Cambridge is proving more popular than ever as a destination for holding conferences and events according to the latest figures released by Conference Cambridge, which break all previous records in its 14-year history.
The official free venue finding service for the Cambridge University and the Colleges reports an 11% increase in the volume and value of enquiries from July 2011-June 2012.
A total of 2775 enquiries were taken worth £28.8 million, compared to 2496 valued at £26 million in the same period last year.
Of these, 911 bookings were confirmed worth £5.3 million, versus 785 bookings worth £4.3 million in 2010-11. This means that out of the total number of enquiries, 30% have booked and a further 11% are provisional or still live.
In terms of event trends, there were fewer day delegates during the year and events were smaller with 75% for 50 or fewer guests.
Residential events accounted for 25% of the total number of enquiries, the same as the previous 12 months.
Sources of enquiries for the current year remained the same: 30% from academics and corporates, 10% from associations and 6% from charities.
In addition, bookings made for B&B in the vacations are up nearly 25%, bringing in £73K of revenue.
Multi-site enquiries for large-scale events requiring the use of more than one venue are proving increasingly popular with an increase of 35%.
Kelly Vickers, Manager of Conference Cambridge said: “We are delighted with these latest figures which are the best we have ever achieved. This demonstrates Cambridge’s appeal as a location for events of all types, increasingly from across the globe and also for larger scale gatherings which can benefit from using multiple venues.
“Cambridge offers unique venues from historic oak-panelled rooms through to stunning contemporary settings – all in the centre – so there’s something to suit every type of event. There are also wonderful opportunities for social activities such as punting on the River Cam, enjoying a walking tour around the Colleges or visiting local landmarks such as Grantchester or the American Cemetery at Madingley.”
Conference Cambridge was established in 1998 and represents 36 venues including 28 Cambridge colleges, as well as University sites, Faculty buildings, Cambridge University Press and the Møller Centre. A total of 550 function rooms and 6500 bedrooms are available.
Conference Cambridge: telephone 01223 768740. www.conferencecambridge.com
July 2012
Further press information from: Lesley Crosland at Crosland Communications on 01638 662188 Email: info@croslandcomms.co.uk