Latest news with #EastsideRooms
Travel Daily News
5 days ago
- Business
- Travel Daily News
The Eastside Rooms makes Wellness Room permanent
The Eastside Rooms makes its wellness room permanent, reinforcing DEI values and supporting neurodivergent delegates with inclusive, calming event environments. Following its successful debut at the 2025 ABPCO Festival of Learning, The Eastside Rooms' wellness room – originally introduced as a temporary feature for the event – will become a permanent fixture at the venue. This decision underscores The Eastside Rooms' growing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and is a direct result of insights gained from recent industry-wide conversations around neurodiversity. The inspiration for the wellness room emerged from a session on neurodiversity at the ICCA UK & Ireland Chapter Conference, later explored further in the venue's own 'Eventful Encounters' podcast. The panel, featuring voices from across the sector, emphasised how essential it is to design event environments that are genuinely inclusive of neurodivergent delegates. For The Eastside Rooms, this sparked immediate action. The wellness room is designed to be a calm, tech-free space that offers: No phones or laptops allowed – creating a true mental break Bean bags and relaxed seating Cards and colouring books to engage the mind gently Noise-cancelling headphones for sensory relief Soft background music for a tranquil atmosphere 'The response from delegates at the ABPCO Festival was overwhelmingly positive,' said Leanne Bladen, Director of Sales and Marketing at The Eastside Rooms. 'It reinforced what we already knew: creating spaces that promote wellbeing isn't just a nice-to-have, it's essential.' The wellness room is just one example of The Eastside Rooms' holistic approach to DEI. As a Disability Confident Employer, the venue already champions inclusive recruitment practices, family-friendly policies, and partnerships with organisations such as Halesowen College to provide opportunities for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Over 200 individuals from underrepresented backgrounds have entered the hospitality sector through its partnerships with initiatives like Springboard. Building on the themes raised in the neurodiversity podcast, the venue has also created a suite of video guides to help delegates navigate the journey to and from the venue. These travel route videos offer visual and auditory cues to ease anxiety and improve accessibility, especially for neurodivergent guests. 'Inclusivity runs deeper than ramps and accessible toilets,' added Leanne. 'It's about the entire delegate journey. From how people arrive to how they unwind, we want every single guest to feel respected, understood, and supported.' With more than 76,000 delegates welcomed in 2024 and a 37.5% increase in association event turnover, The Eastside Rooms is proving that purpose-driven innovation drives real results. As the venue prepares to host events for organisations such as the Women's Engineering Society and the British Society for Intraoperative Neurophysiology, it continues to lead by example in championing DEI across the events industry.
Travel Daily News
16-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Birmingham celebrate two major conference wins
Birmingham to host BSSH and LabMedUK26 in 2026, highlighting its role as a key UK hub for medical conferences and innovation. Birmingham has secured two prestigious medical conferences set to take place in 2026, reinforcing its position as a leading hub for healthcare innovation and research. The British Society for Surgery of the Hand (BSSH) and LabMedUK26, the flagship event for the Association for Laboratory Medicine, will both be hosted at The Eastside Rooms following a successful partnership bid with the Birmingham and West Midlands Convention Bureau, part of the West Midlands Growth Company. The collaboration between The Eastside Rooms and the Convention Bureau was instrumental in securing the two events, which align perfectly with Birmingham's thriving Knowledge Quarter. The area is home to leading universities, pioneering medical research facilities, and world-class hospital infrastructure, making it a natural fit for these specialist conferences. The synergy between venue, city, and sector played a crucial role in the decision-making process for both associations. Together, the events are expected to attract over 600 delegates from across the UK and beyond, contributing significantly to the local economy through hotel stays, dining, transportation, and other visitor spend. The economic impact of hosting both conferences is projected to exceed £140,000, further cementing Birmingham's reputation as a destination of choice for high-profile academic and scientific gatherings. 'We are absolutely thrilled to welcome both BSSH and LabMedUK26 to The Eastside Rooms,' said Leanne Bladen, Director of Sales & Marketing at The Eastside Rooms. 'These wins are a testament to Birmingham's growing reputation as a medical and scientific powerhouse, and we're proud to offer a venue that reflects the professionalism and ambition of our clients.' Cllr John Cotton, Leader of Birmingham City Council, added: 'This demonstrates the power of collaboration in showcasing Birmingham's strengths in healthcare and life sciences. We are proud to have secured events that will not only bring economic value, but also deepen our flourishing links with national and international medical communities.' The President of The British Society for Surgery of the Hand, Carlos Heras-Palou, said: 'We are delighted to be bringing the BSSH Scientific Meeting to Birmingham. The Eastside Rooms, combined with the city's excellent transport links and proximity to leading clinical and academic institutions, offers a compelling destination for our members.' The Association for Laboratory Medicine's (LabMedUK26), CEO, Victoria Logan commented: 'Birmingham offers a vibrant backdrop for UKMedLab 2026, and we're excited to be working with The Eastside Rooms and WMGC to deliver a dynamic and inclusive conference. The city's investment in laboratory science and diagnostics, along with its central location, makes it the ideal setting for our flagship event. The Eastside Rooms stood out as the perfect venue for us – its flexible layout and spacious design support our varied programme and enable excellent networking, while its strong commitment to accessibility and sustainability aligns with our values.' With a commitment to fostering long-term partnerships and supporting the region's strengths in life sciences, The Eastside Rooms and West Midlands Growth Company continue to champion Birmingham as an ideal location for knowledge-led events that create lasting impact. The West Midlands boasts a £10.3bn full-service life sciences economy. The region has 87,000 STEM students graduating each year from its world-class universities, and more than 17,000 healthcare professionals. It also provides investors with a dynamic alternative to the UK's traditional life sciences 'golden triangle' of Oxford, Cambridge and London.
