Wyboston Lakes, the UK's largest privately owned single site conference and training centre, has achieved Gold status in a demanding sustainability standard operated by one of the world's leading conference centre organisations.

Wyboston Lakes is one of only seven members of the UK chapter of the International Association of Conference Centres (IACC), the worldwide organisation that promotes excellence in the conference sector, to have reached the Gold standard.  IACC is heavily committed to promoting environmentally responsible practices within the global venues sector, and has in place a rigorous Code of Sustainability.  The Code has more than 50 specific performance tenets in areas that include waste management, recycling, water conservation, energy management, air quality and purchasing.

IACC monitors and updates the Code periodically in order to ensure that it reflects state-of-the-art best practices.  Members are required to report on their activities and in the latest iteration of the Code: Wyboston Lakes has now progressed from Silver to Gold status. Gold status is only awarded to venues that achieve at least 85% of the tenets.

Wyboston Lakes has developed a wide-ranging commitment to the environment over many years, including compacting all its cardboard waste, using water from its own lakes to irrigate its grounds and reducing energy usage in a number of ways.  It also has a continuous programme of tree planting across its 350 acre site, having planted many thousands of saplings and mature trees.

The venue has also progressively recycled more and more of its used products, and is now extending this policy to embrace all its food waste, which has previously gone to landfill.  It is this key development that has helped to secure the IACC standard.

"Sustainability is a key strategic driver for us, and progress against one of the sector's most exacting global standards is very pleasing," commented Wyboston Lakes operations director Barry Stonham: "It underlines the fact that we are continuing to progress, rather than being satisfied with the many things we have already achieved." 

ends

Notes for editors

Wyboston Lakes is the UK's largest privately owned single site residential conference and training centre, centrally located on a 350 acre rural estate between Cambridge and Bedford, close to the A1 and M1 road networks and local railway links.

It has a large and diverse portfolio of customers in the UK and increasingly from overseas, ranging from FTSE Top 250 companies and government departments to SMEs, charities and not-for-profit organisations.  Since it opened in 1990, more than £35 million has been spent in developing the site as an award-winning provider for both day and residential events of all types. The site has a total of 403 bedrooms and more than 70 conference, meeting and syndicate rooms with capacities of up to 270.

Uniquely on a single site, Wyboston Lakes has three distinct conference and training centres, offering a complete spectrum of options in terms of facility, space, style and budget:

Robinson Executive Conference Centre
Conference Suites at Wyboston Lakes Hotel
Willows Training Centre

On-site leisure facilities are comprehensive, and include an 18 hole golf course, a full sports and leisure centre, watersports facilities and floodlit driving range.

Further information and pictures

MGK Communications                Michael Kennedy             

0121 605 4048                 michaelkennedy@talk21.com             07932 644627