Latest News from Yarnfield Park Training & Conference Centre

Yarnfield Park Christmas Brochure

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Latest News from Yarnfield Park Training & Conference Centre

Scrabble fanatics from all over the UK have been in Staffordshire for the annual British Matchplay championships

2nd September 2009

The three-day event was played at Yarnfield Park Conference Centre, near Stone.

More than 200 players, including 10 World Championship players, took part in the tournament which offered a £3,000 prize fund.

The championship is the flagship event of the Association of British Scrabble Players and is the largest Scrabble competition in the country.

Click here to see a video of the event >

Centre sales go up in dramatic style

27th July 2009

A north Staffordshire training venue has seen sales rise 25 per cent this year – with the help of famous actors.

Managers at Yarnfield Park Training and Conference Centre, which last month hosted the cast and crew of BBC costume drama Cranford, say the increased sales defy reports that firms are cutting back on training in the face of the economic downturn.

The centre, in Yarnfield, near Stone, has taken on two new employees in its corporate sales office in the past three months, and plans to add another before the end of the year.

And Dame Judi Dench and the rest of the Cranford cast and crew's stay went so well that the BBC is now recommending the venue to anyone else filming in the area.

Yarnfield Park had seen sales reach £250,000 during the second quarter of the year – up 25 per cent on the same period last year.

A spokesman for Yarnfield Park said: "When you look at what's supposed to be a tough time, with companies cutting down on conferences and training, we're actually winning a lot of business. I joined about three months ago and I've brought in someone else as well – there are four of us in the corporate office whereas three months ago there were only two."

The venue, which can accommodate 250 delegates and has a 338-bedroom hotel, was previously owned by communications giant BT.

The firm still rents part of the site for training, but he said the rest is now being marketed more aggressively. Regular clients include energy equipment giant Areva, which has a base in Stafford, and Staffordshire County Council.

He said: "We're aiming to be the premier destination for training in the Midlands. When I first started, a lot of people I met said they knew the name of the centre but not much else about it. The hotel has never really been promoted so we're working on marketing that, and we're also doing office lets. We can offer short-term leases and there's the added benefit of all the other facilities on the site. We're getting clients signing three-year contracts with us, which is fantastic. So far this year, we've been getting sales of £250,000 per quarter, and coming into the third and fourth quarters of the year, we're aiming to maintain that. It's a good start in the current economic climate. We can also see some signs of an upward turn – we are getting a lot of people booking ahead for March, April and May next year."

The team is redeveloping the firm's website, and is also working on a dedicated YouTube channel for the centre, which employs around 120 people.

The BBC cast and crew from Cranford stayed at Yarnfield while filming scenes for a Christmas special at Foxfield Colliery, in Dilhorne, and Foxfield Railway.

The spoesman said: "We had Dame Judi Dench here as well as another 10 or 11 actors from the main cast and the crew – about 120 people in all. We got some great feedback from the BBC, which we were thrilled with."

In a thank-you letter, Cranford co-ordinator Jenny Brassett said: "We did not have one bad comment from the crew. In fact, many went out of their way to express their surprise at just how well they were looked after. We will definitely recommend the accommodation to anyone else filming in the area."

Yarnfield Park Training and Conference Centre are pleased to announce that they are now working with one of the countries leading event management agencies Venues Event Management.

21st August 2009

Venues Event Management Limited has been awarded gold for Best Event Management Company (over 40 employees) at the prestigious Meetings and Incentive Travel (M+IT) awards. The company beat stiff competition to win the coveted award at Monday night’s ceremony.

Meetings and Incentive Travel magazine is one of the industry’s top publications and their annual awards are the meetings industry’s equivalent to the Oscars. The glamorous ceremony held at the Novotel London West hotel honoured the industry’s top suppliers. Attended by more than 600 people, the gala dinner featured BBC TV and radio presenter Jeremy Vine as Master of Ceremonies.

The M&IT Industry Awards recognize and reward excellence. Shortlisted companies are voted for by the readers of Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine and a judging panel selects the Bronze, Silver and Gold winners.

Needless to say, Swindon based Venues Event Management, an agency specialising in full event management, conference placement and accommodation booking, was delighted with the result.

Chief Executive Anita Lowe commented: “We literally couldn’t believe it, what a fantastic and unexpected result! We were delighted just to get shortlisted, but to win Gold is phenomenal. We have, like many companies, had a challenging year and this award is a big boost for us. I have to say a huge thank you to everyone who voted for us. It means so much that we are held in high regard by our clients and peers and that our hard work has been recognised.”

Sales & Marketing Manager at Yarnfield Park stated: “The quality and the ethics of Venues Event Management fits perfectly with where we are moving as a company. We are seeing huge interest in Yarnfield Park Training & Conference Centre and believe the future is very strong, we are seeing growth quarter after quarter as much as 40% and working with Venues Event Management is the next step for the Centre”

Special school celebration

20th July 2009

Over 300 children with special needs are getting together to celebrate their three schools joining together.

On Monday 20th July, pupils and staff from Newcastle based special schools, Blackfriars School, Blackfriars Further Education College and The Coppice School, will be spending the day at Yarnfield Park Conference Centre to officially welcome a new era, where all three schools are managed by just one head teacher and one group of governors.

The schools, which have been federated since April, are the first special schools in Staffordshire to be managed in this way.

After an opening speech by the new Executive Headteacher, Clive Lilley, the children, all of whom have physical or learning disabilities, will have the opportunity to watch children’s entertainers, Tactical Magic, as well as balloon modellers and face painters.

Mrs Veronica Downes, County Councillor and Lead Member for Schools said: “The federation of these three schools will allow them to make the best use of their most prized resource – their staff. By sharing their expertise the school pupils can look forward to some fantastic learning opportunities.”

Executive Headteacher, Clive Lilley added: “This will be the first time that children and staff from across the three schools have got together at the same time. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate our future and cement the bond between the schools.”

“My thanks go to the staff at Yarnfield Park Conference Centre who are the main sponsors of the event and I’d also like to thank Wardles Transport.”

Yarnfield Park Training & Conference Centre secures sponsors

27th May 2009

Yarnfield Park Training & Conference Centre the Midlands premier training and conference destination has secured sponsorship deals with over 40 companies which is seen as a growing statement of the quality of the facilities and its continued support by businesses across the UK.

The Sales & Marketing Manager at Yarnfield Park stated “What we have been able to do during a very difficult economic cycle is to secure business support for our training and conference rooms. Each room is now sponsored by a business who has utilised the facilities here at Yarnfield Park and whom has seen the benefit and working relationship between the Centre and their company.”

Yarnfield Park Training & Conference Centre is the premier training and conference destination in the Midlands within easy reach by road, rail and for those travelling from further a field 3 International airports. Comprising of 40 Training & Conference rooms for 2 – 250 and set in over 80 acres with additional out side space the size of 3 football pitches for team building events.

The Centre also boasts a 338 bedded hotel all double en-suite rooms, 4 rooms with disable facilities, 4 lifts, free internet connection in all rooms. The Centre has free parking with over 500 spaces. Delegates can relax in the modern and stylish cafe/bar or enjoy a meal in the restaurant. For those more energetic delegates they can utilise the free on site fully equipped gym with 2 tennis courts, 2 squash courts, 2 badminton courts, 2 saunas and sunbed. No matter what the event Yarnfield Park Training & Conference Centre is the ideal location. Yarnfield Park Training and Conference Centre has been providing it's quality services for many years to many of the countries leading top 100 businesses. The Centres standards are naturally high and have been recognised by its clients for the high levels of customer service they have enjoyed, the Centres customer service mind set is 'nothing too small – nothing too great'.

A Spokesman for Yarnfield Park added “We continue to look at how we can meet and surpass our clients needs, always stretching our service levels so that we are recognised as the Midlands very best destination for training and conference's, we are seeking to be the Manchester United of the conference world, the very best! and as the example of how the industry delivers its services to its clients”