More than 80 passengers were killed on the evening of Wednesday July 24th and more than 150 injured, when their train, thought to be travelling at more than twice the limit for the curved section of track derailed on the long bend near Santago de Compostela in Galicia, North-West Spain and hit a wall. The dead and injured were in carriages that were concertinaed between the front and back engines when the crash, at 120 mph, happened.

The train, from Madrid, was taking many passengers to the annual Christian festival held at Santiago de Compostela and attended by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over Spain and France. Some of the planned ceremonies were cancelled and the Spanish government, which owns the train operating company Renfe, declared three days of national morning. Continue reading →

Organisers running events in Bali need to warn their delegates flying into the airport that the porters there are giving what is generally regarded as a welcoming country a thoroughly bad name.

One traveller we know, and there are hundreds of similar experiences, was shaken down by three uniformed porters who asked to see his passport, with no authority to do so, and badgered him into parting needlessly with £25 to carry his luggage through customs. Some reports indicate that travellers have been told that luggage carried by porters is not stopped and checked by agreement with the customs officers there. Continue reading →

The communal singing popular at events in America and Japan may look a little bizarre to many Brits but there’s now some scientific evidence to show that conference organisers here could give their delegates a physical and mental treat with a sing-along.

Apparently researchers in Gothenburg have found that the calming and de-stressing effect of controlled breathing when warbling is similar to that produced by yoga, and there are indications of improvements in other areas such as confidence and self-esteem, posture, heart health and even life expectancy.

Worth a try for the next graveyard session?

Those booking events at London’s Albert Hall for customer entertainment packages might think about providing them with hand-held fans and bottles of water to keep cool.

In the current heat wave the famous auditorium has been unbearably hot, leaving Proms audiences “dripping with sweat”.

For music lovers there is also the issue of heat affecting the pitch of some instruments.

A networking evening focussing on the future of events in 2033 is being staged by the German Convention Bureau (GCB).

This takes place on Wednesday October 9th at The Crystal, Siemens Urban Sustainability Centre, Royal Victoria Docks, London, from 4.30pm. Event organisers are invited to attend and enjoy presentations on the subject, networking with German event players from cities including Hamburg, Munich, Leipzig, Dusseldorf and Stuttgart, and hoteliers from groups such as Holiday Inn, Leonardo, Maritim and Accpr, drinks and dinner.

www.gcb.de/en/the-gcb/gcb-event-future-technology-urban-life

One rather lovely, peaceful and welcoming hotel we recently sampled in York was the Mount Royale, located out near the Racecourse and around a 15-minute walk from the railway station.

This offers 24 bedrooms, all individually designed with flat screen TVs and DVD players, some with four-poster beds and some with patio doors opening out onto a large secluded garden area boasting an outdoor heated pool, outdoor heated hot tub and Scandinavian log cabin with sauna and steam room. There is also a beauty centre with a range of spa treatments, a bar with a coal fire for cosy winter evenings and a restaurant with tasty breakfast offerings, including very moreish home-made cakes.

For conferences there are two meetings rooms for 35/25 theatre-style and a boardroom for eight.

Tel 01904 628856 www.mountroyale.co.uk

Those organisers looking for inner peace and a oneness and harmony with nature will enjoy the Pureland Meditation Centre and Japanese Garden at North Clifton, 12 miles north of Newark and south of Gainsborough.

The award-winning garden, which now includes a new Crystal Garden and is also a good choice for partner programmes, is a stunningly tranquil place to just sit and quietly de-stress with contemplation of nature. Those wanting a fuller understanding of the benefits of meditation can book a range of tuitions and consultations, both individually and in groups with the Centre’s creator, Buddha Maitreya.

01777 228567 www.buddhamaitreya.co.uk

Those organising large conferences and/or exhibitions, rallies and festivals and looking for a low-cost home will be interested in the offering at Newark Showground, a few miles north of the city and close to the A1.

Here there is the very large George Stephensen Hall measuring 102 x 33 metres and accommodating up to 3,000 delegates theatre-style, as well as pavilions for 200/250/800/1,000 and six halls for 60 upwards, a total of 14,000 square metres of inside space. Outside there are 84 acres of showground site for marquees, car-parking for up to 7,000 cars and catering for up to 10,000 delegates/visitors.

01636 705796 www.newarkshowground.com

Around 30 organisers and others recently enjoyed a well-organised tour of Essex venues close to London, as guests of Visit Essex for Business.

o The Marriott Waltham Abbey hotel offers 158 bedrooms and four suites, and fourteen meetings spaces and combinations, comprising the Forest suite for 280 which divides into three, and ten rooms for 10-200. www.WalthamAbbeyMarriott.co.uk

o The Holiday Inn Brentwood hotel offers 149 bedrooms, 18 Executive, and a dedicated Academy conference centre comprising nine meetings spaces and combinations for 10-120. www.holidayinnmeetings.co.uk

o Ingatestone Hall is a sixteenth-century manor house offering up to six spaces for up to 100 and a large garden area for up to 1,000, either in marquees or al fresco. www.essexhousesandgardens.co.uk

o Valentines Mansion and Gardens, Ilford, is a Georgian and Victorian style country house with two rooms for 70/40, two boardrooms for 10/12, and a rose garden and walled garden to explore. www.valentinesmansion.com

o Lee Valley White Water Centre offers canoeing and kayaking down two courses, a 300 metre run of rapids grade two to four used for the 2012 Olympics, and a 160 metre course delivering up to grade three. (grade five is strongest) www.govwhitewater.co.uk

o TopGolf at Chigwell is a large driving range where contestants and team-building groups score points by driving balls into targets. There is also a marquee for up to 100. www.Topgolf.com

An Essex Venue Showcase is being staged in Southend on Tuesday September 3rd, 10.15am to 4.00pm. This will be held in the new Cultural Centre at the end of the 1.3 mile-long pier.

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