Government Business

The South West destinations of Dorset, Bournemouth & Poole, Wiltshire, Bath, Bristol and Gloucestershire have an exciting and surprising array of inspirational options for your conference or event. You’ll find plenty of luxurious hotels decked out with modern conference facilities in breathtaking landscapes, as well as some truly unique and unforgettable venues such as grand country houses, private cathedral rooms or even the world’s first steel hulled ship! The region’s three world heritage sites, abundance of outdoor pursuits, gorgeous scenery and good transport links can’t fail to attract delegates from the UK and overseas.

Dorset
Set in a tranquil part of the south coast, Dorset enjoys charming and unspoilt countryside. Its famous Jurassic Coast has joined the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon as one of the wonders of the natural world. The seaside cities of Bournemouth and Poole have enjoyed a regeneration in recent years and provide a host of excellent locations to hold your event.

If you’re looking to impress delegates in grand surroundings then the elegant Lulworth Castle, East Dorset, is set within 12,000 acres of rolling parkland, woods and farmland that provides conference organisers with such a spectacular backdrop that the scope and diversity of possible events are only limited by their imagination. Kingston Maurward House and Gardens, Dorchester, is a Georgian mansion situated in undulating countryside boasting a lake, sweeping lawns and formal gardens creating an exceptional venue for conferences and seminars.

Winning Best UK Resort at the 2009 Group Leisure Awards for the second year running, Bournemouth is the place where business and pleasure meet. The city boasts the largest venue on the south coast, the purpose-built Bournemouth International Centre (BIC). Its stunning location offers sea views, which mixed with the ability to cater for up to 10,000 people across its four auditoria and breakout space, means the BIC has the flexibility to suit any event. In addition, the Chine Hotel in nearby Boscombe presents contemporary elegance at its very best. It offers all of the conference and training facilities that one would expect from a top three-star hotel and is perfectly positioned overlooking Bournemouth’s new artificial surf reef.

Poole’s bustling Quay, great beaches and stunning natural harbour make it a fantastic location. Lighthouse, Poole’s centre for the arts, houses modern, inspiring and flexible facilities from 150 seat studios, to 1,500 seat concert hall, complete with an excellent support network including audiovisual engineers, catering and event management. The beautiful art-deco Haven Hotel, is situated on the Sandbanks peninsula with magnificent views across the harbour and bay and boasts its own self-contained business centre (the Studland Suite), gourmet restaurant, and heated indoor and outdoor pools. If a great view is important The Harbour Heights is another option. This luxury boutique hotel with its state of the art conference room commands impressive views over the harbour. The Boardroom can hold up to 50 delegates and the Hytes restaurant can hold up to 120, and for those team-building sessions, they even have their very own water sports academy!

When the work is over there are a wide range of water based activities available in and around Bournemouth and Poole, perhaps most notably Bournemouth’s new artificial surf reef. In addition, The Lifeboat College, home of RNLI training based in Poole, is the perfect venue for a unique and challenging team building event, the Sea Survival Experience.

Wiltshire
For those who prefer the tranquillity of the countryside, Wiltshire offers a great range of choices. Whatley Manor, near Malmesbury, has purpose built conference facilities and a private cinema with 40 Italian leather seats. Bowood Golf & Country Club is enhancing its existing conference facilities with addition of a new hotel and spa, due to open this year. The Five Star Lucknam Park, set in some 500 acres, offers facilities for smaller executive meetings with the chance to add on a range of team building activities such as archery, reverse steer driving and sheep dog handling.

The grand surroundings of Longleat’s 900 acres of landscaped parkland (including safari park) offer a fantastic meeting point for intimate meetings in the Green Library, elegant dinners in the Elizabethan grandeur of the Great Hall or the contemporary atmosphere of the Banqueting Suite, located within the house’s Private Apartments.

Salisbury Cathedral’s Refectory Restaurant offers facilities for evening events with fabulous views through the glass roof to Britain’s highest spire. At Wilton House you can choose from the Visitor Centre in the Old Riding School with its 50 seat lecture theatre or the magnificent surroundings of the 17th century Double Cube Room decorated with paintings by Van Dyck. Many of Salisbury’s hotels, for example the Mercure White Hart and Red Lion, trace their history back to the 13th century when they provided accommodation for those building the Cathedral. Today this tradition of hospitality is combined with their modern conference facilities, such as the recently upgraded facilities at the Milford Hall Hotel.

For training seminars, in-house conferences and day meetings, Swindon has the greatest concentration of accommodation and hotel based conference facilities in Wiltshire, with over 1,400 rooms. In addition to internationally known hotels brands, you’ll also find independently owned properties such as Chiseldon House Hotel, Blunsdon House Hotel and the Pear Tree at Purton. For something a bit different, The Science Museum has a range of well-equipped and inspiring spaces including an intriguing corporate events area that can comfortably seat 500 people for dinner and The STEAM museum, housed in a restored Grade II listed building, boasts excellent facilities for business events, with six different rooms that hold up to 600.

Bath
Bath is a truly outstanding destination for conferences, meetings and corporate events. The wonderful backdrop of heritage and beautiful surrounding countryside is combined with a range of exceptionally high quality venues, attuned to the needs of today’s delegate. Bath couldn’t be easier to get to – only 90 minutes from London Paddington by train, a short drive from the M4/M5 motorways (Bath is located 120 miles west of London) and just 15 miles from Bristol International Airport which links to over 60 national and international destinations.

The Assembly Rooms serve as Bath’s premier conference venue, providing a prestigious setting for up to 500 delegates. The Mecure Francis Hotel, housed in a beautiful Georgian building that dates back to 1728 and located in Queen Square, is ideal for private business meetings. The Park, a gracious country house hotel can provide the perfect alternative to the city. Situated in 240 acres of parkland and only five miles from Bath, it is a perfect venue for holding a team building event or conferences for up to 150 delegates.

Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, rich in Roman and Georgian heritage. This golden city is brimming with beautiful buildings and around 5,000 are officially ‘listed’ because of their architectural merit. Today, Bath seamlessly mixes the old with the new. Thermae Bath Spa is a stunning example with its cutting edge glass and stone design – the only place in the UK where visitors can bathe in natural thermal waters, ideal for incentive travel.

Bath’s impeccable historic credentials don’t tell the full story; today it’s a thriving, vibrant city with a cosmopolitan buzz offering a year round calendar of festivals, theatrical, musical and sporting events.

Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire – which includes Cheltenham and most of the Cotswolds and Forest of Dean, is a beautiful part of the region and is just a stones throw to Bristol, Bath and Birmingham, and less than two hours from London.

The regency town of Cheltenham has a range of great venues in grand buildings that can’t fail to impress delegates such as Cheltenham Ladies College, the Town Hall and the Mercure Queen’s, Chase and Cheltenham Park Hotels. If you’re planning a larger event then the recently opened Centaur centre at Cheltenham Racecourse offers over 2,600m² of multi-purpose conference space with seating for up to 2,250 delegates and can hold 1,200 for dinner. The racecourse also has over 12,500 free parking spaces.

Gloucester is well located for conferences, near the meeting point of the M5 and M4 motorways. Venues often appeal to organisers looking for facilities in historic venues such as the medieval Parliament Rooms at Gloucester Cathedral (the City knows a thing or two about meetings having been the Norman King’s winter court of England), and there are also state-of-the-art facilities at the University of Gloucestershire’s Oxstalls Campus and GL1’s multi-purpose Glevum Hall.

The nearby Forest of Dean is a fantastic resource for team building and motivation sessions with Go-Ape, caving, river adventure or even llama trekking on offer. The internationally known Cotswolds are strewn with historic houses, gardens and ‘one-offs’ such as Tewkesbury Abbey which will add real appeal for delegates attending your event.

Recent additions to the area include the 220 room Four Pillars Hotel at the Cotswold Water Park, near Cirencester, which is to add rooms shortly to and become the largest hotel in the South West of England – conference facilities are for up to 800 delegates. As a new 4-star hotel, facilities are state of the art. Calcot Manor is a Cotswolds country house hotel with health spa that has won tremendous respect locally for its new conference venue ‘The Barn’, a beautiful and intimate space.

Bristol
As the commercial hub of South West England and the closest major city to London, Bristol is a first class business destination with excellent access from three motorways, two mainline rail stations and an international airport providing links to the rest of the UK, Europe and beyond. Bristol is a city rich in culture and history and mixes top restaurants and boutique shopping with lively nightlife and a vibrant music and arts scene.

An extensive range of venues in and around the city and surrounding coast and countryside are available. Set against a woodland backdrop, Cadbury House is a 4 star contemporary chic hotel complemented by fantastic views across the Bristol Channel and beyond into Wales. The main 18th Century House has been carefully updated to meet the needs of today’s corporate market with a range of rooms and formats offering flexible layouts and latest technology whilst maintaining its original character.

If you are looking for a conference venue that will really impress your colleagues, Tortworth Court Hotel is ideal. This Grade II listed building offers an unbeatable combination of conference facilities, versatile meetings and conference rooms that can accommodate up to 400 delegates, with 30 acres of grounds, hotel accommodation and a fantastic location.

The Bristol Hotel, recently refurbished, sits pretty on the quayside of the Floating Harbour. This luxury venue is surrounded by the best of Bristol’s Old City and maritime history. The new Hotel Conference Centre, unveiled in 2008, features executive boardrooms, large syndicate breakout rooms and a main suite ideal for major corporate events, all equipped with the latest presentation and conference technology.

For something really unique climb aboard Brunel’s ss Great Britain, the world’s first iron hull ship. The ship and dockyard on Brunel’s waterfront, provide a stunning location that will delight delegates. An event here will guarantee first class hospitality, tailored menus to suit your needs, a dedicated event coordinator, historical tours of the Ship and her dry dock, plus you’ll have wonderful images for invitations and promotional use.

If you’re looking to provide delegates with a unique conference experience away from the usual uninspiring locations, then why not let one of these South West destinations surpass your expectations.

For more information
www.visitsouthwest.co.uk 
www.pooletourism.com
www.bournemouthconferences.co.uk
www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/site/conferences
www.bathconference.co.uk
www.conferencecheltenham.co.uk
www.gloucester.gov.uk/conferences
www.conference-bristol.co.uk