Venue Yorkshire - Yorkshire Tourist Board

 

Oh, and last year it was awarded the title 'Most enterprising Town in Yorkshire and Humberside'.  Kerrie Hudson of Conference Yorkshire South tells us why Rotherham is turning heads.

 

“Rotherham’s always been sold on its location - none of our venues are more than six miles from a motorway, plus there’s beautiful countryside and the city of Sheffield on the doorstep.  You’re never far from the motorway network and there’s so much to do, from fly fishing to jet skiing at Rother Valley Country Park! It’s a great choice for team building activities, and with Magna, one of the biggest venue in the region and one of the most exciting in the country, you can be assured of a successful event in Rotherham.”

There might be lots of choice in Rotherham, but if you need a massive venue with enormous wow factor too, there can be only one. Gold winner in the Business Tourism category of the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence, Magna caters to an impressive 2,500 guests, and it does this in great style too. A colossal former steel works, the variety of space inside includes a main arena, huge halls, purpose built meeting rooms and plenty of spaces suited to entertaining. Recent work on the venue has seen the addition of new meeting space and a fantastic restaurant. While there, pluck up the courage for the ‘awesome foursome’ - a nail biting but unforgettable adventure including abseiling, a parachute fall, the zip wire and bungee jumping!

 

If you’re looking for something more conventional you’ll find an array of well-equipped hotels. One of the best is The Carlton Park Hotel, complete with excellent new pool and gym facility following £2.5 million of improvements. Aston Hall Hotel is country hall elegance at its best, with really stunning accommodation and dining. Or for something slightly different, choose the striking Manorial Barn, Grade II listed and one of the earliest timber framed buildings in Yorkshire - a fantastic venue for entertaining.

With 70% of Rotherham being rural, gorgeous countryside abounds giving you ample opportunity for rambling and exploring. Thrill seekers should head to Rother Valley Country Park for cable water skiing and jet skiing, or there are six miles of cycle tracks and gentle walks.

 

If you want to discover some of the town’s history, head to Roche Abbey - a dramatic ruin dating back to 1147 and an outstanding example of new gothicdesign. Rotherham’s theatre and gallery play host to some great performers and fascinating exhibitions, and the Tropical Butterfly and Falconry Centre is great entertainment rain or shine. During the evening, there’s a vast choice of places for you and guests to eat and drink.

The YES! project is a £350m leisure, entertainment, sports and conference centre set to be the largest of its kind in Europe. Due for completion in 2010, it will offer world class facilities.

 

Innovation Technology Centre - The ITC is based on the Advanced Manufacturing park - a world class technology park - and provides an environmentally efficient technology centre ideal for hi-tech enterprises.

Cent One of the region’s leading IT training and meeting facilities just of Junction 34 of the M1.

 

Magna wows up to 2,500 delegates at a time, with the large hall covering 2,046 metres squared.