Welcome to Brunel University Conference Services

News

 LONDON BOROUGH OF HILLINGDON'S FESTIVAL OF EDUCATION HELD AT BRUNEL

(May 2012)

Brunel University was proud to host Hillingdon’s first Festival of Education. This three day event in April was opened by Will Self, journalist, novelist and Professor of Contemporary Thought at Brunel University.

The event started on Thursday evening with a Gala Dinner attended by private and academy schools and higher education providers to discuss the key issues affecting them all.

The evening was followed on Friday with a day of workshops for teachers where topics included : Supporting higher ability students to achieve their potential; How science works in the curriculum which aims to promote understanding and investigation skills through practical science and “Foniks is phun” which looks at how phonics can be used to support reading in primary and secondary schools. A keynote speech was also delivered by former Olympic Gold Medallist Dr David Hemery CBE.

Saturday saw a series of events ranging from drama and design to sports for children to take part in with some taking inspiration from a visit to Brunel’s indoor running track where some Olympic competitors will be training ahead of the 2012 Games.

Kimberley Wilson, from Brunel Conference Services, said “It was a great event to be involved with and as a resident of Hillingdon it’s good to know that Education is high on the agenda. I hope to be involved with many more like this as Brunel is the perfect venue for these types of events”.

BRUNEL CONFERENCE SERVICES JOINS MIA COUNCIL

(Jan 2011)

The MIA’s AGM was held in London on the 24th January where elections were held for new Council members. We were delighted when Brunel’s Head of Conferences, Sheila Killen, was elected as a new member.

This is a great opportunity for Brunel to be involved in the decision making and planning for new strategies within our industry.

Sheila Killen – Profile
Sheila heads the Conference team at Brunel University and has been in the field of hospitality for over twenty years. Her prior experience in the hotel industry and British Airways as their Corporate Events Executive makes her well placed to sell Brunel's extensive bank of bedrooms and hospitality space.

Whilst also engaged in the aviation and publishing industries, she ran high profile events both in the UK and overseas and gained valuable insight into cultural differences and expectations. She is a firm believer in continuous improvement.

Brunel Conference Services has a wealth of accreditations which include MIA membership at Silver level, Hospitality Assured re accreditation for the eighth year, Investors in People and Quality in Tourism campus rated accommodation of four/five stars.

Sheila is a Member of the Institute of Hospitality and a former member of MIA's Special Interest Group for Academia. She comments "I would relish the experience to be a council member and maintain the high profile, strategies and standards promoted by the Meeting Industry Association.”

Visit MIA Council Members for a look at the profiles of the other council members.

 

BRUNEL CONFERENCE SERVICES AIMS HIGHER

Brunel Conference Services were recently awarded Silver Accreditation by the Meetings Industry Association (MIA). Jane Evans, Chief Executive of their accreditation scheme visited Brunel to present the award.

We have now joined an elite group of six organisations in the UK who have managed to meet the standards of the silver level. The MIA is the largest and fastest growing association for the meetings industry in the UK and Ireland. Endorsed by VisitBritain, membership of the MIA and achievement of this award clearly demonstrates a commitment to deliver a high level standard of service and exceptional business principles.

Already members of the MIA, Brunel Conference Services decided to aim higher at the end of last year. Over a six month period evidence was gathered that demonstrated Brunel Conference Services carries out its day to day business in a way which is conducive with the exceptional standards of practise required of the Meetings Industry Association. Examples of areas covered included Business Planning, Researching Customers Needs and Creating the Customer Environment.

“I am so proud of the Conference Team as without their dedication and contribution we couldn’t achieve this. Awards like this really motivate the team and encourage us to strive further” says William Lindsay, Conference Operations Manager.

Caroline Barringer, Conference Marketing Manager comments “Awards like this are important to us to show customers that we are committed to our Customer Promise. According to respondents to the MIA’s latest Pathfinder Report, 80% of buyers in the Charity/Association/Not for Profit Corporate buyers sector are aware of AIM and 100% state that their decision to use a venue would be influenced by an accreditation scheme like AIM.

 

BORIS JOHNSON OPENS HILLINGDON POOL COMPLEX

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson officially opened Hillingdon’s new £31m sports and leisure complex on 23 March, featuring a 50m Olympic-sized swimming pool and lido.

The pool and lido, both part of the new Sports and Leisure Complex on Gatting Way (just outside Uxbridge town centre), mean Brunel’s staff, students and visitors finally have world-class swimming facilities on their doorstep.

The 50m Olympic-standard pool is the first to built in the Greater London in 45 years and features with a fully adjustable floor to allow for recreation, training and competitions.

The 220ft, Grade II-listed lido complex will also be a big draw during the summer months. The lido has been restored to its former Art Deco splendour, including its 12-sided ‘star’ outdoor swimming pool, the only remaining example of its kind in the country. Other facilities on site include a 100-station gym, sports and dance studios, sauna and steam rooms, and a café.

See pictures of the pool and lido buildings on Flickr

See pictures from the opening ceremony with Boris Johnson on Flickr

At the opening ceremony, Boris Johnson said: “I’m thrilled to welcome the first Olympic-sized swimming pool in London for nearly half a century. This outstanding accessible sports complex is a real boost for everyone in the area whether you’re striving to be the next Mark Spitz or just trying to shift a few pounds and get healthier before the sun arrives.

“With such amazing facilities it’s sure to play a crucial role in the future success of the British swimming team and the fact that it’s open to everyone – young, old, abled and disabled – is something Hillingdon Council should rightly be proud of.”

As well as the recreational benefits to the community, the facilities could help lure major sporting talent to the region. The University and Hillingdon Council are working together to attract a major Olympic training team to the area for pre-games training before London 2012.

The addition of the pool complex, alongside the existing accommodation and world-class athletics facilities at the University, makes the area a very attractive prospect to national Olympic teams. A delegation from China, the biggest Olympic team in the world, has already visited Brunel and the pool complex to assess their training potential.

Brunel’s own community will also directly benefit from the University’s close relationship with the Council: the School of Sport and Education and the Students’ Union swimming clubs will be able to book lanes in the 50m pool for training and teaching purposes. In addition, NUS card-holding students can take advantage of special concession rates.

Hillingdon Council invested £26m in the complex, which was enhanced by funding of £2.025m from the London Development Agency, £1.5m of National Lottery funding from Sport England and £1m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Sports and Leisure Complex will be open to all from 24 March and the outdoor pool will be in use from May.

The U1 and U2 bus routes will go from the University to the leisure complex. Parking space is also available.

 

BRUNEL UNIVERSITY- THE ONLY 5* CAMPUS ACCOMMODATION IN THE UK

The Lancaster Suite as part of Brunel Conference Services has recently been awarded the highly sought after 5 Star rating by ‘Quality in Tourism’ in the Campus Accommodation category. This level of achievement is highlighted by the fact that Brunel can now claim to have the only 5 Star Campus accommodation in the UK.

The Lancaster Suite is open all year round, with the exception of the Christmas period, and gives a unique opportunity for visitors whether independent travellers or part of a conference to stay in high standard facilities for as little as £55 per night including breakfast and access to the increasingly popular Health Suite.

Matthew Ralph, General Manager of the Lancaster Suite, Lodge & Spa stated “We are extremely proud of this award which is the result of considerable work throughout the year from every member of our team. We listen carefully to our guests to ensure we are always striving to improve the reputation and awareness of the Lancaster Suite and Brunel within the local community.”

This level of quality was further reinforced recently when the department achieved Hospitality Assured customer service accreditation for the seventh year in a row. Brunel is one of the highest achieving Universities in the UK to gain this award.

Caroline Barringer, Conference Marketing Manager comments “External accreditations are important to assure customers that we have procedures and policies in place to ensure they receive the level of service they are promised.”

To book a room at the Lancaster Suite, Lodge & Spa please call the Reservations Team on (01895) 268001.

 

NEWS ARTICLE ARCHIVE

• Download Star Award Winners PDF
• Download Brunel Tops UK University Chart For Disabled Access PDF