Archive for February, 2012

Clients flock to newly opened i2 Office Gracechurch Street

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

i2 Office Gracechurch Street in the City of London has opened its doors with a healthy intake of new clients attracted to the centre.  With 58 workstations pre-sold, occupiers have cited the excellent IT infrastructure, sleek, modern feel and the ‘personal touch’ of excellent service levels offered by the team at i2 Office as key motivators for choosing Gracechurch Street. One other feature that is proving a draw is the suite of meeting rooms and the business lounge on the ground floor which provides an ideal environment for both formal and informal meetings.

Mel Schembri, General Manager, Sales for i2 Office London, commented: “Gracechurch Street has certainly sparked significant interest amongst prospective occupiers looking for space in the City.  The centre boasts an excellent location, superb facilities and offers a prestigious company image which clients are keen to buy into.  We are delighted that space is already selling well at our latest London City centre.”

Philip Grace, i2 Office CEO, added: “The fact that our third London City business centre is off to a flying start is a testament to the quality of our offer.  Mel and the team add the all-important personal touch which clients value so much.  In difficult economic times, quality and value need to go hand-in-hand which is what we are delivering to our clients.”

40 Gracechurch Street is a new, high profile 122,042 sq ft office and retail development. It blends the classic sweep of a part period façade with a modern construction, providing contemporary office accommodation in the heart of the City of London.

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About i2 Office

i2 Office provides serviced offices, virtual offices, meeting rooms and disaster recovery services to companies across the UK.  Headquartered in Milton Keynes, i2 Office aims to shape the office of the future through technology.  Through its partnerships with leading IT and telecoms suppliers, the company provides cost-effective office environments, whether physical or virtual. It is also pioneering online purchase and transparent pricing for serviced office space in the UK.  i2 Office was founded by Philip Grace, a serviced office expert and successful entrepreneur with more than twelve years’ experience in the sector.  For more information, visit www.i2office.co.uk.  or connect with i2 Office on any of the following networks:

 

www.twitter.com/@i2office

www.facebook.com/ServicedOffice

www.linkedin.com/company/i2-office

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ABPCO’s 25th anniversary conference secures highest attendance

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

ABPCO’s 25th anniversary annual conference which took place last month in London at The Barbican Centre has been hailed the Association’s most successful ever, recording the largest attendance to date in its silver anniversary year.

Attendance figures for the event were up considerably on previous years, with over 170 attending the gala dinner held in the Crypt at St Paul’s cathedral, which played host to ABPCO’s first ever awards ceremony.

The conference gave PCOs and other industry professionals the opportunity to network and share experiences with fellow delegates from other areas of the industry. Delegate feedback highlighted the inspiring and motivational keynote speakers, the networking opportunities and the interactive workshops. Comments indicated that there was a genuine buzz at the conference, particularly on Twitter where many delegates were tweeting what was happening throughout the day using the conference hashtag #abpcoconf12.

The first day of the ABPCO conference commenced with an incredibly inspiring keynote speaker Dr. Graeme Codrington, who delivered a powerful and thought provoking presentation on the future and what major changes lie ahead. Day two focused on ‘hot topics’, finishing with a panel debate in a plenary session. Key issues discussed included subvention, wi-fi in the context of ABPCO’s Conference Cloud campaign and hybrid events.

Delegate feedback indicated a high level of satisfaction with many commenting on the excellent ‘buzz’ and networking opportunities created.

ABPCO member and delegate Rose Padmore from Opening Doors and Venues said: “What another great conference delivered by ABPCO. A real feeling of belonging to an industry that is growing in strength and subsequently providing the motivation and encouragement to attack the future with more confidence!”

ABPCO Chair Michael Foreman said: “We were delighted with the turnout at ABPCO’s 25th anniversary conference this year; it was a tremendous success. Our delegates have all been tweeting and linking in with each other post-conference, extending their networks beyond the event itself, and the general feeling was that ABPCO’s conferences just get better and better!

We have grown significantly as an Association over the last two years and plan to continue to support our members and champion key industry issues moving forward in 2012.”

For more information on ABPCO, visit www.ABPCO.org.

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UniSpace Sunderland to ‘show and tell’ at first International Confex Stand B210

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

Academic venue UniSpace, part of the University of Sunderland and incorporating the National Glass Centre, will showcase its award-winning facilities and reveal a line-up of confirmed events at the venue at its first ever trade-show presence at International Confex, March 6-8th 2012. Exhibiting alongside NewcastleGateshead Initiative, UniSpace is making its first ever showcase to national and international buyers, following its launch to the national meetings market in November 2011 when UniSpace hosted the autumn meeting of ABPCO, the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers. (more…)

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ABPCO reveals first-ever award winners at 25th Anniversary Gala dinner

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

ABPCO, the Association of British Professional Conference Organisers, has revealed the winners of its first ever awards at its celebratory 25th Anniversary Gala dinner held at St Paul’s cathedral in London last night.  Sarah Storie-Pugh received the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Annie Metcalfe of Leeds Met won the coveted Student Award in recognition of academic excellence.  The ABPCO ‘One to Watch, which recognises a wider contribution to the industry or innovative best practice for someone in the early years of their career, was presented to Catrina Foley of MCI Glasgow.

Each of the winners was presented with a unique glass piece created by the National Glass Centre of Sunderland, specially commissioned to commemorate these awards in celebration of ABPCO’s 25th anniversary year.

ABPCO Chair Michael Foreman said: “I am delighted to have had the honour of presenting these first ever ABPCO awards on such a momentous occasion as our 25th anniversary celebration.  ABPCO has always stood for excellence in conferencing and events and the winners of these awards have been recognised for outstanding contributions in their respective categories.  We received some excellent nominations for the awards and the winners should be proud of their achievement in receiving this accolade.  Well done to all!

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About ABPCO

 

The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABPCO) is the only UK professional body to represent the interests of individual Professional Conference Organisers (PCOs).  Established in 1981 and formally incorporated in 1987, the association’s mission is to develop and enhance the professional status of conference and event organisers and increase the recognition given to its members as the leading representatives of the profession in the British Isles.  ABPCO’s members organise an estimated 3,500 conferences and events annually and spend an estimated £58m each year on venues and suppliers.  For more information, visit www.abpco.orgor follow ABPCO on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ABPCO.

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