In a world where staying in has quickly become the new going out, people are embracing new ways of communicating online. What does this mean for the future of meetings and events, an industry centred around bringing people together?

With social distancing likely to continue after lockdown, hybrid meetings may become an effective compromise.  Events take place with a smaller live attendance whilst other participants join online.

Would delegates prefer the freedom of remote events or would they feel short-changed with the lack of interaction with others? Here, we weigh up the benefits of both the hybrid and the face-to-face meeting.

Hybrid meetings offer a more inclusive way for delegates to take part. Delegates can choose whether to attend in person at a venue or to join remotely. If travel is a problem then delegates can join the meeting virtually, cutting out travel time and costs. This increased productivity may encourage more delegates to attend whilst also reducing our carbon footprint with less numbers travelling.

Diary clashes no longer matter. The video element is easily recorded and can be made available online after the live event. This on-demand feature allows delegates to access the meeting content at a time convenient for them and they no longer miss out if they are unable to attend the original meeting.

The ease of joining hybrid meetings can widen the number of participants involved and may also attract a new audience. Delegates could be more tempted to join online first to see what’s going on – with less commitment in a virtual setting and no fear of entering an event on your own. This might encourage them to attend in person in the future.

Even remotely, delegates can still get in involved in some of the interaction offered at a live event. Two-way video chat allows participation in Q&A sessions. Various platforms such as Zoom or Slido can encourage virtual delegates to get involved through polls and online messaging can create a dialogue for those taking part remotely.

Meeting organisers are also offered a choice on how many can take part in person and online. With delegates able to join remotely, organisers can consider hiring a smaller meeting space. Meeting consumables are also reduced, with less delegate badges, printed literature and catering needed. This will no doubt cut down costs and staffing required, perhaps making it easier and more profitable for organisations to host events more regularly.

After lockdown, delegates may welcome the chance to interact with each other again and join meetings in person. The face to face meeting brings people together – communication is easier and the social aspect of conferences is a great opportunity to build relationships.

A warmer atmosphere can be conveyed face to face – from the welcome at the registration desk to the speaker being able to read body language in the room. The traditional meeting helps two-way communication flow, meaning that messages are less likely to be lost than with an online meeting.

Delegates can also engage more freely with others and network, through group discussion offered within the meeting programme or by chatting during coffee breaks. These opportunities supplement the meeting content and often the takeaways here can be just as valuable as the sessions themselves.

There are far less distractions in a conference room. Whilst there is more flexibility when joining a virtual meeting, how likely is it that a colleague may interrupt to discuss something in the office, or incoming emails become a distraction? Not to mention the countless distractions at home. In a venue, delegates can fully focus on the meeting content, switch off their phones and are less likely to wander off to make a coffee mid-presentation.

Technical issues are reduced in a face to face setting. Delegates attending in person don’t need to think about their internet connection dropping out. The pressure is also eased for the organiser as they don’t need to worry about speakers joining virtually or problems with the video syncing up with slides. Whilst many venues can offer a technician service to help with in-house equipment, they will be unlikely to help with participants having problems remotely.

There’s still so much uncertainty on how the world will look post-Coronavirus but the Golden Jubilee Conference hotel will continue to support organisers and offer options for both the hybrid and face to face meeting. Get in touch with us to find out more at conferences@goldenjubilee.scot.nhs.uk or on 0141 951 6003.

The Hotel’s Corporate Social Responsibility team has driven forward the venue’s ambitious green agenda

The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel has been recognised by industry consortium Venues of Excellence and Green Tourism for its work to improve environmental sustainability.

The award-winning four-star hotel has been presented with the Venues of Excellence Green Tourism Award for Sustainability, following the roll-out of the site’s ten-point sustainability plan in 2019 and a wide range of eco-friendly policies.

The plan has seen the venue carry out initiatives including removing single use plastics, reducing the amount of paper used and creating an outdoor meeting space for ‘walk and talk’ conferences.

Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel General Manager, Denis Flanagan, said:

“We’re thrilled to have won this prestigious award, presented by Venues of Excellence and Green Tourism.

Our ten-point sustainability plan was created to make real change to how we operate here at the Golden Jubilee, reducing the impact both we and our customers have on the environment.

We’ve already seen great results. Since the plan was introduced in November 2019 we’ve cut the number of single use plastic cups in use by more than 9,000 – a staggering amount – and the feedback from our guests has been fantastic.”

Mandy Jennings, executive director at Venues of Excellence, said:

“The Golden Jubilee’s work to improve sustainability is inspiring and sets the bar high for venues across the UK. Green initiatives are something that features high on the agenda for event organisers nowadays and rightly so. This award recognises the Golden Jubilee’s fantastic work in that area and we can’t wait to see how the plan continues to evolve.”

The award, presented at the Venues of Excellence’s Annual Conference in Loughborough, was judged by the Green Tourism sustainability assessment team and sponsored by Green Tourism.

Scott Maclean, managing director of Green Tourism, said:

“Throughout 2019 we saw a rise in consumer and business awareness of sustainability and as such, we were delighted to present the first ever Venues of Excellence Sustainability Award to The Golden Jubilee, who are a leading ambassador within the sector. In particular, their ten-point sustainability plan has been a huge success and has seen real change in a short space of time. Through this, they have introduced a wide range of eco-friendly measures which have been well received by guests and which offer inspiration for other businesses to showcase their commitment to sustainability and create an action plan of their own.”

Venues of Excellence awards membership to high quality conference, meetings and training venues throughout the UK.

 

For more information, visit our Sustainability page: https://www.goldenjubileehotel.com/about-us/social-responsibility/

We’re sure you’re aware that protecting our environment is a ‘hot’ topic at the moment and here at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel we are seriously upping our game to ensure all our staff, guests, delegates and visitors are contributing to our green agenda.

As a large, public organisation, having environmentally friendly policies is a priority and being green is not a fashion fad for us, it’s part of our way of life so let us take you through the long list of measures we are embracing and why.

As committed members of Visit Scotland’s Green Tourism Business and the IACC GreenStar schemes, we want to safeguard our local environment for future generations – this site was here before us and will be here after we pass through, so we feel it is our humble duty to nurture and care for it as best we can.

One of the big things we’re really excited about right now is our own 10-point plan which helps us drive our environmental commitments even further, whilst creating a sustainable meeting place through the concept of designing experiences and not just organising meetings.

 

The 10 points are:

• Paper: removal of flipchart paper from conference rooms – replacing with glass squiggle boards
• Plastic: removal of single use plastics
• Water: removal of single use glass water bottles
• Food: more balanced provincial market menu
• Allergens: creating an industry-standard menu labelling system
• Hydration: introduction of hydration stations around the hotel
• Mindfulness: catering for mindful aspects of conference
• Outdoor meetings: outdoor destination area for walk and talk conferences
• Linen: removal of single use napkins
• Training: investing in our people to achieve the 10-point plan

 

We take all of these elements into account, not just for conferences but throughout our whole business. We now have a wide range of eco-friendly measures, which have been introduced in partnership with, and actively involve our staff, visiting delegates and guests in our green agenda.

We source local produce for our menus, monitor our energy consumption and have birdboxes for the local wildlife outside – it’s not uncommon for our staff and guests to see a family of deer grazing on the greenery outside our windows and witness nature at its most beautiful up close.

We also use suppliers which maintain ethical practices for equipment, energy and chemicals, have many tools in place to save as much energy as possible such as low energy lighting, centrally controlled air conditioning and have a high efficiency boiler.

As part of our Sustainable Purchasing Policy we want our suppliers to have the same commitments as we do. We ask for evidence of and discuss their methods of transport and packaging, calculate running costs of products and consider the recyclability of any product we purchase – if it can’t be recycled, we’ll go for one that can.

This is all part of our massive, evolving sustainability business model. If you’d like to know more about our green credentials, visit the Sustainability pages: https://goldenjubileehotel.com/about-us/social-responsibility

The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel has signed a pledge to be part of the #20PercentLess campaign. The hotel aims to lower single-use plastic by at least 20 per cent over the next five years in support of the national green initiative to lower the Hotel’s carbon footprint. The pledge is led by the Meetings Industry Association and the hotel has joined other Venue of Excellence members in supporting it.

The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, which also holds the Green Tourism Gold Accreditation for its commitment to sustainability, recently hosted ocean advocate Cal Major on a film tour of her renowned eco work. Hotel Director Bronagh Bell took the opportunity to talk about Cal’s World Record-breaking achievements in stand-up paddleboarding and sought advice for other ways in which the Hotel can better protect the environment. Bronagh said:

“At the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, we know that plastic pollution is a global problem with terrible far-reaching consequences. That’s why we have committed to reducing single-use plastic on our site. We have recently signed a pledge to be part of the 20PercentLess campaign. We aim to lower our plastic use by twenty per cent year on year over the next five years.”

Record-breaker Ms Major was staying in the hotel while touring for her film ‘Vitamin Sea’, which shows her become the first and fastest person to stand-up paddleboard the length of mainland UK. The record-breaking journey along 1000 miles of coastline shows some of the positive things coastal communities are doing to tackle plastic pollution. Founded in 2016, Paddle Against Plastic is an organisation set up to spread the word about plastic pollution. Using her adventures to capture peoples’ imagination, Cal highlights the amount of plastic in the ocean and promotes positive change by offering simple solutions. Talking about the hotel’s efforts to reduce their use of single-use plastic, Ms Major said:

“I support the Golden Jubilee in its positive efforts in helping tourism become more eco-friendly. Signing up to initiatives like the 20percentless campaign shows how important it is that we all try and do our bit to end plastic pollution. We need to reconnect and look after our local nature. It’s easy to say that to someone who lives by the sea because they can go to the coastline and spend time there and see the problems but even in Glasgow you can see the effect plastic pollution has on the Clyde”.

Bronagh Bell added: “Having the hotel on the banks of the Clyde brings home the impact of plastic on marine life.  As such, we’ve made a decision aimed at reducing single-use plastics in the hotel which underscores how important we believe it is to continuously find ways to reduce our environmental impact. It’s a huge priority for us because we feel a huge social responsibility to our local area, our customers and our staff.

“Our guests are looking to us to make changes that will create a meaningful difference for the environment while not sacrificing the quality service and experience they expect from our hotel.  We are taking forward a number of initiatives including supporting our guests and delegates to use less plastic. The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel is committed to ensuring that the environment is safeguarded for future generations. We are continually improving our performance through our active environmental policy.”

At the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, we are proud of the relationships that we have with trade unions and work closely with the Scottish Trade Union Congress, among others, to deliver a wide range of conferences and meetings throughout the year.

We have been involved with four of STUC’s annual events this year which are each aimed at LGBT+, Youth, Disabled and Black Workers and are attended by workers from across Scotland. These conferences take place over a weekend and consist of a range of guest speakers and workshops which touch on various issues currently affecting workers as well as a gala dinner and social activities to allow delegates to come together.

Pauline Walker, Committee and Events Co-ordinator for STUC, explains what they look for in a venue and why the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel is a good fit for their Equality Conferences:

“The STUC looks for a venue which is accessible; is centrally located with good transport links and is well equipped for the Conference in terms of AV, conference and breakout rooms, good quality accommodation, including a reasonable quota of accessible rooms and a high standard of catering all offered at reasonable rates. Well trained staff are also important as well as the provision of good terms and conditions for staff and the knowledge that staff are paid the Scottish Living Wage.

The main challenges for the STUC in relation to organising events is the identification of a venue that is equipped to meet all of the various requirements and needs of our delegates and visitors and provide costs that are realistic and meet our budget.

The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel works well for the STUC due to its location with good transport links, accessibility in terms of the Conference accommodation as well as bed and breakfast accommodation, with its staff trained to a high level to meet the needs of the STUC in terms of the Conference requirements, catering, and our delegates, as well as the provision of competitive rates.”

Our Event Planner, Emma Finlayson, has worked on the Equality Conferences since 2017 and is well-versed in STUC’s requirements and how these events are run. Emma says:

“The Equality Conferences ran by STUC are a great set of events to be involved with as the varied requirements of these bookings make good use of all areas of the venue from conference space, syndicate rooms, gala dinner space and accommodation. It is also great to be able to build up a relationship with a client such as STUC and work with them year after year to deliver a successful conference programme. We always look forward to welcoming STUC back to the Golden Jubilee each year.”

Committed to providing the best possible service to all guests to the hotel, we are delighted to have received great feedback from delegates who have attended these conferences:

“Always an excellent venue.”

“I particularly commend the staff of the hotel for their politeness and helpfulness.”

“Staff at Golden Jubilee are second to none.  Food is excellent and rooms are ideal.”

“The best venue for any Conference.  The staff in the hotel are great.”

As part of the NHS, the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel prides itself in being an ethical employer and also shares many of the values promoted by trade unions.

Our staff benefit from NHS pay grades which exceed Scottish living wage requirements, we also pay more for unsociable shift work at evenings or weekends and offer family friendly flexible working arrangements. We are committed to career development of our staff and offer various opportunities for training across all areas of our team. As an equal opportunities employer, we fully support equality and diversity within the workplace and hold valuing dignity and respect as one of our key values. As part of the Golden Jubilee Foundation, we are a Stonewall Top 100 employer, supporting LGBT staff and also a Disability Confident Leader.

In addition to offering good working conditions for our staff, we are also dedicated to being a sustainable and accessible venue. We hold the Gold Award for Green Tourism and were also awarded Most Accessible Venue at the Scottish Hotel of the Year Awards for 2019.

We can ensure a mix of well-rounded facilities for conferences aiming to offer both a professional setting for work and study and also a relaxing setting for delegates to unwind and socialise. Our range of conference spaces are fully equipped with AV and offer free Wi-Fi throughout, whilst our comfortable bedrooms provide a good nights’ rest. Delegates also have access to our BBar and Lounge, Centre for Health & Wellbeing with use of gym, swimming pool and spa and also conference gardens overlooking the River Clyde.

 

To learn more about how you can host your next trade union event at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, contact our Sales Team on 0141 951 6003 or at conferences@goldenjubilee.scot.nhs.uk

As conference delivery specialists we are in an experienced position to assess the impact of different meeting ‘set-ups’ on the overall conference.  In recent years there has been a move away from more traditional theatre style auditorium events towards cabaret style meetings.  Uniquely, we can provide both layouts at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel but we have found that a tiered auditorium has a number of advantages over the more popular round-table format and can often result in a more powerful forum, with increased delegate engagement.

 

• 1. Your presenters, speakers or keynotes will be in the spotlight at all times.  Centre stage!  Ideal to influence, inspire and inform.
  2. Your audience will be totally captivated.  In a purpose build auditorium, the speaker has the opportunity to engage easily with each and every delegate. And your delegates will be focused on the stage and the key messages that the speaker is conveying with arguably greater attention and retention. Smaller auditoria have that cosy feel that everyone feels very much together and totally engaged.
  3. The ancient Greeks knew what they were doing when they created the oyster shell theatre.  Everybody could hear the presentations hence the name auditorium.  And in the 21st century, auditoria like ours at the Golden Jubilee, will be equipped with an integral PA system, a variety of microphones and an induction hearing loop.
  4. Comfort.  Most auditoria will have really comfy fixed tiered cinema style seating.  Designed for an 8-hour meeting.  You can also avoid the risk of your delegates sitting on banqueting chairs which are not designed for all day use. Minimising wriggling and keeping the delegates focussed on the presentations.
  5. No pillars and therefore clear sight lines.  Due to the classic design of auditoria, those irritating pillars often found in large flat floor area will be absent.  All delegates will have a great view of what is happening centre stage.  Not dissimilar to the Roman Amphitheatre, everyone can see the spectacle.  Thankfully, the gladiator combats and games have given way to more innovative and knowledge sharing events and meetings!
  6. Creates a sense of occasion.  Hard to beat the auditorium meeting for creating impact and punch. Designed to host a variety of important events such as staff briefings, religious meetings and medical symposiums or a dynamic setting to inspire your audience, the auditorium wins hands down over a seated ballroom.
  7. Ideal for ‘roving mike’ question time sessions and debating.  Robust discussion guaranteed.  Trade unions, political parties and associations will all find this format works best for debate and discussion.  Plus it is easier for the organiser to ‘work the room’, getting those microphones to the right place quickly and keeping the pace fast and seamless.
  8. The auditorium with its purpose built stage and aisle works really well when you have a number of contributors presenting papers.  You want to ensure a quick changeover from speaker to speaker, particularly if you have a tight agenda with multiple participants.  The auditorium works really well to keep the flow of change agile.  Perfect for scientific or clinical meetings.
  9. Networking!  Most auditoria will usually have a spacious meeting foyer.  Ideal for your delegates to mingle and network over coffee or lunch before or during the meeting. This is when you want your delegates to interact rather than lose focus during the presentations.  This is also where you may want to have your sponsor displays or an adjoining exhibition. The Golden Jubilee has a purpose built registration desk for the conference organiser or PCO to display name badges, goodie bags, etc.
  10. Price.  Leaving the biggest advantage to last.  Most auditoria will be priced cheaper than cabaret style meetings.  This is because the ‘set up’ charges are much less.  The tiered seats are already in-situ with an integral table arm which makes for a lot less work than assembling tables and chairs.  At the Golden Jubilee we pass that saving on to our clients, making better use of your budgets.

 

 

Often a conference will use a combination of an auditorium for shorter plenary sessions, to set the scene or to review feedback from breakout sessions.  You may, therefore, want a venue that has the optimum combination of an auditorium and breakout rooms or spaces.

We would be delighted to explore your conference objectives at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel and to help you plan your event using the best format to achieve your event or meeting outcomes.  To find out more, arrange a show round of our facilities, or enquire about a specific event, contact our friendly Sales Team on 0141 951 6003 or email conferences@goldenjubilee.scot.nhs.uk

Did you know The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel is a fully assessed Healthcare Venue that ticks all the boxes for meetings and events for the medical and pharmaceutical sector?

Following rigorous assessment in 2017, the Golden Jubilee received the Green assessment rating, the highest ranking available, meaning the Hotel is now recognised as being part of an elite group of venues in the UK which are able to meet the strict criteria required for medical events from across the globe.

Healthcare Venues is one of the world’s leading directories of facilities which are dedicated to meeting the needs of healthcare industry events. The qualifying criteria are very strict, with venues being required to undergo an assessment, audit and extensive training before being considered.

Director of the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, Bronagh Bell, said:

“We continue to strengthen our commitment to delivering excellence in healthcare meetings and events. Uniquely we are the only four star hotel wholly owned by the NHS and are part of a major clinical centre of excellence – the Golden Jubilee Foundation – which includes an NHS hospital, a medical research institute and an innovation centre. We have invested and developed  our facilities for medical and clinical clients in particular, underpinned with an excellent technology infrastructure to support a wide variety of meetings including live AV links to the Hospital operating theatres and Cath Lab. Our sales and events team have completed the extensive training required for accreditation. This ensures they meet the requirements and potential challenges faced by top level medical events. Furthermore, being owned by the NHS enables us to reinvest surplus income to benefit future healthcare programmes and initiatives, paying back into patient care and medical advances.”

 

On-Site Healthcare Champion

As part of the accreditation, the venue also has a qualified Healthcare Champion on site, able to assist with healthcare events to ensure that compliance regulations are followed from initial enquiry through to delivery of the event itself.  Laura Malley, who joined the Golden Jubilee team earlier this year as Business Development Manager has undertaken this role and has recently completed the required training and exam.

The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel can also provide access to clinical experts, along with surgical and clinical training facilities to provide a unique setting for education and training sessions.

The Healthcare Venues rating is the latest in a long line of accreditations for the hotel, which is the only Scottish member of both IACC, the International Association of Conference Centres, and Venues of Excellence, as well as a recently accredited member of ICCA, the International Congress and Convention Association.

For more information, click here

Our Sales and Revenue Manager, Eleanor Muir, gives her top tips and recommendations.

Hotel rates across the industry can fluctuate depending on varying factors and it is no different here at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel where we offer a dynamic pricing policy for our bedrooms and conferences. This can be influenced by a number of factors and rates and can change in relation to previous demand, seasonality, days of the week, and significant events taking place in the local area.

 

Tips and Recommendations

In this month’s blog, I would like to offer some useful hints and tips on how to get the best deal for you, and your delegates, when booking a venue for your event. While it is true that booking rates can vary hugely depending on destination and event date, these tips should help you get the best deal anytime and anywhere.

I would recommend:

• If you can, try and book your event at off peak times. Mondays and Fridays are often the cheapest, as are the summer months and school holidays.

• Booking directly with a venue means you will always receive the best possible rate and at the Golden Jubilee this is the best way to ensure all of your needs are met.  Using a third party agent can sometimes add to the cost and information can get occasionally get lost in translation.

• It is usually possible to negotiate a discounted rate when booking last minute. However it is important to remember that you run the risk of missing out on your venue of choice or, worst case scenario, there may be no availability anywhere on popular dates.

• Always consider additional costs as venues can quote very differently so don’t presume that you are comparing like for like. You need to consider if costs such as free Wi-Fi and parking are included. Look out for packages such as “day delegate” rates or “24-hour delegate” rates, as these usually represent the best value.

• Always look out for special offers – these are limited time deals which can often let you grab a bargain, at a much lower price than usual. At the Golden Jubilee, we regularly have discounted rates if you are flexible or prepaying.

• If you are making a series of bookings you should tell the venue from the start of the discussion as corporate rates and discounts for “bulk” bookings can usually be negotiated.

 

The Cheapest Option is Not Always the Best Option

It’s always tempting to go for the cheapest deal, but sometimes when prices are low it is for a reason other than value and can make for an uncomfortable stay. Where possible, you should always choose a venue that truly understands your needs and has a dedicated conference or events team.  For further info, please call our Events Team on 0141 951 6006.

 

Don’t forget to stay up to date with all our latest news and offers by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

In the stressful world that is Event Planning and Conference Booking, there are 5 questions that come up time and time again in the venue. Our Conference Supervisor, Yvonne McLean, lists here the repeat offenders!

 

1. What’s the Wifi password?

Ask the venue in advance for the password – this saves time on the day and delegates can get connected as soon as they arrive.  At the Golden Jubilee, we don’t have one so delegates can get online quickly with no hassle by agreeing to our T&Cs.

 

2. Extras!

Small word but covers a multitude. From an extra flipchart to extension leads  – make sure you have the name and number of your key contact at the venue.  Here at GJCH we have a handily located ‘bell’ in our Central plaza which connects immediately to either our conference team or our on-site AV technician.  Also, a toolkit box in every conference room contains those small essential items that are so easy to forget – scissors, blue tac, post its, etc.

 

3. Communication/Keeping in Touch

‘Where’s so and so?’  ‘Did they get?’  ‘Can they bring?’

A top tip from Kirsten Burke, our Event Manager,  “For our larger events, setting up a whatsapp group of key team members at the Jubilee and the event organisation staff, makes communication simple, effective and quick.”

 

4. Technology 

Always great when it works but for the times that it doesn’t – keep calm and remember that glitches happen to the best of us.  Check what support your venue can provide on the day.  James Perrie, our dedicated on-site AV technician, advises ‘It’s always good to check beforehand that your devices are compatible with the technology in the venue.  Even if it isn’t we can usually find a solution.”

 

 

5. Housekeeping

Half-way through the first speaker, the fire alarm goes off!  Test or real?  Familiarise yourself with fire exit routes, nearest toilets, etc.  Yvonne has a list that she either sends out before the event or briefs the conference organiser on the day.

 

Another piece of advice from Kirsten is ‘Plan, plan and plan!’  Check out our Event Planner guide for a comprehensive check list that will help you smash it! https://www.goldenjubileehotel.com/conferences