September sees the unveiling of a ‘new look’ for the James Watt Centre II at Edinburgh’s Conference Centre (ECC). A substantial financial investment made in the Centre’s refurbishment has ensured that this international venue now offers a significantly wider choice of purpose-built facilities, catering to the needs of the conference, or corporate buyer and offering new facilities for the function organiser.
Complementing the James Watt Centre I with its tiered auditorium and meeting rooms (and located within the same building), the naturally-lit James Watt Centre II is now more versatile, appealing to a more glamorous audience and able to accommodate cabaret-style events, awards dinners, product launches, conferences, training seminars and receptions.
The main hall at James Watt Centre II is now ideal for dining, receptions and cabaret-style events. It has a capacity of 350 for dinner and 700 for receptions. Its adjoining Gibson Room, which can be sub-divided for smaller groups, caters for 90 theatre style, 80 boardroom and 72 U-shape. A team of professional ECC event co-ordinators is on hand to assist, together with technical support. The new facilities, available all year round, comprise:
· a flat hall, with flexible layouts
· new stage set with backdrop, easily removable for exhibitions
· state-of-the-art lighting and presentation equipment
· new curtains
· upgraded tables and chairs
Says Judith Sanderson, Senior Conference Executive at the ECC: “When it first opened in the 1990s, the James Watt Centre II was designed as hall space to support James Watt Centre I, with exhibition and break out space. Our research, however, carried out over the past few months, has revealed the need to facilitate change and focus on offering alternative usage, more suitable to hosting a wider range of both business and private events.
“We are now in a position here at the Centre to offer, for either day-time or evening events, the option of tiered, or flat seating arrangements under the same roof; and continue to offer buyers our value-for-money pricing levels.”
The ECC at Heriot-Watt University is set in a peaceful location, six miles west of Edinburgh and its many attractions; 10 minutes’ drive from Edinburgh airport; one hour’s drive from Glasgow, Stirling and Perth; and four hour’s by train from London. Car parking for delegates using the ECC at Heriot-Watt University is free and the campus offers 165 bedrooms of dedicated accommodation for guests, with over 1000 rooms available in vacation periods.
Scott Robertson, Marketing Manager, Business Tourism at VisitScotland, is similarly enthusiastic about the new developments: “Having a world-class conference venue such as the Edinburgh Conference Centre is a real asset for business tourism in Scotland. The improved and more flexible facilities at the James Watt Centre II have ensured the appeal of this venue will continue to increase, maintaining its role as an integral part of the ECC.”
For further press information (photographs, press facility visits, releases by email):
Jill Faulds, JF Associates
T: 01227 722033
E: jill@jfapr.demon.co.uk
<< Return to news articles
|
