Venue News

And for a limited time, you can hire the new kit once, then get it again for free!

For those of you that have used video conferencing before, you’ll know how it saves you from battling through airport security and dealing with train delays. For those of you who haven’t, our new Polycom kit will enable you to dip your toe in the technology water with full hand holding from the team at Edinburgh Training and Conference Venue.

The system is totally portable so that you can use it equally well in our 200-seat lecture theatre or in a small intimate meeting room. This level of flexibility will enable your colleagues from the islands to attend a training session they may otherwise have been unable to attend, or for you to conduct an interview with a candidate in America!

The screen can show both people AND content in High Definition, so you can share documents with the other participants while still being able to see the other participants … just like being in a face-to-face meeting. And you can link with multiple sites so could involve people all over the world and conduct a truly global meeting.

We chose Polycom because they are worldwide brand leaders with a reputation for quality and security. It’s also AES secure encrypted, which is why it’s used by banking and military institutions.

And above all, we’ll be on hand to set everything up for you and make sure it’s functioning. So call Dan or Sarah now on 0131 538 8333 and put us to the test!

NB You can connect using either IP or ISDN. There is a charge for using ISDN.

Offer expires: 31st August 2012 – both hires must have taken place by this date.

February 2012

Thank you for helping us raise over £230 for Breast Cancer Care during October’s Pink Fridays!

Well done to those of you that managed to dress in something pink and thank you for all your donations during the month.

Most of our clients think of the venue as a Monday to Friday daytime business venue, but we’re also busy with other types of events both during week-days and evenings/week-ends. We’re usually open seven days a week from 8am in the morning to at least 8pm at night and earlier/later if required.

During the Edinburgh Festival we get requests to run all types of events, (not many of which fit in with our business mix ) In 2008 the Inbetweeners asked us if we could host their fringe show called “The Meeting” as they wanted to run it in a business environment.

The show ran in room 3.5 to full houses houses and 5 star reviews. The Inbetweeners were super, friendly, pleasant and down to earth. You can now see them on the big screen in their film “the inbetweeners movie”. It’s already topped the UK and Ireland box office for four weeks and counting!

Pink Fridays. During the course of the year we support a range of charities and in October we plan to support Breast Cancer Awareness Month with a series of Pink Fridays http://www.breastcancercare.org.uk/fundraising-events/events/pink-fridays.

If you’re in the centre during a Friday in October and want to take part all you need to do is wear something pink and make a donation to the charity, we will then make a matching donation up to a total of £500. Here is a picture of our Director of Fun – Sarah Hedges checking out just a few items from her pink wardrobe to decide what she’ll be wearing on our Pink Fridays during October.

September 2011

There has been a quiet revolution in technology at the venue. And as fast as we’re upgrading our equipment, you’re jumping at the opportunity to use it!

From PC’s that can run virtual environments, to increased bandwidth for your Internet connectivity, to cameras for recording role plays and interviews, making them infinitely more effective training techniques.

Recording your Event

Using video cameras to record role plays and interviews is a technique being used by an increasing number of you. And we can remove all the hassle of set up so you can just get on with the benefits of using it!

We will:
· Supply and set-up all the equipment for you,
· Supply the blank DVDs ready formatted for you to record,
· Brief you on how to use the cameras,
· Be on hand throughout the day if you require any assistance,
· Record your video onto USB sticks if that format works better for you.

Some clients record the role play in a separate room whilst the group watch from the main room using the data projector. Other courses break into small groups, record their role plays and then share them with the whole group back in the main room.

Most clients have the cameras set up on tripods but you can use them hand-held too if that works better for your event.

And at the end of the day you can take away the recordings on DVDs or USB sticks and review them whenever you need to, including any follow-up training.

Securing your Internet Connectivity

Again the demands on the bandwidth continue to grow as events in the Venue are increasingly using the Internet for video streaming, file sharing, virtual meetings and the like.

Not only have we increased our bandwidth over time to cope with the upsurge in usage, we also have three separate connections coming in to the Venue so that if one fails for any reason, we can still deliver the connectivity you need!

PC’s Significantly Upgraded

We have had a new arrival of PC’s in the last three months, all delivering up to 16Gb of memory with a 64 bit operating system.

But these PC’s can now run Virtual Machine too. So if you need to set up complex virtual environments with multi-operating systems, servers and individual users, you can do that.

They really are all singing, all dancing machines!

If we Can, we Will!

Lastly, just a small reminder that our mantra is ‘If we Can we Will’, so if there’s anything we could be doing to make your events more successful please drop me a line or give me a call.

Mike Glaire

Here at The Edinburgh Training and Conference Centre, we’ve gone green!

We have always applied a green policy in our Edinburgh conference venue – but now we realise it’s
more important than ever – so we’re shouting about it. As a socially responsible business, we believe
that it’s our duty to spread the news and promote our green policies.

Here are a few things that receive the green stamp of approval in our Edinburgh conference centre:

1. Coffee – we can offer you free coffee, but best of all, it’s Fairtrade product.
2. Light bulbs – we’ve replaced our light bulbs with high efficiency bulbs which use
   up to 56 less energy than ordinary ones.
3. Heating / cooling – our recently installed air conditioning uses the latest eco friendly gas.
4. Waste – we recycle our paper, toner cartridges, plastics, and just about anything else
   that can be recycled.

Go green and choose us as your next Edinburgh conference venue!

March 2011

And the cakes served mid morning have always gone down well, so we’ve decided to up the anti by introducing home baking for the morning break and this is clearly getting approval as this informal feedback confirms. Similarly, our homemade soup has been a hit at lunchtime so we’ve introduced new flavours, with ‘Sweet potato, carrot and chili’ being a winner by a mile. This gives everybody a healthy eating option.

March 2011

When you need to test your employees on their new-found knowledge, you want to ensure
that the money you invested in their training has paid off. Examinations held in hotel
boardrooms or other rooms in your office could hinder the progress of your employees during
testing time as noise and other distractions can prevent them performing at their best.

Here at the Edinburgh Training and Conference Venue, we understand the importance of
accurately testing your employee’s knowledge when you have budgeted for training for the
benefit of your business. That is why we offer a comfortable environment for your employees
to successfully complete training and tests.

With our Edinburgh conference venue, our quiet rooms with,air conditioning and natural
daylight allow your employees to comfortably perform to the standard that is required of
them. We can even provide experienced invigilators to monitor your staff during their test to
ensure accurate test results and on-hand assistance.

To find out more about our facilities at our Edinburgh conference venue, browse our range of
features and complimentary services online today.

February 7 2011

February 7 2011

Thank you again to all those of you who filled in our survey recently. Everyone who completed the survey was entered into a prize draw to win an iPad or a £500 charity donation.

The winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, chose to make a donation to Help for Heroes … and here is the cheque that went off! So congratulations to our winner and we’re sure that Help for Heroes will make very good use of the donation.

Meanwhile we’ve been very busy going through all your responses to the survey and prioritising actions to make your experience even better when you come to the Venue. Watch this space!

To see the image more clearly, click on the image … and then when you have been taken to the next screen shot, click on it again.

November 2010

(more…)

When you hire an Edinburgh conference centre it is nice to know that it is not only a
professional and efficient organisation, but also a thoughtful one. Here at Edinburgh
Training and Conference Venue we can assure you that we strive to be as green as
possible.

Energy Efficiency

There is a lot of importance placed on energy efficiency today and this Edinburgh
conference venue is certainly trying to do its bit. Our light bulbs are all energy-
efficient models to conserve energy and our air conditioning system is one of the
latest eco-friendly versions so that you can stay cool with a clean conscience.

Fair Trade

We even try to care with our choice of coffee, which is delicious Columbian fair trade
produce. This means that you can enjoy a refreshing cup of coffee in the knowledge
that its producers in developing communities around the world will have been paid
fairly for it and will work in humane conditions.

For a conference centre that cares, come to Edinburgh Training and Conference
Venue.

October 30 2010

Following several suggestions put forward in our survey last year to improve our signage both inside and outside the building, we’re delighted to announce those improvements are now complete.

You’ll now find much clearer and more modern signs throughout the building, indicating where you are and directing you to the appropriate destination. There is also new, brighter external signage to help you find us more easily.

Let us know what you think of the new signage. And a big thank you once again to those of you who took the time to respond to our survey.

April 01 2010

If you use a wheelchair, you’ll be pleased to know a new handrail has been fitted along the ramp leading into the restaurant. Not exactly exciting we know but nonetheless a useful aid if you prefer to hold a rail.

March 08 2010

By popular demand the Internet Café has now been refurbished and extended. There are now 5 PC’s available for you to use, all of which have new, wall-mounted screens and excellent broadband delivery.

And as if that isn’t enough, there are five extremely comfortable chairs to go with the five speedy, modern PC’s. Perhaps it’s all just too good in fact …

January 10 2010

Our menu used to go through a 2-week cycle of daily changes. We’ve now moved to a 3-week cycle, which means seven more hot meat dishes and seven more hot vegetarian dishes over the three weeks and more desserts too! Highlights include a new Lamb Tagine, and Beef Bourguignon on the meat side and a linguini pesto pasta and mushroom stroganoff on the vegetarian side.

Why? Some of our National Service Scotland (part of the NHS) delegates were in the unfortunate position of facing the same menu every other week when they came in for their course. We couldn’t let that situation continue, and so the three-week menu was born and it’s been so well received that it’s here to stay.

September 30 2009

As part of our continued journey to go as green as possible, our old style light bulbs are in the process of being replaced with modern high-efficiency tri-phosphor tubes, which use between 34% and 56% less energy, without losing any actual light! In addition, the modern tubes have more than double the life span, so the number of tubes being disposed each year has more than halved.

We’re always on the lookout for new energy efficiencies that help to reduce our carbon footprint!

For more information visit Edinburgh Training Centre is going green!

September 15 2009

Well not in that sense! The ‘Walltalker’ is a new development that turns a whole wall into a whiteboard and projector screen combined. So now you can really put your creative juices to the test and write all over the wall without getting a detention!

You just use dry wipe pens as you would for a traditional whiteboard and now you can develop a presentation or brainstorming session right across the wall without having to switch flip chart paper or rub out a whiteboard for more space.

Give it a try!

June 01 2009