Wyboston Lakes, the UK's largest privately owned single site specialist training and conference venue, has confirmed the rebranding of its Waterfront Conference Centre. The centre, one of three separate venues on its 350 acre site, is now called the 'Conference Suites at Wyboston Lakes Hotel', a name that demonstrates the availability to organisers of a number of additional opportunities to enhance their events.  

The move results from extensive investment over recent years in the residential and leisure facilities at the Waterfront Centre - and in adjacent areas of the Wyboston Lakes site - which has generated a positive response from conference clients and has also enabled Wyboston Lakes to offer a hotel facility for non-conference clients.

The Conference Suites will continue to be a distinct and separate operation on the site. They offer a total of 28 air-conditioned meeting and syndicate rooms with a capacity for up to 130 delegates in the largest room, with integrated audio-visual equipment, on-site technical support and site-wide internet access. Wyboston Lakes' other distinct centres, the Robinson Executive Conference Centre and the Willows Training Centre, retain their identities.

The decision reflects Wyboston Lakes' recognition of the business potential of developing corporate accommodation and leisure options on the Waterfront site, which is picturesquely situated on the banks of a large lake. Located just by the A1 between Cambridge and Bedford, Wyboston Lakes is in a convenient position for many business and leisure travellers, while its attractive rural location has also made it popular as a venue for private events such as dining, parties, weddings and sporting activities.

There has therefore been progressive investment in facilities for people staying overnight for business or leisure, for those visiting for a few hours to dine or relax, or looking for a weekend leisure break. Most recently, more than £700,000 has been invested in widening the range of dining options on the Waterfront site: those options now include the prestigious Waterfront Restaurant, which recently achieved an AA Rosette, and new bar and lounge facilities.  An 18 hole golf course and a fitness centre are also available on the site.

The company is communicating the change of identity to existing and potential conference clients and is confident that it will help open up areas of new business.  "Of course the Waterfront Conference Centre has been a very prominent name in the sector, but its customer base is very strong and we do not anticipate that the change of identity will affect its status and popularity," said Clive Bache, Wyboston Lakes' sales & marketing director: "However, for the 'conference centre' terminology had become unrepresentative of a site that offers an even more rounded proposition, and in turn enhances still further the scope we offer to organisers."

The rebranding decision does not mean any change in Wyboston Lakes' determination to offer clients the many benefits of dedicated conference and training facilities. "We believe we are one of the sector's flagships for the advantages of focused facilities, and each of our centres will continue to offer those advantages," added Clive Bache.

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 training and conference 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, and watersports facilities.

Further information and pictures

MGK Communications                Michael Kennedy               

0121 605 4048                 michaelkennedy@talk21.com             07932 644627