Beat the credit crunch! Adding value to your conferences

Sheepdrove Eco Conference Centre – the best value for money

The effects of the current economic downturn are being felt far and wide, and the hospitality industry is no exception. Hotels and conference venues are reporting last-minute cancellations, fewer bookings and a reduced level of enquiries. We’re all feeling the pinch, but at Sheepdrove Eco Conference centre we’re confident that we can offer unbeatable service and the best value for money in these tough times. Here are four ways you can save money on your conferencing costs by choosing us!

Free wi-fi access

Many venues charge for the use of their wi-fi – some run a voucher system whereby you can purchase wi-fi time in increments (5, 10, 15 minutes etc.). Others only include it in the principal room. At Sheepdrove Eco Conference centre, however, wi-fi access is completely free – and it’s available throughout the entire building.

Free parking

Attend a conference in a town or city centre venue and the chances are the car parking charges will be sky-high – sometimes well over £10 for a day. For companies running a large conference, or picking up the tab on behalf of their employees, this can make a huge difference to costs. We have space for over a hundred cars here – and they’re all absolutely free of charge. That will save you a few pounds on parking!

No hidden extras

Our day delegate packages include absolutely everything you need to run your meeting effectively and smoothly – there are no additional charges for the use of flipcharts or audiovisual equipment, no forking out more for refreshments – we serve delicious home-made organic biscuits and cakes as standard at breaktimes. And you can have as much tea, coffee and mineral water as you like – you won’t pay a penny extra for top-ups.

No price rises for 2009

Our day delegate rate of just £60 has remained unchanged for the last two years – and we’ve no plans to increase it for 2009. Taking into account the new, lower VAT rate of 15%, conferences here at Sheepdrove just became cheaper than ever before.

To enquire about availability, give Kate a call on 01488 674737 or email us at myevents@sheepdrove.com. Our website, http://conferences.sheepdrove.com gives detailed descriptions and pictures of rooms, plus testimonials from satisfied customers!

Organix meet at the farm

The staff of Organix met at Sheepdrove Eco Conference Centre today. They enjoyed a Reedbed Ramble, a Farm Tour and talked about sustainable building design over lunch! As always, lunch was organic, seasonal and fresh from the farm. Chicken pie; saffron and kale tart; leaf salad; roast carrot and beetroot; cheese and tomato focaccia on the side; and for dessert, sticky toffee pudding.

Organix makes organic foods for babies and toddlers, established by Lizzie Vann in 1992. They have a strong culture of healthy, organic food (no junk) and the company makes a lot of effort to communicate with the customer. Organix have a blog which lets you know what they’re up to, and their packaging ‘shouts’ organic. So they understood why we tell our customers about the Sheepdrove story. 

The Reedbed Ramble, Farm Tour and the eco-building conversations were something new for the Organix team. But all 35 could relate to how an award-winning business with outstanding projects emerged from strong ethical principles.

Sheepdrove is a great place to base a meeting if you aim to stimulate new ideas and fresh thinking in your business. If you fancy a day here for your staff team, please book the venue well in advance to avoid disappointment. For a group of 35 – 60 the Beech Room is perfect.

Gold standard for green conference venue

Sheepdrove Eco Conference Centre immediately achieved a Gold rating when assessed for the Green Tourism Business Scheme for the first time. That’s the best score you can get.

GTBS senior grader Martin Webb said: “Sheepdrove Eco-Conference Centre must be one of the most sustainable venues – they are a shining light in showing how it is possible to bring sustainability to the conference/venue market. They have looked at every aspect of running a green conference business and taken steps to ensure that any impacts are minimal. Any delegate coming to the site should be blown away by not only the green-ness of the place but the excellent and high quality service they provide.”

Details of the GTBS at www.green-business.co.uk