Edinburgh Conference Centre

NEWS RELEASE
October 2007
EDINBURGH CONFERENCE CENTRE UNVEILS NEW WEBSITE

Summer 2007 has seen the unveiling of an exciting, new visual identity for the Edinburgh Conference Centre at Heriot Watt University, introduced across all elements of the company's marketing material. Now to complement and reflect this vibrant ‘new look', the website with its new address - http://www.edinburgh-conference.com/ - has also been re-launched.

Says Tom Goodfellow, Sales & Marketing Manager for the Edinburgh Conference Centre: ""It is essential that the website, which we are re-launching, not only reflects our new, modern image but also reinforces the same user-friendly, fully-interactive design philosophies, which we are now committed to adopting across all our marketing principles.

"What's new: the website copy is factual, however, not lengthy, as in our new brochure; the main focus is ease of navigation; a dedicated section for conference organisers giving instant access to all the resources required to plan a successful event at the centre; customer feedback forms; useful downloads including floorplans and menus; and the virtual tour of the facilities has been upgraded for users to fully appreciate the extensive investment from which the centre has benefited. Our main marketing focus will be via our new site and we will actively promote regular news items, events and special offers"

"The improvements to our visual image marked the first phase of implementing our repositioning plans for the Edinburgh Conference Centre, ensuring we project a more commercial image for this prestigious, stand-alone conference venue. The second phase of our repositioning has reached completion with the launch of our new website."

Notes:

The updated logo - white text on blue - is clearer and stronger. The full-colour brochure - predominantly in strong purple reflecting the venue's Scottish roots and a front cover image of the Forth Road Bridge - has been designed in a folder-style format, with individual, illustrated insert sheets on the Centre's extensive facilities and services, making it totally flexible and user-friendly, adaptable to the respective needs of meeting and event organisers, or wedding planners.

These developments follow shortly on the heels of the completion of a major upgrade to the Audio Visual facilities at the purpose-built Edinburgh Conference Centre. A total of £57,000 has been invested in improvements to the sound, lighting and projection facilities in the purpose-built James Watt I Auditorium, which seats 600 in tiered seating.

The Edinburgh Conference Centre at Heriot-Watt University is set in a peaceful location, six miles west of Edinburgh and its many attractions; three miles 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 centre is free and the campus offers 165 bedrooms of dedicated accommodation for guests, with over 900 rooms available in vacation periods.

Complementing the James Watt Centre I and located within the same building, the flexible James Watt Centre II appeals to a wider audience and is able to accommodate cabaret-style events, awards dinners, product launches, conferences, training seminars and receptions. It has a capacity of 400 for dinner and 800 for receptions. High-speed wireless internet access has been installed recently throughout the two centres and the smaller meeting rooms.