Exciting attractions for everyone

The county is steeped in history and heritage, stuning gardens and world famous buildings including Leeds Castle where Henry VIII visited frequently in Tudor Times, and Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn.

The South East region offers a selection of remarkable conference venues in both new and traditional settings including modern hotels, purpose built conference centres and historic houses and well as unusual venues.

Kent offers some of the most recognised chain hotels such as the Marriott, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Ramada and QHotels. Kent towns range from the seaside resorts of Herne Bay, Folkestone, Dover and Hythe, these are great locations for team away days. More urban areas include Ashford, Maidstone, Canterbury and Tunbridge Wells, all easily accessible from the UK motorway network.

Help at hand
Kent Conference Bureau is the official award winning organisation charged with promoting the county as a first class destination for conferences, incentives and events. It represents over 70 of the county’s top venues and suppliers and provides a variety of free services to help ensure each and every event is a success from beginning to end.

The friendly team at Kent Conference Bureau are dedicated to making life simpler by offering free, impartial, practical advice, and a written personalised proposal detailing rates and availability within one working day. In addition show rounds of venues within Kent can be arranged to ensure the site of your choice meets your specific needs and requirements.

The Kent Conference Bureau also arranges familiarisation visits, covering each area of Kent. The day offers conference and event organisers the opportunity to speak to venue staff, collate information and meet other service users. If you would like to be added to our mailing list so you notified of the the next familiarisation visit is taking place and where please do not hesitate to contact the team.

All Kent venues have something different to offer facilitators, speakers and delegates. Your next meeting could really be the one your delegates remember.

If you are looking for something to freshen up your next meeting, why not enhance communication skills, improve office relationships, boost moral or maybe just reward the workforce with some team building activities? Activities can vary from a quiet round of golf, a simple treasure hunt, a high wire forest adventure at Go Ape, to an adrenaline fuelled multi-activity day.

Environmental initiatives
Catering for meetings and conferences is one area in which organisations can help to reduce their impact on the environment. Kent is keen to work towards a reduced carbon footprint and your contribution can help towards this.

Produced in Kent promotes local and seasonal produce and provides support and services to some of the Kent Conference Bureau venues.

Sustainability and green issues are now very much mainstream, with governments, businesses and individuals all involved.
The Kent Conference Bureau operates under an environmental policy within Maidstone Borough Council, and recognises that the conference and events industry can impact on the local and global environment.

In order to show continued commitment wherever possible, Kent Conference Bureau recommends local suppliers with good records for using recyclable materials, sustainable products and environmental policies in place.
When placing your enquiry, feel free to ask for more information about the sustainable and greener venues in Kent.
With new high speed trains able to run at up to 140 mph through Kent, rail connections have significantly reduced journey times across the region. With a trip from London to Ashford taking on average 37mins (previously 80 minutes) and to Canterbury taking 60mins (previously 100 minutes). Kent can easily be reached for your next meeting or event.

New developments
Best Western Dover Marina Hotel & Spa is a recently refurbished seaside gem on the waterfront, opened under new ownership this spring. Located on Marine Parade, and commanding stunning views across the Dover seafront, it is an ideal conference or meeting venue.

The hotel has three well appointed meeting rooms with up to date facilities. For meeting delegates seeking luxurious accommodation, fine dining and panoramic views, and a hotel with exceptional charm and character, one should look no further then the Best Western Dover Marina Hotel & Spa.

Late autumn 2011, will see the opening of a 55,000 sq ft (5,200m2) events and exhibition venue at Bluewater. The Bluewater Events Venue will be the UK’s focal point for retail and leisure led events, shows and exhibitions. It will complement Bluewater’s retail offer whilst meeting the continued demand for specialist consumer events in a purpose-built environment.

The Clive Emson Conference Centre at the Kent Event Centre is a £1.2 million conversion of the old Stanley Cornwallis Building. The facilities opened mid-June 2011 and now include a clear span exhibition hall of over 1,700 sq metres and three conference rooms with offices and catering. The facilities can accommodate fine dining and cabaret style for up to 1,000 people and conferences with break out rooms for 10 to 2,000 people.

New for 2011, the Maiden’s Tower is a wonderful hospitality venue at historic Leeds Castle. Set on the castle island, surrounded by a moat and 500 acres of tranquil parkland, the Maiden’s Tower provides peace, privacy and security for residential and day conferences, meetings and corporate hospitality.

The venue is entirely self-contained and separate from the areas used by castle visitors so delegates have exclusive use throughout the day. The estate also offers a wide range of team-building and leisure pursuits to complement the business activities. The scenic nine-hole, par 33 golf course is a popular choice and there are also opportunities for Segway motorised tours, laser clay shooting, falconry, quad biking, hot air balloon flights and Go Ape – a forest adventure where teams can climb trees, cross rope bridges and zip wire to the ground. Additional team-building activity programmes can be tailored to meet guests’ specific requirements.
 
New venues to join Kent Conference Bureau
The British pub has always been at the heart of the community but local firms are recognising that it can also be at the heart of the business community, the perfect venue for lunches, meetings, seminars and conferences.

Pubs with restaurants and function rooms offer a variety of bespoke packages at competitive prices, including audio visual and conference equipment. Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewer, offers a selection of venues across Kent, each has its own unique characteristics that can turn an average meeting into an inspiring and memorable experience.

The Dog & Bear in Lenham, has a function suite with its own bar and patio garden. A full bar and catering service is available, from sandwiches and finger buffets to three-course meals, and the room accommodates approximately 50 delegates.

The century-old Marine Hotel sits on a striking clifftop location on the Tankerton Slopes. The Galleon Suite accommodates up to 150 delegates, the Maunsell Suite is suitable for up to 80 people and the lounge up to 50.

The Parklands Suite at Conningbrook Hotel, Ashford, can accommodate 68 for a sit-down lunch and 120 for buffet-style events. The adaptable room can split into two separate, soundproofed rooms, transforming it into The Garden Room and The Orchard Room. A second function room, Little Burton, provides a comfortable and hospitable conference venue which accommodates 60 in theatre mode and 30 in boardroom style.

Built in 1874, the Crown Inn in Chislehurst has a comfortable 36-seat restaurant, seven en-suite rooms and a ground floor function room suitable for business meetings and conferences, equipped with its own separate bar and can accommodate up to 70 people.

Flexible venues
The picturesque early 18th century Royal Hotel, Deal, offers excellent hospitality, with 18 en-suite bedrooms, a stylish restaurant, function and meeting rooms and a pleasant bar and patio overlooking the English Channel. Two rooms are available for functions: the Map Room, which accommodates 40 guests, and the Reading Room, with a capacity of 16. These rooms can also be combined.

Gillingham Football Club’s purpose-built Priestfield Conference & Banqueting venue is the largest of its kind in the South East and provides a unique setting for meetings and events. The Great Hall can cater for up to 700 delegates theatre style (500 for a banquet), and there are a variety of smaller suites and rooms with flexible lay-outs to meet clients needs. Particularly impressive are the Board Room and the Piano Bar. Rooms are fully air-conditioned with wireless broadband access, audio-visual facilities and natural daylight.

London Golf Club prides itself on creating simple elegant solutions that enhance and elevate every event. From the moment you pass through the gates and wind your way down our one-mile drive you know you have arrived somewhere special. With the perfect balance between excellence and effortless comfort, you can relax and enjoy stylish surroundings in a world attended to by our courteous and professional team.

The club offers a wide range of meeting rooms, all flooded with natural light and equipped with the latest audio-visual technology. The clubhouse has complimentary wireless broadband and meeting rooms have access to outside space where up to 170 delegates can enjoy views over the fabulous Jack Nicklaus designed golf courses.

The Bexleyheath Marriott Hotel is located in North Kent and in close proximity to A2, M25 and M20. The hotel offers contemporary styling, great people, excellent service and within 10 minutes of Bluewater and Ebbsfleet and 20 minutes to The 02 and Greenwich. The venue has 142 air conditioned guest rooms, 9 conference and banqueting rooms suitable for up to 250 delegates, all with natural daylight, Copper Restaurant, Planters Bar, swimming pool and gym.

North Kent’s best kept secret
The University of Kent in Canterbury is thrilled to have been awarded Group Travel Organiser’s ‘Best University Accommodation for Groups’ for the fourth year running. The award was presented to the University of Kent team by travel-writer and broadcaster Simon Calder at a prestigious ceremony at London’s Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel in June.

Set in 450 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds overlooking the historic city of Canterbury, the university offers some 3,750 rooms on campus. Groups can choose either self-catering flats (each sleeping 5/6 people) or single standard or en-suite rooms in halls of residence on a room-only or B&B basis.

The university has many conference rooms available for hire and can accommodate up to 1,200 delegates theatre style.

For more information
Request a copy of the brand new A5 Conference Venues Directory, which contains all the contact information and venue capacities you need when searching for a conference venue in Kent.
Tel: 01622 602485
info@kentconferencebureau.co.uk
www.kentconferencebureau.co.uk