This Image: The CB1 Business centre is just 46 minutes from London

In part two of our conference special, Charlotte Phillips offers tips on making your event a stand-out success

Conferences have probably been around forever. It’s even possible, if you don’t mind scraping the barrel of credibility, that all those ancient cave paintings of stencilled hands were merely an early form of checking in before the welcome mammoth broth was served. Today, if there’s corporate news to announce, sales people to galvanise or something to celebrate, the conference remains the top place to do it.

It may seem counter-intuitive given that so much of our working lives takes place online. But while you might think that, as a result, face-to-face gatherings would happen less than they used to, the message from Cambridge’s leading venues is that business is booming.

So what’s behind the enduring appeal of the business meeting? Part of it could be down to the simple fact that UK workers could use the break. With almost half a million more people working more than 48 hours a week compared with 2010, according to figures from the TUC, being chained to that same old desk can often leave us feeling distinctly jaded. There’s nothing quite like getting away from it all to avoid perma-ennui.

And for the many workers who spend their lives either on the road or slogging away on their own, there’s another undervalued benefit – getting the real world experiences we’d otherwise miss. We are, after all, social creatures. Get togethers are fulfilling and enjoyable in a way that online conferences, however efficient and convenient, just aren’t.

"Get togethers are fulfilling and enjoyable in a way that online conferences just aren't"

And that social dimension can also have commercial benefits, thinks Carol Robinson, conference manager at Churchill College. “You can go to an event, meet someone you had no idea you were going to meet and learn something from them that you wouldn’t pick up on if you were listening to the event online.”

The Møller Centre, an award-winning residential conference and management training centre in Cambridge, positively encourages the experience. The two communal areas outside the meeting rooms are formally known as the milling areas where, Cambridge being still relatively small, you’re practically guaranteed to bump into every leading mover and shaker in the area – if you stay long enough.

There’s even inspiration to be derived from the furnishings there. “Our customers tell us that the vibrancy and energy associated with our art and design collections encourages creative flair and innovative thought, therefore enhancing their learning experience with us,” says Tim Hill, head of marketing. No wonder, given that the collection showcases some of the most iconic Hans J Wegner designs of chairs, sofas, tables and lighting, including the Round Chair (1949), made famous by the 1960 John F Kennedy and Nixon debate, as well as work by other leading contemporary designers.

"You're guaranteed to bump into almost every leading mover and shaker"

“Conferences are a good place to meet people, go somewhere new, be catered for and get the real-world experience of seeing people and chatting face-to-face,” says Maya Bullen, group manager at Mantle Business Centres, which looks after the CB1 Business Centre. Designed along clean, modern lines, CB1 offers a bright, airy reception area with “two lovely reception staff who will set the room up for you, put refreshments in the room and welcome you in,” says Maya. The two meeting rooms, complete with projector and speakers are suitable for everything from board meetings to training sessions for two to 16 people. With so much amazing architecture and brilliant spaces crying out to be admired, visited and enjoyed, conferences here provide myriad ways of hosting an event that pushes all the right buttons.

CB1 Business Centre

CB2 BUSINESS CENTRE

With its ultra-convenient location, CB1 is a popular meeting place for local firms and others further afield. London is just 46 minutes away and that includes the minute’s walk from the station – the guided busway is similarly close by. The meeting rooms for two to 16 people come fully equipped with high-spec furnishings, audiovisual equipment and Wi-Fi – and the building is also accessorised with some of the coolest business minds in the area, courtesy of the up-and-coming firms who rent office space in the building.

www.mantlebusinesscentres.co.uk

CB1 Business Centre

While historic Cambridge is, of course, a massive lure, modern buildings, settings and interiors can be inspirational. Take Churchill College, for instance, completed in the 1960s, which houses 3,000 boxes of Sir Winston Churchill’s papers. Add its lecture theatre which seats up to 300 people and meeting rooms – many with views of the extensive grounds including the Fellows’ Lawn – for up to 60 delegates, and an in-house catering team capable of rustling meals for five to 400 plus with equal aplomb, and it’s not surprising that conference bookings there are rising.

"It's often the little details that, done well, can make all the difference"

Here, as elsewhere, it’s often the little details that, done well, can make all the difference between an acceptable conference and a really brilliant one. Carol Robinson stresses the importance of flexibility. If someone wants a room changed from theatre to boardroom layout with a cabaret at 3pm, “We’ll say fine, we’ll make it happen.”

It’s a similar success story at the Wellcome Genome Campus Conference Centre, where Linda Prior, conference centre business manager, says that there has been an ‘incredible’ increase in enquiries and bookings since a major refurbishment to the centre was completed last year. “Within the first three months of operation, the conference centre, set in 100 acres and home to historic Hinxton Hall, saw a 55{b486c5a37ab2d325d17e17d701cb2567b1ecd1814e8ceb33effa2a4f1f171d46} increase in the number of events and a 15{b486c5a37ab2d325d17e17d701cb2567b1ecd1814e8ceb33effa2a4f1f171d46} increase in the number of delegates that visited.”

Corn Exchange

CORN EXCHANGE AND GUILDHALLS

Nowhere else in the centre of Cambridge does it quite like the Corn Exchange which, since last year, has been managed by a charity, Cambridge Live. Best known for hosting fab live entertainment, its popularity for business-related events is growing fast, and while it may be listed, recent upgrades – including broadband speed of up to 90Mbps – are anything but historic.

But it is its sheer size that gives it such an edge. Up to 1,200 delegates can be accommodated, crossing the road to the Guildhall, also managed by Cambridge Live, to be wined and dined courtesy of well-known local caterers Cambridge Dining Company and Puddini. No wonder large international businesses, as well as local enterprises from Silicon Fen, are among the companies flocking to book their conferences here.

www.cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

wellcome genome

This Image: The Wellcome Genome Campus exhibition space

With its stunning combination of history and high-tech, it’s not surprising that between October and December 2015, 6,207 delegates passed through its doors, attending everything from small meetings and training sessions, to day and residential conferences and retreats. “The arrangement of the meeting spaces encourages interaction and networking,” says Linda. Despite its rural feel, it is easily accessible by road, train and air, and the immersive, retreat-like feel of this very special venue can spark some exceptional discussion and reflection. No wonder it is hosting 40 residential events per year and welcoming companies such as AstraZeneca, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Institute of Medical Research and One Nucleus.

Conference Critical List

Do your research, stresses Linda Prior. “Ensure your event is not the subject of a further event being held either in close proximity or at a similar time in the year.”

In advance of the meeting, contact the venue so they know how you want the room set up, including AV equipment, what refreshments and who is going to be arriving on the day, says Maya Bullen at CB1. And turn up at least 30 minutes early. “If your meeting starts at 9am, book the room from 8.30am to give yourself time to set up before the delegates start arriving.”

Establish a single point of contact who will liaise with the technician, AV specialist and catering manager, suggests Megan Charnock. “They do everything through me and we build up a relationship.”

Book really good speakers, advises Carol Robinson. It’s key to encouraging people to re-book. And don’t underestimate the importance of getting the food right. “Delegates talk more about the food than you would expect. If it’s bad, it can put them off a venue for good.”

Don’t forget to make it fun, says Olivia Hamilton. With a big conference, it’s easy to feel out of it, so pack the agenda with lots of interaction. “Don’t just stand there and drill stuff into them, have a few activities to get people mixing on tables. Have fun things like sweets on the table because when you’ve been sitting a while, and it’s warm, you can start to feel a bit sleepy. A quick sugar hit and you’re back with everybody.”

After the event, don’t be frightened about giving honest feedback to your venue, says Maya Bullen. “Because we’re not using the room in the same way that the delegates are, meaning that we don’t necessarily pick up on things that they will.”

So if you’ve been charged with putting an event together, how do you go about working with the venue you’ve chosen to make it a stand-out success?

Flexibility is key, thinks Olivia Hamilton at the Hallmark Hotel, Cambridge. Catering for up to 200 delegates in a choice of rooms, impressive grounds and a choice of meals and delegate packages, it’s hard to find anything that is too much trouble.

Hire the main Cambridgeshire Suite and it comes complete with a drop-down, built-in projector and screen, compact and wire-free, as well as an adjoining room with its own bar, complete with one windowed wall and stunning views over one of the hotel’s star attractions – a 6,750-yard golf course. Some of the doors even open straight on to the putting green – ideal for away days, break-out sessions or as an antidote to conference fatigue.

Hallmark Hotel

HALLMARK HOTEL

Catering for up to 200 delegates and offering plentiful parking, 136 bedrooms and excellent facilities, the Hallmark Hotel, located in Bar Hill, is just the ticket for presentations, thank you events and team building. Ten well-equipped meeting rooms with air-conditioning and a choice of configurations, from theatre style to open plan, cater for up to 60 people, making it easy to plan a range of events, from formal meetings to social get togethers. Flexibility, from the range of delegate options that includes a 24-hour package covering accommodation, meals and use of leisure facilities, is provided by friendly staff and even extends to hospitality buggies which serve drinks and snacks to guests enjoying a game of golf on the hotel’s own course.

www.hallmarkhotels.co.uk

Cambridge Satchel

There are also rooms for smaller meetings (a handful or even fewer) all catered for with equal panache and in every imaginable configuration, from U-shape to open plan, for receptions and buffets.

Of course, sometimes only big will do. And that’s where the Corn Exchange comes in. A one-of-a-kind, formerly council-run, listed building that’s now managed, along with the Guildhall on the opposite side of the road, by local charity Cambridge Live.

The Guildhall can be a standalone venue on its own, with two interlinked halls, catering for upwards of 50 guests. But as Megan Charnock, conference and private events manager explains, they come into their own when there’s a major event at the Corn Exchange, hosting exhibitions or linked events, while the main plenary session fills the auditorium with up to 1,200 delegates fills the auditorium. And the city centre location offers the potential to do more.

“We’re surrounded by the colleges, so if they want to still have the college dinner, or use the colleges for accommodation or additional breakout spaces, they’re all on our doorstep as well.”

Churchill

This Image: Churchill College's Wolfson Hall can seat up to 300 delegates

CHURCHILL

Drive past Churchill College and while you can’t miss the uncompromising 60s architecture of its buildings - but its spacious setting in 42 tranquil acres isn’t as obvious. Once inside, however, the glorious views from the big windows in many meeting rooms are a defining feature. Catering for all comers but particularly popular with the science and technology communities, meetings or dinners can be arranged for as few as five or six people, while the lecture theatre seats up to 300. Accommodation is plentiful – 486 bedrooms, all arranged around four courtyards (a fifth follows later this year), including 130 en-suites. But for guests, it’s the staff who really make conferences special. “Magically easy to deal with” is one website comment.

www.chu.cam.ac.uk

wellcome genome campus

WELLCOME GENOME CAMPUS

Over 6,200 delegates visited in the last three months of 2015 – impressive for a venue whose aim is to become ‘an internationally recognised location for scientific, business, educational and cultural activities’. The extensive choice of rooms and accommodation within the 100-acre landscaped site makes it ideally suited to a full range of meetings, training sessions, conferences and retreats, whether day or residential, for up to 300 people. With many rooms offering relaxing views across the grounds, natural light and ventilation is a big feature, though for those in search of (even more) open spaces, it’s also possible to set up a marquee or team building events on the lawn.

conferencecentre.wellcomegenomecampus.org

With enquiries rising, the future for conferences in Cambridge looks prosperous. Even if one day we’ve developed avatars who can beam themselves into the venue, deliver the speeches and use advanced business psychology to secure the order, what’s the betting we leave them busily plugging away at the admin while we swan off to one of our area’s fabulously business-friendly venues for a burst of inspiration?

Maya Bullen thinks it possible that meetings will increasingly combine a mixture of real and remote attendees. “You’ll have a certain number of people coming together in a meeting room, perhaps chatting with people on the other side of the world via a virtual connection but we won’t completely lose the need to sit in a room with others.”

So not only will we continue in our droves for the face-to-face encounter (even if we start to arrive via jet pack through the window), the experience is likely to mean even more. “It will become more special to go away to somewhere where you’re engaging with other people, rather than sitting in front of a computer in your office,” says Carol Robinson.

wellcome genome campus

This Image: A seating area beside the Genome Campus exhibition area

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