Alison Plant, Head of Hospitality & Events at Aston Villa Football Club, speaks to H&E North about the Club’s success off the pitch.

How has Aston Villa’s corporate hospitality offer developed since you joined the Club in 1997?
It’s changed dramatically over the years, more so since the take over of Aston Villa three seasons ago by Randy Lerner. We’ve invested in facilities to enhance the experience for customers. Over the last few seasons we’ve renovated suites and this past summer the Holte Pub, one of the Club’s landmarks, reopened after being restored to its former glory.

We, the staff, have had a lot of say in the changes; we didn’t call in the interior designers! Mr Lerner encouraged our input and it’s been fabulous to be a part of the new look hospitality offer.

H&E North finds out why quality catering is a key ingredient for successful events and what will be tantalising the taste buds in 2010.

In these economically stretched times, splashing the cash on lavish feasts is something that may have been curtailed somewhat, what with companies increasingly having to justify big spends, but catering still plays a crucial role in the event experience. Testament to this are well-established catering companies who are continuing to win contracts and new start-ups who are building up a loyal following. Chapman Holmes Catering and Special Events is one of the North West’s leading corporate and event caterers, who are currently celebrating 20 years in the business. Over the years it has provided a diverse range of cuisine and event management to companies such as Coutts & Co, Bentley Motors, The Prince’s Trust, Manchester Evening News, and recently Visit Britain’s Gala Dinner. It has held and catered for events in National Trust properties and venues such as Concorde Conference Centre, and has recently been awarded exclusive contracts at the Gorton Monastery and Lyme Park. Sue Elmore, a Director of the company, states: “At present our industry is missing the big corporate bashes that once prevailed. The emphasis is now on understated, bespoke events.”

Entrepreneur and former Dragon’s Den star Rachel Elnaugh spoke to H&E North at Event UK about her plans for creating events that inspire the new wave of business minds.

Entrepreneur Rachel Elnaugh was catapulted into the limelight in 2005 when she became one of the original ‘Dragons’ on the first series of BBC’s Dragon’s Den. Having set up events and experiences brand Red Letter Days from her living room in the early 1990s, the business generated a turnover of over £100million in the years that Rachel was at the helm, earning her an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2002. Upon the company’s collapse in 2005, Rachel removed herself from the media spotlight.
She has since carved a career in public and motivational speaking. Her latest venture, Rachel Elnaugh Events, was launched in June.

Academic venues make for a first-rate alternative choice for a wide range of meetings and events.

VENUEMASTERS offers a professional venue finding service, searching the facilities for events at over 80 UK academic venues. It has been promoting the facilities available for commercial hire for over 25 years and has worked hard to bring public perceptions of the facilities in line with the reality of the offer.

The conference and accommodation departments at academic venues directly benefit from continued programmes of investment in facilities. Developments regularly take place in an attempt to attract students in the highly competitive higher education market.