ISO achievements mark great start to 2009 for The ICC

ISO achievements mark great start to 2009 for The ICC

The International Convention Centre Birmingham has become only the second venue in the UK to achieve both leading international standards accreditation for quality (ISO 9001) and environmental (ISO 14001) management systems.

These standards provide customers with the assurance that their event will be delivered to their requirements and in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Geoff Fenlon, General Manager at The ICC, and Team ICC were presented with the certificates by BM TRADA’s Andy Green.

Geoff Fenlon said: “The ICC has always had an outstanding reputation as the host tothe finest international and national associations, as well as many blue chip companies .Our aim throughout is to “wow” our customers.The ISO 9001 award just confirms our approach of working with clients to ensure their event is a huge success – that’s why we have published our service promise.

“By achieving not just ISO9001 but also ISO14001 at the same time we bring together 2 of the most important aspects of running a top class venue – consistently delivering what the customer wants with minimum negative impact on the environment.These accreditations show that the customer and the environment are integral and central to how we work..

“Combined together, these two standards provide our delegates and organisers with the assurance that their event at the ICC will be of an exceptionally high quality.

“The auditor visited us for three days last November, examining our systems and commented that the internal audits undertaken by The ICC team were some of the best that she had seen.”

BM TRADA’s Andy Green said: “This is an excellent achievement by The ICC and shows genuine commitment to providing and environmentally sustainable venue.Geoff and all his team should feel very proud to be at the forefront in this way.”

The ICC is now looking forward to hosting the Liberal Democrat’s Spring Conference in 2010, and their full conference in 2011, following the successes of the Labour Party Spring Conference and Conservative Party Annual Conference, both of which were held in 2008.

A trip down memory lane at The NEC

A trip down memory lane at The NEC

Employees at Birmingham’s NEC took a trip down memory lane to the venue’s beginnings more than 30 years ago – when they welcomed a very special visitor to the exhibition centre.

The daughter of the architect who designed the first ever halls visited for the first time, to see what her father masterminded in the seventies.

Mrs Gillian Payne and her husband Jim were given a VIP tour of The NEC by Event Managers Mike Dolphin and Sandra Williams, before meeting its Managing Director, Kathryn James.

Mrs Payne’s father Edward Mills, who passed away in 1998, designed Halls 1 to 5 of the venue, which set the standard across Europe when it was officially opened by the Queen in 1976 and remains the UK’s biggest and busiest exhibition venue.

Today The NEC has 20 halls totalling 195,000sqm of exhibition space on a 650-acre site, and future plans include proposals for £90million Leisure and Entertainment Complex onsite, called Resorts World @ The NEC, which will be delivered in partnership with casino operator Genting UK.

This is part of The NEC Group’s vision of a Destination NEC where a range of leisure and business facilities would compliment the exhibition halls and LG Arena and create a work, rest and play environment.

Kathryn James, Managing Director of The NEC, said: “It was wonderful to meet Mrs Payne and her husband, and a real pleasure to be able to show her the site her father designed.

“When it opened in 1976 The NEC set a benchmark of excellence across Europe, gradually developing into the 650 acre site it is today.

“Edward Mills’ groundbreaking designs, which complimented its central location with accessible travel by road rail and air helped make it a successful venue ever since, welcoming millions of visitors from across the world.

Mrs Payne said: “It was a very emotional journey for me to see The NEC for the first time.

“The visit was very moving for me as the NEC is such a memorial to my father and the project he was most proud of. Growing up I was forever hearing tales of his work there, and he would be so proud to see how it has gone forward.”

NEC Group arenas record 1.6 million visitors in 2008

NEC Group arenas record 1.6 million visitors in 2008

Sell out concerts from major artists including Coldplay and Oasis were just part of the 1.6million tickets sold for events at Birmingham’s two biggest music, sporting and entertainment venues last year.

The figures come from ticket sales to shows at Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena (The NIA) and the LG Arena, formerly The NEC Arena, which is in the midst of a £29million refurbishment programme.

Box office statistics unveiled this month reveal that nearly 780,000 tickets were sold for events at The LG Arena, whilst there were 821,000 for The NIA.

Rockers Kings of Leon broke box office attendance records with a 14,000 turn-out for their show at The NIA in December.

Meanwhile Coldplay sold 37,311 tickets performing three nights at the venue, and Oasis 27,311 tickets over two nights.

The figure also includes visitors to the LG Arena, including tickets sold for Horse of The Year Show, Best in Show for Crufts and TV spin offs Dancing On Ice and Strictly Come Dancing.

Phil Mead, Director of Arenas, The NEC Group said: “An attendance of 1.6million people between our iconic venues is a number that not many other cities can boast.

“As a venue, The NIA is renowned for hosting the finest international live music and sporting events. We stage a diverse range of shows for hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

“The introduction of hospitality boxes last year further improved this offering, as well as increasing our capacity to 14,000.

“Meanwhile the LG Arena is undergoing a dramatic £29million improvement programme that will make it a world class 21st century visitor attraction, and ensure it continues as a must stop destination on the European Touring Circuit.

”With these improvements in place we are ensuring our venues continue to be as ever popular in the future.”

NEC Group appoints new solicitor to in-house team

NEC Group appoints new solicitor to in-house team

The NEC Group has appointed solicitor Emma Dickson to its Legal Services team.

Emma, who is currently Birmingham Law Society’s Commercial Solicitor of the Year for 2008, has joined The NEC Group from legal firm Browne Jacobson.

Emma said: “Working in-house you get to know the business and your clients a lot better. Roles like this at organisations as diverse as The NEC Group don’t often come up, and I’m really looking forward to making my mark.”

Keith Marriott, Group General Counsel, said: “I am very pleased to be able to welcome Emma to our team.I am sure that she will be a great addition to The NEC Group and an asset in the future.”

Working closely with the Group General Counsel, Emma will be focussing on providing legal support for the procurement team, developing venue agreements and working on internal projects.

Anastacia In Concert at Birmingham’s NIA Academy

Anastacia In Concert at Birmingham’s NIA Academy

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Anastacia In Concert at Birmingham’s NIA Academy
Issue Date: 03/03/2009

“Anastacia can more than match any singer of her generation. She is a class act at the top of her game”- DAILY MIRROR

The lady with the most distinctive voice in pop music is back. Fresh off the back of the release of her critically acclaimed album Heavy Rotation, Anastacia is set to tour the UK and Europe this summer. Anastacia performs at The NIA Academy on Sunday 28 June 2009.

Tickets priced £32.00 and £36.00 plus booking and transaction fee go on general sale at 9am on Friday 6 March 2009. Tickets can be purchased on-line at theticketfactory.com or by calling The Ticket Factory on 0844 33 88 000.

With over 14 million album sales in Europe alone, in excess of 225 Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum discs, countless awards (from MTV to Marie-Claire awards), and a record-breaking chart history to her name, Anastacia is not only one of the biggest selling artists of this decade, but also one of the biggest names in today’s music industry.

This tour will be the first time Anastacia has hit the road since 2005. Aside from featuring songs from Heavy Rotation Anastacia will also be performing favourites such as I’m Outta Love, Left Outside Alone and One Day in Your Life from previous albums Not That Kind, Freak of Nature, and Anastacia. The tour is being directed by Kim Gavin, the Creative Director and Producer of all live events for Take That, (including their forthcoming Stadium tour), the 2007 Concert For Diana and the 2007/2008 Viva La Diva Tour with Darcey Bussell and Katherine Jenkins.

Anastacia will begin her UK tour in London on 25th June. Prior to her arrival in the UK, Anastacia will be performing at the Women’s World Achievement Awards in Vienna on March 5th, where she is nominated for the award of Woman of the Year. Previous winners include Oprah Winfrey, Vivienne Westwood, Susan Sarandon and Whitney Houston amongst others.

Phenomenal Public Demand Secures Second Date for Michael McIntyre

Phenomenal Public Demand Secures Second Date for Michael McIntyre

Due to overwhelming public demand tickets are now on sale for a second Michael McIntyre date at Birmingham’s NIA. Comedy’s hottest property will now perform on new date – Thursday 8 October and original date Friday 9 October 2009.

Having taken the comedy world by storm last year with sell-out shows around the country including an impressive 5 nights at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, Michael returns to the road with a brand new show.

His hugely successful debut DVD Michael McIntyre Live & Laughing has now sold over 600,000 copies and has been at the top of the comedy charts for over 3 months. Michael’s brilliantly engaging delivery and effortless rapport with the audience has led to him being hailed, by audiences and critics alike, as the best new stand-up to emerge for years.

A DVD of Michael’s 2009 arena show will be released by Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd on Monday 16th November 2009.

Michael is set to host a brand new BBC1 show Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow coming to our screens in Spring 2009. Further information will be released over the coming weeks.

Tickets priced £30.00 plus booking and transaction fee can be purchased on-line at theticketfactory.com or by calling The Ticket Factory on 0844 33 88 000.

The National Wedding Show Returns To The NEC

The National Wedding Show Returns To The NEC

From the venue to the menu, from the proposal to the Big Day, The National Wedding Show at The NEC, Birmingham, offers excited newly-weds-to-be everything they need to help them plan their dream wedding. All in one place, all in one day visitors can choose wedding gowns, occasion wear, menswear, accessories, favours, cakes, photography, flowers, gift lists, honeymoon destinations, stationery, beauty, entertainment, venues and much more.

From March 13 – 15 the pages of glossy magazines will come to life at this celebratory Show. Visitors can taste cakes, smell flower displays, try on dresses and choose accessories. There is so much to see and do with more than 250 experts and five inspirational features. It is the ultimate wedding shopping experience with thousands of ideas for whatever stage of planning the happy couple are at. It’s a fun and inspiring day out for all the wedding party, the bride and groom-to-be, their mothers, bridesmaids, page boys, the best man and even stags and hens.

The glamorous Catwalk Show offers further inspiration and a sneak preview of the unique and stunning collections on offer at The National Wedding Show. The Boutique Area brings together the hottest names in retail and design to house the UK’s largest collection of wedding dresses under one roof. From full on fairytale to Hollywood glamour, every style, fabric and colour you could imagine is here; vintage, empire lines, traditional, voluminous, contemporary, simple, and embellished – whatever style you’re looking for, whatever your budget you’ll be spoilt for choice. And it’s not all about dresses; there is an exquisite range of accessories including tiaras, headpieces, veils, fascinators, underwear, jewellery and footwear too!

At the Wedding Theatre, the How to Look Good Show – a live make-over show hosted by TV’s style guru Caryn Franklin (The Clothes Show, Style Challenge, GMTV and This Morning), and her expert team of make-up artists and hairdressers – will provide visitors with top tips on how to create your dream ‘Big Day look.’ The Inspiration Sessions are fun, interactive and informative chats hosted by leading figures from the wedding industry who share top tips on topics such as budgeting and planning, wedding flowers and cakes.

Of course it’s not all about the bride, which is why The National Wedding Show ensures they have the very best in groomswear from traditional tops and tails to contemporary styles – with Hugh Harris, Moss Bross, Young’s Hire, Geoffrey Tailor, and Losners to mention a few, as well as a selection of bridesmaid dresses, mother-of-the-bride outfits and occasionwear to boot.

As fun as wedding planning is, it can be thirsty work, so the Celebrations Bar will be stocked with champagne enabling shoppers to kick back and relax with a chilled glass of bubbly to toast to future happiness.

The National Wedding Show is at The NEC, Birmingham, from March 13 – 15. Tickets bought in advance start at £10, subject to booking fee. Book by calling The Ticket Factory on 0844 338 8000 or online at http://www.theticketfactory.com.

Final Line-Up Announced For Dancing On Ice

Final Line-Up Announced For Dancing On Ice
After wowing more than 500,000 people across the country in 2007 and 2008 with stunning ice performances, Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean will embark on a third live UK tour of Dancing on Ice which comes to Birmingham’s NIA from Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 April.

Tickets are still available priced from £32.50 – £45, subject to booking and transaction fee. Book by calling The Ticket Factory on 0844 33 88 000 or online at http://www.theticketfactory.com.

This tour will celebrate the 25th anniversary of skating legends Torvill & Dean’s Olympic Gold medal win for their stunning Bolero routine at the Sarajevo Winter Olympics in 1984. They will be joined by past and present Dancing on Ice celebrity contestants Kyran Bracken, Todd Carty, Chris Fountain, Melinda Messenger, Roxanne Pallett, Ray Quinn, Zoe Salmon, Suzanne Shaw and Jessica Taylor.

All the celebrities will be trained and choreographed by Torvill & Dean who will also perform at each show. Olympic gold medal winner Robin Cousins will lead the panel of rink-side judges who will critique their performances. The full judging panel is now confirmed and consists of Karen Barber, Robin Cousins, Ruthie Henshall and Nicky Slater. There will also be one guest judging seat for each date, organisers are in the process of lining up some very special guestsAt each performance the audience will have a chance to vote for their favourite skating celebrity. Replicating the format of the hit ITV1 show, they will be able to use their mobile phones to text vote for their favourite dancing couple. The audience votes will then be added to the scores from the Judges to decide the winner. Once the votes have been counted, the winning celebrity will join their skating partner to perform a magical finale. As with the previous tours, all profits from text voting will go to charity, more than £45,000 has been raised to date.

Arqiva named as principal cell site partner for pioneering 3G network integration project

Arqiva named as principal cell site partner for pioneering 3G network integration project

Strategic site partner for T-MobileUK and 3 UK joint venture

· Arqiva to provide 5,100 sites to support acceleration of 3G network integration

· Arqiva site portfolio offers fast turnaround and cost-effective sharing

· Network consolidation will deliver near complete 3G population coverage by 2010

Mobile Broadband Network Limited (MBNL), the joint venture between T-Mobile UK and 3 UK formed to create and manage what will be the UK’s most extensive 3G network, has selected Arqiva as its strategic partner for the provision of cell sites.

Under the terms of the 10-year agreement, Arqiva will provide MBNL with 5,100 sites and Arqiva will have exclusive marketing rights for site sharing services on a further 2,500 sites.

T-MobileUK and 3 UK entered into an infrastructure consolidation agreement in January 2008 with the objective of creating the UK’s most extensive 3G network by 2010, providing close to complete nationwide population coverage. This pioneering model for network consolidation will dramatically increase the uptake of 3G services as a result of improved nationwide coverage and the higher quality of in-building reception. The reduction in capital investment in infrastructure, the decommissioning of an estimated 5,000 sites and the lower operational costs achieved by jointly managing and maintaining a shared network is expected to generate a joint saving of £2 billion over 10 years.

Graham Payne, managing director of MBNL, said: This is a substantial contract for MBNL and the most significant in terms of provision of sites for the integrated network. The Arqiva team has given us a lot of confidence in its ability to quickly deliver the sites and upgrades as the pace of network consolidation rapidly increases over the course of 2009. We are delighted to have Arqiva as our strategic partner and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship.

John Cronin, managing director of Arqiva’s Wireless Access division, said: We are very pleased to continue our long-standing relationship with T-Mobile and 3 UK and to be playing such a significant role in this groundbreaking project.

This announcement is the latest in series of key agreements awarded by MBNL covering 3G radio network infrastructure, network design and deployment, high-capacity backhaul and radio access network operations. MBNL is currently engaged in an intensive programme of site consolidation, cell site equipment upgrades and capacity expansion with the goal of delivering a fully integrated network by 2010.

Arqiva has over 24,000 marketable sites, many of which are in key urban locations, and has over 80 years’ experience in the deployment, management and maintenance of wireless networks throughout the UK.

T-Mobile announces exclusive on the LG Arena in titan black

T-Mobile announces exclusive on the LG Arena in titan black

T-Mobile LG Arena in titan black “ key features:

§ High quality music and viewing experience with built-in Dolby® Mobile 2.0 for crisp, clear sound with MP3 files and video files

§ High performance touch-screen and easy-to-use on-screen virtual scroll-wheel to access internet, music, and Mobile TV on the move

§ 8Gb internal memory to store even more tracks

§ Expand your music collection with T-Mobile Mobile Jukebox, a one-stop destination for music downloads, news and merchandise

§ Surf the whole internet as you could on your PC or use the phone as a modem for your laptop via T-Mobile web˜n’walk

§ In-built 5 Mega pixel camera

LG Arena in titan black photography available on request

London, 26 March 2009: The new LG Arena will be exclusively available on T-Mobile in titan black, the mobile network announced today. The LG Arena comes with built-in Dolby Mobile sound for music fans who want a quality sound experience and is also designed to have a large screen to make it perfect for surfing the internet via T-Mobile web˜n’walk. The phone boasts the latest Dolby®Mobile 2.0 technology which means that you can enjoy video and music files in surround sound.

The phone is exclusively available from T-Mobile in a high-gloss, titan black and has a sleek touch screen with a clever little on-screen virtual scroll-wheel for easy access to music. The LG Arena also boasts a host of other features that make it ideal for music lovers, including a large screen which is perfect for watching music video downloads and access to Mobile Jukebox, T-Mobile’s mobile music download service, which offers instant access to full length music tracks and videos. The large screen also makes it ideal for customers who want to use the phone to watch their favourite YouTube clips and access social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Daniel Meredith, Head of Handset and Device Marketing, T-MobileUK: The LG Arena is not only a great looking handset, but it also comes with the sound quality credentials such as the Dolby Mobile sound that music fanatics will love. This phone is also top notch in terms of all-round performance and speed and it’s perfect for accessing our Mobile Jukebox service which connects our music-loving customers to the artists, news and music they want, whenever and wherever they want.

Jeremy Newing, LG Head of Marketing Mobile, added: We’re really proud of the LG Arena. We wanted to design a phone that would bring music closer to our customers. The Arena does this with its 3D user interface and on-screen virtual scroll-wheel for easy access and browsing. We designed the Arena with music in mind, placing a 3.5mm jack on the top of the handset and equipping it with an FM transmitter so our customers can play their tunes on any radio and even in the car.

The LG Arena in titan black will be available from T-Mobile stores from March 2009. For more details please visit: http://www.t-mobile.co.uk.