The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel is committed to offering a four-star dining experience to all of our delegates and guests. We have undertaken a thorough and extensive review to ensure that all aspects of our food service delivery continues to be safe.

The safety of our delegates is very important to us and the changes that we are putting in place will take into account physical distancing and enhanced hygiene measures, whilst also delivering our usual high quality service.

Food Safety Plan

1. Safety is the responsibility of everyone in our business and staff training is an invaluable method in helping our team understand their responsibility and how we can operate safely.

2.  We will offer 3 different types of Food & Beverage service:

• • Contact Free
  • Limited Contact
  • Normal Service

3.  Reduced Menus – to recognise the availability of fresh, local ingredients and physical distancing within our kitchen.

4.  Use of our mobile app to allow customers to order food and drink, minimising the need for printed menus

5.  Increase our In room dining service offering

6.  Sanitisation stations located in our restaurants, bar and lobby areas.

7.  Promoting cashless transactions

 

Conference Food

For our conference delegates our contact-free food offering will consist of prepacked “grab and go” meals prepared by our team of award winning chefs using the best local produce. We will also offer our Bento box lunch as an alternative to allow for private in room conference dining.

 

Food at Home

Bored during lockdown? We’ve developed our most popular menu items into easy-to-follow recipes to allow you to sample at home. From Chocolate Brownies to Chilli Lime Chicken, what’s your favourite?

 

Food for Health

We believe in eating the right foods. Our team at the Centre for Health & Wellbeing has provided us with some simple tips to help us while we are working from home, home schooling and looking after loved ones.

• Drink plenty of fluids – staying hydrated can help increase our cognitive functions and allow us to be more alert
• Exercise more –  even a simple brisk walk will help release endorphins, which is a natural chemical in our brains that helps us to feel good.
• Eat regularly – this keeps our metabolism active and can help prevent tiredness
• Eat your 5 portions of fruit and veg a day – they contain essential vitamins and minerals.

Event organisers have been turning to virtual meetings throughout the Coronavirus pandemic to stay connected with their delegates. With many people working from home and restrictions still in place for large conferences and events, we are adapting to new routines and ways of working. This should be considered when planning for a virtual event to ensure that delegates have the best possible experience when joining remotely.

 

Here are a few things to bear in mind when planning the content for a virtual meeting:

1. Shorter sessions

With face to face meetings, delegates are able to immerse themselves in the event. They have taken the time to travel to a venue, are surrounded by like-minded people and can take part with no distractions. Attention span is less with a virtual session – there are more distractions when joining from home or the office. Delegates are less likely to remain engaged with a programme of long keynote presentations in the same way. Keep sessions short – 30-45 minutes – to hold attention. With this in mind, it may be a good idea to look at the overall length of the event. Splitting the programme up to include 3-4 hours of content per day over a few days may prove to be more effective than one full day of sessions. Regular breaks are important too and will allow delegates to grab a coffee or check their email, helping them to be more focussed during sessions themselves.

 

2. Vary the content

Plan a range of different formats across sessions to help keep delegates interested. ‘Death by PowerPoint’ never goes down well during in person events and virtual meetings are no different. Organisers have the added bonus of being able to include pre-recorded material within a virtual event. Think about TV style content such as interview or talking head footage. Using breaks between sessions as advert breaks is also a good way to promote future events, share news or as a platform for sponsors to get involved. Don’t be afraid to get creative, think about how messages can be conveyed in a way delegates will remember.

 

3. Delegate engagement

It is important that delegates are still able to engage with a conference when joining in virtually. Make sure that each session has an opportunity for delegates to get involved. This can be done through polls or Q&As within plenary sessions, holding smaller discussion based workshops or simply using message boards to allow delegates to chat and engage with each other. Think about the various different ways delegates would participate in a face to face event and try to include as much of this as possible in a virtual programme. Whether these are ways that they can engage with the subject matter of the event or fun activities for energising or teambuilding such as an ice breaker activity to start the day or post-lunch yoga session. Attendees will benefit more from the event if they are able to feel part of it.

 

4. Easy navigation

Once the conference programme has been set – send this to delegates ahead of time, outlining clear learning objectives for each session. Delegates may be more likely to dip in and out of content when participating remotely, so make it easy for them to decide which sessions they want to attend. Just as signage is important within a venue, making it clear where each session is being held, navigation should be as easy as possible for virtual delegates. Include all of the relevant links and any joining passwords in advance to create a user friendly experience for remote attendees. Web links can also be included in holding slides within presentations or as ‘coming up next’ links between sessions.

 

By taking these things into consideration, delegates are more likely to stay focussed and feel involved throughout. If delegates are able to get the most that they can from attending an event remotely, then this will contribute to its overall success. For more tips on how a virtual element can be incorporated into your next event, read more of our blogs, here.

After such a long time confined to our own homes and our face to face social interaction limited to members of our own household, the postman and the supermarket cashier, we are craving social activities now more than ever.

The world of meetings and events is moving towards an increasing online presence. Whilst it is easy enough for speakers to present sessions through a virtual conference platform and even for Q&A sessions and panel discussions to be ran virtually, organisers may wonder if their event will be able to have the same social impact as a fully face to face event.

The social aspect of a conference is huge. It’s a chance for delegates to come together over a shared topic. The relationships that are built through collaboration and networking at these events are invaluable and many conference organisers incorporate a social programme complimenting the main learning.

 

Here are five things that can be done within a virtual programme to allow conference attendees to interact with one another:

1.  Hybrid meetings

A hybrid event allows for a small number to meet in person, with the remaining delegation joining remotely. This would allow for a portion of delegates to socialise face to face and could network and even dine in the same way as pre-Covid 19. Think about joining small regional events together to allow delegates to meet locally, with a video link between each event.

 

2.  Message boards

Why confine interaction to only during the conference? Creating message boards which go live a day or two before the event is a great way to get delegates talking beforehand and allows the conversation to continue throughout and even after the event. Creating a few separate boards for different topics or areas of the event may help discussions to flow. Delegates could also be encouraged to share their LinkedIn Profiles or a virtual business card to network with others.

 

3.  Chat rooms

Most venues having lounges or social areas for delegates to come together informally throughout the course of an in-person event, why not create chat lounges for virtual delegates to do the same thing? These could also include slots for speakers to appear  at specific times to answer any questions. This could be done through a video call so delegates can see and hear each other in real time, or take the form of a text chat.

 

4.  Utilise break times

Delegates will still need to eat, even during an online event and organisers can use breaks in the programme to allow for delegates to come together. Coffee Catch Ups could be spaced in between sessions and delegates encouraged to join via video chat. Delegates could also be brought together over a ‘Virtual Lunch Table’ – group delegates together as you would when organising a table plan and ask them to dial in together at a certain time. You may want to think about inviting a speaker or board member to each table, and ensure a good mix of delegates in each group.

 

5.  Keep it fun

Virtual events can still be fun! Think of the various elements that may be included in a conference dinner to help delegates to unwind and have fun together and incorporate these into an informal session at the end of the day. This could centre around a fun theme that delegates can get involved with at home.  Plan a game or activity such as a virtual quiz or treasure hunt or share some expertise through a cookery, craft or dance demo. The possibilities are endless, from virtual versions of classic board games and online escape rooms to the more creative Murder Mystery Nights or Bake Off Challenges which really gets your delegates involved.

 

With both event organisers and delegate embracing new ways of communicating, these suggestions can help to ensure your next event brings delegates together until it is safe to meet face to face again.

The team at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel are currently researching upcoming trends within the events industry and looking at how live events could run in the near future.

With long distance travel and mass gatherings likely to be off the cards for some time, there is a large question mark surrounding large scale national and international conferences at the moment. Instead of hosting one large event in a central location, industry experts have suggested that programmes of smaller regional events, held simultaneously and using a hybrid element to link up may be the solution event organisers are looking for.

The conference industry is driven by bringing people together and recent research from across the industry has shown that organisers and delegates do have a desire to continue to meet in person when it is safe to do so. The regional events model would allow small groups to get together, whilst maintaining social distancing in a safe space and have the face to face contact that we are all craving after months of lockdown.

By hosting a programme of regional events, delegates can take part in the full conference experience and the social aspects this involves – networking and face to face collaboration with colleagues and being able to focus on the meeting content without the distractions that come with being in the office or working from home. Organisers can also ensure that their event is held in a professional setting and can utilise the expertise of a venue’s events, AV and catering team to help to ensure that their meeting runs smoothly.

Many large associations and organisations have a regional element anyway and so can discuss any issues at a regional level, privately and as part of the main event programme. With all delegates likely to be based locally, the need for travel and additional overnight stays would also be reduced. This would help to cut down the cost of attendance and may well attract more delegates per region than one event in a single location. Speaker travel would also be reduced as they would be able to choose which location is most convenient for them to attend.

With the new shift towards hybrid meetings, each regional location would be able to link up via video conferencing or streaming platform to join together plenary sessions and keynote addresses. Whilst breakout sessions and workshops could be held as face to face sessions in each regional meeting space. This may well simplify the virtual element of the conference, with five to six video streams easier to manage than each individual delegate and speaker joining remotely from home.

In these new and uncertain times, event organisers are being challenged to think outside the box and run meetings in a different way. As a member of Venues of Excellence, the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel are linked to many other fantastic venues across the UK. To discuss how the Golden Jubilee may be able to help with your next conference, get in touch with our Sales team on 0141 951 6003 or at conferences@goldenjubilee.scot.nhs.uk

Did you know that Glasgow takes its name from the Gaelic meaning ‘Dear Green Place’? At the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, we are lucky enough to be located right on the banks of the River Clyde and are surrounded by plenty of green space. From our conference gardens which make great small meeting or breakout spaces, outdoor patio area – perfect for al fresco dining – or the various walking routes exploring the local scenery, we have lots of opportunities to include a taste of the great outdoors as part of your conference or event.

There are lots of benefits to spending time outside that can improve the productivity of a meeting and create a memorable experience for attendees. At this current time of social distancing, an outdoor element to your event will allow delegates to spread out safely and meet in a healthy environment.

By simply offering a change of scenery, delegates are likely to feel reinvigorated and more focussed. Taking in the fresh air will allow participants to clear their heads, gather their thoughts and even be more creative surrounded by nature.

The health benefits to delegates are huge. Fresh air helps our immune systems to become stronger, which is more important now than ever, and also generates feel good endorphins. Stepping outside instantly makes us feel happier and more energised. Why not build on this by including a walk and talk element to your event? This is a fantastic way to encourage discussion and networking in pairs or small groups whilst fitting in the all-important daily step count. There are several different walking routes from the hotel, including a stroll along the Clyde Canal Path.  For larger groups, team building activities can be arranged within our grounds, speak to our team for more details.

Mindfulness is a hot topic at the moment, and what better way to facilitate this than by allowing your delegates to relax and collect their thoughts close to nature? Our Centre for Health and Wellbeing Team are available to run Wellness Sessions or Yoga Classes in the tranquillity of our riverside surroundings. By being outside and taking the time to connect with their surroundings, delegates are more likely to take a fresh perspective and come up with new ideas.

Being outdoors allows us to get back to basics and leave technology inside the meeting room. Encourage delegates to leave their devices indoors and remove any distraction from mobile phones to allow them to be more engaged in an outdoors meeting. Senses are heightened outside, meaning attendees are more likely to remain focused in an outdoor space, especially if they are able to move around. This all helps to counter the afternoon slump that we have all experienced after hours of sitting inside.

While we recognise that some meetings will have a need for some sort of technology and may require use of an indoors meeting room. Delegates can still take advantage of our external space during break times. Speak to us about using our conference gardens or patio as a networking area or as a space to serve coffee or lunch. By including a short break outside and a change of scene, delegates will return to the next session refreshed and ready to go.

Whether you’re planning a day of team building activities, a walking meeting to get creative thoughts flowing or simply want to get outside and enjoy a cup of coffee in the sunshine, the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel has plenty of options to breathe some fresh air into your next event. Contact us on 0141 951 6003 or at conferences@goldenjubilee.scot.nhs.uk for more details.

In a world where staying in has quickly become the new going out, people are embracing new ways of communicating online. What does this mean for the future of meetings and events, an industry centred around bringing people together?

With social distancing likely to continue after lockdown, hybrid meetings may become an effective compromise.  Events take place with a smaller live attendance whilst other participants join online.

Would delegates prefer the freedom of remote events or would they feel short-changed with the lack of interaction with others? Here, we weigh up the benefits of both the hybrid and the face-to-face meeting.

Hybrid meetings offer a more inclusive way for delegates to take part. Delegates can choose whether to attend in person at a venue or to join remotely. If travel is a problem then delegates can join the meeting virtually, cutting out travel time and costs. This increased productivity may encourage more delegates to attend whilst also reducing our carbon footprint with less numbers travelling.

Diary clashes no longer matter. The video element is easily recorded and can be made available online after the live event. This on-demand feature allows delegates to access the meeting content at a time convenient for them and they no longer miss out if they are unable to attend the original meeting.

The ease of joining hybrid meetings can widen the number of participants involved and may also attract a new audience. Delegates could be more tempted to join online first to see what’s going on – with less commitment in a virtual setting and no fear of entering an event on your own. This might encourage them to attend in person in the future.

Even remotely, delegates can still get in involved in some of the interaction offered at a live event. Two-way video chat allows participation in Q&A sessions. Various platforms such as Zoom or Slido can encourage virtual delegates to get involved through polls and online messaging can create a dialogue for those taking part remotely.

Meeting organisers are also offered a choice on how many can take part in person and online. With delegates able to join remotely, organisers can consider hiring a smaller meeting space. Meeting consumables are also reduced, with less delegate badges, printed literature and catering needed. This will no doubt cut down costs and staffing required, perhaps making it easier and more profitable for organisations to host events more regularly.

After lockdown, delegates may welcome the chance to interact with each other again and join meetings in person. The face to face meeting brings people together – communication is easier and the social aspect of conferences is a great opportunity to build relationships.

A warmer atmosphere can be conveyed face to face – from the welcome at the registration desk to the speaker being able to read body language in the room. The traditional meeting helps two-way communication flow, meaning that messages are less likely to be lost than with an online meeting.

Delegates can also engage more freely with others and network, through group discussion offered within the meeting programme or by chatting during coffee breaks. These opportunities supplement the meeting content and often the takeaways here can be just as valuable as the sessions themselves.

There are far less distractions in a conference room. Whilst there is more flexibility when joining a virtual meeting, how likely is it that a colleague may interrupt to discuss something in the office, or incoming emails become a distraction? Not to mention the countless distractions at home. In a venue, delegates can fully focus on the meeting content, switch off their phones and are less likely to wander off to make a coffee mid-presentation.

Technical issues are reduced in a face to face setting. Delegates attending in person don’t need to think about their internet connection dropping out. The pressure is also eased for the organiser as they don’t need to worry about speakers joining virtually or problems with the video syncing up with slides. Whilst many venues can offer a technician service to help with in-house equipment, they will be unlikely to help with participants having problems remotely.

There’s still so much uncertainty on how the world will look post-Coronavirus but the Golden Jubilee Conference hotel will continue to support organisers and offer options for both the hybrid and face to face meeting. Get in touch with us to find out more at conferences@goldenjubilee.scot.nhs.uk or on 0141 951 6003.

The Hotel’s Corporate Social Responsibility team has driven forward the venue’s ambitious green agenda

The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel has been recognised by industry consortium Venues of Excellence and Green Tourism for its work to improve environmental sustainability.

The award-winning four-star hotel has been presented with the Venues of Excellence Green Tourism Award for Sustainability, following the roll-out of the site’s ten-point sustainability plan in 2019 and a wide range of eco-friendly policies.

The plan has seen the venue carry out initiatives including removing single use plastics, reducing the amount of paper used and creating an outdoor meeting space for ‘walk and talk’ conferences.

Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel General Manager, Denis Flanagan, said:

“We’re thrilled to have won this prestigious award, presented by Venues of Excellence and Green Tourism.

Our ten-point sustainability plan was created to make real change to how we operate here at the Golden Jubilee, reducing the impact both we and our customers have on the environment.

We’ve already seen great results. Since the plan was introduced in November 2019 we’ve cut the number of single use plastic cups in use by more than 9,000 – a staggering amount – and the feedback from our guests has been fantastic.”

Mandy Jennings, executive director at Venues of Excellence, said:

“The Golden Jubilee’s work to improve sustainability is inspiring and sets the bar high for venues across the UK. Green initiatives are something that features high on the agenda for event organisers nowadays and rightly so. This award recognises the Golden Jubilee’s fantastic work in that area and we can’t wait to see how the plan continues to evolve.”

The award, presented at the Venues of Excellence’s Annual Conference in Loughborough, was judged by the Green Tourism sustainability assessment team and sponsored by Green Tourism.

Scott Maclean, managing director of Green Tourism, said:

“Throughout 2019 we saw a rise in consumer and business awareness of sustainability and as such, we were delighted to present the first ever Venues of Excellence Sustainability Award to The Golden Jubilee, who are a leading ambassador within the sector. In particular, their ten-point sustainability plan has been a huge success and has seen real change in a short space of time. Through this, they have introduced a wide range of eco-friendly measures which have been well received by guests and which offer inspiration for other businesses to showcase their commitment to sustainability and create an action plan of their own.”

Venues of Excellence awards membership to high quality conference, meetings and training venues throughout the UK.

 

For more information, visit our Sustainability page: https://www.goldenjubileehotel.com/about-us/social-responsibility/

We’re sure you’re aware that protecting our environment is a ‘hot’ topic at the moment and here at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel we are seriously upping our game to ensure all our staff, guests, delegates and visitors are contributing to our green agenda.

As a large, public organisation, having environmentally friendly policies is a priority and being green is not a fashion fad for us, it’s part of our way of life so let us take you through the long list of measures we are embracing and why.

As committed members of Visit Scotland’s Green Tourism Business and the IACC GreenStar schemes, we want to safeguard our local environment for future generations – this site was here before us and will be here after we pass through, so we feel it is our humble duty to nurture and care for it as best we can.

One of the big things we’re really excited about right now is our own 10-point plan which helps us drive our environmental commitments even further, whilst creating a sustainable meeting place through the concept of designing experiences and not just organising meetings.

 

The 10 points are:

• Paper: removal of flipchart paper from conference rooms – replacing with glass squiggle boards
• Plastic: removal of single use plastics
• Water: removal of single use glass water bottles
• Food: more balanced provincial market menu
• Allergens: creating an industry-standard menu labelling system
• Hydration: introduction of hydration stations around the hotel
• Mindfulness: catering for mindful aspects of conference
• Outdoor meetings: outdoor destination area for walk and talk conferences
• Linen: removal of single use napkins
• Training: investing in our people to achieve the 10-point plan

 

We take all of these elements into account, not just for conferences but throughout our whole business. We now have a wide range of eco-friendly measures, which have been introduced in partnership with, and actively involve our staff, visiting delegates and guests in our green agenda.

We source local produce for our menus, monitor our energy consumption and have birdboxes for the local wildlife outside – it’s not uncommon for our staff and guests to see a family of deer grazing on the greenery outside our windows and witness nature at its most beautiful up close.

We also use suppliers which maintain ethical practices for equipment, energy and chemicals, have many tools in place to save as much energy as possible such as low energy lighting, centrally controlled air conditioning and have a high efficiency boiler.

As part of our Sustainable Purchasing Policy we want our suppliers to have the same commitments as we do. We ask for evidence of and discuss their methods of transport and packaging, calculate running costs of products and consider the recyclability of any product we purchase – if it can’t be recycled, we’ll go for one that can.

This is all part of our massive, evolving sustainability business model. If you’d like to know more about our green credentials, visit the Sustainability pages: https://goldenjubileehotel.com/about-us/social-responsibility

The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel has signed a pledge to be part of the #20PercentLess campaign. The hotel aims to lower single-use plastic by at least 20 per cent over the next five years in support of the national green initiative to lower the Hotel’s carbon footprint. The pledge is led by the Meetings Industry Association and the hotel has joined other Venue of Excellence members in supporting it.

The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, which also holds the Green Tourism Gold Accreditation for its commitment to sustainability, recently hosted ocean advocate Cal Major on a film tour of her renowned eco work. Hotel Director Bronagh Bell took the opportunity to talk about Cal’s World Record-breaking achievements in stand-up paddleboarding and sought advice for other ways in which the Hotel can better protect the environment. Bronagh said:

“At the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, we know that plastic pollution is a global problem with terrible far-reaching consequences. That’s why we have committed to reducing single-use plastic on our site. We have recently signed a pledge to be part of the 20PercentLess campaign. We aim to lower our plastic use by twenty per cent year on year over the next five years.”

Record-breaker Ms Major was staying in the hotel while touring for her film ‘Vitamin Sea’, which shows her become the first and fastest person to stand-up paddleboard the length of mainland UK. The record-breaking journey along 1000 miles of coastline shows some of the positive things coastal communities are doing to tackle plastic pollution. Founded in 2016, Paddle Against Plastic is an organisation set up to spread the word about plastic pollution. Using her adventures to capture peoples’ imagination, Cal highlights the amount of plastic in the ocean and promotes positive change by offering simple solutions. Talking about the hotel’s efforts to reduce their use of single-use plastic, Ms Major said:

“I support the Golden Jubilee in its positive efforts in helping tourism become more eco-friendly. Signing up to initiatives like the 20percentless campaign shows how important it is that we all try and do our bit to end plastic pollution. We need to reconnect and look after our local nature. It’s easy to say that to someone who lives by the sea because they can go to the coastline and spend time there and see the problems but even in Glasgow you can see the effect plastic pollution has on the Clyde”.

Bronagh Bell added: “Having the hotel on the banks of the Clyde brings home the impact of plastic on marine life.  As such, we’ve made a decision aimed at reducing single-use plastics in the hotel which underscores how important we believe it is to continuously find ways to reduce our environmental impact. It’s a huge priority for us because we feel a huge social responsibility to our local area, our customers and our staff.

“Our guests are looking to us to make changes that will create a meaningful difference for the environment while not sacrificing the quality service and experience they expect from our hotel.  We are taking forward a number of initiatives including supporting our guests and delegates to use less plastic. The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel is committed to ensuring that the environment is safeguarded for future generations. We are continually improving our performance through our active environmental policy.”