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Awards for venue

Clients using business and meeting facilities across the UK have nominated Conference Aston in three different categories in the prestigious M&IT (Meetings and Incentive Travel) Awards. Conference Aston picked up Silver for Best UK Management Training Venue and Bronze in the Best Academic Venue category. The Conference Aston team were also shortlisted for the Best Conference and Banqueting Staff.

Marketing Manager Paul Bunce commented; “We are the only venue in Birmingham to be shortlisted in these particular awards, which is an achievement in itself. We are particularly proud of our shortlisting for Best Staff, as there are so many thousands of other venues in the UK to be measured against. The nomination puts us higher than top 1% in Britain. Our team should be rightly proud.”

“The client votes in each of the awards probably reflect several elements, including location, quality of service and the fact that our facilities are purpose built to provide a good learning environment.”

The awards are voted for by customers who have used venues. Conference Aston’s 2010 M&IT Awards will be displayed alongside those won in 2009.

Face2Face

We know how important each and every event is to our clients and how valuable the chance to discuss your needs face-to-face can be to ensure your event achieves its objectives.

Why not come and visit the Conference Aston sales development team at one of the upcoming exhibitions and tradeshows that we'll be exhibiting at?

You can come and see us on the Conference Centres of Excellence, stand 330 at the HRD 2010 exhibition at Olympia, London on 21st and 22nd April 2010	Conference Aston is one of the top three Academic Venues in the UK, why not find out why on stand 30 at the Emirates Stadium, London on 12th May 2010
If you'd like to make an appointment to see us at the show, you can call us on 0121 204 4300 and we'll arrange a time to suit you, then simply drop by the stand and talk to us about your event requirements.

TV “dust up” for city conference venue

The cast discover a selection of food and drink as they're leaving the pharmaceutical office.

Max Beesley takes a break in makeshift beds for the night

All images and courtesy of and owned by the British Broadcasting Corporation.

New season TV schedules mean that Birmingham is going to feature on the small screen, with two drama series shot on location in the city airing this month. The BBC's Hustle and Survivors both used Birmingham locations for filming during last summer, raising interest from passers-by and curiosity from people who had their work places taken over for television.

Conference Aston in Birmingham city centre was transformed for Survivors, a tale of when most of the world’s population is wiped out by a deadly virus. Marketing Manager at the venue Paul Bunce said; “The producers wanted to depict a bar that had been hurriedly evacuated, then deserted for months. They brought in some very strange props, including trays of mouldy food and dust! The effect was remarkable, even without viewing through a lens. It looked like the place hadn’t been inhabited for years.”

"They also transformed our largest conference suite into a deserted office area which was amazing to see and certainly demonstrated a brand new angle to the venue"

“There was a buzz of excitement amongst some of our staff when the TV crew were due, which has been renewed over the holidays as trailers for the programmes have been revealed.”

“We did have some worries when the producers originally approached us, with fears about disruption to our guests and reinstatement of our usual pristine look, but the whole crew were in and out with minimal fuss.”

“Cardiff seems to have been firmly imprinted on the TV map and the nation’s consciousness with programmes such as Dr Who and Torchwood. I hope that the influx of TV crews into Birmingham is going to build in the same way. I would encourage anyone asked to provide venues or locations for TV production to be encouraged by our experience and to take the opportunity to help show our region in a positive light.”

Looking to share your meeting space with the latest season of Survivors? Then why not call our Conference team on 0121 204 4300 to discuss your needs and we'll make sure you survive even the most demanding of events!

In the meantime, tune in to the new series of Survivor and watch out for Conference Room 1, the Lounge and Bar and someone getting a makeshift shower in the kitchens.

New Page for conference venue

Christine Page, Conference Aston

Conference Aston has appointed a well known industry figure to head up its sales and marketing team. Scottish born Christine Page has worked with conference and meeting venues around the UK and brings a wealth of expertise to the role.

Commenting on her appointment Christine Page said; “The job to be done at Conference Aston is to communicate the quality of the venue and the advantages of using a purpose built facility, that has been designed to provide a focussed environment for productive conferences, meetings and events. We also have to reinforce and enhance Birmingham’s reputation as an ideal meeting place.”

“One attraction to this role for me, is that the venue is part of Aston University and is co-located with one of Britain’s leading Business Schools in a new £20m building. That rather sets the tone for a venue that delivers professionalism on so many levels. I was also delighted to discover that the team have been nominated for a prestigious industry award for the Best Conference and Banqueting Staff. The facilities here, which include four star standard hotel accommodation are second to none.”

“This is the first time I have worked in Birmingham. I am enjoying the city immensely and am discovering some of the delights that make Birmingham such an exceptionally good conference destination.”