With the much
anticipated London 2012 Olympics just around the corner, our capital city has become
an area of avoidance for many businesses looking to host conferences and
meetings during this time, mostly due to the perception that many meeting
venues would hike their prices.
In actual
fact, on the contrary to this, in the
last month we have experienced a surge of competitive rates on offer
for available training, meeting and conference spaces in London with
some four-star properties offering room hire for as little as £100,
often saving up to 80
percent.
The summer months are traditionally a
quieter time in the conference and meetings industry due to the holiday season
so availability is usually good but I think there are a number of contributing
factors to these additional seasonal offers.
Firstly, the hype that has surrounded
the Olympics has heightened perception that companies looking for meeting space
during this time would be priced out of London. In actual fact, since
accommodation is naturally in greatest demand, mostly booked up by those
attending the games, hotels are now finding they are unable to offer
residential conferences but still have considerable day meeting space available.
In addition, concerns over traffic and
congested transport links during this time have deterred many companies from
considering London venues which have impacted even those that are some distance
from the various event sites. In some
cases events have been delayed until later in the year or alternative locations
sought outside the London area i.e. the Midlands.
As a result, many
hotels are looking to use their last minute availability by offering
bespoke discounts. We have had a number of enquiries from companies looking to
make the most of the competitive rates being offered. It’s a solution that
suits all and for those savvy enough to think how they can use meeting space to
their advantage in the coming weeks, there are some good deals to be had.
Any comments? Email conferencenews@mashmedia.net
