New Years Wishes

At the start of a new year, we ask eight venue bosses what they hope for the next 12 months… I hope we get service standards just right. Our industry’s lifeblood is its people. Let’s have as much investment into service as we are seeing in bricks and mortar, and give companies a reason to choose the UK first. *Emma France* Sheffield Tourism/ Sheffield Conference Bureau (For further details, see "Sheffield venues":http://www.venues.org.uk/searches/sheffield_yorkshire_venues.asp) One thing I hope is that in 2006 our customers will really see the benefits of a third London event venue within the Earls Court & Olympia Group. The conference and event facilities at the three venues work extremely well together. From Earls Court’s private rooms which can cater for 20 - 200 people, our two purpose-built conference centres which can cater for 60 - 500, right up to the Brewery’s Porter Tun room which can accommodate up to 1,000 and for those 1,000+, the exhibition halls at Olympia and Earls Court are ideal. 2006 looks set to be a very exciting year for the whole business. *Anna Golden* Earls Court & Olympia Group 2005 was the Yorkshire Event Centre’s best year ever with a 21 per cent increase in business. 2006 is going to be interesting, the economic climate is getting tougher but the world is still alive with opportunities.” *Heather Parry* Yorkshire Event Centre When Wembley opens its doors in 2006, it will become the greatest stadium in the world, a truly remarkable and iconic building. Included within it will be amazing conference and banqueting facilities, ensuring its place as the ultimate venue experience. *Jackie Boughton* Wembley Stadium Two events showed the strength of London last year, the successful Olympic bid and the recovery from the bombings the very next day. I have received great comments from international meeting planners since then about how our emergency services reacted so well to the atrocities and how London was able to recover so quickly. I truly hope that these factors will help to boost London’s re-emergence as a favourite destination for business tourism. On a purely selfish front, working at London’s premier exhibition and conference centre, I hope that this will help fast-track our growth in the international events market and the early indications are that we will have a fantastic year in 2006. *James Rees* Excel London I think we will see a continuation of the trend of companies looking for venues that offer something out of the ordinary. Increasingly we have seen that organisers want venues that can provide additional entertainment for their delegates. Following the re-launch of Kempton Park Racecourse as an all-weather track in March 2006, the number of days racing will increase from 30 to 54 in the first year, including the addition of around 12 twilight fixtures. This gives us the opportunity to market ourselves to a much broader range of organisations. *Jo Watts* Kempton Park Racecourse The past year has proved very eventful for the Royal Highland Centre, with a new recognition of our facilities and capabilities. It is hoped this trend will continue into 2006 and beyond. Already this year we have secured an impressive calendar of events with new business being part of this move forward. All indications suggest this is the start of a very exciting and rewarding time. Now targeting the larger exhibitions, I feel confident that we have proved to be strong contenders within the exhibition market at every level. 2005 saw us re-introduce the Concert side of the Business with the launch of SCENE LIVE, with plans to hold multi concerts in 2006. *Frances Roy* Royal Highland Centre Sundial Group saw increased optimism from their clients in the last half of 2005 with all the signs that this will continue. Many of our valued clients have again committed to meetings in 2006, with a number of new global companies choosing the UK and Sundial for important international meetings this year. *Mark Cooper* Sundial Events and Venues