a competitive price. 

Last week's lunch! show at Old Billingsgate saw a 40 per cent increase in visitor numbers while 70 per cent of exhibitors have already booked for next year

The Heritage Motor Centre, in conjunction with local design agency Box Clever Marketing, has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award for its conference brochure and e-brochure.

Reed Travel Exhibitions says this year's EIBTM is set for it’s best year of business yet with over 3,800 hosted buyers expected to attend.

The Association of Event Organisers (AEO) has announced that Stephen Brooks, CEO of Mack-Brooks Exhibitions is its new chairman, taking over from from Douglas Emslie, MD of Tarsus Group.

Ocean Media is launching Homes 2012 which, it is claimed, will be the first large scale national trade event for the asset management community, addressing issues such as repairs and maintenance, sustainability and retrofit.  

The Leader of the opposition has praised Liverpool for being a “fantastic backdrop” for the Labour Party conference.

The Yorkshire Event Centre entertained final year event management students at the start of the autumn semester to help them with their next event planning module. 

Sheffield City Hall has been crowned as the best large event venue in the country by industry publication, Event Magazine.

Melville Exhibition & Event Services has appointed Mike Renwick to the position of head of IT development.

York & Scarborough Conferences has enlisted four new conference ambassadors to its growing ambassador programme initiaive. 

Reach Scotland has appointed Sinead Kavanagh as marketing director to lead the company’s marketing strategy across the UK, Europe and North America leisure and business tourism markets.

Keith Prowse has secured the services of top chef, Jason Atherton, to provide the corporate hospitality menus at Twickenham.

The Event Production Show has seen a rise in bookings of 15 per cent for next year with visitor numbers also expected to increase significantly.

Keele Conferences and Events is calling for the industry to turn its focus to promoting the educational benefit of meetings and events rather than solely their economic value.

The Institute of Travel & Meetings (ITM) has confirmed Simone Buckley as its new CEO from 1 January. Ms Buckley will replace Paul Tilstone and start in the post on the 1 November to ensure an effective hand-over.

London Underground has confirmed closure of the Olympia branch in December but an agreement is in place for a service when events are running at the venue

This year's Square Meals Venues & Events exhibition saw a 12 per cent rise in attendance. Held at Old Billingsgate last week, organisers report a record 7,821 visitors at the show.

ACC Liverpool chief executive, Bob Prattey, officially welcomed the Labour Party Leader Ed Miliband this weekend as the venue opened its doors to an expected 11,000 delegates for this year’s Labour Party Annual Conference.

Visit Scotland is taking its flagship exhibition back to Edinburgh after a five year absence.

The Yorkshire Event Centre team has appointed Richard Moorhouse its new venue manager. 

Farnborough International has unveiled what is described as an innovative new model for the allocation of sponsorship rights at the Farnborough International Airshow 2012.

Zibrant has acquired Goldserve, the confernce and event lead generation firm, for £5.25m...more to follow

More than 150 of the events industry's high profile buyers descended on Telford at the weekend.

Kathryn James of the NEC has been elected chair of the Association of Events Venues for the next two years at the organisation's AGM.

The SECC has unveiled a 10 year agreement that will see Compass Group UK & Ireland’s Levy Restaurants brand deliver creative catering services across the SECC site including the new Scottish Hydro Arena.

Requests for private dining are on the increase according to Liverpool Convention Bureau’s enquiry levels.

 Liverpool Convention Bureau has rolled out a new delegate welcome scheme

From the 3^rd to the 6^th March the Endsleigh Centre in Hull will play host to the prestigious Real Ale Festival, organised by the Guest Beer Company and supported by HEY Conferences and CAMRA.

Confex Group has joined ABPCO under the association’s corporate membership programme launched in 2010. 

First Connections, The Event School London, has unveiled the speaker line up for this year’s event which takes place on Wednesday 30 March 2011 from 6.30pm, at the HTE Schools Training Centre, Excel London.

Well Met Conferencing, the conference office for Leeds Metropolitan University, is celebrating the selection of their venues as the training base for China’s track and field team ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

ACC Liverpool is to host 2012’s BBC Showcase UK. 

Christopher Rodrigues has been appointed to serve a second four-year term as chairman of Britain’s national tourism agency.

Corus Hotel Hyde Park is offering an Apple iPad to any booker making a single contracted meeting or event booking in excess of £4,000 by 31^st March 2011.

Asda Chief Executive Andy Clarke is to take on the role of chair of Marketing Leeds along with Roger Marsh of PwC, who will become deputy chair. The pair will lead the board of Marketing Leeds as it widens its focus to include attracting new business and tourists to Leeds while continuing its current profile raising activity. 

World Travel Market will welcome 183 new exhibitors to Excel when it opens on Monday, an increase that has been driven by technology.