SOME OF THE FRAUDSTERS JAILED Three men have been convicted and jailed for their involvement in a £5 million online fraud whereby consumers paying them for…

ONE TO WATCH Two companies offering a list of 8000 event organisers to hoteliers and others supplying the market are Red Banana Marketing Ltd and RBM Data Ltd…

LOOK AFTER YOURSELVES Some safety tips passed on to us by reader Steve Kingshott, and originating from American police officers, are worth repeating on the…

BACK TO NATURE WITH TRAVELODGE Budget hatel chain Travelodge is moving to the great outdoors with a drive to set up units near National Parks, to cash in on the…

LOTS IN LEEDS A total of 37 modern meetings rooms, including 18 syndicate rooms, is offered at the Weetwood Hall Conference Centre and Hotel, in the leafy Northern…

MORE UNI FACILITIES IN MANCHESTER The Victoria Park Campus of the University of Manchester, around 1.5 miles south of Manchester city centre, comprises three …

CONFERENCE SOLUTION IN SCARBOROUGH Three historic venues in Scarborough – Beiderbecke’s Hotel and Brasserie, Woodend Conference Centre…

UNSPOILT IN STAITHES For those organisers interested in a package for small residential and non-residential events Seaton Hall in Staithes, near Whitby, Yorks …

FUN FOR THE MONEY A 24-hour delegate rate of £112.50 plus VAT and complimentary theme park tickets is offered by Alton Towers Resort for bookings…

NEW IN SHOREDITCH A 6000 sq ft Victorian warehouse, Factory 7, is now being offered to organisers. This is built onto the side of a power station and is located on…

DEATHS AT MUSIC EVENTS Strong winds collapsed stages at two music events in August…

NIGHTY NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT… Two sisters who were bitten more than 100 times by bed bugs have won an out of court settlement of £1,600 from the Airways Hotel…

PALACE PIER FOR SALE Brighton’s only pier, since the West Pier was destroyed by storms and fires, has been put up for sale by its owners, the Noble Group, who claim …

RSVP RIP The RSVP show, promoted by its organiser as “the premier, boutique, cutting-edge event buying experience” has been abandoned by its organiser, Single…

XMAS PARTIES, ANYONE? Those still running Christmas parties with a double dip recession forecast will find a new listing of 38 venues and available dates useful…

HIGH DEGREES OF THE QUESTIONABLE The current rash of degree courses for those wanting a job/career in the events industry needs questioning…

BIG FOR SPORT IN MANCHESTER Part of the event facilities at The University of Manchester is the Fallowfield Campus, a “conference village” three miles south of the…

MANCHESTER CENTRAL Organisers looking at Central Manchester for their events are offered 117 bedrooms, recently refitted for £1.5 million, at the stylish and modern…

MEETING IN WORCESTERSHIRE Two venues we recently visited in Eckington, on the edge of the Cotswolds with easy access to the M5, were impressive…

ARE YOU NOT IMPRESSED? One award scheme (scam?) currently doing the rounds in our events sector is the Business Showcase Award, run by Burgess Hill, Sussex …

HOTELIER’S DEATH ON TV Hotelier Peter Smedley, 71, who owned Ston Easton Park in Somerset and who suffered from motor neurone disease, chose to have his assisted…

IT’S NOW THE LAW The new Bribery Act came into force on July 1 and is continuing to focus corporate thinking on corporate hospitality…

OLYMPIAN DISRUPTION Up to 3 months of chaos on London’s roads is predicted for the period late June to mid September 2012 owing to traffic restrictions imposed for …

TRUMPED Sad to see that the rich Donald Trump’s plans to expand his £1 billion golf course in Aberdeenshire are being held up by someone who has lived on the coast…

GOLIATH FALLS OVER. DAVID WINS. Meanwhile, further south in Glasgow, plans for a luxury, £125 million, “six-star” hotel operated by Dubai’s Jumeirah Group have …

CHECK OUT BIRMINGHAM A Meet Birmingham Showcase takes place Nov 10/11. Organisers are offered complimentary accommodation, meals and entertainment…

MEET AT LONDON BRIDGE The four-star 138-bedroom London Bridge Hotel offers one meetings room for 80, divisible into two, three rooms for 15/18/35 and a …

LONDON ROSE GARDEN AT LANGHAM The Langham Hotel, Portland Place has launched its Rose Garden, an outdoor area suitable for receptions for 100+ and rare …

ONE NEAR KINGS CROSS Kings Place offers a 420 seat concert hall, an auditorium for 120, a room for 220. and a number of break out areas. The venue is located in …

OUTDOOR EVENT EVENT The Showmans Show exhibition of products and services for outdoor events takes place at Newbury Showground, October 19/20…

ARE YOU BEING FIXED? The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has commenced an investigation into allegations of price-fixing by hotels of rates charged on third party…

HEADS UP FOR THE BRIBERY ACT A survey by law firm Russell Jones and Walker has found that 22% of UK companies have no plans to implement policies to take …

ALCOHOL DEATH AT IRISH HOTEL A 26 year-old man died of acute alcohol intoxication after downing at least eight shots of spirits in one glass, to celebrate…

TRAIN OR PLANE? A recent survey by the Daily Telegraph shows that despite the increase in Air Passenger Duty it can often be cheaper to fly within the UK on some…

ADMINISTRATION FOR VON ESSEN Von Essen Hotels, a group of 28 five-star properties which includes Cliveden in Berkshire, Wooley Grange in Worcestershire…

NOTHING TO CROW ABOUT Travellers on London Underground (LU) were spared two weeks of disruption recently when LU reinstated a train driver they had sacked …

LESBIANS REJECTED IN GAY BRIGHTON A lesbian couple are suing the management of the Brunswick Square Hotel, Brighton, for allegedly turning them…

RIP RSVP? The latest RSVP show at the Business Design Centre was considerably smaller than last year’s event, and “very, very quiet” according to some of the 93 …

DOWN WITH DRINK Organisers interested in the liquid refreshment served at their events will wish to know about the Imbibe Live exhibition…

CORPORATE HOSPITALITY NOT ILLEGAL The government has promised, so it must be true, that corporate hospitality and the giving of gifts to buyers (or MP’s) will not be…

CONFEX TO SUFFER “EXCEL EFFECT”? The event industry show Confex is to move from Earls Court to Excel in Docklands for 2012. According to the organisers the…

USING THE TUBE Disused Underground stations and tunnels are to be turned into conference centres and tourist attractions. This is the plan of entrepreneur Ajit …

BUYING SCAM AT MILLENIUM AND COPTHORNE Those wanting to supply Millenium and Copthorne Hotels now have to pay a fee to be included in the …

DIVIDED OPINION AT DAILY TELEGRAPH The food offering at the hip new W Hotel in Leicester Square has polarised opinion of experts at the Daily Telegraph…

WRETCHED CAMBRIDGE Meanwhile Cambridge has been described as a “wretched eating town” after Daily Telegraph food critic Matthew Norman and two of his …

RELAX AT HOLMEWOOD Those looking for a quiet and relaxing environment for their events can consider Holmewood Hall, a Victorian mansion house set in fourteen…

NEW IN SCARBOROUGH Those using the newly refurbished Spa Complex in Scarborough and looking for centrally located bedrooms can now use the new …

RELAX AT ALDWARK Good food in the two rosette restaurant and golf is available at the four-star Aldwark Manor Golf and Spa Hotel, fifteen miles from York and one of…

BUSINESS AND LEISURE BY NORFOLK SEASIDE Leisure resorts are an interesting choice for business events. The Potters Leisure Resort at Hopton-on-Sea, between…

BY THE ESSEX SEASIDE The refurbished Park Inn Palace Hotel at Southend-on Sea overlooks the famous mile-long pier and offers a ballroom for up to 220 delegates, six…

WINE EVENTS Those who have been to Madeira will know what fun a tasting of the islands famous fortified, wine, the result of a happy accident, can be. Delegates can…

NOT TO BE SNIFFED AT?  Aromatherapy presentations are offered by Scented Events of Leeds. These give delegates an introduction to the subject and a chance …

ACADEMIC VENUES The Academic Venue Show will showcase more than 40 venues in the UK and takes place on Wednesday 11 May at the Emirates Stadium, London…

HOT ROD FOR NEWBURY Newbury Racecourse is putting its money on live concerts as a new way of raising revenue. The first features Rod Stewart on May 29 to a…

PIE IN THE SKY? Some recent developments in airship technology coupled with the high cost of travel could see giant craft carrying thousands of passengers, and…

LIES, DAMN LIES AND REVIEWS Hotelier and TV dragon Duncan Bannatyne is campaigning against untrue and negative reviews placed on TripAdvisor…

MORE REVIEWS Meanwhile some other hotels have been getting some bad press in the Telegraph…

FINE FOR ROYAL HOTEL The Royal Hotel, Ashby, Leicestershire has been fined £80,000 after a 78-year-old man was hit and killed by a reversing taxi at the hotel’s…

FINE FOR MARRIOTT Marriott Hotels have been fined a total of £20,000 for failing to protect contractors after a visiting consultant fell 2.5 metres through a closed…

CARLSON AD MISLEADING A complaint against Carlson Hotels Worldwide has been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)…

MEAN STREETS According to a Times Online survey the Reperbahn in Hamburg, where the Beatles cut their rock and roll teeth, is Europe’s sleaziest street, with all its…

PAY UP AND SAVE OUR JOBS  Peel Airports, the owners of Durham Tees Valley Airport have introduced a “facility fee” of £4 for adults using the airport and £2 for…

OVERKILL FOR EMAIL Those marketing into the events sector are killing the effectiveness of email to event organisers by the over-use of it…

DISCOUNT FOR APRIL EVENT IN MANCHESTER  A 20% discount on its £35 day delegate rate is offered for event bookings at the University of Manchester’s flagship…

BOOK THE PENTHOUSE One interesting option at the new 48 bedroom Varsity Hotel and Spa, Cambridge is to book the Penthouse Suite, which could accommodate 8-12…

NEW IN CHESTER The new Abode Hotel, which overlooks the racecourse, offers 85 bedrooms, inclusive three sixth floor suites…

MANCHESTER IN LONDON Manchester Live is a showcase for 35 venues and attractions taking place at the Kensington Roof Gardens on Wednesday 2 March…

BUSINESS TRAVEL  The Business Travel and Meetings Show (BTMS) takes place at Earls Court, London, February 8/9…

VENUECHECK – CHANCELLORS HOTEL, MANCHESTER Judging by our recent visit the three-star rated Chancellors Hotel and Conference Centre, off Moseley Road…

POOL DEATH AT BRITANNIA ADELPHI The Britannia Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool has been fined £65,000 with £70,000 costs after a visitor drowned in its swimming pool…

HOTEL PRICE FIXING INVESTIGATED The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is investigating complaints from an online room retailer that they have been threatened…

SILLY HYPE FOR LONDON LAUNCH LIVE Organisers of exhibitions in our events sector are not best known for measured statements about their productions and…

A RUM DO One of the more enjoyable events to visit this month was Rumfest, a celebration of rum and a unique opportunity to taste a few of the hundreds on offer….

PLAY SAFE One interesting new product launched at the recent Restaurant Show is the Safetray, a non-slip tray with a hand-grip underneath for extra stability…

FREE DELEGATE DEAL IN THE NORTH EAST Up to ten delegates can attend residential or non-residential events free of charge at a range of more than 30 venues…

ONE ON THE NORFOLK COAST Those who like to get away from it all for their meetings or executive retreats can now book into the recently refurbished…

BOOK THE LIBRARY Those looking for low-cost centrally-located meetings spaces might try a library. As an example the new library in the shopping centre in…

SEE YOU DOWN THE PUB Another low-cost option could be a Wetherspoon pub. The company offer whole venue hire at six London and two Birmingham locations, and at…

COME INTO THE GARDEN The Alnwick Garden, Northumberland, offers a stylish Pavilion for up to 500 for an all day rate of £1500 and a quirky Treehouse for up to 85…

Event Organisers Update ISSUE 80 September/October 2010

Event Organisers Update ISSUE 79 July/August 2010

Event Organisers Update ISSUE 78 May/Junel 2010