Unique Bristol venue wins silver for EnjoyEngland Excellence

27/04/2010

Categories: News

BRUNEL’S ss Great Britain in Bristol has won silver for its venue hire business in the EnjoyEngland Excellence Awards 2010.

It is the third EnjoyEngland Excellence Award the historic ship has won in the last three years, and follows ‘Outstanding Customer Service’ in 2009 and ‘Large Visitor Attraction of the Year’ in 2007.

The award for ‘Business Tourism’ recognises the excellence of the venue’s setting, its catering, and customer service, as well as new improvements including sustainability.

Brunel’s ss Great Britain, an independent museum and registered charity, generates revenue through visitors, fundraising, and Bristol venue hire – ranging from corporate events through to Christmas parties, private celebrations, and Bristol weddings and civil partnerships.

The historic ship’s events team came second to London Excel – a massive purpose-built conferencing centre designed for business tourism.

This latest silver award follows recognition by museum peers earlier this month which named Brunel’s ss Great Britain as one of the world’s ‘top 10’ museums of the last decade, and in March the museum was awarded the title Rough Guide to Accessible Britain ‘Best Heritage Venue’. Since re-launch in 2005 Brunel’s ss Great Britain has won more than 20 major awards, covering heritage, tourism, conservation, education and access.

The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2010 are now in their 21st year, and they promote healthy industry competition and high standards, ensuring England remains a world-class destination. The 46 gold and silver winners were selected from over 100 regional winners submitted by the nine regions of England and were rigorously assessed by independent assessors and a team of judges to make it through to the national final. A panel of tourism industry judges including previous gold winners, travel journalists and industry experts selected the finalists.  

The ss Great Britain Trust’s Director of Sales and Marketing Susannah Cole commented: “This award recognises the exceptional quality of venue hire at Brunel’s ss Great Britain, from the stunning and unique setting, to outstanding event management and customer service, good value, and high quality wines and food.

“All our clients – from corporate event managers organising a networking event, a product launch or annual general meeting, to brides and grooms, and private individuals celebrating anniversaries or retirements – are massively important to the events team and to the ss Great Britain. Every event helps to generate funds to care for this historic and iconic ship.

“Awards like this are valued by clients, who quite rightly demand the best in quality and service, as well as a truly unique and inspiring venue. We expect that this EnjoyEngland award will help attract further venue hire business, especially as it follows continued national and international recognition and excellent word-of-mouth recommendation.”

VisitEngland Chief Executive, James Berresford said: “The fantastic diversity and quality of tourism product across the length and breadth of England means we can compete confidently on the international stage, making this country a must visit destination for Brits and overseas visitors.”

Brian Richardson, executive secretary of The Caravan Club, headline sponsor of the awards, said: “The Caravan Club is delighted to support these prestigious awards which recognise such high standards of quality across the whole spectrum of English tourism. We know these award winners will be beacons of inspiration for many other tourism companies to follow.”

Seven South West tourism businesses won national awards at this year’s Enjoy England Awards for Excellence Awards 2010.

Alistair Handyside, Chairman of South West Tourism, said: “Many congratulations to all of our national winners, who are exceptional businesses and deserving of this national recognition, this is a wonderful achievement. In a time of economic uncertainty these businesses have shown that they have kept driving forward and have not compromised on the quality of their businesses, and we hope they will reap the rewards in terms of bookings and visits.” 

Other Bristol organisations which received awards were Oakham Treasures, for ‘Small Visitor Attraction of the Year’, and Bordeaux Quay for ‘Sustainable Tourism’.

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