Venue Updata
New offerings and partnerships abound as we round up all the latest venue news from across the UK and the rest of the world.
Lime Venue Portfolio renews education partnership with The Delegate Wranglers for 2026
Lime Venue Portfolio has renewed its education partnership with The Delegate Wranglers for a second year, reinforcing a shared commitment to practical learning, peer-led insight and future-focused thinking for event professionals.
The 2026 partnership will see Lime Venue Portfolio contribute thought leadership, research and expert voices across a series of The Delegate Wranglers platforms and events, designed to support organisers navigating an increasingly complex events landscape.
Key elements of the renewed partnership include two DW On the Road events in 2026, beginning with ‘Supercharge Your 2026’ at the QEII Centre on 5 February, followed by a Northwest edition later in the year. Lime Venue Portfolio will also be represented at The Delegate Wranglers Summit 2026, with Sales Director Jo Austin joining a panel discussion.
Through the education programme, The Delegate Wranglers will continue to share Lime Venue Portfolio’s award-winning industry guides. The next release, the Big Event Food Survey Report, will be followed by additional insight-rich resources created to support customers and the wider events community, offering valuable perspectives on food strategy, innovation and the growing role of technology in events.
The first DW On the Road event of the year, ‘Supercharge Your 2026’, will bring together venue leaders, chefs, organisers and industry commentators for a fast-paced afternoon of debate and discussion at the QEII Centre.
Dakota unveils first look at its £55m Manchester Airport hotel ahead of 1 July opening
Dakota Hotel Group has opened bookings for its highly anticipated new hotel at Manchester Airport, releasing striking new CGIs that offer a first glimpse inside the boutique property ahead of its 1 July opening.
Positioned as “the destination before the destination”, the seven-storey, 84,000 sq ft hotel has been purpose-designed for travellers seeking a seamless, premium stay before or after their journey. The £55m development brings Dakota’s signature understated luxury and service-led approach directly to one of the UK’s busiest international gateways.
The newly revealed imagery highlights the hotel’s Bar and Grill, alongside the refined interiors of its Classic King Rooms and Junior Suites. In total, the property will feature 154 bedrooms, a dedicated airport shuttle, on-site valet parking and a range of thoughtfully designed guest spaces.
Additional facilities include an al fresco Cigar Terrace and Humidor, private dining rooms and flexible event spaces, positioning the hotel as both a premium airport stay and a sophisticated business and social hub.
Scottish Event Campus appoints Greg O’Donnell as senior association sales manager
The Scottish Event Campus (SEC) has announced the appointment of Greg O’Donnell as senior association sales manager who joins the team to focus on international sales.
O’Donnell brings more than 20 years’ experience across sales, business development and operational roles within the conferences and events sector. He joins the SEC from Glasgow Caledonian University, where he spent over a decade as business development manager for conferences & events, leading commercial growth across both national and international association markets.
During his time at the university, O’Donnell was responsible for the strategic development of the commercial conferences and events function, driving sales activity, lead generation and revenue growth.
He has extensive experience working collaboratively on conference bids, including partnering with Glasgow Convention Bureau to secure high-profile events for the city.
In his new role at the SEC, O’Donnell will focus on further strengthening the venue’s burgeoning international associations portfolio, supporting bid activity and working closely with partners to attract global congresses to Glasgow.
Outernet London and Legends Global form long-term partnership
Outernet London has announced a long-term partnership with Legends Global, the global venues and hospitality group, marking a milestone in the continued growth of the Outernet brand.
Through the partnership, Legends Global will provide its industry-leading expertise across venue management, operations, programming, premium sales, partnerships, and food and beverage for all Outernet venues. These include HERE, the 2,000-capacity flagship venue and the largest built in central London since the 1940s, grassroots venue The Lower Third, and Outernet’s world-leading digital spaces, including The Now Building and Now Trending.
Legends Global, which operates a network of more than 450 venues worldwide, further expands its London footprint alongside Olympia London, Wembley Arena, and Emirates Stadium. Together, the partners will enhance guest experience, expand live programming, unlock new brand opportunities, and elevate premium and hospitality offerings for Outernet’s 80 million annual visitors.
Sofitel opens first hotel in Riyadh
Sofitel Riyadh Hotel and Convention Centre has officially opened in the Ar Rahmaniyyah neighbourhood. Accor’s Sofitel brings its signature French elegance to Riyadh with 388 luxury rooms. A standout feature of the hotel is its convention and events space - the largest within a luxury hotel in Riyadh, spanning nearly 8,500 square metres. With highly flexible facilities, Sofitel Riyadh is poised to become a premier destination for international conferences, large-scale gatherings, and high-profile events in the Kingdom.
Leeds Independent Venues Group launches
Six of Leeds’ leading independent venues have joined forces to form the Leeds Independent Venues Group, a new collective created to showcase the city’s diverse event spaces and strengthen its position as a top destination for meetings and events.
The group brings together Horizon Leeds, Harewood House, University of Leeds and Cloth Hall Court, The Studio, Royal Armouries, and Leeds Conservatoire, each contributing its own strengths, from heritage and creativity to modern tech-led spaces. Together, the six venues offer a diverse range of environments, capabilities, and event solutions across the city, allowing planners to find the right fit for every type of meeting or event. By teaming up, the collective proudly champions independent, local venues and the vital role they play in Leeds’ events landscape.
Food meets social impact with launch of Catered by Clink
The Clink Charity is proud to launch Catered by Clink, a new nationwide catering and bakery offering that delivers high-quality food while directly supporting the rehabilitation and training of people in prison and young people at risk of offending.
Through this new initiative, customers can enjoy beautifully prepared canapés, pastries and celebration cakes - knowing that every order contributes to life-changing opportunities for individuals rebuilding their lives.
Catered by Clink combines professionally crafted food with a powerful social mission. All products are prepared by students and graduates of The Clink Charity’s accredited hospitality and bakery programmes, with trainees learning both inside prisons and within the community.
Participants work towards City & Guilds qualifications in professional cookery and baking, gaining practical skills, confidence and a clear pathway into employment after release - with the overarching aim of reducing re-offending.
iVvy introduces iVvyAI with the launch of Instant Proposal
Event and venue management software leader, iVvy, has announced the launch of Instant Proposal - powered by hivr.ai, the first product in its new iVvyAI suite designed to automate and speed up meetings and groups sales. The capability is now live with Edgbaston Stadium in the UK.
Instant Proposal gives hotels and venues the ability to respond within minutes instead of hours, removing manual admin and accelerating the entire enquiry-to-proposal workflow. Instant Proposal uses hivr.ai’s email AI to automatically read and extract details from an enquiry, generating proposals within seconds directly within iVvy.
The launch also introduces a major new capability to the meetings and groups industry: AI-powered lead qualification and scoring, available for the first time through iVvyAI and powered by hivr.ai’s intelligence engine. Edgbaston Stadium is the first UK venue to deploy this capability, using AI to analyse incoming event enquiries, identify those most ready to progress, and prioritise responses with greater speed and consistently.
Training Department partners with Excel London
The Training Department has announced a new venue collaboration with Excel London, one of the UK’s leading international event venues, to support specialist training for the live events and production industry.
The collaboration brings together The Training Department’s experience in professional training with Excel London’s large-scale venue environment, with a focus on practical learning, knowledge sharing and skills development. Courses delivered at Excel will allow participants to train within an operational venue, providing a clearer understanding of how production processes work in real-world settings.
As live events become more complex, access to relevant, high-quality training is increasingly important. Hosting courses at Excel aims to support both established professionals and those entering the industry by linking technical knowledge with on-site experience.
The first course delivered through the collaboration will be Health & Safety for Production Managers, taking place at Excel London on 24 February.
Conferences and events boost visitors to Coventry Building Society Arena
New figures show the Coventry Building Society Arena hosted 547 exhibitions, conferences, meetings, annual awards and dinners, and live events in 2025.
This saw more than 1.2 million people flock to the venue during its 20th anniversary year, a seven per cent increase compared to 2024, helping the arena’s continued rise under new Coventry City Football Club ownership.
The venue enjoyed a six per cent increase in enquiries for its conference and exhibition space - which includes the recently launched ‘The Curve’ - despite a challenging economic environment for the events sector.
Live performances in the Indoor Arena included Ed Sheeran, Bob Dylan and Tom Grennan and helped to attract more than 38,000 visitors.
The Queens Hotel Leeds extends LNER partnership
The Queens Hotel Leeds has extended its partnership with LNER into 2026, offering 25 per cent off Advance train fares for event delegates travelling to Leeds.
The discount applies to both Standard and First-Class tickets on single or return journeys for up to nine people travelling to Leeds, providing a cost-effective option for companies hosting meetings or conferences outside of London.
The Queens Hotel is directly connected to Leeds train station and just over two hours from London by direct train. It boasts 15 flexible meeting spaces, accommodating up to 500 attendees, as well as on-site dining and after-work drinks at Cinnamon Kitchen, Indian cuisine from celebrity chef Vivek Singh.
A spokesperson said: "As organisations look to manage operational costs without compromising on venue quality or accessibility, this rail discount presents a great option for more sustainable travel."
Director appointed to lead businesses at Great Yorkshire Showground
Businesses on the Great Yorkshire Showground have been given a boost thanks to the internal appointment of a new commercial director. 2026 is already looking strong, with a number of brand new events coming to both venues as well as returning bookings. A restructure has seen the appointment of Graham Thompson who has been promoted from head of venue operations to commercial director, to further develop The Great Yorkshire Events Centre and Pavilions of Harrogate which host conferences, meetings, dinners and events throughout the year.
