At the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, we are proud of the relationships that we have with trade unions and work closely with the Scottish Trade Union Congress, among others, to deliver a wide range of conferences and meetings throughout the year.
We have been involved with four of STUC’s annual events this year which are each aimed at LGBT+, Youth, Disabled and Black Workers and are attended by workers from across Scotland. These conferences take place over a weekend and consist of a range of guest speakers and workshops which touch on various issues currently affecting workers as well as a gala dinner and social activities to allow delegates to come together.
Pauline Walker, Committee and Events Co-ordinator for STUC, explains what they look for in a venue and why the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel is a good fit for their Equality Conferences:
“The STUC looks for a venue which is accessible; is centrally located with good transport links and is well equipped for the Conference in terms of AV, conference and breakout rooms, good quality accommodation, including a reasonable quota of accessible rooms and a high standard of catering all offered at reasonable rates. Well trained staff are also important as well as the provision of good terms and conditions for staff and the knowledge that staff are paid the Scottish Living Wage.
The main challenges for the STUC in relation to organising events is the identification of a venue that is equipped to meet all of the various requirements and needs of our delegates and visitors and provide costs that are realistic and meet our budget.
The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel works well for the STUC due to its location with good transport links, accessibility in terms of the Conference accommodation as well as bed and breakfast accommodation, with its staff trained to a high level to meet the needs of the STUC in terms of the Conference requirements, catering, and our delegates, as well as the provision of competitive rates.”
Our Event Planner, Emma Finlayson, has worked on the Equality Conferences since 2017 and is well-versed in STUC’s requirements and how these events are run. Emma says:
“The Equality Conferences ran by STUC are a great set of events to be involved with as the varied requirements of these bookings make good use of all areas of the venue from conference space, syndicate rooms, gala dinner space and accommodation. It is also great to be able to build up a relationship with a client such as STUC and work with them year after year to deliver a successful conference programme. We always look forward to welcoming STUC back to the Golden Jubilee each year.”
Committed to providing the best possible service to all guests to the hotel, we are delighted to have received great feedback from delegates who have attended these conferences:
“Always an excellent venue.”
“I particularly commend the staff of the hotel for their politeness and helpfulness.”
“Staff at Golden Jubilee are second to none. Food is excellent and rooms are ideal.”
“The best venue for any Conference. The staff in the hotel are great.”
As part of the NHS, the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel prides itself in being an ethical employer and also shares many of the values promoted by trade unions.
Our staff benefit from NHS pay grades which exceed Scottish living wage requirements, we also pay more for unsociable shift work at evenings or weekends and offer family friendly flexible working arrangements. We are committed to career development of our staff and offer various opportunities for training across all areas of our team. As an equal opportunities employer, we fully support equality and diversity within the workplace and hold valuing dignity and respect as one of our key values. As part of the Golden Jubilee Foundation, we are a Stonewall Top 100 employer, supporting LGBT staff and also a Disability Confident Leader.
In addition to offering good working conditions for our staff, we are also dedicated to being a sustainable and accessible venue. We hold the Gold Award for Green Tourism and were also awarded Most Accessible Venue at the Scottish Hotel of the Year Awards for 2019.
We can ensure a mix of well-rounded facilities for conferences aiming to offer both a professional setting for work and study and also a relaxing setting for delegates to unwind and socialise. Our range of conference spaces are fully equipped with AV and offer free Wi-Fi throughout, whilst our comfortable bedrooms provide a good nights’ rest. Delegates also have access to our BBar and Lounge, Centre for Health & Wellbeing with use of gym, swimming pool and spa and also conference gardens overlooking the River Clyde.
To learn more about how you can host your next trade union event at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, contact our Sales Team on 0141 951 6003 or at conferences@goldenjubilee.scot.nhs.uk
As conference delivery specialists we are in an experienced position to assess the impact of different meeting ‘set-ups’ on the overall conference. In recent years there has been a move away from more traditional theatre style auditorium events towards cabaret style meetings. Uniquely, we can provide both layouts at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel but we have found that a tiered auditorium has a number of advantages over the more popular round-table format and can often result in a more powerful forum, with increased delegate engagement.
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- Your presenters, speakers or keynotes will be in the spotlight at all times. Centre stage! Ideal to influence, inspire and inform.
- Your audience will be totally captivated. In a purpose build auditorium, the speaker has the opportunity to engage easily with each and every delegate. And your delegates will be focused on the stage and the key messages that the speaker is conveying with arguably greater attention and retention. Smaller auditoria have that cosy feel that everyone feels very much together and totally engaged.
- The ancient Greeks knew what they were doing when they created the oyster shell theatre. Everybody could hear the presentations hence the name auditorium. And in the 21st century, auditoria like ours at the Golden Jubilee, will be equipped with an integral PA system, a variety of microphones and an induction hearing loop.
- Comfort. Most auditoria will have really comfy fixed tiered cinema style seating. Designed for an 8-hour meeting. You can also avoid the risk of your delegates sitting on banqueting chairs which are not designed for all day use. Minimising wriggling and keeping the delegates focussed on the presentations.
- No pillars and therefore clear sight lines. Due to the classic design of auditoria, those irritating pillars often found in large flat floor area will be absent. All delegates will have a great view of what is happening centre stage. Not dissimilar to the Roman Amphitheatre, everyone can see the spectacle. Thankfully, the gladiator combats and games have given way to more innovative and knowledge sharing events and meetings!
- Creates a sense of occasion. Hard to beat the auditorium meeting for creating impact and punch. Designed to host a variety of important events such as staff briefings, religious meetings and medical symposiums or a dynamic setting to inspire your audience, the auditorium wins hands down over a seated ballroom.
- Ideal for ‘roving mike’ question time sessions and debating. Robust discussion guaranteed. Trade unions, political parties and associations will all find this format works best for debate and discussion. Plus it is easier for the organiser to ‘work the room’, getting those microphones to the right place quickly and keeping the pace fast and seamless.
- The auditorium with its purpose built stage and aisle works really well when you have a number of contributors presenting papers. You want to ensure a quick changeover from speaker to speaker, particularly if you have a tight agenda with multiple participants. The auditorium works really well to keep the flow of change agile. Perfect for scientific or clinical meetings.
- Networking! Most auditoria will usually have a spacious meeting foyer. Ideal for your delegates to mingle and network over coffee or lunch before or during the meeting. This is when you want your delegates to interact rather than lose focus during the presentations. This is also where you may want to have your sponsor displays or an adjoining exhibition. The Golden Jubilee has a purpose built registration desk for the conference organiser or PCO to display name badges, goodie bags, etc.
- Price. Leaving the biggest advantage to last. Most auditoria will be priced cheaper than cabaret style meetings. This is because the ‘set up’ charges are much less. The tiered seats are already in-situ with an integral table arm which makes for a lot less work than assembling tables and chairs. At the Golden Jubilee we pass that saving on to our clients, making better use of your budgets.
Often a conference will use a combination of an auditorium for shorter plenary sessions, to set the scene or to review feedback from breakout sessions. You may, therefore, want a venue that has the optimum combination of an auditorium and breakout rooms or spaces.
We would be delighted to explore your conference objectives at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel and to help you plan your event using the best format to achieve your event or meeting outcomes. To find out more, arrange a show round of our facilities, or enquire about a specific event, contact our friendly Sales Team on 0141 951 6003 or email conferences@goldenjubilee.scot.nhs.uk
Did you know The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel is a fully assessed Healthcare Venue that ticks all the boxes for meetings and events for the medical and pharmaceutical sector?
Following rigorous assessment in 2017, the Golden Jubilee received the Green assessment rating, the highest ranking available, meaning the Hotel is now recognised as being part of an elite group of venues in the UK which are able to meet the strict criteria required for medical events from across the globe.
Healthcare Venues is one of the world’s leading directories of facilities which are dedicated to meeting the needs of healthcare industry events. The qualifying criteria are very strict, with venues being required to undergo an assessment, audit and extensive training before being considered.
Director of the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel, Bronagh Bell, said:
“We continue to strengthen our commitment to delivering excellence in healthcare meetings and events. Uniquely we are the only four star hotel wholly owned by the NHS and are part of a major clinical centre of excellence – the Golden Jubilee Foundation – which includes an NHS hospital, a medical research institute and an innovation centre. We have invested and developed our facilities for medical and clinical clients in particular, underpinned with an excellent technology infrastructure to support a wide variety of meetings including live AV links to the Hospital operating theatres and Cath Lab. Our sales and events team have completed the extensive training required for accreditation. This ensures they meet the requirements and potential challenges faced by top level medical events. Furthermore, being owned by the NHS enables us to reinvest surplus income to benefit future healthcare programmes and initiatives, paying back into patient care and medical advances.”
On-Site Healthcare Champion
As part of the accreditation, the venue also has a qualified Healthcare Champion on site, able to assist with healthcare events to ensure that compliance regulations are followed from initial enquiry through to delivery of the event itself. Laura Malley, who joined the Golden Jubilee team earlier this year as Business Development Manager has undertaken this role and has recently completed the required training and exam.
The Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel can also provide access to clinical experts, along with surgical and clinical training facilities to provide a unique setting for education and training sessions.
The Healthcare Venues rating is the latest in a long line of accreditations for the hotel, which is the only Scottish member of both IACC, the International Association of Conference Centres, and Venues of Excellence, as well as a recently accredited member of ICCA, the International Congress and Convention Association.
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Our Sales and Revenue Manager, Eleanor Muir, gives her top tips and recommendations.
Hotel rates across the industry can fluctuate depending on varying factors and it is no different here at the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel where we offer a dynamic pricing policy for our bedrooms and conferences. This can be influenced by a number of factors and rates and can change in relation to previous demand, seasonality, days of the week, and significant events taking place in the local area.
Tips and Recommendations
In this month’s blog, I would like to offer some useful hints and tips on how to get the best deal for you, and your delegates, when booking a venue for your event. While it is true that booking rates can vary hugely depending on destination and event date, these tips should help you get the best deal anytime and anywhere.
I would recommend:
- If you can, try and book your event at off peak times. Mondays and Fridays are often the cheapest, as are the summer months and school holidays.
- Booking directly with a venue means you will always receive the best possible rate and at the Golden Jubilee this is the best way to ensure all of your needs are met. Using a third party agent can sometimes add to the cost and information can get occasionally get lost in translation.
- It is usually possible to negotiate a discounted rate when booking last minute. However it is important to remember that you run the risk of missing out on your venue of choice or, worst case scenario, there may be no availability anywhere on popular dates.
- Always consider additional costs as venues can quote very differently so don’t presume that you are comparing like for like. You need to consider if costs such as free Wi-Fi and parking are included. Look out for packages such as “day delegate” rates or “24-hour delegate” rates, as these usually represent the best value.
- Always look out for special offers – these are limited time deals which can often let you grab a bargain, at a much lower price than usual. At the Golden Jubilee, we regularly have discounted rates if you are flexible or prepaying.
- If you are making a series of bookings you should tell the venue from the start of the discussion as corporate rates and discounts for “bulk” bookings can usually be negotiated.
The Cheapest Option is Not Always the Best Option
It’s always tempting to go for the cheapest deal, but sometimes when prices are low it is for a reason other than value and can make for an uncomfortable stay. Where possible, you should always choose a venue that truly understands your needs and has a dedicated conference or events team. For further info, please call our Events Team on 0141 951 6006.
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In the stressful world that is Event Planning and Conference Booking, there are 5 questions that come up time and time again in the venue. Our Conference Supervisor, Yvonne McLean, lists here the repeat offenders!
1. What’s the Wifi password?
Ask the venue in advance for the password – this saves time on the day and delegates can get connected as soon as they arrive. At the Golden Jubilee, we don’t have one so delegates can get online quickly with no hassle by agreeing to our T&Cs.
2. Extras!
Small word but covers a multitude. From an extra flipchart to extension leads – make sure you have the name and number of your key contact at the venue. Here at GJCH we have a handily located ‘bell’ in our Central plaza which connects immediately to either our conference team or our on-site AV technician. Also, a toolkit box in every conference room contains those small essential items that are so easy to forget – scissors, blue tac, post its, etc.
3. Communication/Keeping in Touch
‘Where’s so and so?’ ‘Did they get?’ ‘Can they bring?’
A top tip from Kirsten Burke, our Event Manager, “For our larger events, setting up a whatsapp group of key team members at the Jubilee and the event organisation staff, makes communication simple, effective and quick.”
4. Technology
Always great when it works but for the times that it doesn’t – keep calm and remember that glitches happen to the best of us. Check what support your venue can provide on the day. James Perrie, our dedicated on-site AV technician, advises ‘It’s always good to check beforehand that your devices are compatible with the technology in the venue. Even if it isn’t we can usually find a solution.”
5. Housekeeping
Half-way through the first speaker, the fire alarm goes off! Test or real? Familiarise yourself with fire exit routes, nearest toilets, etc. Yvonne has a list that she either sends out before the event or briefs the conference organiser on the day.
Another piece of advice from Kirsten is ‘Plan, plan and plan!’ Check out our Event Planner guide for a comprehensive check list that will help you smash it! https://www.goldenjubileehotel.com/conferences