Jack Belcher checks out the return of corporate escapes to Center Parcs’ Sherwood Forest venue following a £4.5m refurb at the site
Earlier this year Center Parcs reported its most successful year for corporate bookings, smashing records by £2m in revenue. The results came hot on the heels of the £4.5m refurbishment of The Venue at Sherwood Forest in January.
The refurbishment of Center Parcs’ dedicated events venue began in May 2023 and since the re-opening this year, brands have been bringing their corporate retreats at The Venue.
Part of the refurbishment at The Venue is a major extension which includes four brand new meeting spaces ideal for smaller groups, and an event capacity now up to 550 delegates. Other additions include a new entrance and reception area overlooking the lake, as well as two outdoor terraces ideal for delegates to enjoy a break under the forest canopy. A significant investment in the AV and lighting systems also takes events at Sherwood Forest to the next level.
Julia Green, head of corporate events at Center Parcs Conferences & Events, said: “With Sherwood being our first UK village to open in 1987, we were keen to ensure that this upgrade respected the heritage of the venue, while still giving it a substantial ‘facelift’ to match the recent refurbishment of our venue in Woburn Forest – which we renovated back in September 2022.”
Sherwood Forest retains its ECOsmart GOLD sustainability accreditation, which it was awarded following a rigorous audit by Greengage Solutions in July 2023, with every step of the refurbishment taking the venues at Sherwood Forest and Woburn Forest closer to Platinum level.
Inaugural events at Sherwood Forest have so far included team building activities suited to the colder months, such as Mission Possible, Adventure Quest and Conquer The Forest, as well as a chance for delegates to enjoy the Winter Forest Lights.
Businesses opting for an overnight stay can book into any of the 900 lodges –ranging from one-bedroom self-catered apartments and spacious Executive Lodges, through to luxurious Treehouses. Bicycles are available for delegates to travel to and from their lodges, get around village and explore the forest at their leisure.
It’s certainly rare to find a conference venue surrounded by such natural beauty.
It was great to see an insight into some of the 200 activities that Centre Parcs has to offer, including a sleep meditation session and the award winning Aqua Sana Spa.
When I spoke to Julia Green, she noted that the reopening of The Venue followed on a period of closure pretty much since the pandemic: “Before the pandemic we had conference and event space at four of our villages. So, we had Woburn, Sherwood, Elveden, and Longleat. But there was a business decision to close two of those villages from a corporate point of view and invest in the remaining facilities. So, what we have now is the result of a £4.5m investment in Sherwood. Previously, we had an entrance that was quite hidden away, so we didn’t get the conference and events delegates to experience the full Center Parcs offering. We’ve now put on an extra 300sqm extension, which gives us a new delegate entrance, lakeside views and outside terrace. It means we have a better vista to see Center Parcs, but also there is now a sense of arrival as you come through Village Square. You get to see some of our restaurants, some of our outlets and that has lifted the product. So, it’s more premium product. All of our lodges, every seven years, are fully refurbished
“We are also working with the leisure team to bring in more wellbeing packages. Delegates now have access to over 200 activities, everything from zip wire to pottery to Aqua Sana Spa and we want to get some more team building packages.
“Delegates and a lot of our clients are asking us for more wellbeing elements in their events and we will also look at Green meeting packages and more sustainable activities.
“In terms of technology, we have Clickshare in all of our rooms and we’ve got a full AV suite and an AV technician in both of our venues now.
“We are currently EcoSmart gold certified, which is great and we’re really really proud of that, however we will work to a platinum level.”
Down in Sherwood Forest, something for corporates and more is definitely causing a stir.
