The Hotel Granvia has become the first meetings and events focused hotel in Kyoto to provide a high speed wireless internet service throughout the building for free.

In 2009, the hotel introduced a Wi-Fi service in its 13 function and conference rooms, lobby and restaurant areas. But to meet the demands from visitors, the Hotel Granvia has completed a Wi-Fi upgrade and free internet access is available throughout the hotel’s facilities, including guest rooms, to satisfy the needs of smartphone and tablet computer users.

The Wi-Fi network ensures a seamless user experience with no drop in connections when moving from one area to another, and advanced security features ensure safe internet use.

James Kent, international marketing manager for the Kyoto Convention Bureau, says: “We are excited that the Hotel Granvia is providing free internet coverage throughout its facilities. It is a move which will enhance the delegate experience and sets a benchmark for other venues across Kyoto. With increasing use of mobile devices and on the move applications, access to the internet is integral to the meeting and conference environment. Complete internet access ensures that delegates needs are fully catered for and we hope more venues will follow the Hotel Granvia lead.”

Yuka Murata from the Granvia’s overseas marketing department says: “Technology is a cornerstone of our offering to the conference and meetings market.  We are continually recognised as one of the most forward thinking hotels in the city and the addition of this new service is a perfect example of this commitment.  What’s more, at a time when organisers and delegates need to show value for money and a clear return on investment, the provision of the service for free has been particularly welcomed by clients.”

Three florists have been added to venue’s approved supplier list.

LSO St Luke’s has added three florists to its list of approved suppliers. Gray Hare, Jane Wadham and Jens Jakobson can now be used by organisers and clients to supply a variety of floral displays for their events.

LSO St Luke’s list of approved suppliers also includes award-winning caterers and event management agencies. The comprehensive list gives clients a wide choice and the ability to make their event stand out.

LSO St Luke’s marketing manager Tomoyo Miyakawa explains: “We’ve added to our approved list of suppliers in response to feedback from clients. We always act on comments made in an attempt to improve the service we offer. The addition of these three fantastic florists will give event organisers the opportunity to enhance their events with the use of flowers, whether in an elegant classical style or with a fabulous contemporary display. With these exciting additions to our extensive team of suppliers there’s never been a better time to find out how LSO St Luke’s can help deliver your next event.”

LSO St Luke’s is one of London’s most unusual venues. The 18th-century, Grade 1 listed Hawksmoor church was restored to become the home of the London Symphony Orchestra’s community and music education programme; however it continues to grow in popularity as a venue for conferences, meetings and events. The venue is available for hire during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and is suitable for a wide variety of functions including conferences, private receptions, award ceremonies and gala dinners. For more information call the events team on 020 7566 2871.

Douglas Stafford achieves international quality management standard.

Douglas Stafford, a company whose services include mystery shopping, has attained ISO 9001:2008 in recognition of its quality management systems (QMS). The internationally recognised standard was achieved through Certification International.

Douglas Stafford has worked with large blue chip companies across a broad range of consumer markets for more than 20 years, delivering performance improvement programmes which help them measure, understand and improve their customers’ retail experiences. These are achieved through highly cost-effective mystery shopping and customer surveys, and are supported by industry-leading training programmes and processes that are proven to improve standards of customer service. In achieving ISO 9001:2008, it ensures first class quality management systems are in operation throughout Douglas Stafford’s operations and that these systems are monitored and maintained for future improvement.

Assessing Douglas Stafford for ISO 9001:2008 provided a particular challenge for Certification International’s auditors as the identity of a mystery shopper and their activities need to remain unknown. However, a solution was found to ensure its auditors were able to monitor Douglas Stafford staff without their work being identified by the retailer.

Douglas Stafford’s commercial director John Fieldhouse comments: “As a company we have always maintained a documented quality management system – it’s essential to maintaining a consistent level of quality. However, since we were getting more requests asking whether our quality systems were certified to a recognised standard, we made the decision to update our QMS in line with ISO 9001. The majority of our larger clients have ISO 9001 and prefer to deal with certified suppliers. We worked with Dean Moriarty Consulting to update our QMS to meet the required standard – a key contributor to our successful certification. In fact, the auditor reported to Certification International that Douglas Stafford’s QMS was one of the best systems he had come across and was well constructed and really well implemented. Our achievement has been due to the commitment of the whole team. However, our success has been driven by having champions of the cause at senior management level and the co-operation of somebody who understands the nuts and bolts of the business.”

Certification International is a UKAS accredited organisation which provides assessment, analysis and certification services to companies of all sizes across a variety of standards.

Certification International’s UK business manager Emma Fawcett-Jones says: “Although the auditing process provided a challenge, we were able to work with Douglas Stafford to find a suitable solution. As a mystery shopping company, it is important that Douglas Stafford has systems in place to ensure it can offer a high quality service which retailers can have confidence in. We’re delighted they have achieved certification to ISO 9001:2008 as it demonstrates the strategy they have in place to ensure quality remains at the forefront of all of its activities.”

Former England Rugby captain Lewis Moody was the special guest at a recent charity lunch held at Church House Conference Centre. The event, organised by Under the Posts, was held to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, Parasol Charity – an organisation which provides aid and comfort to injured service personnel and their families – and the Alzheimer’s Society.

Under the Posts was created in 2004 following England’s success at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. It organises fundraising events for and on behalf of members of the team and their associated charities.

Guests enjoyed a sumptuous three course meal created by Church House Conference Centre’s in-house award winning caterers Kudos. This was followed by a question and answer session with Lewis Moody during which he told stories from his days playing with the England Rugby team as well as revealing the highs and lows of his remarkable career. Former hockey player Roger Dakin compered the event, entertaining guests with anecdotes throughout the afternoon. The lunch also included an auction of signed rugby memorabilia and tickets for future Under the Post events, as well as a silent auction, with all proceeds being split between the three charities.

General Manager of Church House Conference Centre Robin Parker says: “Church House Conference Centre is renowned for hosting high profile personalities. We’re delighted the lunch with Lewis Moody proved so successful. The Harvey Godwin suite provided an intimate setting and meant the 94 guests were able to feel close to one of the country’s biggest rugby stars. Those who attended thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon of sporting entertainment and donated very generously. The money raised from the event will greatly benefit three worthy charitable causes.”

Barbican records second best year for corporate business as the combined arts and meetings venue celebrates its 30th anniversary.

In March 1982, the Barbican opened its doors to the public for the first time. And as the iconic venue commemorates its 30th anniversary, the Barbican is also celebrating its second best year for corporate business.

Anthony Hyde, general manager of Barbican Business Events, comments: “Meetings, conferences and corporate hospitality are an important part of the Barbican’s overall offering. And despite the economy stuttering and budgets being squeezed, the financial year for 2011-2012 was our second best on record. It’s recognition of the unique setting and high quality service we provide to clients. As the Barbican marks its 30th anniversary we look forward to the introduction of exciting initiatives and the completion of new spaces which will make the Centre even more attractive for meetings and conferences in the years to come.”

Barbican is located in the heart of the City of London, and was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in March 1982. The architecturally renowned Centre – designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon in the Brutalist style – is now a Grade II listed building. Barbican is comprised of many spaces including the 1,949 seat Barbican Hall, the 1,166-seat Barbican Theatre, a 286 seat cinema, the Barbican Art Gallery, The Curve, Lakeside Terrace, a roof-top conservatory and Garden Rom as well as extensive conference facilities and three restaurants.

As the Barbican looks to the future, corporate clients can look forward to business becoming more integrated with the arts. The recently formed Barbican Business Events will bring together the venue’s rich heritage and history in this area and their professional expertise within the corporate events sector. The new approach is based on stronger partnerships with the artistic, creative learning and development teams.

Anthony continues: “As we look forward, the next couple of years promise to be very exciting. Our aim is to provide the best possible services. With the launch of the new Barbican Business Events team, which gives corporate clients access to highly professional event organisers as well as leaders in various artistic fields, the opening of new spaces within the Barbican’s portfolio and a host of other initiatives we’re confident the next 30 years will be even more successful for the Centre.”

Barbican, unlike many other venues was specifically built with the dual purpose of holding conferences and arts events and this ensures it remains one of the world’s most creative venues. Being centrally located the Barbican attracts clients seeking a high quality location for meetings and all events can benefit from the venue’s links with the arts in order to truly engage delegates.

The UK and Ireland Chapter of MPI has confirmed that current president, Samme Allen from the Barbican will serve a second year as chapter president, supported by James Samuel of International Confex as president elect.

The chapter’s decision to appoint Samme Allen for a second year brings the UK and Ireland Chapter in line with many of its European counterparts, where presidents can serve for two years, allowing greater time for strategic planning to build a cohesive board and achieve goals that are of greater benefit to all members.

The full 2012 / 2013 board will comprise:

•    Samme Allen, Barbican – President
•    James Samuel, Confex – President Elect
•    Anthony Hyde, Barbican – Past President
•    Miguel Neves, IMEX – VP Finance
•    Charlotte Baxter, MCI – VP Events
•    Louise Newton, Newton Events – VP Membership
•    June Clark, Reed Travel Exhibitions – VP Knowledge
•    Lisa Owen, Visit Manchester – VP Communications

With the 2011 / 2012 past president, Fiona Pelham joining the International Board of Directors, Anthony Hyde (2009 / 2010 president) has agreed to share his time and knowledge in the role of past president.

The decision was reached unanimously by the UK and Ireland board of directors in light of Nathalie Jean’s intention to leave the board at the end this year due to the development of her own business and a huge increase in her professional commitments.

Samme Allen, Barbican head of sales and MPI UK and Ireland President said: “Building the team over the past year has been a delight, we have created a varied and rewarding programme for members but one year alone is simply not enough time to bring about all the changes and goals we need for the Chapter to deliver true value for members.  An extra year, supported by James will truly allow this MPI board to create a chapter that is respected the world over.  These decisions have ensured a balanced and experienced board, working for the benefit of all.”

Certification International, a leader in the field of assessment and certification of international, national and industry standards, has incorporated a new auditing software system – Exero Beyond – into its assessment processes.

Exero Beyond has been created to evaluate the compliance of an organisation’s management system against a range of standards, and it offers a pioneering approach to auditing. Certification International has introduced the system in order to advance the delivery of its third party certification services.

Exero Beyond collates input from all participants throughout an organisation without the disruption normally endured during traditional auditing. The multi-level system reports on all areas and processes within a company. In an organisation – where further investigation may be required – third party certification assessors can use this data to focus their onsite audit visit to target the areas and processes highlighted.

Certification International’s managing director John Pymer says: “The introduction of Exero Beyond provides us with a truly advanced approach to assessment and certification. It allows as many people as an organisation wants to participate so we achieve a better picture than can be gathered from face-to-face interviews and looking at records. This means that during an onsite visit an auditor’s focus can be directed to the areas and processes that need most attention. Its biggest benefit to clients is that it saves them both time and money whilst providing a true insight into their operational workings – highlighting opportunities for improvement and bringing to light potential risks and threats. Our aim has always been to exceed client expectations and Exero Beyond ensures that we can take this commitment to a new level.”

Certification International is a UKAS accredited organisation with more than 5,000 clients in 26 countries. It provides assessment, analysis and certification services to companies of all sizes across a wide range of standards. For further information about Certification International and its services visit www.cert-int.com.

Exhibitors to benefit from 13,500 scheduled appointments from 1,500 qualified hosted buyers, creating the UK’s most valuable face to face marketing opportunity for the meetings industry.

Centaur has announced that it is investing a sum in the region of £1million in The Meetings Show UK, creating the UK’s most engaging and rewarding hosted buyer programme.  The show is expecting to attract over 1,500 buyers to more than 13,500 appointments, delivering substantial business and networking opportunities for both exhibitors and visitors.

The cutting edge programme will be run by a full time, dedicated hosted buyer management team with extensive experience sourcing and attracting high quality buyers.  The team will be assisted by recruitment and marketing specialists in Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Eastern Europe and the UK – making it a truly international show.

Centaur has also recruited specialists to focus on attracting association buyers as well as professional qualifiers, ensuring that all buyers have legitimate meeting requirements – a key requisite of exhibitors looking for a meeting industry focused show that delivers a return on their investment.

The specialist diary and registration system is being created by RefTech – the leading industry delegate and attendee management specialists who also support hosted buyer programmes for both The Business Travel Show and IMEX. The system has been designed with an intuitive, easy to use interface to ensure that buyers are immediately at ease with its use.

The Meetings Show UK, event director, Steve Knight said: “Hosted Buyer programmes have continually demonstrated the fact that they are fundamental to a successful show that delivers a high return on exhibitor investment.  Through their financial commitment to the Hosted Buyer programme, Centaur has clearly demonstrated its desire to deliver an industry leading show that meets the needs of all attendees.”

“The 1,500 buyers will be fully hosted for the three day show but will only have to commit two hours a day to appointments, leaving them the majority of the day to tour the show and participate in the professional education programme and business networking events. Buyers will also have the opportunity to participate in the fam trip programme which will run after the final day.”

Initial reaction to the Hosted Buyer programme have been incredibly positive, including the following endorsement from industry leader and expert, Linda Pereira, executive director of CPL Events:  “I am very impressed with the way the show is being put together and have total faith in the names associated with its organisation.  Based on what I have seen, it is a show that will actually make buyers want to be hosted.”

Hosted buyers will receive travel, accommodation (including breakfast), and ground transportation throughout. Once on site they will enjoy an exclusive welcome reception, access to several sponsored hosted buyer lounges each featuring a business centre, a full range of refreshments and access to a tailored professional education programme. Hosted buyers will also be able to plan their day with personalised diaries.

The Meetings Show UK was announced by Centaur in March 2012.  It will bring together more than 4,500 trade and industry professionals during a week of events, education and networking in July 2013.

University wins prestigious Swiss Cow Trophy for second year running.

A team from Leeds Metropolitan University has been crowned the winner of the MPI UK and Ireland Chapter 2012 Young Achievers Award, supported by the Switzerland Convention and Incentive Bureau (SCIB).

Hosted at the Barbican and attended by around 100 meeting industry professionals, the event, which is now in its 3rd year, saw five teams each represent a Swiss destination and go head-to-head in a live bid presentation based on a real-life agency event brief.

As a qualification process for the Young Achievers Award, nine universities were asked to prepare a video that answered two questions; why you have chosen a career in the meetings industry and how can MPI help you achieve your career goals? From this the five best teams were chosen to go forward to the final – Dublin Institute of Technology, Sheffield Hallam University, University of Surrey, University of Westminster and Leeds Metropolitan University.

The Leeds Metropolitan University team, made up of Annie Metcalfe, Steven Wade and Judith Robinson, came out on top following their bid from the city of Montreux. The winning team not only walked away with the prestigious Swiss Cow Trophy but their efforts were rewarded with a trip to Montreux as they look to capitalise on their good work and move into professional life with the help of the MPI UK & Ireland Chapter’s student resources.

Claudio Zemp, manager United Kingdom and Ireland for the Switzerland Convention and Incentive Bureau, comments: “We have been incredibly proud to sponsor these awards. I think it is very impressive that the teams put together their presentations in a week and they should be congratulated for their hard work.”

The award was created in 2010 to discover and recognise new talent, and gives students the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of key industry figures.  The teams were judged by a panel of five senior meetings industry professionals, led by Paul Cook (Planet Planit) as well as Amanda Edgecumbe (Powwow), John Denham (Vantage Point), Richard Parker (Zibrant) and Chris Clarke (p&mm).

Richard Parker says: “For the third year in succession I was impressed by the quality, passion and creativity of the students.  The platform that the SCIB, MPI and associated partners provides with the Young Achievers Award is an invaluable source of networking and provides unrivalled reach to a wide audience of industry professionals. I love being involved as a judge, it’s a privilege and annual reminder of what a great industry we belong to.”

John Denham commented: “This is the third time I have been on the judging panel and the quality of presentations gets better and better. I congratulate all those who took part.  For those who didn’t win, even participating in this event will look good on your CV.”

Chris Clarke says: “I was delighted to be involved with the Young Achievers Award this year in the capacity of panel judge. It was enlightening and particularly gratifying to see that the future of our industry is in pretty good hands if this year’s contestants are anything to go by.  The fact that we deliberated for so long over the final results was testament enough to prove that even with only one week’s preparation the research and hard work paid off – the level of content and presentation was of a really high standard.”

Samme Allen, MPI UK & Ireland Chapter President, comments: “All the finalists must be commended for their fantastic efforts. Those in attendance were rewarded with a glimpse into the future of the industry. The competition was closely fought but the presentation by Leeds Metropolitan University showed a deep understanding of the brief which allowed them to give a confident presentation to the judges. We wish them, and all the finalists, the very best of luck as they move into careers within the meetings industry.”

Magenta Security has attained Approved Contractor Status (ACS) for door supervision from the Security Industry Authority (SIA).

Magenta Security is seeing an increase in demand for its door supervision services due to a rise in the number of public events being held this summer, particularly to celebrate the Olympics and Queen’s Jubilee. To ensure public safety and professional standards are maintained, many event organisers require security providers to hold ACS accreditation.

Magenta’s managing director Abbey Petkar comments: “With the number of events being held this summer increasing due to high profile events such as the Olympic Games, there is more demand for door supervision staff, particularly from companies who have the relevant accreditation. Achieving approved contractor status means Magenta Security can meet our client’s requirements and it has already provided us with additional business opportunities. It is also recognition of the professional services we offer and of the continual training our staff undergo in order to provide high levels of customer satisfaction.”

As a leading private security company, Magenta already holds SIA ACS for the provision of security guarding and keyholding services. The ACS scheme aims to improve performance standards and assist private security companies in developing new business opportunities.

Magenta Security is one of the UK’s fastest growing security companies, offering a variety of security services to a growing client portfolio. With its head office in Hounslow, Magenta also has operations in Swindon, Birmingham, Manchester and Kent.