Southport Conferences has launched a dedicated Business Tourism Steering Group, tasked with managing its rapidly expanding business tourism product.

The group, which is supported by a fully comprehensive business plan, is made up of key members of Sefton Council, Southport’s Tourism Business Network and the leading hotels and conference venues in the area. Its regular meetings will raise the profile of business tourism in Southport and improve the attractiveness of the cosmopolitan seaside resort to the wider conference market.

In recent years, Southport has undergone significant investment to its business tourism product, principally the £40 million refurbishment and extension of the Southport Theatre & Convention Centre and three new four-star quality hotels. In addition, the resort will see the forthcoming £12 million development of the Southport Arts Centre, creating a new Cultural Centre for Southport, due to be completed in 2012.

Tony Corfield, Sefton’s Head of Tourism, commented; “We have some really ambitious targets for Southport to firmly establish our resort as one of the key business tourism destinations. The role of the steering committee is firmly focussed on delivering these.”

“In addition to fantastic conference and meeting facilities, Southport is also a world class incentive destination, renowned for its Golf – a classic, premium experience ideally suited for delegates to escape into.”

February 2010 will see the resort’s strongest ever showing at International Confex, showcasing Southport’s offering to the business tourism industry alongside Liverpool Convention Bureau and ACC Liverpool as part of the Merseyside Partnership.

Southport will also use the show as a platform to launch its new conference portfolio; a comprehensive guide to all Southport venues, and the plethora of services provided by the Southport Conferences team.

For further information visit; www.southportconferences.com

Ahead of its 25 year anniversary in 2010, the East Midlands Conference Centre (EMCC), Nottingham has more than doubled the size of its existing catering facilities with a £350,000 extension.

The flagship venue of Nottingham Conferences, caters for around 350 events each year. The new development means that the venue will now be able to increase efficiency when hosting larger events, in addition to serving food for several smaller conferences or events simultaneously.

Kirstie Danzey, Marketing Manager commented; “The extension was not only a response to feedback received from our customers, but also an adaptation to fit a trend change seen across the UK conference market, where people are opting to hold smaller sized conferences and events.”

She continued; “The East Midlands Conference Centre has an excellent reputation for the food and drink that we serve and this development ensures that our product offering will stay in line with our customer’s expectations.”

The five month project was completed by local building contractor specialists, Beeston based J Tomlinson and included an extension to the rear of the venue and a total refurbishment of the kitchen’s facilities.

The team at Nottingham Conferences has committed to making conferences and events as green as possible across its portfolio by signing up to the University of Nottingham’s recent initiative; ‘Environmental Champions.’ 

The Environmental Champions Network was launched to encourage individuals from departments across the University to communicate and share ideas on environmental best practice and to work together to foster a strong culture of environmental awareness across the University.

Kirstie Danzey, Marketing Manager at Nottingham Conferences commented; "This scheme not only means that Nottingham Conferences can positively influence the environmental impact of the University, but also puts us in a better position to offer our clients constructive ideas for improvements when holding their conferences and events here.”

She continued; "Next year the East Midlands Conference Centre will be celebrating its 25th anniversary and our aim is to be operating as responsibly as we possibly can and will continue to ensure that this at the forefront of our practice going forward."

Church House Conference Centre in Westminster has committed to holding all of its prices at the current 2009 rate, until March 2011.

The commitment will include all room hire costs and prices for its in house audio visual services. In addition Church House has negotiated a price freeze with its in house caterers Kudos as part of their new five year contract, recently renewed in October 2009.

Commenting on the decision General Manager Robin Parker said; "It feels the right thing to do in the current climate. We are confident that things will improve next year however prior to the General Election business still looks challenging.”

He continued; “We are also delighted that Kudos has supported this policy. We are currently working with them to produce brand new menus that will feature fresh local products where ever possible, and that will fit into the current pricing structure.”

Dublin’s newest venue, The AVIVA Stadium has announced two major contract wins ahead of its scheduled opening in May next year.

Around 300 anaesthesia professionals from The College of Anaesthetists of Ireland will convene at the international stadium for their three day annual conference, to deliberate the latest research and developments in the field.

The following month, with exclusive use of the Stadium, the annual CEPIC Congress 2010 will bring together over 700 agents in Dublin to meet and make new contacts at the largest image industry gathering in the world.

Cailín Keaney, Marketing Manager for the AVIVA Stadium commented; “We are thrilled to have been selected to host both of these events, providing us with a great platform with which to showcase the Stadium’s world class facilities and expertise.”

She continued; “When pitching to the CEPIC Congress, we worked very closely with ‘www.venuesireland.com’ to help communicate Ireland’s strong business tourism offering, and to highlight the meetings and events offerings of the city. I am confident that these will be the first of many large events that we can look forward to at the AVIVA Stadium.”

Christina Vaughan, President, CEPIC added; “We are delighted to have secured this prestigious venue, situated in the heart of Dublin for CEPIC. This innovative facility provides a modern, light and flexible environment which will give us the perfect location for a truly successful congress.”

Macdonald Hotels & Resorts has appointed Tracy Solly as Director of Sales for the Macdonald Crutherland House in East Kilbride.

Bringing with her over 16 years of experience in the hotel industry, Tracy joins from her previous position as Sales and Marketing Director at the Hotel Missoni in Edinburgh. She also boasts experience in several senior sales positions within the Ramada Jarvis Hotels group as well within the rest of the Macdonald Hotels portfolio including; the Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa, Macdonald Rusacks Hotel, Macdonald Houstoun House and The Roxburghe Hotel.

Tracy will utilise her expertise in conference and event management and expert skills in business development to help her to successfully construct and implement winning sales and marketing strategies for Macdonald Crutherland House.

On her appointment, Tracy commented; “I am passionate about the hotel industry and excited about the prospects that lie ahead of me. I am looking forward to playing my part in building on the hotel’s success and helping to further establish its position within the conference and events industry.”

Tony Murdock, General Manager for Macdonald Crutherland House added; “Tracy’s approach to business is very much in sync with the aspirations of Macdonald Crutherland House and the Macdonald Hotels group as a whole. She has proved herself invaluable in the hotel industry and we believe she will contribute significantly to the success of Macdonald Crutherland House.”

The luxury four star Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa has been crowned ‘Outstanding Large Hotel of the Year’ for the second year running in the Golf Tourism Scotland (GTS) Gold Standard Awards on 5 November 2009.

The hotel’s win makes it four in a row for the Macdonald Hotels & Resorts group, following the Macdonald Marine’s success in 2008 and the Macdonald Rusacks Hotel’s win in 2007. On the night, the Macdonald Marine held off strong competition from properties in St Andrews, Aberlady and Prestwick.

General Manager of the Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa, Seamus Coen commented; “Winning the title for a second time in a row is a credit to the team’s hard work throughout the year. Golfers make up a large part of our visitors and while our location gives a choice of some of the country’s top courses to play, we’re always proud to be chosen as a place to stay.”

Located in the beautiful coastal town of North Berwick in East Lothian, the Macdonald Marine Hotel & Spa is surrounded by some of Scotland’s premier golf courses including Muirfield, host of the 2013 British Open, and qualifier courses Dunbar, North Berwick West Links and Gullane.

Seamus Coen continued; “Being nominated and voted for by our industry colleagues makes winning this award even more special as it shows that we are not only meeting our customers’ needs but have also earned the respect of our peers.”

The GTS Gold Standard Awards recognise the key players in Scotland’s golf industry; golf courses, tour operators, hotels, secretariats and caddiemasters.

For more information on Macdonald Hotels, visit the website at www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk.

The London Summit once again turned the worlds’ focus to ExCeL London but for a different reason this time, with the event winning Gold for ‘Corporate Event of the Year’ at last night’s (Thursday 5^th November) BT Visit London Awards.

The London Summit, held in April, brought together 20 of the world’s most powerful leaders including Barack Obama, Gordon Brown and leading financial advisors.

“The London Summit was a significant event in highlighting London as a business tourism destination and the effectiveness of face to face meetings.  The whole events team at ExCeL London worked really hard and we’re delighted with our win.  Broadcast around the world, it was a truly fantastic showcase for ExCeL as a leading events venue,” adds David Pegler, Managing Director for Exhibitions, Conferences and Events at ExCeL London.

ExCeL London also picked up Gold for ‘Business Venue of the Year’ for the second year in a row, beating competition from Natural History Museum, which took silver. It also won Silver for Sustainable Tourism.

“Winning ‘Best Business Venue’ is also an accolade we were very proud to win and is testament to our continued investment in delivering world class facilities for London to ensure it remains a leading destination for business tourism.  The ICC London, which opens on 1^st May next year is another part of our long term vision to offer the best facilities for our clients and allow London to secure larger events for the city in the future.”

Macdonald Hotels & Resorts has announced the full acquisition of the Macdonald Pittodrie House Hotel and Estate, Aberdeenshire following its purchase of Theo Smith’s 50 percent stake. 

Commenting on the acquisition Theo said; “After 32 years my wife Kathleen and I have decided to slow down and try something new although we will continue to live at Pittodrie. We wish to thank all our customers, commercial and private for their valued business over the years and hope that they have had as much warmth and fun as we have.  We would also like to thank all of the staff, past and present for their hard work and loyalty over the years and also hope that they have enjoyed the warmth and fun as well.  Finally, we wish to offer Macdonald Hotels all the best for the future and the continued success of Pittodrie.”

Donald Macdonald, Executive Chairman, Macdonald Hotels, added; "We are delighted to have acquired the remaining 50 percent of this excellent business and wish to thank Theo and his family for the support they have given us over the past 17 years. We will now be looking towards building on the business opportunities this hotel offers taking full advantage of its unique history and magnificent setting."

The historic 27 room hotel which has 79 employees sits in 1,200 acres of ground and is a firm favourite for weddings and for both corporate and leisure guests.

The Roxburghe Hotel, part of Macdonald Hotels and Resorts Group has recently announced the appointment of Sales Director, Louise Rattray who will be based at the four star Roxburghe Hotel on Charlotte Square in Edinburgh’s city centre.

With over seven years experience in the hotel and hospitality industry, Louise has previously held the Account Director post at The Westin Turnberry Resort and was the Regional Sales Manager in Scotland for the Gleneagles Hotel.

Commenting on her new position Louise Rattray stated; “It is a great time to be working for a deluxe four-star hotel such as The Roxburghe, especially in the current climate where a high volume of transient accommodation accounts are increasing their relations within this market. I have a strong focus on the UK corporate markets and am looking forward to developing The Roxburghe and utilising my existing relations.”

Christopher Wayne-Wills, General Manager, The Roxburghe added; “We are very happy to have Louise Rattray join our award winning staff and look forward to her contribution to the sales team to help us secure the Roxburghe as the hotel of choice within both the consumer and mice markets.

He continued; “Louise has already secured two major accounts and I look forward to developing a fruitful working relationship with her.”

Established in the early 1800’s and designed by Robert Adam in what is now a World Heritage Site, the prestigious Roxburghe Hotel is located on the fashionable George Street in the heart of the Georgian New Town overlooking Charlotte Square. The Roxburghe has made significant investments into its development over the past year with a 7.5 million GBP refurbishment to all 198 bedrooms  and the refurbishment of public areas and meeting space which is due to finish at the end of 2009.