DOMESTIC TRAVEL
In the English heartland
Situated in the heart of England the City of Coventry and the nearby town of Warwick are perfect illustrations of the contrasting sides to the English Midlands in the 21st century; one, a modern metropolitan centre, the other, steeped in medieval charm and beauty. MICHAEL SCANLON
looks at what these areas have to offer a PA
Coventry is the second largest city in the Midlands, after Birmingham, but it is by no means second best. In recent years the city’s population has grown to over 300,000 and it is now the ninth largest city in England. This rapid growth has brought about much needed investment in the city, which in turn has led to new employment opportunities. The redevelopment of the city centre, under the banner of ‘The Phoenix Initiative’, has been a major part in this new lease of life and has been recognised with no fewer than 16 awards. Further development is planned, including a major project involving the city’s canals. Eleven miles south of Coventry is the picturesque
town of Warwick. Notable for its medieval architecture, famous castle and popular racecourse, Warwick has become a popular destination for tourists and regularly hosts music and literature events. Both destinations are well served by transport links; London is only an hour and a half away by train and the M6 and M40 motorways link Coventry and Warwick respectively with the rest of the road network. The surrounding area of Warwickshire and the West Midlands has a huge selection of first class venues suit- able for hosting events from informal parties to large conferences. One of the venues that perfectly encapsu- lates the mix of old and new that the area has to offer is Coombe Abbey. This site dates back nearly 900 years and was indeed once a working Abbey. Today, after almost 20 years of investment and development Coombe Abbey is now the site of a hotel, restaurant, banqueting and con- ference suite and has been recognised with awards for its business prowess and customer service. As well as venues steeped in history, Warwickshire also has many contemporary hotels offering state-of-the- art facilities. At Junction 2 of the M6 is The Hilton Coventry. The hotel is located just 25 minutes’ drive from Birmingham International Airport with excellent road links to the M1 and M40 motorways. It has all the mod cons you’d expect including Wi-Fi, meeting rooms and a dedicated business centre.
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Contrary to its name the University of Warwick is actually closer to Coventry and Kenilworth than it is to Warwick. The University is the site of Warwick Conference’s Conference Park, a unique package offering services and amenities available from the University of Warwick campus. Boardrooms; tiered auditoria, includ- ing a 1,200 seat conference hall; a 570 seat theatre; a 250 seat conference room plus full access to the University’s comprehensive sports facilities are all available through the Conference Park. Warwick Conferences also offers three other purpose built training and conference centres in the area – Arden, Radcliffe and Scarman. Each centre is equipped with the latest audio-visual facilities and has a dedicated team on site. With the Ricoh Arena in Coventry and The
University of Warwick both being chosen to play a part in the 2012 Olympics, and the redevelopment of Coventry continuing at a pace, it’s clear that the area will continue to receive welcome attention and investment in the coming years. E
CONTACTS
The Coventry & Warwickshire Convention Bureau www.cw-conventionbureau
.co.uk 0844 873 6397/8
Coombe Abbey Hotel
www.coombeabbey.com 024 7645 0450
Hilton Coventry
www.hilton.co.uk/coventry 024 7660 3000 024 7684 1018
Warwick Conferences
www2.warwick.ac.uk/ conferences 024 7652 3222
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