Meet Leicester shines the spotlight on why Leicestershire is the perfect destination for your next event.
For an inspiring destination to host your next event, look no further than Leicestershire. With a diverse range of venues and an array of leisure options, there are many reasons
to bring your next event to this incredible destination. The choice of city and county venues includes large-scale conference centres, contemporary boutique hotels, visitor attractions, and sports stadia, all centrally located in the heart of the country.
Its location of course means excellent transport links, with direct bus services from Luton and Heathrow airports, and train journeys from central London taking just over an hour to reach the city. Leicester is located close to three major motorways, less than 20 miles from East Midlands Airport, and under an hour away from Birmingham Airport, so it’s a great destination with easy access for both domestic and international delegates.
Leicester is a city with a proud sporting heritage and there are many facilities which have an outstanding range of flexible spaces. Leicester Racecourse and the Elite Athletes Centre and Hotel on Loughborough University campus are ideal for events, meetings, and conferences with purpose-built space, along with on-site accommodation, car parking, unique locations, tailored programmes, and top- class service with high-tech conference facilities.
Adjacent to Leicester Tigers’ Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium is the 191-room Voco Leicester hotel, which offers spaces for sophisticated and fun corporate hospitality. A new event room concept is available with a versatile space that can be divided into three multi-functional rooms, capable of accommodating all manner of events including meetings, celebrations, and even screenings as it boasts state-of-the-art audio- visual equipment and lighting.
In the city, The Gresham Aparthotel’s £17 million development saw this Grade II listed Victorian building transformed into a high- end, 121-room aparthotel. Completing the extensive development is 12,000 sq. ft of conference facilities and state-of-the-art co-working spaces. Another one of the newest hotel arrivals is the Novotel complex which comprises a 154-room hotel with executive, junior suites, a presidential suite, and a 98- room aparthotel. There are also meeting spaces with breakout rooms for up to 200 delegates.
The city’s Athena and Curve Theatre are in the heart of the Cultural Quarter, both offering large, flexible spaces. The Athena – a stunning and unique art deco architectural building – can host a variety of events and cater for 1,000 in banquet style with superb technology available. Curve is a spectacular, state-of- the-art theatre boasting a range of distinctive, unconventional, and dynamic spaces. It can host meetings, awards ceremonies, product launches, conferences, and exhibitions in 10 flexible spaces for up to 1,600 delegates.
Leicestershire’s strong tourism offering enriches the experience for any delegate coming to the county. For a truly unique venue, you could opt for the National Space Centre, the UK’s only venue dedicated to the history and exploration of space. This wow factor venue offers many exclusive facilities, including the stunning Rocket Tower, dinner in its space-themed galleries, and the UK’s largest planetarium. Twycross Zoo and the King Richard III Visitor Centre – the original burial site of King Richard III – offer excellent conference facilities, as well as hosting leisure visits.
For something completely different, how about taking delegates to Great Central Railway? The UK’s only main line heritage railway offers exclusive use of its beautifully restored carriages for meeting and evening dinner hire. Belvoir Castle also provides a stunning backdrop to any meeting or event; using the staterooms will not only impress delegates but also provide historic inspiration.
Outdoors in the beautiful county there are many team building opportunities such as National Forest Corporate Experiences, signposted cycle routes around Everards Meadows with Rutland Cycling, and the Canal & River Trust canoe team days.
Whatever you need, Meet Leicester’s free and impartial venue finding service will help you find the right location for your event as it offers a diverse portfolio of over 60 high quality venues in the city and county to suit all event types. The expert team are dedicated to making the planning and delivery of your next event as easy and hassle free as possible.
For more information on Meet Leicester and visiting Leicester and Leicestershire go to: Meetleicester.co.uk