Bishopsgate Institute has just relaunched its conference and events facilities following a refurbishment programme….and what a comprehensive range of facilities they have to offer. They were all on display, together with food and drink in plentiful supply, during a recent open-day.

Bishopsgate Institute boasts a range of meeting facilities from small boardrooms to their Great Hall; rooms to accommodate from two to 500 people.

The boardrooms and small meeting rooms are available at short notice and at a flexible day/part day room hire rates. 

However I think the Bishopsgate Institute has three crowning glories:

The Library: is a stunning space which has retained all its Victorian features complete with the original bookcases stacked with old books. Anybody can use it during the day for reference purposes but in the evening it can be used for a theatre style presentation for up to 50 delegates or better still for a reception or networking event.

 

The Courtyard Room: This is a self-contained meeting and training room. It is air-conditioned with loads of natural daylight and its own private courtyard patio space. Admittedly I viewed Bishopsgate Institute on a particularly hot day in London and I was sold on the open courtyard as soon as I saw it.

 

The Great Hall: This is the largest room in Bishopsgate Institute. It will seat up to 270 delegates for a theatre style presentation. It’s on the ground floor with easy access to the street, natural daylight, high ceilings, a permanent in-built stage, flexible lighting, excellent audio-visual capabilities, a nearby Green Room plus a Steinway Grand piano if needed – a good versatile and dramatic space.

Those three rooms stuck in my mind. The other five meeting rooms and breakout rooms were equally impressive.

Bishopsgate Institute offers a full catering package. Hubbub are their long-standing events caterers.

Whilst Bishopsgate Institute has been refurbished it has nonetheless retained its unique architectural character and original decorative features. I particularly liked the internal tiling.

Bishopsgate Institute dates from 1895 when it opened as a public library, public hall and meeting rooms for people living and working in the City of London. You will find Bishopsgate Institute at 230 Bishopsgate, a two minute walk from Liverpool Street mainline and tube station plus the shortly to open station on the new Elizabeth Line/Crossrail.  Incidentally, just at the back of the building you will find Spitalfields Market.

Details: http://www.bishopsgate.org.uk/

Details

Published: 29 June 2017

Hits: 4492

I have just been to a business event held at the Bakerie in central Manchester. It was a venue I was not previously aware of.

Bakerie is basically a bread and wine bar which serves freshly made bread and a range of home-baked classic meals.

As meeting venues go it is only small. The Bakerie consists of a ground floor restaurant and bar.

It is their space on the lower ground floor, the Cellar Bar, which is available for hire for a private dinner, presentation…or for a bread baking team building experience. As the name suggests, the Bakerie’s specialist subject is bread.

The Cellar Bar is set up with a long dining table, its own bar, a theatre style presentation area which will seat around 35/40 delegates with a full screen and AV.

The room also features a ‘wine jukebox’ – new to me as well. You select your chosen wine from around 24 bottles all on display, press the select button and a small, medium or large glass of your chosen wine in duly dispensed. Wonderful – I could have played the jukebox for hours.

The bread making classes at Bakerie last from an hour and a half to two hours. Delegates have all the ingredients and instructions they require to produce the prefect Focaccia loaf.

Delegates start with an introduction to the basic ingredients together with some facts and figures regarding producing bread. They will be shown how to produce a basic white bread dough using just flour, water, yeast and salt.  They will then turn this into a Focaccia using supplied ingredients.

Bread making will suit groups from ten to forty delegates as a team building exercise. Groups can be split for competition purposes if required.

The home baked Focaccia at the Bakerie is delicious and worth a trip in itself just to sample it.

The Bakerie is a good, self-contained and ‘different’ venue with very friendly, obliging and knowledgeable staff. It is an excellent venue for a relaxed yet professional presentation – even without the bread-making element.

You will find Bakerie in Lever Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter – a short walk from both Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria stations.

Details: http://bakeriemcr.com/
 

Details

Published: 22 June 2017

Hits: 4428

The recently published Savills’ European Hotels Megatrends identifies the trends that they believe will drive the hotel and hospitality industry in the future. Based on their research they make a series of predictions.

By the year 2030 the report suggests that hotels will remain the favoured choice of travellers. However, the share of ‘alternative’ accommodation such as serviced apartments, aparthotels and branded hostels will have increased.

Urban hotels they predict will include more social areas as bedroom sizes become smaller. These, they suggest, are likely to be centred around food and beverage concepts managed by specialist operators.

Savills also believe that co-working operators will increasingly lease/manage space within urban hotels helping them to generate a ‘buzz’ and support on-site F&B operations.

We may even see some co-working operators launching their own hotel concepts.

As far as the business traveller is concerned Savills think their needs will have changed very little by 2030.

They predict that facial recognition technology will have moved out of airport terminals and on to the high street and this, for example, could help speed up the checking-in process.

Savills also think that hotels competing with the Airb&b model will aim to become a home away from home for the business traveller with a comfortable lounge and bar area creating an informal environment in which to work or relax.

Full report: http://www.savills.co.uk/research/europe.aspx

Details

Published: 26 June 2017

Hits: 4557

Wyndham hotel chain is to launch the ‘Trademark Hotel Collection’ - a new brand for three- to four-star independent hotels.

Wyndham claim that the Trademark Hotel Collection is "designed for independent entrepreneurs who have built an iconic hotel and are looking to boost its distinctive legacy with unmatched support. The brand invites hoteliers who operate landmark, three- and four-star hotels to maintain their individual spirit while taking advantage of Wyndham's scale, distribution, services and loyalty program".

Wyndham has more than 50 hotels lined up to join Trademark Hotel Collection - both existing properties and new-builds in urban centres around the world.

Trademark Hotel Collection is the company's 19th hotel brand. The group already operates hotels under the Wyndham Grand, Ramada and Days Inn badges.

Details: http://www.wyndhamworldwide.com/news-media/press-releases/it%E2%80%99s-time-trademark-wyndham-makes-its-mark-soft-brands-trademark-hotel

 

Details

Published: 15 June 2017

Hits: 4723