NTU Events and Conferencing was crowned ‘Best Business Events Venue of the Year’ at the annual Nottinghamshire Hospitality Stars Awards 2019.

Winners were announced at the black-tie awards ceremony at Crowne Plaza, Nottingham on Thursday 24^th October.

Organised by Visit Nottinghamshire, the official tourism body for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, and produced in association with Visit England Awards for Excellence, the Nottinghamshire Stars Awards recognise the best in the leisure, culture, tourism and hospitality sectors in the county.

The awards celebrate the achievements of Nottinghamshire’s thriving tourism and hospitality sector, which employs over 23,000 people and worth over £1.9bn and highlights the people and organisations that contribute.

Commenting on the award Nicola Webb, Sales and Marketing manager of NTU Events and Conferencing, said:

“We are absolutely delighted to have won ‘Best Business Events Venue of the Year’ at the Nottinghamshire Hospitality Stars Awards.

The awards highlight the best hospitality and tourism businesses in Nottinghamshire and recognised by the national tourist board, so we are pleased that our team’s hard work and excellence is acknowledged with this accolade.”

NTU Events and Conferencing hosts over 500 events a year across three Nottingham Trent University campus’.

A new Music Centre has opened at Nottingham Trent University following the transformation of a former Weslyan Chapel into University Hall.

University Hall has been a two-phase project to refurbish and extend 48 Shakespeare Street. The first phase saw the creation of a new graduation hall, which held its first ceremonies in July last year.

Since then, work has continued to extend the building, constructed in 1854, sympathetically and to accommodate a new Music Centre with dance and music studios as well as a dining facility and a green living wall. This work has now finished and the modern extension links to the main building via a glass vestibule.

The Music Centre opened this month but will be operating fully from September when the new dining facility will also open.

Matthew Hopkins, Director of Music at Nottingham Trent University, said: “We now have five bookable practice rooms, a state of the art Dance Studio with a sprung floor and an ensemble room. The facility will offer a modern environment for staff and students to enjoy, giving the opportunity to practice, rehearse and make music in a bespoke and pleasant atmosphere.”

YMD Boon is the firm of architects who have worked on the project, which has been managed by Gleeds property and construction consultancy.

Director at YMD Boon, Shari Setayesh, said: “We’re so pleased to see this stunning development reach completion and it is wonderful to bring one of Nottingham’s important religious heritage buildings back to its former glory to be enjoyed by students and staff for years to come.

“Thorough research into the origins of the building ensured that no detail was missed in restoring and conserving the hall’s many original features.

“The new modern extension includes a green living wall and will house a music school, offices, a restaurant and a café. The music school is joined to the listed building via a glass link. This glass link provides a subtle transition between the old and the new and includes a lift and staircase, providing access to both the existing and the new building.

“Careful conservation and restoration were maintained throughout, resulting in bespoke components being made to complete a unique asset to NTU and we’re delighted to have delivered the university’s vision.”

Tom Shipman, director at Gleeds said: “It is fantastic to finally see the accumulation of three and half years of dedication by the project team working seamlessly together along with the Conservation Officer to deliver an impressive and architecturally sympathetic building. The green wall is already proving to have a positive impact at the University, further enhancing this historical part of Shakespeare Street.”

Steve Denton, Chief Operating Officer at Nottingham Trent University, said: “I’m delighted that we have been able to create an outstanding venue for performance and celebration, which has a contemporary feel whilst recognising its heritage. It will benefit not only our students and colleagues, but also be an important asset for the city.”

Leading academic events and conference venue, Nottingham Conference Centre will today launch as the newly rebranded ‘NTU Events and Conferencing’.

The rebrand is part of a long-term plan to strengthen its position and be better aligned with Nottingham Trent University (NTU), offering first-class events and conference facilities across its Nottingham City, Clifton Science and Technology, and Brackenhurst Campuses.

NTU launched Nottingham Conference Centre back in 2010 to offer events and conference space solely at its city centre campus. It quickly became a premier conference centre for the East Midlands region. Since then, NTU has invested significantly in the development of its facilities across all campuses providing a vastly improved events and conferencing offer.

NTU Events and Conferencing will have an extensive and diverse portfolio of spaces in Nottinghamshire to offer clients. Spaces will include specialised laboratories, a bespoke veterinary centre, a self-contained building for conferencing and events and exceptional sporting facilities.

Katie Hernandez, Conference Operations Manager who has led the team through the rebrand commented: “This has been an exciting time for the commercial team to strategically position ourselves within the university and to embrace the diversity of our campus facilities to suit our commercial clients. Nottingham Conference Centre has won many awards over the years including M&IT Bronze Best Academic Venue and more recently the Best Exhibition Space at the CN Academic Venue Awards, further cementing our position as a leading East Midlands venue. With space across our combined campuses, and access to our specialist facilities, our business will continue to grow and support Nottingham Trent University.”

NTU Chief Operating Officer, Steve Denton, said: “We have a wide variety of impressive buildings and modern facilities across all of our campuses. NTU Events and Conferencing becoming more closely aligned to the University means that these outstanding spaces can be opened up as part of a diverse portfolio of event venues.”

To support the rebrand, a new website will be launched www.ntueventsandconferencing.co.uk which will be showcased along with the portfolio of spaces at The Meetings Show, Olympia London, 26 & 27June 2019. NTU Events and Conferencing will be at stand J501 as part of the Meet in Nottingham team.