Venue Updata
From Scout Conferences to spatial challenges, all the latest venue news and updates from the UK
Olympia wins bid to host the 44th World Scout Conference
The UK Scout Association has announced that the 44th World Scout Conference will take place at Olympia in November 2027.
The conference is making its return to London, and to the venue where the very first World Scout Conference was held over a century ago. Delegates and observers from 176 National Scout Organisations are expected to attend from around the globe.
Opening in March 2026, Olympia’s new International Convention Centre (ICC), operated and managed by Olympia Events and Legends Global, will host the 44th World Scout Conference from 29 November to 3 December 2027, with additional space provided by the venue’s National, Central and West Halls. The event is anticipated to welcome around 1,500 international attendees.
Crowne Plaza Newcastle strengthens local partnerships to create career pathways in events and hospitality
Crowne Plaza Newcastle has announced partnerships with leading North East education institutions to create clear career pathways for students pursuing futures in events, hospitality, and tourism.
The initiative is designed to nurture the next generation of event professionals. It also reinforces the hotel’s position as a people-first business with deep community ties and a diverse, international workforce. The partnerships include placements, guest lectures and speaking engagements, school visits, advisory board involvement, and mentoring through the North East Hotels Association Mentoring Scheme.
Kelly Johnson, people and culture manager at Crowne Plaza Newcastle, said: “By building partnerships with local universities, we’re helping to open doors for those future professionals while helping us to find the best emerging talent in the region to bring local warmth and international energy to our service.”
Success for Sheffield venues following Legends Global takeover
Less than a year into its time as operator of two of Sheffield’s biggest venues, Sheffield City Hall and the Utilita Arena Sheffield, Legends Global is delivering on its promise of transformation, investment, and revitalisation.
Having taken over management of the venues from a charitable trust that served the city for more than 30 years, Legends Global has spent the year to date laying strong foundations for the future. At Sheffield City Hall, there has been strong performance in the association market, with key wins including the 167th Sheffield Chamber of Commerce AGM, held at the venue for the first time and recording its highest-ever attendance; the Society of Garden Designers Conference; The Children’s Media Conference, and an upcoming national event for the British Oculoplastic Surgery Society (BOPSS), secured for June 2026.
The next 6 to 18 months will see visible transformations at both venues as investment begins to roll out, improving infrastructure, client service, and backstage tech to meet the evolving needs of both corporate and cultural clients
Quiet Qube solves spatial challenge at AEV Conference 2025
Inflatable event structure specialist Evolution Dome successfully solved event organisers' perennial venue problem, the venue pillar, by using its Quiet Qube inflatable meeting space at the Association of Event Venues (AEV) Conference 2025, held at Excel London.
Faced with a large structural pillar directly within their allocated footprint, the Evolution Dome team deployed the Quiet Qube. The structure’s flexible, roofless design and open entrance allowed the team to wrap the unit around the fixed pillar, creating a self-contained meeting space.
This manoeuvre maximised the available functional space without requiring relocation, disrupting surrounding exhibitors, or disrupting the venue flow. The deployment exemplifies the versatility of Evolution Dome’s indoor inflatable structures, offering event and conference organisers a practical solution for tight or architecturally challenging environments.
ICC Wales makes key new board appointments
International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales) has appointed a new co-chair and a new director to its board as it seeks to expand its profile in the international business events sector.
Mark Rhydderch-Roberts steps up from the position of board director to co-chair and Alan Wilkins becomes a new board director at the venue in South Wales.
Rhydderch-Roberts, who spent 27 years as an investment banker, holding senior roles with a number of leading global investment banks, is also the chair of Glamorgan County Cricket Club and led the recent successful sale of 50 per cent of the club's holding in the Welsh Fire Hundred franchise to international investors.
A former rugby player for leading clubs including Bath and Pontypridd, he was recently reappointed to the Welsh Industrial Development Agency Board and served on the Development Bank of Wales Task and Finish Group. He will assume the position of co-chair at ICC Wales alongside existing chair Christopher Munday who remains in post.
Eastside Rooms becomes first venue to achieve Gold Neuroinclusive Venue Accreditation
The Eastside Rooms has been awarded Gold Certification under the Neuroinclusive Venue Accreditation developed by Welcome Brain Consulting, becoming the first venue in the world to reach this level. The recognition reflects a strong and proactive commitment to neuroinclusion, with measures that support a welcoming experience for every delegate from first enquiry to event delivery.
The accreditation acknowledges a sustained programme of work at The Eastside Rooms. The team has focused on clear information before people arrive, options that reduce anxiety during planning, and practical support while on-site. This includes sensory considerate spaces where guests can decompress, flexible room layouts that limit sensory overload, plain language guides for the venue and the surrounding area, and training that builds staff confidence and awareness.
Tim Sparrow, general manager at The Eastside Rooms, said: “We want every guest to feel comfortable, confident, and able to take part in their own way. Working toward this accreditation has helped us turn good intentions into everyday practice.”
Hyatt Place London City East unveils the Canvas Suite
Hyatt Place London City East, one of London’s most sustainable and design-forward hotels, has unveiled the Canvas Suite, a contemporary new collection of event and meeting spaces.
The Canvas Suite connects directly to the hotel’s leafy lower-ground-floor and alfresco Terraza, with the Sicilian-inspired Sotto Cucina & Bar, and the newly refreshed and refurbished Orangery flowing naturally beyond. Transforming the hotel into a practical and dynamic boutique event and meetings destination, the result is a series of light-filled, interconnecting spaces that blur the boundaries between indoors and out.
The Canvas Suite itself can host up to 60 guests a la theatre-style, or be divided into two smaller rooms, The Atelier and The Studio, for more intimate gatherings. Delegates can move seamlessly from morning meetings and workshops in these new spaces, to working lunches, and aperitivo hours, to break-out sessions or al fresco mingles on the Terraza and even rooftop networking in PocketSquare Skyline Bar & Terrace, to a backdrop of London city skyline views.
Sustainable refurbishment of hotel rooms completed by Birmingham’s leading residential events venue
As part of its ongoing investment programme, Birmingham’s leading residential events venue, Conference Aston, has completed a full refurbishment of its single person hotel rooms.
The newly updated rooms offer a brighter, more modern and spacious environment for guests. The redesign includes improved layout and functionality, creating more usable floor space through updated furniture, fixtures and fittings.
New flooring has been installed throughout the rooms to create a lighter, cleaner aesthetic, while smart design choices are set to improve functionality and overall guest experience.
The project focused on reusing and repurposing existing wardrobes, desks and carpet, significantly reducing waste to landfill.
FutureScape moves to Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre
FutureScape, the UK’s leading and largest landscaping industry event, has announced that its 2026 edition will be held at the Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre.
First launched in 2012, FutureScape has grown from a modest gathering into a two-day event that brings together thousands of professionals, suppliers, designers, contractors and innovators with seminars, live demonstrations, awards, and networking.
Formerly held at ExCeL, the move marks the next phase in the event’s growth and aims to deliver a more expansive, accessible, and immersive experience for exhibitors, visitors, and partners across the landscape, design, and outdoor living sectors. With more than 20,000 sqm of unpillared indoor space and 100,000 sqm of outdoor hard standing, Farnborough International Exhibition & Conference Centre provides the ultimate platform for the event’s future success and expansion.
