Warwick Conferences has triumphed at the inaugural West Midlands Tourism Awards which celebrate the success of venues in helping to attract record visitors to the region.
The conference, meeting and events venue at the University of Warwick was crowned ‘Business Events Venue of the Year’ and will now go through to the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence.
Paul Bartlett, director at Warwick Conferences, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be named ‘Business Events Venue of the Year’ and be among the first winners at the West Midlands Tourism Awards.
“This award recognises our excellent understanding of the market, exceeding the expectations of our clients and having a strategic plan for future development with clear goals.
“It is testament to our team who go above and beyond to make events across our four venues memorable and effective experiences, from small meetings to large, residential conferences.”
The win comes after another successful year for Warwick Conferences with more than 17,000 events hosted and new wellbeing initiatives introduced for delegates. All the surplus generated is reinvested into teaching, learning and research at the University of Warwick.
The awards, supported by the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC), aim to promote the strength of the business and leisure tourism industry across the region and its £12.6 billion contribution to the regional economy.
Latest figures show the West Midlands welcomed a record 131 million visitors in 2018.
WMGC and industry partners want to grow the region’s visitor economy over the next decade using major events such as UK City of Culture 2021 in Coventry and the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games as a platform.
Warwick Conferences is also shortlisted for ‘Best Academic Venue’ in the M&IT Awards 2020 which will take place in London on February 28.
The annual awards, organised by Meetings & Incentive Travel Magazine, bring together industry professionals from all sectors to reward excellence of service and product.
Warwick Conferences has achieved success in the category on more than 20 occasions and last year won the silver accolade.
For further information about Warwick Conferences, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.warwickconferences.com" www.warwickconferences.com
PICTURE CAPTION: Gail Tomlinson-Short, head of business development at Warwick Conferences, is pictured with the ‘Business Events Venue of the Year’ Award and right, Kerry Steward, senior sales manager at Warwick Conferences, and left, Claire England, Visit Coventry.