Harrogate News
Destination Harrogate is Top Class
Destination Harrogate is the new name for the association of top class Harrogate
hotels comprising of the Cairn, Cedar Court, Crown, Grants, Holiday Inn, Kimberley,
Majestic, Old Swan, Studley, Swallow St George, Yorkshire and White Hart Hotels.
Destination Harrogate working with Harrogate International Centre aims to promote
Harrogate as a tourist and conference destination as well as highlighting the
excellent standards within the local hotel industry.
Between its 13 members, Destination Harrogate attracts annual sales of over £35million
and has a wage bill of over £10million per year. In all, some 300,000 guests are
accommodated each year, almost twice the population of Harrogate!
Chairman of Destination Harrogate, Vince Johnson (Majestic Hotel) says, “the
relationships between the major hotels in Harrogate and our business partners,
staff and guests have been the driving force behind the success of Harrogate as
a destination for conferences and leisure breaks. Our members strive to build
on this success as can be seen in the investment of over £10million in hotel refurbishment,
which is currently committed.
Destination Harrogate employs around 900 staff and we are keen to strengthen
our relationship with local businesses that may wish to offer benefits to them.
Contact should be made to Vince Johnson, General Manager, Majestic Hotel, Ripon
Road, Harrogate, HG1 2HU, E-mail: vjohnson@paramount-hotels.co.uk
For more information on Destination Harrogate contact: Vince Johnson, Chairman
of Destination Harrogate, c/o Majestic Hotel, Ripon Road, Harrogate, HG1 2HU,
E-mail: vjohnson@paramount-hotels.co.uk, Tel: 01423 700300.
More Business Heading for Harrogate - Three busy days at International Confex (21 – 23 February 2006) at London’s Earls Court generated plenty of potential new business for the team from Harrogate International Centre & Harrogate. Their high profile presence at this major conference/exhibition industry showcase enabled them to promote the success of the new Queen's Suite and welcome news of recent and ongoing major redevelopment and investments in Harrogate’s hotels and visitor services. They are now following up numerous enquiries with invitations for familiarisation visits aiming to secure even more business for Harrogate.
Coinciding with the success of Confex comes confirmation of several new rolling
contracts from key clients that will bring tens of thousands of visitors to Harrogate
over the next few years. The Local Government Association has contracted to
return in 2009 for their conference & exhibition; the popular Knitting &
Stitching Show has signed up for 2006, 2007 & 2008; the Chartered Institute
of Personnel & Development have confirmed their contract to bring their annual
conference & exhibition to HIC until 2008 and Healthcare Computing for 2007,
2008 & 2009 along with the British Bridal Exhibition spring and autumn trade
shows for 2007 & 2008 also plan to return.
The loyalty of these important clients and their repeat business coupled with
so many new enquiries is excellent news for the long-term future of Harrogate
as a major UK destination.
International Business - The International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL)
conference and exhibition was held at Harrogate International Centre 8 – 12 April
2006. Around 1500 international delegates attended the event and one particular
delegate from Mexico wrote an interesting web blog during her attendance at the
conference. They were surprised to see lovely rolling hills and black faced sheep
on their approach to Harrogate. They found the local people very friendly but
found the temperature in Yorkshire a bit of a shock!
The next major international event at HIC is the World Foundry Congress 5 – 7 June 2006 that will be attended by delegates from all over the world. The event, which takes place every two years, was last held in Istanbul in 2004. The event also has a substantial exhibition in HIC’s Hall Q. Further information from: Stuart Quinn, Director, Harrogate International Centre, Kings Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 5LA, UK, Tel: 01423 500500,
E-mail: sales@harrogateinternationalcentre.co.uk Web: www.harrogateinternationalcentre.co.uk
One of the country’s largest construction groups HBG Construction Limited has just been awarded the contract to undertake pre-construction work on the
£8m Royal Hall restoration scheme. HBG will now start work with Harrogate Borough
Council’s project team to take the Royal Hall’s restoration scheme through the
detailed design stages.
This nationally important Grade II listed building, designed by famous Victorian
Theatre Architect Frank Matcham, is being restored with a £6m grant form the Heritage
Lottery Fund and £2m of council funding. The Royal Hall Restoration Fund has also
committed itself to raising £1m towards the project.
Councillor Mike Gardener, Leader of the Council and Chairman of the HIC Board
said: “The company’s appointment follows a rigorous competitive tendering process
carried out by the council’s project team with support from Turner & Townsend
who are our external project managers and cost consultants. “The company certainly
has a wealth of experience in restoring historically important buildings and we
will no doubt be able to draw on valuable lessons they have learnt during other
high value contracts”. Mr Roger Mansell, Regional Director of HBG Construction
NE Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be involved in the restoration of the Royal
Hall. We understand how much value local people and visitors place on this wonderful
old building. We have a wealth of experience to bring to the table and I hope
that other successful projects we have carried out locally will instil confidence
in the council and the community that we will work hard to bring about this restoration.”
HBG aims to work closely with the HIC to ensure that the important business of
conference and exhibitions in the surrounding HIC complex continues to be unaffected.
The first stage of the restoration will include taking down the front roof pediment,
replacing floors, electrical and mechanical equipment, rebuilding the rear stage
and terrace and creating new access in compliance with the Disability Discrimination
Act.
The Queen's Suite at the Harrogate International Centre - a superb £5m scheme created in response to clients' needs. Feedback from focus
groups and listening to customers has resulted in this dramatic development, completed
in February 2005, on time and on budget. Situated above Exhibition Hall C and
linked by escalators, stairs, passenger and goods lifts with all other halls.
Air conditioned clear space, providing one main room (approx 24m long x 26m wide
with 4m headroom - 665s.m. gross) seating 600 theatre style or 400 cabaret style.
Sub divisible into up to 10 individual sound proofed rooms or any combination
according to your needs.
Spacious foyers - full facilities for Receptions with own designated entrance
if required. Full Event Management Support. Fully equipped with a wide range
of technical facilities to meet the requirements of delegates and visitors. Wireless
internet access is available and a package of technical equipment and support
is included in the hire contract. The Suite has fully dimmable tungsten lighting
throughout and varying configurations of the rooms facilitate appropriate ambiences,
ranging from natural daylight to blackout. The Liberal Democrat Spring Conference
4 - 6 March 2005 was the first event to use the new facility.
