The Belfry Hotel & Resort, located in Warwickshire, is aiming to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030, having saved three million kWh of energy combined across electricity and gas in 2022 when comparing its usage with 2019.

The three million kWh saved is enough electricity to power 300 houses and enough gas to heat 200 houses for an entire year.

The energy savings were the result of several measures implemented by the resort. In 2022 The Belfry installed 187 Genius Hubs in bedrooms which had a significant impact, helping achieve a 64 per cent reduction in heat energy usage. The devices are smart heating control solutions that reduce a property’s energy consumption by only heating the parts of the building that are being used, with the added benefit of providing guests with greater control over their room climate.

Other sustainable initiatives at The Belfry include; a water management system which filters waste water; the installation of waterless urinals; six new electric vehicle charging points, with another 40 planned, plus the introduction of onsite electric vehicles, such as electric golf buggies; switching 80 per cent of the resort’s lighting to LED, with many of the areas now lit by motion sensor lights; a focus on wildlife enrichment areas; and the use of biodegradable material for marketing or promotional products and banners. 

Athena, the Art Deco Grade II-listed events venue in Leicester’s cultural quarter, is celebrating its 18th birthday this year.

Originally designed in 1936 by Robert Arthur Bullivant as an Odeon Cinema, the venue represented one of the largest buildings within the region seating more than 3,000 guests. Remaining closed throughout much of the 90s, the venue was restored to its former art deco glory and now plays host to exhibitions, sporting events, festivals, conferences, weddings and shows.

The venue offers a unique space with areas that can be customised to specific event requirements, along with an award-winning team of staff to ensure your event runs smoothly.

Twickenham Stadium will be the flagship venue for a new golf tour arriving in the UK this summer.

The tour will take place throughout the summer and include five other stadia. Twickenham will host upwards of 7,000 golfers when the tour arrives between 8-11 June. On those dates, the stadium will be transformed into a 9-hole golf course.

Tickets are on sale now.

Lime Venue Portfolio is launching a campaign to understand what the Meeting of the Future will look like. The campaign will build on the success of its Beyond Food Reports and will see the brand working with industry partners, thought leaders and research experts to create a visual picture of upcoming meetings.

As part of the initiative, Lime Venue Portfolio has partnered with MESA (Meetings & Events Support Association) and event creative, Robert Dunsmore. The brand will be conducting its own empirical research as well as conducting engagement exercises and focus groups with event professionals throughout the year. Following this research, LVP will release concepts around The Meeting of the Future of association, corporate and charity events. 

“As a brand, we’re continually looking at ways we can be of service to our customers and our venue members. The success of the Beyond Food Reports exceeded our expectations, they supported our clients’ businesses, provided valuable intelligence and created impact and action in the industry,” commented Jo Austin, sales director, Lime Venue Portfolio. “The Meeting of the Future allows us to broaden this scope while still focusing on how events will interact with delegates at events.”

East London events venue Troxy, has reacted to the emerging trend of short lead bookings and revealed a new rate card exclusively for enquiries within a two-week lead time.

This makes any available space of the art deco venue accessible at a competitive rate, subject to terms and conditions. This includes the Grand Hall on the ground floor, which is ideal for large-scale conferences, awards, productions and filming, with a 14.5m ceiling height, 1100 sqm of pillar-free floor space, a configurable stage which can host multiple set-ups and extensive in-house audio, visual and lighting.

As one of London’s largest and few remaining independent venues, the forward-thinking management team have been able to identify this trend and act quickly to put a solution in place.

Planners who make meeting and event bookings, taking place at Covent Garden’s Middle Eight before the 30 June, will receive a 12 per cent commission.

Whether your event is large or small, relaxed, or formal, business or pleasure, Middle Eight has a variety of spaces catering to all events, morning until night. From quick morning coffees and long lunches to cocktail parties, dinners with Italian menus and evenings with DJs and a live music programme.

Planners can also receive a 15 per cent commission on corporate room booking for 2023, if confirmed before 30th April. Other incentives a voucher for Afternoon Tea for two with Champagne for 25 room bookings, a voucher for dinner at Sycamore Vino Cucina followed by a performance at QT for booking 75 room nights and receive and a voucher for an overnight stay including breakfast for booking 110 room nights.

New Zealand's Tākina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, will open at the end of May.

“With more than 100 events on the calendar for the first year, the majority of which are multi-day conferences between 300 and 1,000 delegates, our team is excited to be on site to get to know every square centimetre of equipment and technology,” said Jake Downing, Te Papa’s director of commercial services.

 The ground-floor public Exhibition Gallery will open on Saturday 3 June with the internationally acclaimed LEGO interactive exhibition, Jurassic World by Brickman on display.

Almost 500,000 people are expected to visit Tākina in its first year based on the line-up of conferences and events already in place.

The Wyndham Grand Algarve offers one of the largest and most versatile event spaces in Quinta Do Lago.

Featuring 483 sqm of flexible event and meeting space on a dedicated floor of the hotel, the five event venues include a state-of-the-art Conference Centre, with floor-to-ceiling windows to allow natural light, that accommodates up to 250 seated guests and 400 standing attendees.

Coffee breaks and post-meeting cocktails can be served on the private outdoor area.

With 8,000 sqm of indoor and outdoor event space, including the largest expo centre in Cyprus, City of Dreams Mediterranean – scheduled to open in Limassol in Q2 – can accommodate functions of all sizes, from intimate seminars and bespoke weddings to large-scale conferences, concerts and events of international standing.

Its meeting and event facilities include a Grand Ballroom seating 870 guests, or up to 1,100 for a cocktail reception. The 1,420 sqm ballroom is pillar-free, with direct access to an outdoor pre-event area, and includes a built-in LED wall and projection screens.

The multi-functional 1,500 sqm Forum, the largest on the island, can accommodate 1,300 guests standing or a banquet for up to 960 guests. With a 12m ceiling height – the equivalent of two African giraffes – the light and airy space can also be used as a pre-function or break-out area, and benefits from discreet private access. 

The five state-of-the-art meeting rooms can accommodate all requirements, whether a board meeting for 10, a training session for 50, or a conference for 100. All rooms are equipped with the latest AV equipment and sound systems, and feature flexible furniture layouts, moveable wall partitions, a shared pre-function area, and an abundance of natural light.

Benefitting from sunshine in all seasons, the integrated resort also includes a variety of stunning outdoor venues, including the Roman-style Amphitheatre seating 220 guests, and the Event Lawn which can accommodate up to 2,000 standing or 1,000 banquet-style.

City of Dreams Mediterranean will be the first integrated resort in Europe. Encompassing luxury rooms and suites, fine dining, a 1,600 sqm spa, a casino, and a world-class entertainment programme.