A WALK THROUGH WARWICKSHIRE: EVENTS PLANNING

Written by: Sue - 26^th January 2017

There is so much to get out and about and explore - not to mention to attract the eye of the event planner - in the Warwickshire region; some precious riches in fact. Did you know that the author JRR Tolkien drew inspiration from the local landscape when writing The Hobbit and Lord Of The Rings? The scenery certainly looks inspiring judging by this stunning picture of the famous Warwick Castle.

​A Victorian Warwickshire village and its environs led to the formation in Tolkien's mind's eye of Hobbiton and The Shire. Of course, this is not the region's most famous literary boast. William Shakespeare's birthplace Stratford-upon-Avon envelopes the county town of Warwick along with Coventry, Kenilworth and Leamington Spa. Birmingham's vibrant city centre is just 30 minutes away and London can be reached in an hour.

Nestled at England's heart, Warwickshire is rich in culture and steeped in history as each town offers its story and store of heritage. City life meets country life here; the modern is defined against an ancient background.

Coventry is bustling with popular cafes, bars and quirky restaurants, along with a thriving theatre scene and the famous New Cathedral.

Royal Leamington Spa, whilst great today for stylish independent shops, is still characterised by its bygone fame when Victorians flocked to 'take the waters' at the therapeutic saline springs. There's a rich seam of history here for delegates and guests to mine.

Warwick - ​ancient Saxon Warwick on its hill position overlooking the River Avon - is dotted with smart retailers, art galleries, restaurants, antique centres and charming traditional tea-rooms. The castle here is imposing and claims a beautiful spot.

Stratford-upon-Avon - world-renowned for its literary son - has a unique character. This place really wears its heart on its sleeve; full of spirit, street entertainers, quiet side streets with independent shops and pleasant open parkland for walks along the river. It is also the home of The Royal Shakespeare Company Theatre and to one of the world's best-known theatre ensembles with a lively programme of Shakespeare works, some by his Renaissance contemporaries and modern writers too.

Visitors can experience five interesting sites from Shakespeare's life with The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust ​ or take a walking tour throughout Stratford-upon-Avon.

Hall's Croft (c) The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

 

As well as all the cultural diversions to enjoy here, the region is also cloaked in myth and legend with many sites to seek out for delegates looking to fill some downtime or for organised group visits.

Warwick Castle makes for a particularly dramatic and entertaining visit, but others include:

Charlecote Mill - one of the UK's surviving working watermills

Coughton Court at Alcester which was visited by the Gunpowder Plotters and holds an intriguing past

Stoneleigh Abbey in Kenilworth. Author Jane Austen was said to be particularly fascinated by its grandeur

There are many more suggestions for visits which could enhance an 'away from base' gathering.

(c) The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

 

​A Word on Travel

Something particularly appealing for conference and event planners is that the key towns in the Warwickshire region have a convenient and accessible location:

Major routes M1, M6, M5, M42, A5 and A14 are within easy reach

Birmingham International Airport is around 20 minutes away

​Coventry is on The West Coast Mainline and serviced by regular trains every day of the week

​London is about one hour away

 

The Slate

​Some Partner Venues

The Warwickshire region is well-served by our partners both for business travel accommodation and for delegates attending meetings, conferences and exhibitions. Throughout 2016 our partners kept us abreast of venue developments. It was a milestone year with plenty to feel enthusiastic about.

Warwick Conferences are based within 700 acres at The University of Warwick, lying on the outskirts of Coventry, just three miles from the city centre. In their own words: "in our world if you're not innovating you're not moving forward." Innovation number one to share is the completion in 2016 of a new venue - The Slate. Besides the stunning view over the lake - sure to impress guests and delegates - the distinctive aspect to accentuate is that this is a single, completely flat, open space and offers exclusive occupancy. There aren't any pillars or fixtures to get in the way so lay-outs can be tailored, free and imaginative. Accommodation is available in an adjacent space and clients will find the food offering - breakfast, lunch and dinner if desired - to be modern and as flexible or as formal as suits the event. Basically, anything from a grab, mix and go food station, buffet or banquet can be arranged here. Warwick describe The Slate as a blank canvas and clients are invited to add their own details and a unique splash of colour.

Innovation number two is exciting news about transformation of the Scarman space into a training and conference venue with far more to offer than just four walls, a flip chart and a sandwich. With the aim of providing delegates with an experience that will stay with them, worth mentioning here is how the team has brought the 'outside in' with themed corridors to encourage blue-sky thinking and has created informal-style boardrooms. By sitting away from a desk or table in a lounge room with sofas and armchairs, people may feel more relaxed and in the creative flow. In the same spirit of evoking creativity "Let's Do Lunch" with a funky fridge creates an intimate, relaxed space where delegates may feel they can gather, have a chat and exchange ideas. Along with "kitchen-table discussion" areas designed to break down boundaries between delegates, this new lunch concept has already been well received by clients with vaulable delegate feedback.

Scarman

It is also worth mentioning that space is provided for delegates to access physical activities in between conference sessions with all the attendant benefits of reducing stress and refreshing the team for the next session. All in all, the ethos behind this Scarman re-launch according to Warwick Head of Sales and Marketing Rachael Bartlett is: "providing a variety of different areas for delegates to meet, engage, network and learn and realise their potential. This investment is geared towards making sure we continue to inspire and energise all those who use our spaces and provide the most productive meeting experience possible in today's changing industry."

At both The Slate and Scarman venues, delegates and organisers will find plentiful parking nearby. Some clients particularly enjoy working with academic venues as they can enjoy an exclusive, distraction-free space with the bonus of adjacent campus facilities.

 

QHotels - another partner with a strong presence throughout the Warwickshire region also has fresh news and images to share from the three multi-functional hotel veues based here.

Chesford Grange ​is situated on the outskirts of Kenilworth, just a short drive from Leamington Spa or Warwick Castle. With the scale of a big hotel, yet with bags of personality and historic charm, this venue is ideal for grand events or the midscale meeting alike. The spaces are flexible and conferences and board meetings work just as well here as fine dining or a banquet. Some of the meeting suites are flooded with natural light and give delegates direct access to the landscaped gardens bordering on the town. Beautiful!

17 acres of grounds so suits teambuilding really well

​13 conference and meeting rooms for up to 700 people

health club and spa

complimentary car parking

 

Stratford Manor ​enjoyed a further important phase in bedroom refurbishment throughout 2016 together with amazing new spa facilities. Other hotel facts include:

close to M40 and M42

a short drive from the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon

104 bedrooms

13 conference and meeting rooms for up to 350 people

2 dedicated training rooms

 

The Stratford enjoys a town centre location next to the train station at Stratford-upon-Avon and just half an hour from Birmingham Airport. There is a great gym here that's sure to help boost team morale and keep them all energised. The interior scheme is really stylish and contemporary.

102 bedrooms

6 conference and meetings spaces for 132 people

close to M40 and M42

To steal a thought from Shakespeare, there is much to justify why any event planner with eyes might choose to partner with the venues around Warwick, especially with such a choice of cultural and historical diversions to dovetail with the events programme. Let's give The Bard the last word on it:

"Beauty itself doth of itself persuade

The eyes of her without orator"

Another amazing shot of Warwick Castle