Meet in the heart of England

Staffordshire is one of the greenest counties in the UK and many venues offer tranquillity and relaxation for your delegates. Located at the very Heart of England, and with a wide variety of first class, unique and unusual venues, Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent is the perfect location to hold your next event.

Staffordshire hotels
Staffordshire is home to an abundance of high quality and first class venues for those events requiring a touch of luxury. Swinfen Hall Hotel, near Lichfield, is an Inspectors Choice 4 red AA star venue and sits within 95 acres of stunning parkland, formal gardens and a wild deer park.  The Best Western Stoke-on-Trent Moat House is the former family home of Josiah Wedgwood and can accommodate up to 650 delegates in theatre style whilst the Premiership Britannia Stadium offers delegates a view of the pitch.

Relax and unwind from the daily stresses at Hoar Cross Hall – the impressive stately home has been lovingly restored and offers a range of luxurious spa facilities. It’s the perfect setting for business incentives, meetings and corporate hospitality or visit Moddershall Oaks spa with their brand new conference & events venue – accommodating up to 130 delegates and due to open in December 2010.  

Alternative venues
Staffordshire is also home to a number of unusual attractions which offer conference facilities. Why not enter a world of excitement and surprises at Alton Towers Resort, the UK’s number one theme park. The attraction has 391 bedrooms available on-site across its two fantastic hotels plus a purpose built conference centre which can seat 550 delegates for an event.  

Drayton Manor Theme Park set in 280 acres of parkland and lakes is not only one of the country’s leading theme parks, but is also an ideal venue for conferences and events and has the capacity to accommodate up to 300 delegates.

Thousands of people from around the world visit Stoke-on-Trent, known affectionately as ‘The Potteries’. Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, Portmeirion and Moorcroft are just a few of the UK’s leading lifestyle brands you will find in this unique city. The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in the Cultural Quarter of the City Centre, houses the world’s largest collection of Staffordshire ceramics and can accommodate conferences for up to 300 delegates. Gladstone Pottery Museum is an authentic Victorian pottery factory with cobbled courtyards and bottle ovens and offers delegates the chance to throw their very own pot.  

Trentham Monkey Forest is an ideal venue for smaller events where delegates can get creative in a tranquil setting. Delegate packages include entry into the Monkey Forest and enables delegates to discover the 140 free roaming Barbary macaques.

Coventry & Warwickshire
Coventry & Warwickshire is a dynamic destination situated right at the heart of a unique, vibrant and bustling region.  Ideally located just 20 minutes from Birmingham International airport and one hour from London by train.

Coventry is now well established as a major conference and business events destination with industry research (‘British Meetings & Events Industry Survey 2009’) ranking it as the tenth most popular destination amongst event organisers, its location making it accessible for not only businesses but also attendees boosting visitor attendance. With famous landmarks, stunning scenery, superb historic and modern contrasts, Coventry & Warwickshire offers a world of award winning conferencing venues, accommodation and services.
    
Coventry convention centres
The IEC at the £113 million Ricoh Arena is a world class destination for business, entertainment and sport and boasts a 15,000 sq m purpose-built conference and exhibition centre as well as an onsite hotel. The E.ON Lounge is the Midlands largest 1,000 seat column-free conference and banqueting suite with natural daylight and spectacular views over the football stadium. A variety of events ranging from exhibitions to indoor concerts are held in the sound proofed column free 6,000 sq m Jaguar Exhibition Hall which can be divided into 4,000 and 2,000 sq m. There are also more than 50 suites, lounges and executive boxes for smaller businesses and organisations. A multi million pound expansion has recently been completed and includes a further 2,500 sq m of space allowing the Ricoh to attract audiences of up to 10,000 for indoor events. Two additional halls have been added which includes a 650-seat auditorium.

Recently the Ricoh Arena received an environmental award for successfully reducing its carbon emissions.

Conference in Warwick
Located in Coventry Warwick Conferences on the University of Warwick campus hosts the widest choice and concentration of event space in the UK with three dedicated training and conference centres and a main campus Conference Park with 2,000 free car parking spaces on site. There are over 300 meeting rooms for 2-1,200 delegates supported by award winning catering and second to none service. The specialist training and conference centres have 479 en-suite bedrooms of a 4-star hotel standard. The conference park has a vast range of auditoria for up to 1,200 delegates accompanied by exhibition space and banqueting. The venues are located on the University of Warwick’s 700 acre rural campus, alongside banks, bars, shops and restaurants providing a unique hub for delegates.

Recently Warwick Conferences was awarded silver status in the internationally recognised IACC (International Association of Conference Centres) Green Star accreditation for its environmental policy.   

Quality accommodation
From luxurious to quality value, Coventry & Warwickshire has a wide range of accommodation to suit the needs of organisers and their pocket. The Ricoh Arena has 71 rooms on site with 1,950 rooms ranging from 4-star to budget within a five mile radius. The University of Warwick training and conference centres have on site 479 en-suite rooms and the Conference Park over 1,200 bedrooms (available only during student vacation periods Christmas, Easter and summer) there are also 2,850 rooms again 4-star to budget within a five mile radius.     

Staff at the Convention Bureau have a wealth of knowledge about the region, providing a free venue finding service and an online accommodation booking and registration facility and event management services.

Get motivated in Worcestershire
Everyone knows that motivated staff are happier and more productive.
Whether it’s an exciting away day, a team-building challenge or simply a well-deserved pampering session, Worcestershire offers an abundance of opportunities for morale-building events.

If the phrase team-building conjures up images of dreary games to ‘brighten up’ a meeting, then think again. How about a session of Katakanuing? Take the team out on the water with Cotswold Conference Centre and Aztec Watersports for a half day of Katakanuing along the picturesque River Avon, where they will need to work together to ensure their boat stays on course. Round the event off with a relaxing riverside pub lunch back on dry land.  

Or perhaps you prefer to try one of the many Eye Opener team-building activities the centre offers. These self-contained activities, designed to be run without the need for outside support, offer exceptional value to trainers wishing to add an experiential element to their programmes. Treasure hunts, mystery solving and orienteering can all be carried out in the centre’s 300-acre grounds – the perfect way to energise staff and build relationships among colleagues.  

Enjoy the extraordinary
Treat your team to an experience they won’t forget with a walk on the wild side at West Midland Safari Park. Get up close and personal with some of the park’s 600 animals, enjoy the four-mile self-drive safari or enjoy one of the many tailored corporate programmes available.  

Entertaining team bonding with delicious results is on offer at Eckington Manor Cookery School. Eckington Manor’s expert staff will hone guests’ cookery skills and techniques, ensuring mouth-watering dishes are created each time. The school works with clients to create a bespoke event and luxury accommodation is available.

For the more adventurous employees, Marksman Leisure enables employees to perfect their teamwork with a range of energetic challenges from Laser-Tag Combat, indoor target shooting and Laser Clay Shooting, which can be carried out at their base, near Bromsgrove, or at a location of your choice.

A sporting chance
Treat sports fans to an exhilarating day out at one of Worcestershire’s many high-quality sporting venues. Get the adrenalin pumping with a day at Worcester Racecourse – this picturesque tree-lined course on the banks of the river Severn offers a range of executive and private hospitality boxes, which provide the ideal opportunity to treat hard working colleagues to some trackside luxury.  

Rugby lovers will be in their element with a thrilling day at Sixways Stadium – a 65-acre complex home to the Worcester Warriors. See the team in action from your very own luxury, pitch-side box.  Sixways’ events specialists will ensure your matchday experience is second to none.

Pampering session
Reward colleagues’ hard work with a luxurious pampering session. The Spa at The Elms Hotel in Abberley provides the perfect rural retreat. Featuring a steam room, sauna and ice fountain as well as a hydro-spa, mud therapy room and relaxation suite, The Spa is the perfect way to say thank you and well done.  

If escaping from the office is difficult, then Moto’s Mobile Massage Ltd is the solution. Run by Moto Sasaki, a Japanese massage therapist specialising in oriental massage therapies, the company provides services for corporate events and private clients across the Midlands. Treatments include Japanese chair massage, Indian head massage, Shiatsu, Thai yoga massage and reflexology.

For more information:
www.conferencestaffordshire.co.uk
www.cw-conventionbureau.co.uk
www.visitworcestershire.org