Sundial Group

Sundial
Group has announced plans for a fun-filled 'Summer of Love' tour which will see
the meetings specialists taking to the open road in a vintage 1960's double-decker
dubbed 'The Chudbus'. 




The historic routemaster is
symbolic of Sundial Group's family values and pre-dates the purchase of Northamptonshire conference
hotel, Highgate House by Michael and Diana Chudley in 1964. It was
purchased by the founders of Sundial Group as the only feasible way to
transport a family of 11. This summer it goes back on the road to visit booking
agents the length and breadth of the UK.




Sundial
Venues are renowned for offering a flexible and effective approach to meetings
and events and the Summer of Love
Tour is designed to take this message mobile.




Tim Chudley,
managing director of the award-winning UK meeting venues firm
explains, "The Summer of Love was a social phenomenon that took place during
the summer of 1967. Synonymous with hippies, they converged to create a melting
pot of music, freedom and creative expression. It was a defining moment of the
1960's."




"Our 2012 tour
takes a somewhat organic approach as we demonstrate how Sundial Venues manage
the delicate balance of nature and technology, formal and informal. Each of the
three Sundial UK meeting venues are in prime countryside locations and we see
how our guests appreciate the calming, soothing environments, using them as a
source of inspiration and connectivity."




"We want to use the
bus to deliver that message to our booking agents. It's our aim to show them
how important it is to select a conducive learning environment and will detail,
like nature, how we never go out of style."
















Demonstrating that
Sundial Group really does go the extra mile, the bright red ChudBus will be
serving up a host of seasonal treats. Highgate House head chef and current Chef
of the Year, Lee Gaskins has developed a Summer of Love menu which offers a
freshly cooked lunchtime meal made up of nourishing and delicious ingredients, all
served up in the bus' dining area for booking agents.




The bus tour
will give agents a greater insight into Sundial's meeting venues and services,
including its green
meetings packages and the rewards scheme for agents.




For more information about Sundial Group please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com. For more about the ChudBus and Summer of Love tour, please visit http://chudbus.sundialgroup.com

Sundial Venues have once again been honoured
as highly rated hotels, as reviewed by customers on TripAdvisor. Barnett Hill
in Surrey, Highgate House in Northamptonshire and Woodside in Warwickshire
today announce that they have each received TripAdvisor® Certificates of
Excellence, which honour top-rated hotels, restaurants and attractions,
reviewed by travellers on the world's largest travel site.




To qualify for a Certificate of Excellence,
businesses must maintain an average rating of four or higher out of a possible
five, as reviewed by travellers on TripAdvisor. There is additional criteria which
includes volume of reviews along with how recently they have been submitted by
TripAdvisor travellers. The accolade is extended to qualifying businesses
worldwide.




Sundial Venues specialise in providing
fantastic hospitality at their dedicated UK conference
hotels and best-value
UK meeting venues. These accolades are in addition to Highgate House's
consistent TripAdvisor top spot as 'Number One Hotel in Northampton' for
over three years now. 




Sundial's Managing Director Tim Chudley said,
"It is an honour to receive a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, alongside
some of the most prestigious hotels and attractions around the world", he
continued, "To gain these titles for all three of our country house hotels for
a second year in a row is an amazing achievement, we strive to offer our
customers a memorable experience, and this accolade is proof that the hard work
of every Sundial team member is recognised."




TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel
site, enabling travellers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers
trusted advice from real travellers and a wide variety of travel choices and
planning features (including Flights search, TripAdvisor Mobile and TripAdvisor
Trip Friends) with seamless links to booking tools.










Sundial Venues are part of Sundial Group, the
perfect partner for event planners. The family run group, Sundial, owns and
operates Surrey conference
hotel, Barnett Hill, Midlands
meeting venue, Highgate House in Northamptonshire and Woodside conference hotel in
Kenilworth, which are highly regarded as expert UK meeting
venues. For further information about Sundial Venues, special offers and
how to book a bedroom or make an event enquiry please visit www.sundialvenues.com




For more information please visit www.sundialgroup.com

Last week saw National Vegetarian Week taking place at
Sundial Venues. The week is an annual, UK-wide campaign designed to promote the
benefits of a meat-free diet and was marked by a series of gourmet taste treats
at each of the three UK
conference hotels owned and managed by Sundial Group.




Sundial Group managing director, Tim Chudley said, "At
Sundial Venues, special dietary requirements such as vegetarianism and veganism
are fully catered for all year round but we felt it was important to
participate in National Vegetarian Week to introduce more of our guests to our
meat free meal options. Every vegetarian dish we serve has been accredited by
the Vegetarian Society. This accreditation states that the procedures and
practices we use in the preparation and cooking of a meal adheres to the high
standards set by the Society, and confirms that these practices are adopted
across all of the meat-free options available from Sundial Venues."




Headed by Chef of the Year Lee Gaskin, Sundial's
flagship Northamptonshire
meeting venue, along with Sundial's Surrey meeting venue,
Barnett Hill and Warwickshire
conference hotel, Woodside provide vegetarian, vegan, halal and glucose-free
options for all guests.




Sundial also endeavours to keep their menus seasonal
and appropriate for all clientele. In keeping menus flexible, this gives
kitchen staff across the Surrey and Midlands meeting venues
the capacity to accommodate any dietary requirement with little notice. The
ingredients used in many of Sundial's recipes are sourced locally where
possible, helping to reduce the amount of harmful additives and ensure that the
food does not come into contact with any meat or fish, like it could when
coming from an unseen warehouse in another country. As well as adhering to
dietary requirements, this also guarantees that food is fresh- sourcing local
food means the time it takes to go from field to kitchen is dramatically
reduced, ensuring flavoursome dishes from starter to dessert.







Many of those who adopt vegetarianism as a lifestyle
choice are also conscious of the 'green' factor which has become an important
aspect of choosing menus. In using locally sourced products, less chemicals and
factories are used, and the shorter transport times help to reduce the carbon
footprint of Sundial venues. Each country house meeting venue also practices
the responsible disposal of food waste, making compost wherever necessary and
recycling the packaging the food is delivered in.




For more information about Sundial's vegetarian meals and all Sundial
venues, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com. 

On
Thursday 17th May Carefree Northants held a fundraising day at
Brampton Heath Golf Course.  UK venue
group, Sundial Group showed their support by arriving with the 'Chudbus' to
provide the golfers with refreshments throughout the day. 




A
team from the marketing department and award-winning Northamptonshire
meeting venue, Highgate House, one of the three country house
conference hotels within the Sundial Group, were on hand in golf buggies
full of Pimms, soft drinks, strawberries and chocolate to make sure the golfers
were energised for the day.  The
'Chudbus', also stocked with goodies, was a great source of interest to both
the golfers and some of the people who benefit from the work of Carefree
Northants.




The
'Chudbus', Sundial's iconic English Routemaster bus, has
become an important symbol in portraying Sundial's history and values - the
Chudley family, owner-operators of the  'UK's Best Value UK Meeting Venues'
group used to travel around in a bus in the sixties because it was the easiest
way to transport their family of 11!




The
rain held off and the day was a great success, enjoyed by all and a total of
£15,500 was raised, which is a fantastic achievement.  Jo Chudley,
Sundial Group Marketing Director said "We were delighted to be involved in the
Golf Day to support Carefree Northants and it was great to see so many people
there.  At Sundial Group we are always
keen to be involved with local events and this was a great day for everyone
involved".




Carefree
Northants is a registered charity, established in 2011 by three parents of
adults with learning disabilities. 
Through their own experiences they recognize the ongoing dilemmas that
families with learning disabilities face in their daily lives.  To make a donation visit www.justgiving.com/carefreenorthants



 To find out more about Sundial meeting packages
and to book, visit www.sundialgroup.com

UK venue group,
Sundial Group has announced the launch of a new meetings package, designed
specifically for voluntary organisations and charities.




The UK's 'Best Value
Meeting Group' (BRDC Continental VenueVerdict) has worked with a number of
charities at each of its three country house conference hotels,
hosting meetings, conferences and events such as charity balls. It has now
channelled this expertise into specific meeting packages, providing a go-to
solution for those tasked with meetings management for such organisations.




The Sundial meetings
package for charities is tailored to the available budget, making it easier to
reach meeting goals. Strategically placed, the meeting packages for charities
are available at Highgate House conference hotel
in Northamptonshire, Woodside conference hotel in Warwickshire
and Surrey meeting venue and conference hotel, Barnett Hill.




The meeting package
is available for a half day, full day and with or without an overnight stay. It
includes as standard:

• Meeting room plus a free syndicate room


• Dedicated event planner


• AV 
  equipment and free WiFi access


• Unlimited Fairtrade 'Bean to Cup' coffee and
  speciality teas


• Unlimited refreshments including homemade cakes


• Four course hot and cold buffet lunch made with
  locally sourced and freshly prepared food


• Free parking


• Free use of leisure facilities


• Free bedroom upgrade for the organiser and
  chairman

                                            

The charitable
associations meeting package can also be combined with Sundial's unique 'Green
Miles' scheme. This gives delegates arriving for their event by public
transport or car pooling a £5 voucher to spend at the bar.




To find out more about
Sundial meeting packages and to book, visit http://www.sundialgroup.com

When planning for any event, be it a formal gala or a
gathering of friends, a large dinner party or an intimate meal, booking an
appropriate venue is important. Choosing a venue which provides exquisite
cuisine, luxurious surroundings and the perfect atmosphere can help to make a
celebratory occasion a night to remember.

For many people looking to book a venue that will be as special
as the occasion, country house hotels
are the ideal choice. Often set in acres of rolling grounds, with picturesque
views and period features, the stunning properties that can often be found
dotted around the English countryside lend themselves perfectly to a celebration
or a party.

Highgate House, in Creaton is one of these striking venues,
with a wealth of private dining
options to choose from. The magnificent Baronial Hall is undoubtedly the jewel
in the crown of this spectacular venue, occupying a prime position in the main
house and combining luxurious, medieval décor with delicious cuisine. It is not
hard to suspend disbelief and picture lavish parties being thrown here, with
dignitaries and luminaries from centuries gone by. The welcoming and informal
atmosphere in the Library Room offers a warm, peaceful environment for intimate
dinner parties, while the Coote Room can welcome up to two hundred guests for a
gala dinner or a sumptuous wedding banquet.

A dedicated
conference and meeting venue, Highgate House has won several  awards for its value for money approach and
boasts a kitchen staffed by the Chef of the Year, Lee Gaskins and Young Chef of
the Year, Leighanne Harrison.

Noted
for its commitment to using only the freshest, seasonal local ingredients, Highgate
House maintains a gold star standard.  Local
produce is used in abundance and complimented by free range eggs, poultry
monitored and accredited by the Red Tractor Food
Standards Scheme, a Vegetarian Society-approved kitchen, a plethora of
FairTrade products and suppliers screened for
sustainable practices under the terms of Sundial Group's own Sustainable and
Ethical Procurement Policy.



For
more information about Sundial Venues in Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and
Surrey, visit http://www.sundialgroup.com

Sundial
Group's Warwickshire meeting
venue, Woodside's on-going dedication to offering its customers an
outstanding experience has led to it retaining its "VenueVerdict Gold Standard
Accreditation", for the period April 2011 - March 2012.




BDRC Continental is one of
the UK's leading suppliers of marketing research insight to the meetings
sector, with a team of research professionals dedicated to this important part
of the hospitality industry. Their surveys and programmes feature the top UK
Conference Centre groups, as well as internationally renowned hotel chains. Following "VenueVerdict" customer feedback surveys in 2011, Sundial's Warwickshire
venue, Woodside was named one of the prestigious 'Gold Standard' venues. This
accreditation has now been successfully held for the first quarter of 2012, giving
the venue a great start to regaining the annual 'Gold Standard' for 2011.




Comments from customers of Woodside included compliments such as, "All the staff
at Woodside are fabulous- the best team I have ever come across at a conference
venue and all working together as a team."

                                                                                                                                  

Jerry Toth, Sundial Group's Operations Director said, "We are very pleased
to have been awarded the prestigious 'Gold Standard' accreditation for Q1, the
team at Woodside work incredibly hard and it is great to see recognition for
this." He continued, "I believe that the industry realise that being
a specialist conference and training centre means that we are able to provide a
fantastic, dedicated environment for guests."




Sundial
Group owns and operates three
country house conference hotels across the UK, Barnett Hill in Surrey,
Highgate House in Northamptonshire and Woodside in Kenilworth. For further
information about Sundial Group's awards and accolades please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com

Sundial Group is an award-winning meetings group with a mission to ensure that their carbon footprint is as small as possible. Their commitment to sustainability is evident in their recent contribution to mark this year's Earth Day; Sundial has pledged to offset the entire company's carbon emissions from road and air travel to show their support for Earth Day and sustainable business practices. This commitment to providing environmentally-conscious venues is a step in the right direction, and is what many companies are striving for in an age where going 'green' is both encouraged and rewarded.

Sundial's new incentive, included in their green meetings package, will benefit the many companies who are aiming to go 'green'. Delegates who travel by public transport or car share to one of Sundial's conference hotels (Midlands meeting venues, Highgate House and Woodside, and Surrey-based Barnett Hill) will earn a complimentary £5 bar spend which can be redeemed upon check-in at the venue. "As we were recently named the BRDC Best Value UK Meeting Group for a fourth consecutive year, Sundial Group is proud to show that is pays to go green", said Sundial Group managing director, Tim Chudley. This 'go green' incentive is just one of the ways in which Sundial are encouraging clients to become more eco-friendly.

The green meetings package available from Sundial comes as a free upgrade to any existing complete meeting package booking. All of the aspects of the Complete Meeting Package, Day Meeting Package or the Evening Meeting Package are included, but there are a number of alterations which help to reduce carbon footprints of both Sundial and the client. Delegates are supplied with jugs of iced tap water, rather than expensive bottled mineral water, and rather than having notepaper and pens at every setting, delegates can help themselves to writing materials if necessary. Many delegates at conferences opt to bring a laptop or their own writing material, and so this unnecessary wastage of notepaper is entirely cut out. The food menus at each of the UK conference hotels all contain ingredients that are free range and locally sourced, while all tea and coffee served during breaks is Fairtrade. Last of all, the carbon emitted from the venue as a result of the client's event will be offset by Sundial Group, at no extra charge.

To find out more and to book a green meetings package, visit www.sundialgroup.com

Sundial Group, the award-winning meetings specialists and the MCA (Management Consultancies Association), the trade body for management consultancies in the UK, recently announced that they have entered into a new strategic partnership.

Under the agreement Sundial Group will benefit from raising its profile amongst MCA members and being associated with high profile MCA events and research. Sundial Group will also sponsor The People Award in the 2012 MCA Awards in April.

Sundial Group's Managing Director, Tim Chudley said "It is an honour to be invited into a strategic partnership with the highly regarded Management Consultancies Association. We are thoroughly looking forward to working with them and offering the MCA and their member's access to our outstanding conference hotels and venue finding services. Our sponsorship of the People Award also gives us a chance to demonstrate our passion and commitment to learning and development."

The Management Consultancies Association (MCA) is the representative body for management consultancy firms in the UK. With fifty member companies comprising nearly 70% of the UK consulting industry, estimated to be worth £9bn in 2010, employing over 40,000 consultants and working with over 90 of the top FTSE 100 companies and almost all parts of the public sector.

Commenting on the new partnership, Alan Leaman CEO of the MCA said: "We are delighted to have entered this strategic partnership with Sundial Group. We look forward to working with them on a number of important projects."

Sundial Group owns and operates three dedicated UK meeting venues, a meetings and events agency, Sundial Options and Solutions and Teamscapes, the group's innovative team building business. Working closely with the MCA will present opportunities for Sundial Options and Solutions in particular, to provide MCA with services such as event management and free venue finding.

For further information about Sundial Group please visit www.sundialgroup.com.

Award-winning UK meetings venue group, Sundial Venues has launched a new loyalty scheme for business travellers. The Sundial Rewards programme is free to join and offers members a selection of great rewards including bottles of wine, free overnight breaks at each of the three Sundial conference hotels and free three course luxury dinners for six.

Each stay at a Sundial conference hotel, in an individual capacity, earns the member points which can be used instantly. One point is earned with each overnight booking and rewards are offered from just three points. There is currently a choice of five rewards to choose from.

Tim Chudley, Sundial Group Managing Director said, "We have an impressively high level of repeat business at Sundial, for which we are very proud. I believe our customers' returning visits are praise to our teams, demonstrating that Sundial Venues are doing things right, so our rewards scheme is to return our thanks for their loyalty and show them that we appreciate their continual support."

Named the 'Best Value for Money UK Meeting Group' by the BRDC Continental VenueVerdict Survey in January and recipient of three accolades in the Meetings & Incentive Travel Magazine Awards 2012, Sundial Group is synonymous with great value UK meeting venues. It owns and operates Surrey conference hotel, Barnett Hill, the flagship Northamptonshire meeting venue, Highgate House and beautiful Warwickshire conference hotel, Woodside.

In addition to dedicated meeting facilities and a selection of complete meeting packages, each venue provides first-class accommodation for business travellers and meeting delegates. All rooms are individually decorated and include complimentary use of leisure facilities. A selection of bars and restaurants staffed by 'Chef of the Year' and 'Young Chef of the Year' title holders serves delicious, fresh seasonal produce, making any of the rewards earned by Sundial Rewards card holders an experience to be savoured.

Registration for the new Sundial Rewards programme is completely free and can be completed online. To find out more, visit the Rewards section at www.sundialgroup.com

UK businesses will reap the rewards of going green at any Sundial Group meeting venue from this spring as the award-winning meetings group has announced two new incentives for those going green at its meeting venues. It will offer a free delegate drinks voucher to clients opting to arrive through a 'green' mode of transport and free places for those opting for its 'green' all inclusive meeting packages.

Companies booking a green meetings package at any of the three country house conference hotels owned and managed by Sundial will receive one free place for every twenty delegates booked on to a day event. Those car sharing or arriving on public transport for any meetings package or event at a Sundial Venue, will also receive a complimentary £5 bar spend.

"As we were recently named the BRDC Best Value UK Meeting Group for a fourth consecutive year, Sundial Group is proud to show that is pays to go green", said Sundial Group managing director, Tim Chudley. "We take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and are making it our mission to help others do the same when they do business with us. Our 'go green' incentives announced this month are just one of the ways in which we can help clients be more environmentally conscious."

The green meeting package is available as a free upgrade to any complete meeting package at Surrey conference hotel, Barnett Hill, East Midlands meeting venue Highgate House and Warwickshire conference hotel, Woodside. It includes all of the items in the Day Meeting Package, Complete Meeting Package or Evening Meeting Package, but with a number of environmentally friendly modifications. Instead of bottled mineral water at each place setting, delegates are supplied with jugs of iced tap water. Notepaper and pens/pencils are available for delegates to help themselves if required, rather than set as standard at every place setting and Sundial Group will pay to offset the carbon emitted from the venue as a result of hosting the client event.

To find out more and to book a green meetings package, visit www.sundialgroup.com

With the clocks moving an hour forwards officially heralding the start of British summertime yesterday, Sundial venues, the award winning UK meetings venues are debuting a novel way of enjoying the great outdoors while inspiring closer team bonds. The award winning meeting venues group has introduced an outdoor treasure hunt activity, specifically for those businesses who want to make the most of the weather while also investing in team bonding time.

Helping UK firms large and small enjoy the Great British summertime, the fun outdoor treasure hunts maximise the acres of sprawling gardens and woods that encircle each of its three family-owned and operated conference hotels.

Tim Chudley, Sundial Group's Managing Director said, "Our new treasure hunt activities available at Sundial Venues are the perfect excuse to take in some fresh air and enjoy our beautiful countryside surroundings while having some fun together as a team."

The outdoor treasure hunts help to build stronger team bonds and encourage fresh ideas. They are suitable for any size of team and can be used at any time of day for an hour break out activity.

Fun treasure hunts from Sundial Group are available at midlands meeting venues, Woodside and Highgate House and Surrey conference hotel, Barnett Hill. Set in the Surrey Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a treasure hunt at Barnett Hill makes excellent use of the 26 acres of beautiful gardens and grounds. Similarly, Sundial's flagship Northamptonshire conference hotel Highgate House offers 26 acres of landscapes grounds perfectly suited to outdoor team building. Ideally suited to larger teams, Woodside in Warwickshire boasts 32 acres of outdoor space for boosting team morale, freshening up team sprit and helping to improve the ways teams work together.

For more information about Sundial Group and its new outdoor treasure hunts, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

Sundial Group, owners and operators of three luxurious country house conference hotels in the East Midlands and Surrey, have scooped a trio of awards at the prestigious Meetings & Incentive Travel Magazine Awards 2012.

Highgate House in Northamptonshire, the largest of the Sundial Midlands meeting venues, collected bronze in both the Best UK Management Training Centre and Best Value for Money Venue categories. Meanwhile, Sundial Group took away silver for Best Venue Group Meeting Product. Sundial was also recognized for its recent success in the BRDC Continental VenueVerdict Survey, where it was named Best Value for Money Venue Group for a fourth consecutive year.

The Meetings & Incentive Travel Magazine Awards are the oldest, best established awards in the meetings industry. They a recognise and reward excellence, and are the result of voting by the readers of Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine - with votes audited and verified by the independent Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Tim Chudley, Sundial's Managing Director said, "I am extremely proud of our recognition as Best Value for Money Venue Group, with that accolade plus a further three awards it was certainly a night for waving the Sundial flag! It gives me an enormous sense of pride to be able to ensure meeting planners that we offer the utmost value and quality throughout our services. I'm extremely grateful to the whole of our dedicated team across Sundial who have made us the award-winning brand we are today."

The three Sundial venues - Highgate House, Woodside and Surrey conference hotel Barnett Hill - offer a selection of dedicated meeting rooms and conference facilities as well as a choice of complete meetings packages and teambuilding activities. Each venue is skilled at event management and regularly host events for large brand names as well as smaller local companies.

In addition to the recent BRDC VenueVerdict and Meetings & Incentive Travel Magazine Awards, the Sundial brand also saw its head chef at Highgate House, Lee Gaskins scoop the coveted 'Chef of the Year' title at the Carlsberg UK Food & Drink awards earlier this year. His colleague and new recruit Leighanne Harrison was named 'Young Chef of the Year' at the same ceremony.

For more information about Sundial Group, its awards and venues, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

No matter how productive a meeting, nothing beats finishing it off with a refreshing pot of tea or freshly-ground coffee and a slice of delicious cake. Marking the second week of Fairtrade Fortnight, Sundial Venues' UK meetings venues are now serving Fairtrade coffee, homemade cakes in the afternoon (made with free range eggs, naturally) and reviving cups of tea all day long, whenever guests desire.

Tim Chudley, Managing Director at Sundial Group said, "Sundial Group is proud to be a family owned and run business, with more than 45 years experience in the events industry. If you're looking for a home away from home, nowhere beats the cosy surroundings of our three beautiful country house meeting venues. We have won awards for our professional management of conferences and events but do our best to make each environment pleasant to be in as well as productive. That's why you'll find lots of comfortable seating, acres of outdoor spaces and cosy nooks to enjoy a refreshing drink and replenishing slice of homemade cake whether you're meeting is taking place at Highgate House, Barnett Hill or Woodside."

Marking a departure form the often sterile environments typical of dedicating meeting and conference facilities, Sundial's two Midlands meeting venues and Surrey property, Barnett Hill have instilled a sense of family warmth into each property. These home comforts are available with every meeting room booking.

The recipient of numerous awards, including the BDRC Continental VenueVerdict's 'best value for money' meeting venue group accolade for the last four years, Sundial Group is known for its innovative approach to meeting services. Alongside its afternoon cake and Fairtrade hot drink treats, the Group also provides a selection of complete meeting packages designed to provide the widest choice and best value for meeting planners. Each package booking includes unlimited refreshments for the duration of the event.

Continuing the Fairtrade theme, a free 'green meeting package' upgrade is also offered with all complete meetings package bookings. This option includes carbon offsetting and cash back credit for those using public transport or car-sharing en-route to the venue.

For more information about Sundial Group and to enjoy coffee, cakes and an environment that is as comfortable as it is professional, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

Sundial Venues has announced that each of its three UK meeting venues will now offer unlimited fair trade coffee with any complete meeting package booking. The bottomless cups have always been included as standard in all Sundial's complete meetings packages but the Fairtrade freshly blended coffee has more recently been made a permanent fixture on the beverages menu to mark Fair Trade Fortnight, which gets underway throughout the UK today.

Sundial's three award-winning UK meetings venues offer a choice of three complete meetings packages, pre-designed to help control budgets and make life easier for meeting planners. The trio of options already includes the innovative green meetings package, which is a free upgrade offered to all bookings, allowing organisations to offset their carbon footprint and use recycled materials during their meeting at any Sundial Venue.

As an extension of this commitment to sustainability, delegates booking any day, complete or evening meeting package will enjoy bottomless cups of Fair Trade coffee. Those opting to eat Sundial Venue (this is likely with all meetings packages including meals too) will also be able to enjoy a range of Fairtrade produce, used at every opportunity possible across every menu at Sundial Venues.

Running from 27th February - 11 March 2012, Fairtrade Fortnight will actually kick start a whole year of Fairtrade activities. The initiative aims to educate the general public about the role they can play in improving the lives of farmers in developing countries with just a few small changes such as switching from regular tea or coffee to Fairtrade tea and coffee.

Tim Chudley, Managing Director at Sundial Group "Sundial has always demonstrated strong ethical and environmental businesses practises, particularly across our food service where we use local seasonal produce to reduce food miles and aim to source free range and ethically produced foodstuffs for all of our menus. We're delighted to be playing our part in Fairtrade Fortnight with the permanent use of Fairtrade coffee across each of our meeting venues and complete UK meeting packages."

The move by Sundial is particularly timely - a global study of 17,000 consumers, commissioned by Fairtrade International and carried out by GlobeScan in October 2011 concluded that 83% of respondents looked to the companies they do business with to help reduce poverty through their own business practises.

Sundial's complete meeting packages are offered at two Midlands meeting venues (Highgate House and Woodside) and Surrey meeting venue, Barnett Hill.

For more information and to book, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

Getting an idea of where a business or company is heading in the future is very important; forward planning has been cited many times as one of the biggest factors in success and achievement through a business. The planning ahead of meetings, conferences and other important events in the year has many business advantages and can help to set the tone for an organized, successful and profitable year. Sundial Group, an award-winning venue provider with three country house locations at vantage points across England, host many such events at their specialist conference hotels, and the operations team are vastly experienced in helping their clients to plan ahead.

Among the biggest advantages of forward planning is the better rates generally offered to encourage and capitalise on early bookings. Woodside in Warwickshire and Highgate House in Northamptonshire, two of Sundial's Midlands meeting venues currently have a 25% off special offer on their Day Meetings Packages for clients looking for book their quarterly meetings in advance. Of course, the discount will not last for long; the offer expires on the 30th April 2012, but this gives clients and event planners plenty of time to take advantage and plan their conference schedule.

Flexibility is also another key advantage afforded by booking a venue well in advance. Leaving bookings until the last minute will usually mean being squeezed into the only timeslot available, regardless of the amount of guests or the requirements for the room. Not only does planning ahead give more freedom when choosing the date itself, it also gives the client a greater choice of rooms within the venue; having the first pick of the venue's facilities at a venue such as Barnett Hill, Sundial's Surrey conference venue, means that event planners can choose from 15 specialist conference rooms, all with state of the art technology and a wide choice of room set-ups. Sundial's three country house meeting venues also offer overnight accommodation for those who may be travelling some distance for the event; booking early means there is a greater chance of rooms being available for guests.

The organizational aspect should not be overlooked when considering making an early booking. Once a venue for an event is found, focus can move to the actual agenda of the meeting, ensuring all guests have sufficient travel and accommodation arrangements, choosing food menus and dealing with any last-minute problems that may arise. All three of the Sundial venues are manned by a specialist conference team, who can help with everything from seating arrangements to the itinerary for the day, and by planning ahead and booking early, there is plenty of time to deal with all of these important details.

For more information about Sundial's complete meeting packages, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

Hot on the heels of its record breaking four nominations in the 2012 Meetings and Incentive Travel Magazine Awards, Sundial Group continues to break new ground with the launch of its brand new mobile website. The award-winning UK meeting venues group has spent the last four months carefully designing the dedicated mobile portal, with the smaller screens and download restrictions of smart phones such as the Android, iPhone and BlackBerry.

Going live today, http://mobile.sundialgroup.com puts accessibility and usability to the fore. Created with busy meetings procurement manages, business leaders and HR departments in mind, the mobile version of the main Sundial Group website is succinct and concise. With images reformatted for fast loading, visitors will still get the same great Sundial experience complete with picture-perfect photography of each meeting venue but will also be able to easily navigate the site and find key details such as booking and venue directions quickly and easily.

Speaking at the launch of the site, Tim Chudley, Sundial Group's Managing Director said, "With our brand new mobile friendly site you can now access Sundial Group's services from anywhere, whether you are a business traveller looking for overnight accommodation on your mobile phone at the airport or an event booker seeking a meeting venue from your iPad on the train, you will have no trouble learning about our products or checking availability at our venues. This is just another element of our customer centred approach to business."

The Sundial Group mobile site makes each of the three Sundial Venues - Barnett Hill the Surrey conference hotel, Highgate House the flagship Midland's meeting venue and Warwickshire conference hotel Woodside - as portable as a BlackBerry or iPad.

The mobile site is fully integrated with the Sundial Group bookings system, making it possible to check availability for bedrooms, conferences and meeting rooms and book from a handset or tablet in just a few clicks. With same day availability viewing also available, it's perfect for booking a last minute meeting or room while on the road, making timetable and schedule changes much less inconvenient for those travelling for business.

To visit the new mobile website simply navigate to http://mobile.sundialgroup.com from a mobile phone.

Fresh from the flush of success of being named the UK's best value meeting's group by the BRDC Continental Venue Verdict Survey for a fourth year running and confirmation that its UK meeting venues have been shortlisted in no less than four categories at the prestigious Meetings and Incentive Travel Magazine Awards, Sundial Group has released its three step recipe for success for UK businesses.

Following on from an award-laden year in 2011 which saw its conference hotels Highgate House, Woodside and Barnett Hill collecting a number of accolades including gold standard accreditations and Trip Advisor certificates of excellence, the meetings specialists have compiled a simple checklist of steps to stick too. The three mantras have been successfully applied by Sundial Group during its most successful years to date and can be translated into any business process. They are: Boost morale, know your goals, be creative.

Tim Chudley, Sundial Group's Managing Director said, "While every organization will have its own vision and ethos, our recipe for success can be applied to almost any situation or industry."

Having established what it takes to be successful, each of the three UK meeting venues operated by Sundial Group boast robust support structures designed to help clients at each location manage their own recipes for success.

Encouraging teams to work together and move forward as a unit is a great way to boost morale. With this in mind, Sundial Group's three UK meeting venues offer comprehensive and turnkey team building activities. And, when the exercises are complete, the trio of locations (Northamptonshire conference hotel, Highgate House, Surrey conference hotel, Barnett Hill and Warwickshire conference hotel, Woodside) boast luxurious leisure facilities and a choice of delicious menus served in a number of on-site bars and restaurants.

Goal understanding is critical to any business success and the only way to ensure that all team members are working towards the same thing. Regular strategy meetings are one way to keep the company on track and provide the ideal opportunity to reassess objectives and measure progress towards the stated aim. With its range of complete meetings packages and dedicated meeting environments, Sundial Group venues are the preferred choice of some of the UK's biggest brands. Their distraction free meeting rooms, equipped with specialist equipment along with essentials including refreshments, Wi-Fi and stationary keep the focus on company targets.

In any industry, creativity and innovation sets thought leaders apart from the competition. Shunning a one-size fits all approach, Sundial Group can design a meetings or conference package to suit specific requirements, adding elements such as culinary teambuilding or overnight stays to tailor-make the perfect environment for success.

For more information and to enquire about venue facilities or availability, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

With such volatility and risk in the world of business right now, team building exercises and activities are more important than ever and a crucial investment for those who want to stay ahead of the competition. Motivating a group of people has always been a challenge, now even more so in a time when people are working longer hours for less pay as a result of austerity measures and the economic downturn. Managers and owners will undoubtedly be looking for innovative ways to boost morale and improve their team for the coming year, and the most popular way to do this is through a team building activity session like those provided by the award-winning Sundial Group.

But what actually counts as a team building event? Plenty of human resource coordinators looking to boost morale amongst their teams will most likely turn to activities which they perceive as being fun; a day out at a theme park, a staff meal or perhaps an informal party. Of course, these activities will encourage a group of people to interact and bond with each other, but what do they achieve with regards to team building? The Teamscapes® activities provided by Sundial across their three stunning UK meeting venues are tailor-made to be not only fun and encourage communication with teammates, but also to be stimulating and inspiring.

The experiences offered by Sundial Group are all about experiential learning rather than high octane excitement or socialising. Experiential education is a process through which a learner gains knowledge and improves upon their skills as a result of direct experiences.

Debriefing sessions after each activity are used to relate the participants' learning experience to their specific context within the workplace. The classic 'electric fence' exercise is a great example of a popular method the team building experts offer at the Midlands meeting venues because it focuses on issues such as problem-solving, time management and working under pressure, whilst also being a fun way to galvanise team members.

The experiential learning sessions are offered at all three of Sundial Group's country house venues; Highgate House and Woodside, and Barnett Hill, a Surrey conference hotel. All venues have excellent transport links, residential accommodation options and the choice of indoor, outdoor or culinary team building exercises for all groups. Each beautiful location is situated in picturesque grounds to aid physical rest and relaxation whilst prompting the flexing of the mental muscles which will be needed to improve any team.

The award-winning venues also offer flexibility in inviting all kinds of team building events to be hosted at their dedicated meeting and training venues. In instances where groups wish to enjoy a 'team experience' as opposed to targeting team development and fun, facilities such as inflatables can be hired in to cater for this; Sundial's country house venues can happily accommodate such events within their vast gardens and grounds.

For more information about Sundial's complete meeting packages, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

Sundial Venues, the UK's best value for money meetings group (BRDC Continental 'VenueVerdict' Survey - consistently since 2008) are turning the old saying 'healthy mind, healthy body' on its head this January.

Each of its three UK meeting venues is creating meals with delegates in mind. Led by Northamptonshire meeting venue, Highgate House's Head Chef and 'Chef of the Year' award winner Lee Gaskins, Sundial Group has pioneered a brain food approach to its menus, using fresh local produce where possible and including ingredients known to help with concentration and boost memory.

Building on the Group's passion for fresh ingredients, diners at each of the three Sundial UK meetings venues can enjoy seasonal produce and dishes accredited by the Vegetarian Society to tantalise the taste buds while nourishing the mind and body.

Jerry Toth, Sundial Group's Executive Chef said, "At Sundial we pride ourselves on being experts in the meetings industry and adding value to every event that we host. Using the right food such as oily fish rich in omega 3 and high quality meats and free-range eggs to offer protein which to stimulate productivity, brain power and a healthy, varied diet is just one of the ways that we ensure we are offering the best possible environment for meetings, where our business guests can thrive."

While healthy food is always on the agenda, the chefs at each location can also create bespoke menus, tailored to each particular event or dietary requirement. This option includes four-course buffets during meetings and conferences as well as main meals for banquets and formal dinners.

The food service at Sundial lends itself incredibly well to those keen to detox and enjoy a healthier lifestyle, making it an attractive location for companies keen to increase productivity and encourage healthy lifestyle choices amongst its staff. Multiple studies, dieticians and doctors have long since attested to the fact that eating organic, fresh food poses much greater health benefits than processed foods or food treated with chemicals such as pesticides.

Food on the menu at Sundial makes this a much easier prospect with a number of schemes and safeguards in place to ensure the healthy option is also the tastiest. Amongst other credentials, all eggs used in Sundial meals are strictly local and free-range, all poultry is monitored by the Red Tractor Food Standards Scheme, fresh ingredients are used throughout, preference is given to local produce reducing the time taken to get the ingredient from source to plate and food is free from genetically modified ingredients.

For more information about Sundial's first class venues and healthy body healthy mind food service, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

Sundial has scooped an impressive four nominations - more than any other group - in arguably the most highly regarded industry awards in the meetings industry, the Meetings and Incentive Travel Magazine Awards.

Sundial Group has been named 'Best Venue Group Meeting Product' finalist (which the group won in 2011), while both their Guildford meeting venue, Barnett Hill, and Northamptonshire meeting venue, Highgate House, were both nominated as a finalists in 'Best UK Management Training Centre'. The group's largest conference venue, Highgate House was also named a finalist in 'Best Value for Money Conference Venue'

The M&IT Industry Awards recognise and reward excellence, and are the result of voting by the readers of Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine - with votes audited and verified by the independent Audit Bureau of Circulations. The M&IT Awards are the oldest established awards programme in the meetings industry.

The final results will be kept secret until the Gala Presentation Dinner on the 5th March 2012 (the eve of International Confex) at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge. Attended by more than 700 industry professionals, this event provides an excellent networking opportunity.

Tim Chudley, Sundial Group's Managing Director said, 'This is another fantastic year for us in the M&IT Awards shortlist, which we are really proud of. I think Sundial's major recognition in the biggest meetings industry awards demonstrates the significance of dedicated venues and is testament that dedicated venues offer customers an outstanding experience that is unrivalled by the likes of hotel chains.'

In addition to the family owned hospitality experts gaining more nominations than any other group or brand in the M&IT Awards 2012, Sundial Group has also had major success already this year following their fourth consistent year of claiming BDRC Continental's 'Best Value for Money Venue Group' in the customer feedback based "VenueVerdict" survey.

For more information on Sundial's dedicated UK Meeting venues please visit www.sundialgroup.com

p class="MsoNormal">Sundial Group has just been announced 'Best Value for Money' Meeting Venue group for a fourth consistent year. Sundial Group has consistently been placed at the top for 'Value for Money' since this category was created in BDRC Continental's 'VenueVerdict' survey in 2008.

Sundial Group's continued commitment to offering an outstanding level of 'Value for Money' has again been recognised; the owner operators of three award-winning dedicated UK conference facilities have been placed in the top spot for 'Value for Money' by meeting venue customers following BDRC Continental's "VenueVerdict" survey results for 2011. Sundial Group has now held this position consistently for the past four years.

BDRC Continental is the leading supplier of marketing research insight into the meetings sector, with a team of research professionals dedicated to this important part of the hospitality industry. Their surveys and programmes feature over 350 of the top UK Conference Centre groups, and internationally renowned hotel chains. BDRC Continental "VenueVerdict" Awards track how well a venue has performed after an event, through customer feedback.

Sundial's Warwickshire meeting venue, Woodside was also recognised in BDRC Continental's VenueVerdict survey for providing outstanding meeting and conference facilities. It achieved the coveted 'Gold Standard Venue' accreditation, along with only a handful of venues within the 'VenueVerdict' survey.

Tim Chudley, Sundial Group's Managing Director, is thrilled "We are extremely proud of our consistent top position within the value for money rankings. With such tough market conditions it is important that we are able to prove that we are the best in everything we do, including in offering the best value for money. These accolades reflect our commitment to providing customers with unrivalled value for money and demonstrate that we have finely tuned the delicate balance between quality and price, meaning you can be confident that at Sundial we understand and work better with meeting planners than anyone else in the market."

Sundial Venues specialise in providing a dedicated environment for day and residential conferences, meetings and training events in country house venues across the UK. Northamptonshire meeting venue, Highgate House, prides itself on its flexibility for large events, frequently hosting conferences exceeding 200 delegates. Woodside in Warwickshire provides an ideal central location in the heart of England, within easy reach of all corners of the UK. Surrey meeting venue, Barnett Hill is just outside Guildford, with its close proximity to Central London, Gatwick and Heathrow Airports it is a fantastic alternative to any London venue, particularly for events during the period of the 2012 London Olympics.

For more information please visit www.sundialgroup.com

It IS possible to plan a wedding in three months. Are you newly engaged? Or want to tie the knot right away? Sundial can assist in preparing the most perfect and memorable wedding for you in just three months and sometimes even at a late availability discounted rate. Sundial Weddings, with their elegant country house wedding venues can cater to your needs to ensure that your special day is one to remember. For those looking for UK wedding venues around the Midlands and South East of England, Sundial Weddings have three extraordinary venues and a host of special offers available until March 2012. These include money-off bookings, discounted stay rates for the wedding party and fixed price all-inclusive packages from just £3500.
For brides and grooms looking to get married in and around the West Midlands, the Edwardian Warwickshire wedding venue, Woodside is a serene setting for couples wanting an intimate ceremony. Woodside has a special offer on winter weddings between January and March 2012. For the next three months, the venue and wedding package is priced at £3500. This winter wonderland themed deal, perfect for those who are struggling for wedding ideas themselves, includes the venue hire, catering, an evening reception, entertainment in the form of a DJ, an astounding bridal suite and a wedding planner. Woodside also give the bride and groom complimentary use of their gym, sauna and swimming pool, handy for a spot of relaxation during wedding preparations, for three months prior to the wedding day.
Another option is the Northamptonshire wedding venue, Highgate House situated in the East Midlands. The magnificent 17th Century Country House is set in beautiful rolling countryside, making it the perfect romantic setting. The staff at the venue is able to cater to your needs from the wedding ceremony all the way to the wedding reception. For a smaller wedding, Highgate House's Baronial Hall, which is located in the heart of the house, can accommodate up to 60 guests. Other rooms in the house are capable of seating a larger party. There's currently 10% off for brides and grooms looking for a Spring wedding, with selected dates in April and May 2012.
For those looking to get married further south, Sundial Weddings Surrey wedding venue Barnett Hill is the answer. Located in the beautiful Surrey countryside, Barnett Hill is perfect for couples looking for an intimate environment to get married in front of family and close friends. This magnificent manor has a number of money saving offers available including money-off bookings for weddings taking place on a Sunday before March 2012 and also discounted rates on all-inclusive packages.
Whatever your needs, Sundial Weddings will ensure that your big day is a memorable one.
For more information about Sundial Wedding packages and to see all special offers, visit http://www.sundialweddings.com

Planning ahead is vital for any business, to get an idea of where the company is heading in the future. With the first working week of 2012 now complete and emails caught up on, many businesses will be looking to map out the calendar year in advance, with regards to meetings, conferences and other important events. Sundial Group are an award-winning venue provider with three stunning locations set across England. Their dedicated UK meeting venues have only the best facilities and the team are vastly experienced in assisting clients to plan ahead and manage all eventualities.

One of the biggest advantages of forward planning is the better rates offered for early bookings. Midlands meeting venues Highgate House in Northamptonshire and Woodside in Warwickshire are currently offering 25% off Day Meeting Packages when quarterly meetings are booked in advance. In a time of austerity, such a discount can only be offered for a short time and expires on 30th April 2012, giving event planners plenty of time to take advantage and map out their quarterly conference schedule.

Booking a meeting or event in advance also gives much more flexibility regarding dates. Last-minute bookings will usually have to be squeezed into the only timeslot available, or in the worst case scenario, there may not be sufficient space to accommodate the clients or guests. Planning ahead can not only provide more freedom, but a greater choice of rooms and usually the first pick of the venue's facilities. Sundial's third location, Surrey conference hotel Barnett Hill, has the choice of 15 specialist conference rooms with state of the art technology for use in each one. There are also 56 bedrooms to choose from, should clients be wishing to stay overnight at the peaceful country retreat, to mull over the important points of the meeting whilst enjoying a relaxing evening.

Planning ahead also leaves much more time for organisation. Booking a venue is generally considered to be the main headache of event planning, so once it's out of the way, coordinators can concentrate on the agenda of the conference and ensuring that their clients or guests take the most possible from the event. All three Sundial venues are manned by a specially trained conference and events team who will be able to advise on anything from furniture set-ups to appropriate break times, and with plenty of time in which to plan these aspects, any event is sure to go down a storm.

For more information about Sundial's complete meeting packages, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

As our capital prepares for the 2012 Olympics, pressure is building for businesses all over the UK to get their workforce working as a team to rival that of Team GB. The eyes of the entire world will be on London in the summer and many companies will be eager to ensure that their products, services and most of all their employees are on top form, ready for the sudden influx of people and potential profit. Sundial Group combines the UK's foremost event planners and best value meeting venues, with three specialist locations around the country perfectly suited for any event or function hosted to coincide with the Olympic Games.

The Olympics traditionally celebrate diversity and the UK will be seeing a surge in the amount of business in the country in 2012. Potential new partners could be met and new deals could be struck at any time leading up to the games, so it is important to choose the right venue for a function or meeting. Sundial's three stunning locations (Surrey conference hotel, Barnett Hill, Northamptonshire conference hotel Highgate House and Woodside, the Warwickshire conference hotel) are specialist meeting venues which are ideal for showing potential new clients or partners the professionalism of a company or brand. Bookings with Sundial include dedicated conference rooms fully equipped with the latest technology, all refreshments and free Wi-Fi.

Sundial's trio of well-located venues are also perfect for hosting celebrations and all kinds of events. Networking will be vital in the run up to the Olympics, or perhaps managers would like to treat their existing employees with an informal gathering to celebrate their hard work; a sophisticated party at one of the three Midlands or Surrey meeting venues is sure to impress. Sit-down meals can be booked in any of the private dining rooms or there is the option of a more informal buffet, with all ingredients at the venues conscientiously chosen for their impressive 'green' credentials as well as mouth watering taste.

Team building exercises will also be of paramount importance, with so much emphasis placed upon the way in which people work together during the Olympic Games. The innovative team building exercises available at each venue target such aspects of working life as time management, problem solving and leadership qualities, whilst helping workforces to bond over a shared activity. With so much more business to be fought for, it is important that employees are aware of their own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of the team, so that they may function to the highest of their abilities. Sundial is a business itself which understands the ethics involved with being successful. The simple formula for success is practiced at Sundial and can be passed on during these indoor or outdoor team building events.

To find out more about Sundial Group, visit www.SundialGroup.com

Research carried out by the Sundial Group confirms that top priority when selecting a venue for a meeting or corporate event is value for money. Around 45% of the 4000 event planners and bookers surveyed by Sundial Group cited the bottom line as the deciding factor when locating a suitable venue.

Named as the number one 'Value for Money' provider in BDRC Continental's "VenueVerdict" survey for the last three years, Sundial Group knows all too well the value of a continued commitment to finding the delicate balance between quality and price.

With budgets spread ever thinner, Sundial Group's all inclusive meetings packages, available at each of its UK meeting venues, are a cost-effective way to manage a diminishing spend without compromising on the standard of facility booked.

Over 90% of those surveyed by Sundial Group in their 2012 meetings trends research agreed that using a dedicated venue is 'important', 'very important' or 'essential'. This gives even greater value to the all inclusive meeting packages at Barnett Hill, Highgate House and Woodside.

The complete meeting packages from Sundial include absolutely everything needed for the meeting with no hidden expenses or additional costs. The fixed price package includes the use of a suitably sized meeting room, at either of the Sundial Midlands meeting venues (Highgate House and Woodside) or the Surrey meeting venue, Barnett Hill. Each room offers natural daylight, high-quality furniture, bottled mineral water, flipchart, data projector and screen.

There's also access to a breakout room, free Wi-Fi access, support from a dedicated conference team to ensure the meeting runs smoothly, unlimited refreshments, snacks, hot and cold buffet lunch, overnight accommodation and access to each venue's leisure facilities.

Tim Chudley, Sundial's Managing Director said, "We are extremely proud of our reputation as a top value-for-money meeting group, and of course with several years of 'Best Value for Money' awards to testify we are particularly proud that this reputation is well-founded. We always strive to be the best and offer our customers the best value for money in the market; with such a high percentage of repeat business we know that we have the perfect balance of quality and price."

To find out more about Sundial Group complete meeting packages and other cost saving offers, visit www.SundialGroup.com

Sundial Weddings has announced a series of money saving offers at all three of its country house wedding venues around the UK. Perfect for brides on a budget who are unwilling to compromise on style and a sense of occasion, the three properties - in Surrey, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire - all have a host of special offers available from now until March 2012 including money off bookings, fixed price all-inclusive packages from just £3500 and half price extended stay rates for the wedding party.

Tim Chudley, Managing Director at Sundial Group said, "At any time of the year, budgeting for a wedding can be a stressful task but, it can be made all the more difficult in the period immediately before and after the Christmas season. Here at Sundial Weddings, we know that the pressure of financial constrains can cast a shadow over planning the big day so we've designed our special offers with a break from this pressure in mind."

For brides in and around Birmingham, Warwickshire country house wedding venue, Woodside has a beautiful winter wonderland wedding package for just £3500. The package includes catering, evening reception for 70 guests, venue hire, bridal suite, evening supper, entertainment, master of ceremonies and a wedding planner. There's also a free night's stay for the happy couple on their first anniversary. The package is available from 1st January - 31st March 2012.

Highgate House is Sundial Wedding's Northamptonshire wedding venue, set in acres of beautiful countryside near Northampton. It is offering 10% off all new wedding bookings on selected dates in April and May 2012, for a beautiful Spring wedding that won't break the bank. There's also an all inclusive winter wedding package available until the 15th of January 2012, from just £79 per person.

Nestled in the heart of the Surrey Hills, Surrey country house wedding venue Barnett Hill is an ideal alternative to the hustle and bustle of London. Sundial Weddings is offering up to £1000 off a complete Sunday wedding package, between now and August 2012. The package includes event rooms, drinks reception, canapés, three course wedding breakfast for 50 guests, evening reception, entertainment, toastmaster, bridal suite and accommodation for the happy couple's parents on the night of the wedding.

For more information about Sundial Wedding packages and to see all special offers, visit http://www.sundialweddings.com

Planning a wedding can be a stressful time, what with so many wedding ideas and concepts going into making the day perfect. Every bride and groom have a different idea of the special details which will contribute towards making their big day memorable. Sundial Weddings, with their collection of beautiful countryside manors in easily accessible locations, can cater for all types of wedding and provide a stunning setting for your friends and family on such an important occasion.

Highgate House is a beautiful Northamptonshire wedding venue, set in the tranquil countryside and guaranteeing privacy if an intimate gathering of special friends and relatives sounds appealing. All aspects of the wedding can be catered for with the help of the staff, from the ceremony itself to the wedding reception. The elegant Drawing Room at Highgate House can hold up to 60 guests for a ceremony and 40 for a wedding breakfast; perfect for smaller gatherings. Leisure facilities include a swimming pool, fitness suite and sauna for the use of all guests at the hotel - if potential brides and grooms want to make sure their nearest and dearest have an unforgettable time, Highgate House is the ideal location.

Woodside in Warwickshire also has a range of options and ideas for your Warwickshire country house wedding, with a team of dedicated staff open to receiving your concepts and making the day truly unique. Rooms at Woodside can cater for up to 120 guests, meaning that those couples wanting to invite everyone they know to celebrate with them will be well taken care of. With larger parties, Woodside offers the opportunity to book an intimate dinner or breakfast, so that you may spend time with your most important guests before you become too busy with the rest of the wedding day.

The final location offered by Sundial Weddings is a picturesque country house venue called Barnett Hill, just outside of Guildford, Surrey. With both small and large rooms, Barnett Hill is perfect for weddings of any size and is ideally located in the Surrey countryside. The Queen-Anne style manor offers a special deal for those wishing to get married on a Sunday before March 2012- there is the opportunity to save up to £1,000 on the all-inclusive wedding package. The all-inclusive packages are available across all three sites and are a great way to take the stress of wedding planning out of your hands, while still having as much input as you see necessary. Sundial Weddings are also currently offering deals on late availability across all three stunning locations.

If you'd like to take a tour of any Sundial Venues with a view to booking it for your wedding, please contact the sales office on 01604 731731.

For more information about Sundial's packages, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

As the winter tree planting season gets officially underway this week, marked by the 36th annual National Tree Week, Sundial Group has confirmed its commitment to all things green with the donation of a parcel of land for tree planting at its Northamptonshire country house venue, Highgate House.

The land, big enough for 200 trees to be planted, is the site for three new woods and home to six varieties of trees and shrubbery. Set on three separate parcels of land in the 26 acre grounds of the award-winning Midlands meeting venue, local children were invited to participate in the tree planting over the course of a weekend. Each tree planted is labelled by the name of the child who has done so.

The new woods are to be called Childwoods and have been planned in conjunction with Natural Creaton, the nature preservation group responsible for the concept and The Woodland Trust, which donated 200 trees.

John Harper, spokesman for Natural Creaton, the nature preservation group responsible for the concept said; "We are thrilled that The Woodland Trust and Sundial Group have donated land and trees to enable us to plant Creaton 'Childwoods', without their support this project would not be possible. We are also delighted that children are being involved in this project as we feel the involvement and education of children is vital, they represent the future." John continued, "We hope that Sundial Group and Natural Creaton will be seen as setting a good example for raising the awareness for national and international biodiversity."

Lucy McGibbon, Sundial's Learning and Development Director said, "Social and environmental responsibility is something which has always been close to our hearts at Sundial. We are very pleased that one of our meeting venues was able to be involved in this community project through providing land for the Childwoods, where hard-wood trees will be bringing environment benefits and supporting sustainability for years to come."

Sundial Group's other two venues, Warwickshire conference hotel Woodside and Surrey conference hotel, Barnett Hill join with Highgate House in demonstrating their green credentials thanks to long-standing initiatives such as the unique green meetings packages available at each property, carbon offsetting, charitable donations and senior directors in charities including the Prince's Trust and Meetings Industry Meeting Needs.

To find out more about Sundial Group, visit www.sundialgroup.com. More information on the Woodland Trust's community projects can be found at www.woodlandtrustshop.com

Award-winning hospitality firm Sundial Group has announced the launch of a new mobile website. Set to go live before 2012, the site has been designed to make it easier than ever to access Sundial Group services on the move.

The new Sundial Group mobile web site has been created in response to overwhelming demand. Tim Chudley, Sundial Group's Managing Director said, "We know that many of our clients travel frequently and access the internet via their mobile phone or device such as an iPad. Our custom mobile site has been built with these smaller screens in mind.

"We wanted to make it as easy as possible to book bedrooms or reserve meeting rooms at any of our UK conference hotels while browsing on an iPhone or similar.

"We believe the Sundial Group mobile website is perfect for busy event planners and conference organizers, who need information to be accessible, fast loading and easy to read on small screens as they fit meetings venue bookings and training room reservations in to commute time, spaces between appointments and while on the road."

While the new Sundial mobile site will still contain just as much information about its trio of venues - Northamptonshire conference hotel, Highgate House, Surrey conference hotel, Barnett Hill and Warwickshire conference hotel, Woodside- it will be powered by the latest thinking in mobile technology. Images developed specifically for the lower res screens and slower loading capabilities of a mobile device will be used to illustrate meeting room facilities. Phone numbers and email addresses will be accessible with a single tracker ball click or via the copy and paste function now available on handsets such as BlackBerry and iPhone.

In addition to the main Sundial Group website, venue finding agency Sundial Options & Solutions will also be unveiling its own mobile page in the coming weeks.

To find out more about Sundial Group, visit www.sundialgroup.com Or, coming soon, find Sundial on the move at mobile.sundialgroup.com.

In business as in real estate, it's all about location, location, location. Being in the right place, at the right time, with the right team can make the difference between sealing the deal and seeing performance take a dip. Sundial Venues, part of the award-winning Sundial Group, has taken this mantra to heart with three carefully selected UK meeting venues, all of which are now taking bookings for the New Year.

Highgate House, the Midlands meeting venue named EnjoyEngland's 'Best Business Tourism Establishment' of 2011, Barnett Hill in Surrey and Woodside in Warwickshire offer bespoke meeting packages which make the most of their strategic locations and the best of Sundial's meetings know-how.

Each location boasts good motorway connections, distraction-free learning environments, free parking and outstanding leisure facilities perfect for unwinding after a long day. These attributes all play a crucial role in making Sundial's trio of UK meeting venues the logical choice for business events, conferences and seminars.

Tim Chudley. Sundial Group's Managing Director said, "Sundial Venues' specialise in catering for business guests and our locations play a huge part in this, not only because they provide an ideal learning environment with acres of land for team building but also because they are all within easy reach from anywhere in the UK. With major motorways being a matter of minutes from all of our venues they occupy convenient locations no matter which corner of the UK from which guests might be travelling."

Northamptonshire meeting venue, Highgate House offers a choice of 34 dedicated conference, meeting and syndication rooms. It is just 20 minutes from the M1, with easy access to the M6, the M40 and the A14 and less than an hour from the M25, Birmingham, Oxford and Cambridge.

Warwickshire conference hotel, Woodside is a BRDC Continental 'Gold Standard' venue. It offers a choice of 20 conference and meeting rooms, all fully equipped with high-quality furniture designed specifically for meeting rooms, the latest in audio visual and display technology plus free Wi-Fi throughout. Located in the town of Kenilworth, it sits in the heart of England, easily accessible from the M1, M40, M5 and M6.

With a selection of 15 dedicated conference, syndication and meeting rooms, Surrey conference hotel, Barnett Hill is just 15-minutes from Guildford and within minutes of the M25, M3 and A3.

To find out more about each venue and enquire about availability in 2012, visit www.sundialgroup.com

Sundial Venues have enjoyed their best ever pre-Christmas period with record numbers of bookings for the popular Christmas party nights, held at three country house venues across the UK.

Now in their sixth year, Sundial's festive party nights combine the perfect venue for an office Christmas party with the convenience of knowing the entire night has already been planned. With award-winning cuisine prepared using fresh, seasonal ingredients, a range of banqueting facilities and function suites for private celebrations plus a choice of individually decorated, luxury accommodations available at preferential rates, there is little left to do but arrive and enjoy.

The perfect partner for event planners, Sundial Christmas party nights are ideal for companies of all sizes as the pre-planned festivities reduce the burden placed on the member of staff charged with organising the seasonal celebration.

Tim Chudley, Sundial's Managing Director said, "This has been a record breaking year for our Christmas parties because not only are customers continuing to re-book for 2011, new customers are hearing that we provide the ideal solution to the anxieties of organising a Christmas party too. With award-winning value for money, expert event planners and a guarantee of fantastic food in a beautiful location, customers have confidence that they can truly unwind and enjoy the festivities at a Sundial Venue Christmas party night."

The country house Christmas parties take place every Friday and Saturday evening throughout December. There are still limited numbers of tickets available at each location.

Based in the heart of the countryside, Northamptonshire conference hotel Highgate House is the first of the trio of locations to offer seasonal party nights. The menu, prepared by the Northamptonshire Chef of the Year is packed with festive delights and tickets include a traditional three course meal. The party can be booked meal only or with the option to include a disco, ensuring a wonderfully festive atmosphere in the grounds of the beautiful 17th-century property.

For those who prefer a south London location, Surrey conference hotel Barnett Hill offers a selection of various sized dining rooms and banqueting suites. The venue can accommodate groups of up to 75 in a single private room or 95 in adjoining rooms. Set in an area of outstanding natural beauty, the Queen Anne-style country house makes for a breathtakingly beautiful winter wonderland in December

The Warwickshire conference hotel, Woodside is the third of the Sundial Group venues to offer pre-arranged Christmas party nights. Like its two sister properties, Woodside holds a coveted certificate of excellence from travel website TripAdvisor, ensuring all guests enjoy the same attention to detail and commitment to superior levels of service that makes the Edwardian country house such as popular business and leisure destination throughout the rest of the year.

To mark the success of this year's events, Sundial are offering one office the chance to win a Christmas lunch. Anyone enquiring about Sundial venues throughout November will be entered into a free prize draw.

To find out more about Christmas party nights at a Sundial Venue location, view sample festive menus or book tickets, visit www.sundialgroup.com

Sundial Venues kicks off its 'Healthy Mind, Healthy Body' month at its three country house locations this November with a delicious range of fresh local produce and tantalising dishes designed by award-winning chefs.

Created by Northamptonshire's Chef of the Year, Lee Gaskins, the new Sundial menus have been created with the notion of brain food in mind. As the head chef at Sundial's Northamptonshire conference hotel, Highgate House, Chef Gaskins has also been at pains to celebrate the best of the local area with dishes that use ingredients sourced from neighbouring farms and small holdings.

Mr Gaskins said, "Using local and seasonal produce in a menu is an ideal way of ensuring that the meals served at each of the three Sundial meeting venues are unique to their own area. Britain produces some of the finest seasonal fruits and vegetables in the world, with November and December the perfect months for harvesting red cabbage, white cabbage, Brussels sprouts and a variety of different potatoes. In Spring we take advantage of the conditions to harvest cauliflower and carrots, whilst in summer we eat cherries and strawberries (just in time for Wimbledon)."

While local suppliers benefit economically, so do diners choosing a Sundial venue for their special occasion, meeting or conference. Those sampling any of the delicious winter fare now available at Highgate House, Surrey conference hotel, Barnett Hill or Warwickshire conference hotel, Woodside actually eat healthier as the ingredients used are generally not passed through a huge factory or subjected to chemicals to keep the food fresh. What's more, by deriving key flavours close to home, more vitamins and minerals are retained, providing the mind and body with the fuel it needs to stay fit and healthy.

In addition to its commitment to lowering carbon footprint by reducing journey time from field to plate, Sundial also takes the welfare of animals very seriously with menus using only free-range eggs, Red Tractor accredited chicken and fish from sustainable sources.

Local ingredients also make dishes more practical financially - when an ingredient is in season and is produced locally, it is much more cost-effective to serve, meaning that the savings can be passed directly on to those dining at any of the three Sundial locations.

A wonderful example of Sundial Venues implementing their seasonal produce with a nod to their healthy body, healthy mind philosophy in a meal would be to start with the Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup finished with Truffle Oil, followed by pot-roasted Guinea Fowl with Bubble and Squeak of Brussels Sprouts and Smoked Bacon for the main course. This would be topped by a decadent Warm Pain Perdu of Caramelised Apples and Blackberries served with Almond Brittle Ice Cream.

All Sundial venues are now serving a menu inspired by local ingredients. With each awarded TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence badges, the properties make superb choices for both business and leisure events.

To find out more, view sample menus or reserve a table, visit www.sundialgroup.com

Sundial Venues' dedicated meeting and training venues Barnett Hill and Woodside have both achieved 'Gold Standard' in BDRC Continental's latest "VenueVerdict" survey. This is now the third quarter this year that Woodside, Sundial's Warwickshire venue near Birmingham has retained its 'Gold Standard' status.

BDRC Continental is the leading supplier of marketing research insight to the meetings sector, with a team of research professionals dedicated to this important part of the hospitality industry. Their "VenueVerdict" survey features over 300 UK Conference venues and internationally renowned hotel chains, of which, just a handful achieve the 'Gold Standard' accreditation each year.

Sundial Venues comprises three UK conference centres in quiet country house locations in Northamptonshire, Surrey and Warwickshire. Woodside has now retained the 'Gold Standard' accreditation for the third quarter this year, putting it in a great position to regain the annual 'Gold Standard' for 2011. Meanwhile Barnett Hill in Surrey has also achieved the accreditation, receiving feedback including "I think the venue is fantastic and the staff service is excellent". Sundial's Northamptonshire venue Highgate House is BDRC Continental's 'Number One Venue' of 2010, which was announced in January this year. The venue also holds the national title 'Best Business Tourism Establishment' 2011, following the EnjoyEngland awards in April.

Tim Chudley, Sundial Group's Managing Director said, "We are very pleased to have achieved the prestigious 'Gold Standard' accreditation at both Woodside and Barnett Hill, our teams work incredibly hard and it is great to see recognition for this." He continued, "I believe that the industry realise that being specialist conference and training centres means that we are able to provide fantastic, dedicated environments for guests."

Sundial Venues is also the top 'Value for Money' UK venue group, following the results from BDRC Continental's "VenueVerdict" survey for 2010, making this the third consecutive year that Sundial has headed up this category, having first done so for 2008.

For more information please visit www.sundialvenues.com

In the current economic climate, firms are finding their budgets significantly reduced. But Teamscapes, the innovative team building solutions specialist from Sundial Group, says teambuilding activities must stay at the top of the agenda, to maintain a successful workflow and improve team strengths.

With that in mind, the firm offers a range of accredited team building activities at its venues starting from as little as £50 per person.

Sundial's Learning and Development Director Lucy McGibbon, who founded spokesperson for Teamscapes, which specialises in indoor teambuilding activities and team training, said, "We provide bespoke training packages and so the cost tends to be more reflective of our client's budget. Quite often, people are all too preoccupied with the financial side but they don't consider the massive impact these activities will have on productivity in the future, which of course only benefits the business."

The firm offers a range of over 20 activities, which include indoor, outdoor and culinary team building. Each has been created to suit different types of teams at different times of the year.

The spokesperson added, "Teambuilding isn't just for the summer. We've a range that are designed specifically for the Autumn and Winter, which help to increase team efficiency and boost team morale. Having said that, some of our outdoor teambuilding activities are still available during the Winter months. Our clients realise that one activity day can be enough to revolutionise, reinvigorate and re-inspire the team - and that's exactly what we're to help with."

For more information, visit the firm's website: http://www.sundialteamscapes.com.

The cold weather has started to set in all over the country, and as we trade in our flip-flops for woolly jumpers, the time to start considering our Christmas parties draws nearer. If the important task of organising a Christmas celebration for your family, friends or work colleagues has been bestowed upon you, then look no further than Sundial Venues for all your festive party requirements.

Based in three stunning country house locations, Sundial Venues offer the finest Christmas celebrations in the most picturesque of settings. The award winning conference hotels have been named venues of choice by the meetings industry and won culinary awards and coveted Trip Advisor certificates of excellence thanks to outstanding reviews from leisure visitors. Choose from Barnett Hill in the rolling hills of Surrey, Highgate House in the tranquil area of Northamptonshire, or the stunning Edwardian Woodside Country House in Warwickshire and let your seasonal merriment commence.

For intimate, elegant parties overlooking the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, prospective guests need look no further than Barnett Hill. Groups of up to 75 in single private rooms or up to 95 in adjoining rooms are welcomed, with delicious banquets and sit-down meals to choose from and attentive staff who will cater to your every need. Along with a Christmas meal there is the option to book a disco for your group, to really celebrate the festive season. In opulent surroundings that double as a luxury UK training venue, you need not worry about booking transport home for your guests, as luxury bedrooms are available at discounted rates for party goers.

Throughout the year, Highgate House is an award-winning Midlands meetings venue, but at Christmas, the 17th century country house is transformed into the most majestic location for any celebration. Catering for all types of party, including a corporate event or small private events for closest friends and family, the staff at Highgate House will go out of their way to ensure you have the perfect evening. As well as traditional Christmas parties, there are also Christmas lunches and New Year's Eve events available to book at this elegant conference hotel in Northamptonshire.

With its mix of contemporary style and traditional furnishings, Woodside, a Warwickshire conference venue, is a luxurious choice for all Christmas gatherings and celebrations. Book a private dining room to entertain your guests and celebrate a successful year for your company, then let your hair down with an optional disco for up to 120 people. The hand-picked kitchen team use fresh and locally-sourced products where possible to create a mouth-watering feast which can accommodate all special dietary requirements. If you are a smaller party, book yourself a night at one of the many Christmas parties Woodside is holding and have a great night meeting new people or enjoying an intimate dinner.

To view the new website and find out more about any of the Sundial Venues or other services offered, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

/

In recent months, more and more firms announcing big profits and colleague satisfaction have attributed their success to motivation and team strength amongst their workforce. With that in mind, Teamscapes, the teambuilding solutions specialist from the award-winning Sundial Group, is encouraging firms and teams who need more support in achieving such goals to take advantage of their range of team building solutions.

Sundial Teamscapes offers a range of dynamic and innovative team building activities, all designed to strengthen relations at work and to ensure colleagues really begin to value the importance of teamwork and collaboration.

The range of workshops and activities are in place to challenge current attitudes to teamwork and also to encourage better ways of approaching situations which require team communication. Teamscapes can help you to design a bespoke learning programme specifically created to meet your firm's needs whether they are to improve co-operation and trust, team communication or simply to identifying team strengths.

Lucy McGibbon, Sundial Group Learning & Development Director, said, "Improving employee collaboration strengthening relationships can have a massive impact on productivity, resources and overall effectiveness. Sundial Teamscapes offer a range of activities which have been designed to identify strengths within teams and individuals. We help teams to realise this potential and channel the impact this greater understanding can have on overall workflow."

Sundial Teamscapes offers a range of indoor, outdoor and culinary teambuilding experiences, more information of which can be found on the website: http://www.sundialteamscapes.com.

They say that, up there with moving house and having a baby, organising your wedding is one of the most stressful times of your life. Choosing an army of bridesmaids and groomsmen, organising flowers to be delivered on the correct date, the logistical nightmare of the seating charts and not to mention the wedding venue itself...

Barnett Hill, a stunning country house wedding venue in Surrey, sits in 26 luscious acres of gardens and grounds, amidst the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. With leisure facilities that include a sauna, spa bath, air-conditioned gymnasium and games room, the elegant country house is the perfect place for a winter wedding this year. Sundial Group's elegant, tranquil Queen Anne-style country house is currently offering a fantastic all-inclusive deal for weddings and civil partnerships booked between 2nd September and 31st December 2011. The package removes the stress from organising a wedding and lets you enjoy your special day without any worries.

For just £8,500, the package includes all event rooms, food and beverages and entertainment for your evening reception. 70 of your closest friends and family will be greeted with a drinks reception and canapés, with a three-course Wedding Breakfast for your guests. The kitchens at Barnett Hill pride themselves on sourcing local produce and using Fairtrade products wherever possible, so you can rest assured that you meal will not only be of the highest quality, but also eco-friendly and supporting local farmers and suppliers.

Each guest will receive half a bottle of wine with their meal, plus a glass of sparkling wine for the speeches and toasts. Then follows the evening reception, with a finger buffet for 100 guests, with disco entertainment in one of our stunning period function rooms.

Also included will be a Toastmaster to keep your day running smoothly and add a sense of grandeur to the special occasion. You will receive free table stationary, including menus, table plans and place cards, plus a complimentary cake stand and keepsake cake knife for that special photo opportunity.

When you and your guests have danced the night away, Barnett Hill offers complimentary rooms for the newlyweds and their parents. Your guests may also book luxurious accommodation at Barnett Hill, in one of the 56 beautifully appointed bedrooms - all en-suite, with a mixture of singles, doubles and twins. All rooms include free WiFi access, a 19-inch flat-screen television with DVD player connectivity, bottled mineral water, hot beverage facilities, a hairdryer and an alarm-clock radio with iPod docking station. The morning after your special day, whether you're heading off on your honeymoon or heading home to start your married life, don't forget to sample the exquisite Continental Breakfast, served in buffet style from 7am.

If you'd like to take a tour of Barnett Hill with a view to booking it for your winter wedding, please contact the sales office on 01483 899200.

For more information about Sundial's packages at any of its other country house wedding venues, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

Choosing the perfect venue for your wedding can be a somewhat daunting task, especially with the rest of the wedding arrangements to consider. Are the bridesmaids' measurements correct? Will the flowers arrive on time? Did I miss anyone off the seating chart? There's a reason why weddings are generally regarded as one of the most stressful times of your life, right up there with moving house and having a baby.

Sundial Weddings, a collection of stunning country house wedding venues in the Midlands and South East of England, endeavour to rid you of these worries and provide intimate, luxurious venues for your special celebration. They are throwing open their doors to brides and grooms with the Wedding And Celebrations Showcases at each of their three sites; Highgate House in idyllic Northamptonshire, Woodside in elegant Warwickshire and Barnett Hill in lush, green Surrey. All locations are set in acres of rolling countryside, with great transport links to the rest of the country.

The wedding showcases are a great opportunity to have a look around one of the three UK wedding venues, which will all be set up exactly as they would be on the day of your wedding, civil partnership or other celebration. You will be able to discuss your requirements in greater detail with a member of the Sundial team, who have extensive experience tailoring weddings to every couple's needs. You will also learn about the unique offers each venue has regarding weddings, with varying wedding packages available across the three locations.

There will also be the opportunity to be introduced to selected suppliers, recommended by Sundial, who will be present to offer services experienced in catering for every detail of your big day. Wine tasting, cooking demonstrations and selections of canapés are available at each of the venues, so that you may understand exactly what your guests will be devouring at your Wedding Breakfast and evening buffet.

The Wedding Showcases will be taking place in early October. The Warwickshire wedding showcase at Woodside will take place on the 2nd October, from 11.30am until 3pm, with the events at Highgate House and Barnett Hill taking place a week later on the 9th October, from 11am until 3pm (4pm at Barnett Hill). There will be plenty of opportunity to stroll through the beautifully landscaped gardens and grounds and explore the facilities each location has to offer, which include indoor swimming pools, saunas, various sports activities (pitch 'n' putt, tennis courts) and an individual bar and restaurant in each hotel, sourcing local and Fairtrade materials to provide you with the very best delicacies.

If you would like to attend one of the Wedding And Celebration Showcases, the events are free but pre-registration is required. This can be done on the Sundial Weddings website: http://www.sundialweddings.com.

London is seen as Britain's commercial hub. The place to be. The place to meet. The place to trade. But that's a vision that doesn't seem to take into account the Midlands and the wealth of business opportunity the region offers.

While of course many businesses opt for their headquarters to be in the capital, more and more are moving out and have colleagues working from home or regional offices, making the Midlands the best location for work meetings and conferences.

The award-winning meeting venue provider, Sundial Group offers a range of complete meeting packages in the region. Sundial Venues in the Midlands are easily accessible and therefore convenient, proving to be more cost-efficient than venues in London, which of course is particularly handy in the current economic climate.

Tim Chudley, Managing Director of Sundial Group said, "Sundial Group Midlands meeting venues are set in the beautiful English countryside, rather than the continual fast-paced nature of the City. They're also only an hour away from London, providing ease, comfort and convenience at the same time."

Highgate House meeting venue in Northamptonshire and Woodside, the Warwickshire conference hotel from Sundial both recently retained their Gold standard accreditation by one of the UK's leading market research suppliers.

Mr. Chudley added, "We're extremely proud of our meeting venues in the Midlands and time and we are continually told by clients of Sundial Venues' suitability for work events outside the Capital. Our teams on-site work incredibly hard to meet the demands of our clients which is reflected in the number of compliments we receive on our fantastic customer service and overall hospitality experience. For us, though, that's not going the extra mile - it's our way of showing our customers that we can simply and effectively help them to meet their meeting package needs without the hassle of travelling to London."

Sundial Group also offers another alternative location to London -Barnett Hill, a conference hotel in Surrey, is also a good option to keep costs down and to also ensure those attending have all of their technical and comfort needs met properly, in order for your meeting to go as smoothly as possible.

The complete meeting packages on offer at each location include residential and non-resident options as well as evening and green solutions. Each package includes use of a suitably sized meeting room, free Wi-Fi access, consumables, refreshments, parking, breakout rooms and the support of a dedicated meeting planner.

For more information about Sundial Group's complete meeting packages and each of its three venues, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

It's ten o'clock in the morning. You've got 60 minutes. You and your team must work together to get across an electric fence. Each and every minute counts. It's an example of the kind of outdoor teambuilding activities offered by Sundial Teamscapes.

The teambuilding solutions specialist from the award-winning Sundial Group is encouraging firms to make the most of what promises to be an Indian summer and take part in outdoor teambuilding activities before the Autumn gets well and truly underway.

Lucy McGibbon, Learning and Development Director at Sundial Learning, which specialises in teamwork training and personal development, said, "While the weather hasn't exactly been tropical, it's warm enough and usually dry enough to allow participants to work on their teambuilding in the great outdoors. Simple and straightforward activities they may be but they have a fantastic impact on morale and leadership skills. Of course, these teambuilding activities also significantly improve organisational productivity and help to identify weaknesses and strengths within the team, which will only have a positive impact on the future health and well-being of that firm and its workers. Doing it outdoors adds an extra fun dimension to the experience!"

Another example of a fun and engaging teamwork activity is The Sword In The Stone - and it's exactly as it sounds! A sword's held in a block of stone - sealed with twelve 'spells' and a rod. Only six of the 'spells' are real and the rod needs a combination number in order to be removed. The team has an hour to search the grounds to find clues, which will reveal which of the six 'spells' are needed and to find the appropriate combination for the rod.

The firm also offers a range of indoor teambuilding experiences, more information of which can be found on its' website: http://www.sundialteamscapes.com.

Arranging a conference, meeting or event for a large group of people whilst trying to balance your everyday workload can be a logistical nightmare. But thanks to Sundial Group and their specialist complete meetings packages, you needn't worry about the organisational details any longer.

Sundial Group, a multi award-winning hospitality team with three stunning UK meeting venues, understand that when arranging conferences away from the backdrop of an office, there are many important factors which come into play. The first and most important of which will most likely be finding high-quality meeting room facilities in an easily accessible and hospitable location. Also of importance is the need to have dedicated equipment in place on the day of your event, along with the need to confirm availability as soon as possible. Working with a single supplier such as Sundial Group can vastly decrease the to-do list involved in organising such an event, leaving you free to make the most of your conference.

Sundial Group boasts three fantastic Country House meeting venues available for your conference: Barnett Hill in Surrey, Woodside in Warwickshire and Northamptonshire conference hotel, Highgate House, which has been named the number one hotel in Northampton by TripAdvisor, and also the best meeting venue in England in the EnjoyEngland Awards for Excellence 2011. All three are set in tranquil and peaceful surroundings so you can ensure you get the best from your event, whilst also being accessible and spacious.

The Complete Meeting Package is a 24-hour service provided by Sundial Group and includes everything needed to make the meeting a success, without any hidden extras or additional fees on the day. The package includes the use of suitably-sized custom conference facilities for your group, with great access to audio/visual equipment. Where most hotels or conference facilities may provide a generic group of 'Conference and Banqueting' staff, Sundial's team is a dedicated events one, which can assist in all aspects of the meeting planning. All conference rooms provide natural daylight, proven to boost concentration levels, unlimited refreshments and mineral water, free unlimited WiFi and free parking throughout your stay. Overnight accommodation is available at each luxurious venue, with a four-course hot and cold buffet lunch (vegetarian options included), four-course table d'hote dinner and Full English and Continental breakfast for all delegates.

In addition to the 24-hour events package, Sundial also provide conference rooms on smaller timescales, with packages which cover the working day (9am-6pm) or commence at 4pm for after-work seminars or presentations. If you are environmentally-conscious, as many companies are these days, there is also a Greener Meeting Package, which allows the client to make their event more eco-friendly at no extra cost. This includes features such replacing bottled mineral water for iced tap water, and having notepads available as and when needed by delegates so as not to waste paper.

For more information about Sundial Group's complete meeting packages, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

The benefits of choosing a dedicated conference hotel can't be underestimated for those serious about doing business in the midst of a continually sluggish economy, advise Sundial Venues, Sundial Group's award winning specialist meeting venues in the UK.

1. Dedicated Facilities

Conference centres or conference hotels with dedicated facilities will make doing business that much easier than in a hotel that may have one or two conference rooms as an addition to its main travel and leisure focus.

Time is limited at a conference or seminar and because of that, efficient working practises must be adopted to take as much as possible from each day. Choosing a conference hotel in Warwickshire for example that has dedicated conference suits equipped with high quality AV equipment and set up with stationary, seating and workspaces makes much more sense than choosing a Birmingham hotel catering for leisure travellers that may not have projectors, big screens or high speed Wi-Fi tested for use on a daily basis.

2. Accommodation

A good conference hotel should also have a choice of accommodation options in order to cater for all delegate requirements. This is of particular importance when a large group booking is being made. Each of the three Sundial conference hotels has claimed a coveted TripAdvisor certificate of excellence. This certificate of excellence, presented to the group's conference hotel Birmingham, conference hotel Surrey and conference hotel Northampton, sets each venue apart as providing high levels of hospitality. It required each venue to have an average of a four out of five star rating as well as an acceptable volume of recent reviews by TripAdvisor users.

In a good conference hotel, accommodation should offer certain features which make it easy to continue working if required - work desks and Wi-Fi access should be offered, along with sufficient lighting to use a laptop and a direct dial telephone. Other added extras within the rooms can also make meeting deadlines during the conference more achievable - even simple additions such as bottled water and hot drink facilities make a big difference.

3. Value for Money

It goes without saying that value for money is also a prime consideration, especially when many businesses are being required to do more with less. Consider asking any venue being considered what special offers are applicable, how big a group discount is applied, if loyalty schemes are in place and if they have been recognised for value for money services.

Sundial Group's meeting venues have officially been named best "Value for Money" in BDRC Continental's "VenueVerdict" survey for 2010 and have held this position consistently for the past three years.

For more information about Sundial's complete meeting packages, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

Meetings venue specialists, Sundial Group has been awarded one of two 'supplier of the day' awards at Zibrant's charity fun day, held in aid of the Prince's Trust.

Sundial's iconic English Routemaster bus was rolled out to host a stand and was on hand to serve BBQ food to friends and family of the team at Zibrant's Global Sales and Marketing office. The fun day turned out to be sun drenched with a number of suppliers attending, helping to make a huge success of the event and raising an amazing £3638.75 for the Prince's Trust.

The UK meeting venue team manning The Chudbus for the day was recognised as one of the most popular stalls, culminating in Sundial Venues and the Chudbus being announced as 'Supplier of the Day' winner for the most impactful stand. The bright red classic London double decker is a promotional vehicle and unique meeting venue, used by Sundial Group at special events up and down the country. The distinctive Routemaster, loving restored and recently renovated to include a top desk corporate entertainment lounge gives a nod to the history and values behind the award-winning firm.

Since the Chudbus first debuted at the National Venue Show in 2004, it has become well known within the meetings industry, securing major press coverage from the likes of Conference News and Meetings & Incentive Travel Magazine. The bus has become an important symbol in portraying Sundial's history and values - the Chudley family, owner-operators of the hospitality group, used to travel around in a bus in the sixties because it was the easiest way to transport their family of 11! The Chudbus became well known around Northamptonshire and indeed across the UK when Gaumont Rank showed newsreel and the BBC broadcast the story about the extraordinary Chudley family and their bus.

Today Sundial has developed into a first class hospitality group, synonymous with value for money, first class meetings venues and innovative team building events. Corporate and Social Responsibility plays a large part in the values of the way Sundial is run, with a keen focus on operating in a eco-friendly manner wherever possible and showing support for charities.

The Prince's Trust support young people in the UK by offering practical and financial support to those who need it the most. The Trust helps develop key skills, confidence and motivation, enabling young people to move into work, education and training. The aim of Zibrant's event was to raise money for the Prince's Trust Wild UK challenge in which 16 participants from Zibrant will bike, hike and kayak 100 miles across Somerset and Devon in just three days. All money raised through the raffles, fun and games will go directly to the charity. The Sundial team donated their time and BBQ treats to support the event.

Want to be in the know about Sundial's travelling Chudbus? Read all about it at www.sundialvenues.blogspot.com and search 'Sundial' on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with the latest news.%u2028For more information about Sundial Venues please visit www.sundialvenues.com

According to the latest statistics from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the British economy is struggling to demonstrate any kind of sustained growth. With corporate belt tightening very much the order of the day, getting more from the most powerful resource available is an absolute must.

While it's long been established, corporate teambuilding is now more important than ever with more and more firms turning to the practice each week in order to motivate, energise and profit from a tighter knit, more productive workforce.

Sundial Teamscapes, the team building solutions arm of the award winning Sundial Group have launched a bespoke team building package, reflecting the fact that not every business will want to carry out the same team building activities or even have the same requirements for their team building provider.

Throwing out the one size fits all package favoured by so many teambuilding services, Sundial Teamscapes instead allows businesses of all sizes and in all fields to design a programme of challenges around their own specific needs. There is a choice of 20 indoor team building, outdoor team building and culinary team building activities to choose from along with selected 'ice breakers' to get the whole day, morning session or afternoon tasks off to the best possible start.

Sundial Teamscapes' activities are all designed to develop different parts of the team and the individual. Whilst some events are intended to gently introduce team members that may have never previously met, other activities place the emphasis on team development, personal development or team motivation respectively.

Sundial Teamscapes can design a package of teamwork training activities to suit companies and teams of all sizes. In some cases, the team may consist of as few as four people. Alternatively, there may be as many as 100 or more people in one team, and it is in these situations that a team may be divided into several smaller groups, which may then take on team building activities on a simultaneous or rota basis.

Different companies will understandably have different needs, and Sundial Teamscapes can design a package of team building activities that makes it easier for teams that are uncertain about their strengths and weaknesses to discover and subsequently develop them. Alternatively, a team may already have a strong idea of what it wishes to achieve as part of its team building program, in which case Sundial Teamscapes can devise a package that caters for these precise needs, drawing from its wide range of available indoor, outdoor and culinary activities.

To find out more about Sundial Teamscapes' range of teambuilding exercises and to design a bespoke programme, visit http://www.sundialteamscapes.com.

Those looking to book a conference or meeting venue or organise an event in addition to managing a regular workload can now tick off all of the logistical and organisational tasks in one fell swoop thanks to Sundial Group's complete meetings packages.

As an award winning meeting venue provider, Sundial Group understands that when the time comes to organise a meeting away from the usual office environment, several key priorities come into play. One of the biggest priorities will, naturally, be finding top quality meeting room facilities within a conveniently-located and hospitable venue. This is usually followed in quick succession by the need to confirm availability and arrange for dedicated equipment to be in place on the day. With so many things to consider, working with a single supplier capable of dealing with the entire meeting's management to do list can make the whole job much less stressful.

Event planning specialists, Sundial Group have an unrivalled reputation when it comes to assisting companies with conference venue and meeting needs. Their complete meeting packages service is an extension of this. Tim Chudley, Managing Director of Sundial Group said, At Sundial we pride ourselves on being customer centred, every aspect of our business is driven by the desire to make life simple for event planners. Our complete meeting packages embody this, the packages are all inclusive, containing everything you need with one cost and no hidden extras.

Whether your business is simply on the lookout for a top quality conference hotel Birmingham complete with well-trained chefs serving food from the finest menus, or instead for meetings that incorporate the team building activities offered by Sundial Teamscapes, Sundial Group caters for a wide range of meeting venue needs.

Sundial Group consists of several subsidiaries which, together, allow the company to offer everything that a business could require in a single, cohesive meeting package. These include Sundial Venues, which is the operator of several award-winning conferences venues; Highgate House in Northamptonshire, Barnett Hill in Surrey and Warwickshire meeting venue, Woodside.

A number of complete meeting packages are available including a day meeting package, which is a non-residential delegate package for day meetings and meeting room hire. The package includes the use of a suitably-sized meeting room, high-quality furniture, a flipchart, data projector and screen, along with free Wi-Fi access in meeting rooms, public areas and bedrooms. It also includes unlimited refreshments for the duration of the event.

Sundial Group's Complete Meeting Package is a 24-hour delegate package for inclusive residential meetings, conferences and events. An evening meeting package, which is available from 4pm has been designed specifically for after working hours seminars and presentations.

Finally, Sundial Group also offers a Greener Meeting Package that allows any client to make their meeting a more environmentally friendly one, at no extra cost. In addition to the same features of the rest of Sundial Group's meeting packages, the Greener Meeting Package also features modifications such as jugs of iced tap water instead of bottled mineral water, as well as notepaper and pens being available for delegates to help themselves to, rather than being at every place setting.

For more information about Sundial's complete meeting packages, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

More than 17 million Brits will shun a summer holiday this year - that's 2.7 million more than the number of people who stayed at home in 2008, according to new research. Sundial Venues, TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence holders, suggest an alternative to a missed break in the form of a restful retreat at any one of its three award-winning venues in Surrey, Northamptonshire and Warwickshire.

Offering a ray of hope to those resigned to a week spent at home, the hospitality specialists have created a series of bespoke UK country break packages, perfect for couples, families and groups of friends with time on their hands and no desire to jet off to foreign lands.

Tim Chudley, Sundial Group Managing Director said, "The economy and recession are quickly becoming go to explanations for any change in behaviour or lack of inclination to spend but, a number of high street travel agents have reported fewer bookings for overseas breaks this year. It seems that the nation has resigned itself to a holiday spent in the UK but with so much culture, beautiful scenery, great food and places to explore, we say seize the chance to see Britain at it's beautiful best.

"Our leisure breaks provide the perfect mix of luxurious accommodation, country house surroundings and easy access to a whole host of beauty spots, pretty market towns and the chance to get closer to nature while enjoying some good old fashioned rest and relaxation."

As part of its movement to get staycationers to see the country in a whole new light, each of the three Sundial venues is offering leisure guests free bicycle rental.

In order to qualify for the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence accolade, each Sundial UK country house venue was required to maintain an average of four out of a possible five star rating by visitors reviewing their stay via the TripAdvisor portal. Known for its delicious cuisine, made from fresh local produce in each location, and expertise in providing a superb guest experience thanks to its award winning meeting venues service, Sundial Venues also provides unrestricted access to a wide range of leisure facilities in each property.

With a choice of restaurants, cosy bars and individually decorated bedrooms well equipped with The White Company of London toiletries, free, unlimited WiFi access, iPod/mp3 docking station, a television with freeview, telephone, biscuits and bottled mineral water, Woodside in Warwickshire, Highgate House in Northamptonshire and Barnet Hill in Surrey offer the luxury of a boutique break with the convenience of fantastic central locations.

For more information about Sundial leisure breaks and to book, visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

Any UK business will find it easier to nurture a productive team this summer thanks to a special offer from Sundial Teamscapes, the team building solutions specialists. The firm is offering a 'buy one get one half price' deal on all of its indoor, outdoor and culinary teambuilding packages. Sundial Teamscapes runs 21 different team building activities, making it easy to create a package suited to the individual needs and objectives of any size of business and workforce.

Lucy McGibbon, Learning and Development Director at Sundial said, "Whether your company has taken part in teambuilding activities before or is entirely new to the concept, setting some time aside to renew the bonds that make each department effective is a great way to ensure continued productivity through the summer months.

"Our buy one get one half price offer represents incredible value for money and is a chance to get the whole team outdoors and working together in a fun, relaxed environment."

Team development events have long had various advantages, namely in helping to improve the workings of a staff team by enhancing communication, leadership and teamwork in a way that engages every participant. Sundial Teamscapes has designed an extensive range of team building activities with the aim of allowing participants to achieve various learning outcomes. The company offers team building activities that are specifically designed for both the indoors and outdoors, in addition to a range of delicious culinary themed tasks.

At this time of year, outdoor teambuilding activities can make all the difference to a team struggling to stay on track. Challenges such as The Sword in the Stone and Labyrinth really make the most of the sunshine. Such activities allow everyone to get involved as they are designed to allow participants of all physical abilities to take part, being fun and effective rather than strenuous and risky.

Specific examples of the outdoor teambuilding activities that Sundial Teamscapes offers include, at their least complicated, the Crossover challenge. This activity involves teams being divided into small groups and starting in a separated gravel area. Each team has a suspended rectangle between them, with the task being to go through the rectangle as a means of swapping places with each other. Participants can make their task easier by forming bridges with wooden blocks and planks as part of an activity that improves communication, cooperation and team-building.

Other outdoor teambuilding activities offered by Sundial Teamscapes include more complicated activities such as The Sundial and The Moonstone, as well as the most difficult exercises of all such as Labyrinth and Dr Doolittle, the latter requiring all team members to successfully negotiate an electric fence.

As part of Sundial Teamscapes' 'buy one get one half price' offer on team building activities this summer, participants are invited to earn a nationally recognised award simply by completing two sessions and a debriefing/analysis session under the auspices of one of Sundial Group's Accredited Teamscapes Facilitators.

To find out more about the teambuilding exercises that Sundial Teamscapes can bring to the heart of your business, just visit http://www.sundialteamscapes.com.

There is a range of reasons why a company may wish to hold a meeting or event in an external venue, whether in the UK, Europe and internationally. Sundial Options and Solutions, the specialist meetings and events procurement arm of the award-winning Sundial Group, offers free UK venue finding services for firms wishing to take advantage of its more than 12 years in the hospitality industry.

Sundial Options & Solutions can find a wide range of UK meeting and conference venues for any size and style of meeting or event. It does this by working closely with clients in order to determine their exact requirements from a particular meeting venue, including such factors as facilities and budget. In addition to UK and international venue finding, Sundial Options and Solutions also offer consultancy, strategic support, event planning and meetings management.

An extensive selection of possible venues including sports stadia, hotels and dedicated conference hotels makes it easy to settle on the one location guaranteed to make a great impression.

Rebecca Carter, Sundial Options and Solutions General Manager said, "Taking advantage of our strategic procurement services helps companies perhaps not used to organizing events dial into our supplier base, obtain preferential contract terms and rates with selected venue suppliers and leverage costs by optimising use of venue locations. Other advantages of the SOS Meetings Management Service include the ability that it gives to firms to simplify online or offline booking processes and to make the most of a dedicated and skilled team of international and UK venue finding consultants."

In addition, the completely transparent way in which SOS's Hotel Accommodation Booking and Meetings Management Services are delivered makes it possible for procurement heads and purchasing managers to keep track of savings and expenditure. The extended amount of time that Sundial Options & Solutions spends with each client means that it can ensure the best quality venues at the most exceptional prices.

Rebecca Carter added, "Demonstrable total savings of over 25% are not unusual, whilst for a single event, as much as a 45% savings have been achieved."

To find out more, visit http://www.sosmeetings.com

Sundial Venues have been honoured as highly rated hotels, as reviewed by customers on TripAdvisor. Barnett Hill in Surrey, Highgate House in Northamptonshire and Woodside in Warwickshire today announce that they have each received TripAdvisor® Certificates of Excellence, which honour top-rated hotels, restaurants and attractions, reviewed by travellers on the world's largest travel site.

To qualify for a Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an average rating of four or higher out of a possible five, as reviewed by travellers on TripAdvisor. Additional criteria include volume of reviews and how recently they have been submitted by TripAdvisor travellers. The accolade is extended to qualifying businesses worldwide.

Sundial Venues specialise in providing fantastic hospitality for groups of people at their dedicated UK conference centres and Surrey and Midlands meeting venues. These accolades are in addition to Highgate House's consistent TripAdvisor top spot as 'Number One Hotel in Northampton' for over two years now, the venue was also named National 'Best Business Tourism Establishment' in England (EnjoyEngland Awards for Excellence 2011), earlier this year.

Sundial's Managing Director Tim Chudley said, "It is an honour to receive a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, along with some of the most prestigious hotels and attractions around the world", he continued, "To earn these titles for all three of our venues is a fantastic achievement, we strive to offer our customers a memorable experience, and this accolade is evidence that the hard work of every Sundial team member is translating into positive traveller reviews on TripAdvisor."

"The TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence program gives exceptional businesses, in a variety of different industries around the world, the recognition they deserve," said Christine Petersen, president of TripAdvisor for Business. "From top-rated restaurants in Boston to top-rated attractions in Barcelona, we want to applaud these businesses for offering TripAdvisor travellers a great customer experience."

TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travellers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travellers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features (including Flights search, TripAdvisor Mobile and TripAdvisor Trip Friends) with seamless links to booking tools.

Sundial Venues are part of Sundial Group, the perfect partner for event planners. The family run group, Sundial, owns and operates three Country House conference venues across the UK, Barnett Hill in Surrey, Highgate House in Northamptonshire and Woodside in Kenilworth. For further information about Sundial Venues, special offers and how to book a bedroom or make an event enquiry please visit

http://www.sundialgroup.com/

Sundial Options & Solutions, the award winning Sundial Group's venue finding agent, has announced that it will be sending team members to the IMEX '11 exhibition in Frankfurt at the end of May.

IMEX '11, which is the show at which the global meetings industry makes connections and does business, will be held in the German city on 24-26 May, and representatives of Sundial Options & Solutions will attend with the aim of building relationships with large hotel groups across Europe, in addition to further broadening the company's existing vast hotel knowledge.

Sundial Options & Solutions began in May 1999, when it offered a free service to customers who had been turned away from the three UK conference centres operated by the Sundial Group. The company has continued to grow since that date, and today continues to offer its high level of industry expertise and knowledge to a wide range of clients that are in need of conference venues and hotels.

Sundial Options & Solutions concentrates on creating positive customer experiences by offering such services to clients as UK venue finding, international venue finding and event planning, with its attendance at IMEX '11 being the latest indicator of its commitment to continually expanding its range of contacts and expertise in the hotel industry.

Mark Cooper, Sundial's Sales Director stated: "In more than a decade of operation, we have always taken seriously our duty to our clients to offer the very best venue finding and event planning services, informed by extensive experience, contacts and expertise. By announcing our attendance at IMEX '11 in Frankfurt, the Worldwide Exhibition for meetings and events, we have further demonstrated our commitment to continually expanding our industry-relevant knowledge."

IMEX '11 will bring together more than 3,500 exhibitors from over 150 countries for three days of business under the roof of Hall 8 of Messe Frankfurt, the world's largest trade fair organiser. This year's event will consist of over 70 sessions of education and will feature a wide range of European hotel groups amongst its exhibitors. Team members from Sundial Options & Solutions intend to make the most of their appearance at the show to network with prospective partners, with the ultimate aim of forming longer-term partnerships that will be highly beneficial to its extensive client base.

Sundial Options & Solutions books hotel bedroom space across the world, making the most of its existing relationships with hotel groups to provide the most suitable group accommodation for clients' individual needs. As a hotel booking agency, the company frequently attends a wide range of industry events and shows as part of its continual improvement of the quality of service that it provides.

For more information about hotel bookings from Sundial Options & Solutions and to discuss your needs in more detail, please contact Becky Carter. Email: Rebecca.carter@sundialgroup.com or call 01604 731731. Alternatively, visit http://www.sosmeetings.com

Sundial Options and Solutions, the venue finding arm of the award winning Sundial Group, has enhanced its event management service. The new, full event management offering makes it easier than ever for clients to deliver the most effective product launches, conferences and all kinds of other events.

When the time comes to organise and manage an event, few companies have the necessary in-house resources to ensure that the event is a success on its own. The event management service from Sundial Options and Solutions, however, gives clients access to a bespoke suite of tools and know how, making it quick and easy to organise speakers, locate high quality suppliers, find the best venue and generally manage the expectations of delegates - whether there are 50 or 1000.

Mark Cooper, Sales Director at Sundial Options and Solutions said, "Sundial's specialist service is enhanced by our many years expert of experience in the events industry." He explained, "Sundial's new service will become a natural extension to our clients' organizing team".

The new event management service joins the wide range of existing services for event planners offered by Sundial Options and Solutions, including its UK and international venue finding service and expanding hotel booking service which are already popular with a range of major UK brands. Informed by Sundial's extensive experience in all aspects of event planning, the new specialist event management service helps to bring together all of an event's stakeholders, including suppliers. It is the perfect complement to the efforts of a client's own team at every stage of an event, from planning and delivery to the post-event phase.

The flexible event management services offered by Sundial Options and Solutions include free initial event advice and diagnostics; online delegate registration managed in multiple languages; a branded event website; marketing and promotion; design and print; exhibition design, build and management; sponsorship management; venue sourcing and negotiating; group accommodation and dinner management; audio visual and stage production; inspirational and motivational speakers and entertainers; financial budgets and reconciliations, on the day delivery team, delegate management and logistics; and post conference communications, monitoring and evaluations.

To find out more and to discuss your needs in more detail contact Becky Carter. Email: Rebecca.carter@sundialgroup.com or call 01604 731731. Alternatively, visit http:// www.sosmeetings.com

Sundial Group, owners of the UK's number 1 meeting venue and recognised by BRDC Continental's VenueVerdict survey as topping the value for money league for the last 3 years, has launched a new look website. The revamped Sundial Group domain makes it easier than ever to find and book meeting venues at award winning locations around the UK.

Launched earlier this month, the new Sundial Group site is packed full of stunning imagery of each of the three Sundial Group venues, as well as a whole host of hints, tips, offers and advice for planning meetings, weddings and leisure breaks in each of the locations. The new web site brings together each of the Sundial services under one virtual roof, providing information on Sundial Group itself as well as its Sundial Venues, Sundial Teamscapes, Sundial Options and Solutions and Sundial Weddings brands.

Event planners who are in need of meeting venues Northampton, Warwickshire or Guildford are also able to find out about the range of venues that Sundial Group offers, including facilities, accommodation, dining and packages. The website also provides information on the Sundial Rewards programme and a link to the Sundial Group Brochure, as well as a blog and their latest news and offers.

Jo Chudley, Sundial Group Marketing Director, stated: "With the launch of the new Sundial Group website, the range of services that we offer are more accessible than ever before. We have spent a long time in the development stages and are delighted that we have created an accessible and informative portal to our award winning venues and services."

Sundial Group's beautiful Country House venues, Highgate House, Barnett Hill and its meeting venue Warwickshire, Woodside, each have their own section on the new website with detailed information about meeting rooms, conference rooms and assistance in planning celebrations and occasions, as well as local facilities.

To view the new website and find out more about any of the Sundial Venues or other services offered by the group, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

About Sundial Group: Sundial Group specialises in hospitality, meetings management and

Is the term "Chudbus" familiar to you? If not, then you need to be introduced to the promotional red London bus that tells the story of family-run hospitality, meetings management and team building specialists, Sundial Group.

The Chudbus is a red 1960s Routemaster bus like the many that used to populate London's roads. Today, it is used by Sundial Group at certain exhibitions and trade shows to promote its UK meeting venues and elsewhere in the UK, but it also has curious origins. As a family business, Sundial Group had been trying for some time to find a unique way to tell its story when Managing Director Tim Chudley stumbled across some film footage following the large Chudley family on a trip to America in the 1950s, in a bus, dubbed 'The Chudbus'! Fifty years on the Chudbus was re-born, being launched at the 2004 National Venue Show.

The Chudbus has gone on to feature in a range of campaigns, appearing in features on ITV Regional News and BBC Radio, as well as in local newspapers. It has spawned replica miniature Routemaster buses, a promotional DVD and even T-shirts, which have followed it around as it makes its journeys to Sundial's two Midlands meeting venues and Surrey meeting venue. The bus also tours the UK, visiting Sundial Venues clients and attending trade shows and exhibitions.

In March 2005, the Chudbus picked up three awards at the annual conference of the International Association of Conference Centres "Forum for Great Ideas" in the USA. The Chudbus won in the Sales & Marketing category, was awarded one of two special "Best of the Best" awards by the judges and then won the "People's Choice" award by popular vote over the course of the three day event.

The Chudbus acknowledges Sundial's status as a family business. It's a story that the Group loves to tell, as it distinguishes the company from its fellow operators in the meetings industry. It indicates that Sundial Group is driven solely by the demands of its customers, rather than those of the stock market or institutional investors. It also shows Sundial's determination that it is firmly here to stay, having already lasted for more than four decades.

Sundial's Managing Director Tim Chudley continues, in his role as Sundial Bus Driver, to accompany his Sales Team on journeys in the Chudbus up and down the country, spreading the company's message to clients and exhibitions whilst Sundial's Marketing Team, led by Tim's sister Jo, continue to promote the Chudbus on radio, TV and in the press.

Those who climb aboard the Chudbus are greeted by a meeting room much like those offered by the company around the country. It features a large-screen LCD panel with DVD and laptop connectivity. On the top deck, meanwhile, is a coffee lounge designed as an informal space for rest and relaxation after business has been conducted.

For further details on any of the Sundial venues and the Chudbus, visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

.

As the UK continues to feel the squeeze of a sluggish economy and the Chancellor downgrades his economic growth forecast for the year amidst predictions of a less than stellar 2011 for British commerce, the venerable Chudbus, the red 1960s Routemaster bus that the family-run Sundial Group uses to spread its message and history, continues to travel to clients across the UK. It has recently received a makeover ahead of a busy summer, making now the perfect time to consider a meeting aboard the bus or a visit to the top deck coffee lounge in search of some commercial inspiration.

One of the key messages that Sundial Group's team continues to communicate, whether from the Chudbus's top deck coffee lounge or the meeting room facilities in the vehicle's lower deck, is the benefit to companies large and small of getting away from the usual office environment in favour of a new location. A change of scenery has been proven to have significant business benefits with the Chudbus making an effective example of how easy it can be to get the team together in a fun way to consider business strategies, assess progress and tackle any outstanding issues directly.

Whatever the business size or turnover, there are many encouraging reasons to travel to a new location when it comes time to arrange a meeting or conference. Booking a suitable space such as one of the two Sundial Midlands meeting venues allows employees to transition from the comfort and distractions of the usual work environment and instead be inspired by focused, dedicated new surroundings. A chance of scene can also help those struggling to see beyond existing procedures and possibilities to open their minds to a different style of thinking, encouraged by taking in a new environment and doing business in a new location.

Occasional business strategy meetings that make use of Sundial Group's meeting room Guildford or meeting venue Birmingham are a real asset to any company, and could make the difference between success and failure. If travel to an outside location is simply not an option, the Chudbus is a useful alternative, mobile and able to accommodate meetings around the country.

Meeting rooms are useful whether your company works from a traditional office or not, and they can be invaluable for interviewing, holding corporate board meetings or for giving presentations with a difference. Sundial Group's Chudbus really illustrates the creative possibilities of thinking outside the box and, if you are looking for meeting venues around the country, it is a perfect place to start.

Sundial Group's purpose-designed UK meeting venues offer a professional environment in which to devise strategies in line with the government's recently revised economic outlook. The company's venues include Highgate House, a Northampton meeting room facility that has a selection of 34 conference and meeting rooms, with an environment that is free from distractions for learning, training and commerce.

Sundial Group's other venues include Barnett Hill, a Guildford meeting venue with 10 conference and meeting rooms in close vicinity to London. Closer to the heart of the country, Woodside is a Birmingham meeting venue set in the town of Kenilworth but that is easily accessible from the city centre. It boasts 20 meeting rooms and conference suites.

For further details on any of the Sundial venues and the Chudbus, visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

Booking a venue for a meeting or conference with clients or employees, it is always vital to choose a location which will give the right impression, as well as ensuring that the venue has the right tools and facilities for the event to run smoothly. Sundial Venues consists of three award-winning venues situated across the country, where first-class facilities come as standard. The UK meeting venues are all stunning country house locations sure to impress clients, partners or employees. Each venue has a team of specialist conference staff on hand to ensure that the event runs smoothly and facilities are enjoyed to their maximum.

Highgate House in Northamptonshire has no less than 34 dedicated conference rooms for guests to choose from, each fully-equipped with high-quality furnishings and the latest technology. The Midlands meeting venue is a member of the International Association of Conference Centres and a founder member of the Conference Centres of Excellence; both are organisations which only accept the highest standard facilities to join their ranks. As with all of Sundial's venues, Highgate House is committed to providing free, unlimited Wi-Fi for all delegates in all meeting rooms and offers a huge range of flexible all-inclusive packages to ensure high quality with minimum fuss.

Set in picturesque Surrey, Barnett Hill has the choice of 15 specialist meeting or conference rooms and the stunning location makes it ideal for entertaining prestigious guests. The natural daylight which is guaranteed in all conference rooms of the Surrey conference hotel is complemented by top of the range technology to create a focused environment for all guests, clients or employees. The three Sundial venues are proud advocates of 'greener' methods of hosting events and include unlimited Fairtrade refreshments in their meetings packages. Each venue sources local goods wherever possible for use in their refreshments, so that guests can be certain that the ingredients in their food are of the best quality whilst maintaining an eco-conscious stance.

Woodside in Warwickshire is also located in the Midlands, in 32 acres of rolling grounds and gardens. The conference facilities in each of the 20 dedicated rooms are second to none, with seven possible furniture arrangements to cultivate an atmosphere of concentration against a peaceful backdrop. As well as the unlimited refreshments and free Wi-Fi, the Warwickshire conference hotel can also provide all of the necessary meeting equipment including pens, pencils, recycled paper, folders and tent cards.

The high-class facilities at each of Sundial's venues have seen them named among the best in the business, with awards from BDRC Continental's "VenueVerdict" Survey confirming that the services provided by Sundial are also the best value around and will remain so into 2012.

For more information about Sundial's first class venues and meeting packages, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

.

Sundial Options and Solutions, the venue finding agent arm of the award winning Sundial Group, has an extensive range of both UK and international venues, placing it in the perfect position to provide suitable conference venues for a wide range of business events both at home in the UK and overseas. The firm has expanded its venue offering and now boasts its largest ever selection of UK and international meeting rooms and conference venues.

The company's directory of UK venues, for example, covers every major city in the British Isles, with information on the location, prominent nearby businesses, local leisure hotspots and a carefully selected range of possible conference centres and meeting rooms across 23 cities in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The directory and other venue additions means the free venue finding service has access to a wider than ever range of locations for business meetings and events.

Mark Cooper, Sundial Group Sales Director said, "For over 12 years we have been sourcing meeting and event venues for our Sundial Options and Solutions clients, throughout the UK and overseas. Our team, with their notoriously client-centred service, works in partnership with clients to understand their specific needs. We source and manage the perfect venue for each individual event, saving our clients time and money. With our comprehensive knowledge, our team will identify, recommend and secure the best options and overall package for each and every event, no matter where, when or what that event may be."

With a large choice of possible venues, making the right decision on where to hold a meeting, conference or seminar can involve a thorough analysis of a multitude of locations, types of venue and even options within the venue itself. Other considerations such as travel costs, size of room, availability of venue, suitability of overnight accommodation and cost of dining options must also be taken into account. Fortunately, as part of their UK venue finding agent service, the experts at Sundial Options and Solutions take the time to assess what it is that firms require from a meeting or training session before starting localised searches. With a wide range of possible locations to browse through, this ability to pinpoint the venue type that best matches the company brief is a real time saver.

The term 'meeting venue' is a very loosely defined one, and can refer to a vast range of properties, from hotels and theme parks to sports stadia and specialist meeting rooms. A number of unusual venues such as village shops, bars and the firm's own 1960's route master Chudbus also feature in the expanded portfolio of possible hosts.

Despite this greater than ever diversity, Sundial Options and Solutions will whittle the list down to three recommended venues for each client, with the event management team even providing detailed proposals from each venue and full costings and quotations.

For more information and to find conference venues or meeting rooms in the UK and beyond, visit http://www.sosmeetings.com.

Is the term "Chudbus" familiar to you? If not, then you need to be introduced to the promotional red London bus that tells the story of family-run hospitality, meetings management and team building specialists, Sundial Group.

The Chudbus is a red 1960s Routemaster bus like the many that used to populate London's roads. Today, it is used by Sundial Group at certain exhibitions and trade shows to promote its UK meeting venues and elsewhere in the UK, but it also has curious origins. As a family business, Sundial Group had been trying for some time to find a unique way to tell its story when Managing Director Tim Chudley stumbled across some film footage following the large Chudley family on a trip to America in the 1950s, in a bus, dubbed 'The Chudbus'! Fifty years on the Chudbus was re-born, being launched at the 2004 National Venue Show.

The Chudbus has gone on to feature in a range of campaigns, appearing in features on ITV Regional News and BBC Radio, as well as in local newspapers. It has spawned replica miniature Routemaster buses, a promotional DVD and even T-shirts, which have followed it around as it makes its journeys to Sundial's two Midlands meeting venues and Surrey meeting venue. The bus also tours the UK, visiting Sundial Venues clients and attending trade shows and exhibitions.

In March 2005, the Chudbus picked up three awards at the annual conference of the International Association of Conference Centres "Forum for Great Ideas" in the USA. The Chudbus won in the Sales & Marketing category, was awarded one of two special "Best of the Best" awards by the judges and then won the "People's Choice" award by popular vote over the course of the three day event.

The Chudbus acknowledges Sundial's status as a family business. It's a story that the Group loves to tell, as it distinguishes the company from its fellow operators in the meetings industry. It indicates that Sundial Group is driven solely by the demands of its customers, rather than those of the stock market or institutional investors. It also shows Sundial's determination that it is firmly here to stay, having already lasted for more than four decades.

Sundial's Managing Director Tim Chudley continues, in his role as Sundial Bus Driver, to accompany his Sales Team on journeys in the Chudbus up and down the country, spreading the company's message to clients and exhibitions whilst Sundial's Marketing Team, led by Tim's sister Jo, continue to promote the Chudbus on radio, TV and in the press.

Those who climb aboard the Chudbus are greeted by a meeting room much like those offered by the company around the country. It features a large-screen LCD panel with DVD and laptop connectivity. On the top deck, meanwhile, is a coffee lounge designed as an informal space for rest and relaxation after business has been conducted.

For further details on any of the Sundial venues and the Chudbus, visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

As the second quarter of the business year gets underway, a period of reconsolidation and teambuilding can help make the remaining months of 2011 some of your most successful yet, advises Sundial Teamscapes, the teambuilding arm of the multiple award-winning Sundial Group.

Lucy McGibbon, Learning & Development Director at Sundial said, "In an increasingly difficult and competitive economy, inter-team relationships are more powerful than ever and a hugely influential factor on organisational efficiency. The ability of a sales team to work together can directly influence company revenue for example, while account management teams lacking team spirit may result in the loss of clients to other firms.

Directing attention towards how your teams work and how their effectiveness can be improved is a critical business task and one that should form part of any strategic plan you may be placing for the next nine months of the year."

Specialising in innovative team building solutions, Sundial Teamscapes work with hundreds of teams each year and help British business to improve staff efficiency and productivity. Highlighting individual colleague strengths and weaknesses is also a key function of teambuilding and one that can be observed non-intrusively during any of Teamscapes' culinary, indoor or outdoor teambuilding packages.

Ensuring you get the best out of any teambuilding activity, be it a regular half day or one off full day event, Sundial Teamscapes have compiled a list of possible goals and objectives for managers to work through. This list looks at the common reasons why you may wish to enrol any of your teams in a teambuilding exercise and highlights the business benefits of doing so.

1. Communication: Good lines of communication are the cornerstone of strong team performance. If there are communication issues between employees this can cause a bottle neck of tasks with messages not being passed on or help not being sought when required, leading to a decline in team efficiency and production. A teambuilding task can put team members at their ease, helping everyone to feel more comfortable approaching colleagues.

2. Strengths and weaknesses: Everyone has their own particular strengths and weaknesses. Teamscapes outdoor, culinary and ndoor teambuilding activitiesi are designed to reveal each person's strong suits and enable managers to identify suitable roles within the team based on this knowledge.

3. Enjoyment: Either after a particularly challenging work project or after a hard start to the year, using teambuilding to reinforce the fun aspects of working together can help to improve employee retention rates and re-motivate staff members. If enjoyment and motivation is an important objective for your team, consider a culinary teambuilding activity with chocolate, cocktails or cakes.

For more information, or to design your own Teamscapes team building package visit http://www.sundialteamscapes.com.

Business travel expenses are often a large burden for British business with increasing flight and accommodation expenses plus fluctuating foreign exchange rates all representing additional financial challenges. With so many factors to take into consideration, choosing a venue finding agent capable of getting the most from any international conference or meeting room booking is one way to claw back a competitive edge.

Costs aside, arranging an event overseas comes with its own unique set of challenges. Sundial Options and Solutions, the venue finding agent from the award-winning Sundial Group is offering its experienced international venue finding team free of charge to British firms planning an international event. The team has an in-depth understanding of a number of global locations, including destinations in Europe and the United States of America.

Demonstrating its international venue finding service savvy, the international event management experts have this week released their top five international cities to do business in. This list is a starting point for anyone charged with planning or managing an international event for their company but unsure of the most appropriate, engaging and exciting destination in which to hold it.

1. London

Cool Britannia is a leader of the business pack when it comes to smooth event management and delegate enjoyment. Regularly named one of the world's top business hubs, London has a plethora of conference venues and meeting rooms, with styles, budgets and facilities to suit everyone from the smallest company up to the largest global conglomerate. With buzzing technology, fashion and finance communities, London is an excellent choice for your next event.

2. Shanghai

For long haul luxury, look no further than Shanghai. The shopping, eating and accommodation choices are second to none and world class conference venues make doing business a breeze. A great choice for brands with businesses dotted around the globe, Shanghai enjoys excellent transport links so is easy to get to and from with the minimum of fuss. An exhilarating metropolis and one of the fastest growing cities in the world, Shanghai is sure to inspire delegates to push boundaries.

3. Paris

Just a short Eurostar trip from London or a quick international flight, the eternally stylish city has a number of large hotel and conference venues as well as hotels with meeting rooms for smaller events.

4. New York

If you have a lot to get through, ask your venue finding agent about conference and meeting rooms in the city that never sleeps. With industries of every kind, companies of every size, specialist and language all calling New York home, few places are as geared up for business success as the Big Apple. With an almost limitless supply of venues and a favourable pound to dollar exchange rate, NYC is a popular choice. Excellent transport links and a number of daily flights direct from London and other UK regional airports make the city a convenient international choice.

5. Brussels

The administrative centre of the European Union, you're guaranteed to be in illustrious company when holding an event in Brussels. The capital of Belgium, the city is cosmopolitan and spacious with a huge choice of venues all within a few hours of the UK.

With the Chancellor having revised his economic growth forecast for the year amidst predictions of a less than stellar 2011 for British commerce, now is an ideal time to shore up your business strategies, assess progress to date and tackle any emerging issues head on. This advice, from the award-winning Sundial Group, can be the difference between the success and failure of your business this year.

Thanks to a tougher than ever operating climate and fierce competition, an April strategy meeting with key colleagues can provide a neutral environment in which to lay plans for the forthcoming quarter. It is also an opportunity to review performance in the first three months of the year and deal with any issues head on.

Tim Chudley, Sundial Group Managing Director said, "Occasional business strategy meetings are a real asset to any company, regardless of size or turnover. Here at the Sundial Group we have a number of UK meeting venues at convenient locations around the country which provide a professional environment in which to develop new strategies in line with the revised economic outlook issued by the government last week.

"Often, getting out of the usual office environment is all it takes to approach the situation with renewed creativity and dedication. Our purpose-designed meeting rooms and conference venues are fully equipped with everything you'll need to knuckle down and develop a fantastic plan of action whilst supporting your business success."

Winner of the BDRC Continental's VenueVerdict Value for Money title for 2010, Sundial Group has three dedicated UK meeting venues. Its Northampton meeting venue, Highgate House offers a selection of 34 conference and meeting rooms, coupled with a distraction free environment carefully cultivated to facilitate learning, training and commerce. Highgate House was also named the UK's Number One Meeting Venue in the most recent BDRC VenueVerdict survey.

The Group's Guildford meeting venue, Barnett Hill is reassuringly close to London yet suitably ensconced in 26 acres of gardens and grounds. It has a selection of 10 conference and meeting rooms, each fully equipped with high quality furniture designed purposefully for conference and meetings, free Wi-Fi throughout and cutting edge audio-visual technology.

Woodside, the third of the trio of Sundial venues is a Birmingham meeting venue with a difference. Set in the town of Kenilworth, it is easily accessible from the city centre and the rest of the Midlands. A total of 20 meeting rooms and conference suites regularly host local businesses, charities, associations and government think tanks.

For further details on any of the Sundial venues, or to book a viewing, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

If the arrival of spring has your office hankering after a breath of fresh air, try the outdoor team building activities from Sundial Teamscapes, delivered at any of the Sundial Group venues or your own place of work.

International research suggests that time spent in the fresh air and sunshine can increase productivity and well being. With that in mind, the Sundial Teamscapes outdoor team building activities can help your team make the most of Mother Nature while also encouraging them to develop as a unit.

Lucy McGibbon, Learning & Development Director at Sundial said, "Having an event focused on developing your people and enabling them to work more efficiently as a team, all whilst having fun and fresh air, is a wonderful solution for any organisation wishing to move forward."

There are thirteen teambuilding activities in the outdoor teambuilding toolkit. Each of these is designed for teams of all physical abilities and capabilities. They are not shows of strength but mental and strategic puzzles, facilitating improved communication skills and problem solving awareness amongst team members. As with any teambuilding event, the team that works best together will be the most successful, so the onus is on the team members to find a way to work more efficiently and effectively to be successful - core transferable skills that can improve team performance back in the workplace.

Depending on how much or little time you have to allocate to an outdoor team building exercise, you can choose to integrate two or more activities to really make the most of the spring sunshine. Successful completion of these activities and a debrief can earn all participants a nationally recognised accreditation, providing a physical reminder of their achievements.

Each outdoor team building activity offered by Sundial Teamscapes is rated on a difficulty scale out of ten and given a time allocation to allow you to plan your day. While each activity is custom built at Sundial Venues, a number of them are also portable, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of your office's own outdoor space and complete the tasks in situ.

For more information, or to design your own Teamscapes team building package visit http://www.sundialteamscapes.com.

The UK's number one meeting venue will be enjoying a change of pace once a month as it swaps high-tech conveniences for a journey back in time from April of this year. Highgate House, a Sundial Group property and award winning Northamptonshire meeting venue, is going back to its roots with its inaugural 'Local History Symposium'.

Hosted by a local historian, Sundial Group have created the new history evening events for those who wish to learn more about Northamptonshire, key figures, buildings and events. It's also a perfect chance for those who want to hark back to their own childhood or relive favourite memories. For those who have wandered past landmarks and not known their significance or always wondered about the history of certain buildings, the Sundial History Symposiums are set to be an informative and fun way to spend an evening with like minded neighbours.

In addition to the historical presentation, guests for the evening will also be able to enjoy a delicious three course meal, prepared with fresh local produce and served by a brigade of award-winning chefs at Highgate House.

Although it enjoys a reputation as the UK's leading meeting venue (source: BDRC Continental's "VenueVerdict" Survey 2010), there is more to Highgate House than Northamptonshire meeting rooms, world class technology and modern accommodation.

Purchased by the Sundial Group matriarch, Diana Chudley in the 1960s, the sprawling country house and acres of lush gardens were transformed from run down residence to beautiful country house and guest house. The post-war entrepreneur then gave the elegant 17th century building a second lease of life, carefully converting it into a cutting edge conference and meeting venue, all whilst retaining its beautiful old fashioned charm.

The first Sundial Group History Symposium will take place on the 28 April at 19.00. Pre-booking is advisable and discounts are available for multiple sessions. The topic of the first evening is 'Boughton House'. To book or find out more, Tel 01604 731999 or visit www.sundialgroup.com

For further details on any of the venues, or to book a viewing, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;line-height:150%">Whatever your speciality, you can now do business in a greener way thanks to event management specialists, Sundial Options and Solutions. Part of the award-winning Sundial Group, Sundial Options and Solutions online meetings management tools are the environmentally friendly way to find, plan and manage your next conference or event.

The online meetings management tools from the venue finding agent are the result of years of meetings and event planning expertise. The suite of services includes everything needed to plan, manage and execute a successful event, whether that event is a small gathering of just a handful of people or a large conference of hundreds.

The software package provides real time information, plus all the tools and functionality needed to carry out essential tasks including event marketing and the creation of branded web pages. You can also manage online delegate registration, seminar and session bookings online, making it possible to carry out planning and marketing from any location. This feature is particularly helpful for those who are charged with other responsibilities or are required to travel a lot for work purposes as you don't need to be in the same office based location to access critical event data.

From being able to handle online accommodation booking (in local languages of course) and managing confirmations online, the Sundial Options and Solutions event management tools let you do it all, making for less paperwork, fewer phone calls and far less hassle. With real-time, 24/7 reporting, whether you're a sole trader or a large multinational corporation juggling a number of imminent events, there is a choice of standard report templates or bespoke Word, Excel or XML sheets.

Mark Cooper, Sundial Group's Sales Director explained, "Sundial Options and Solutions' specialist online meetings management tools have been specifically designed with Meeting Planners in mind." He continued, "At SOS we appreciate that time is money so we are pleased to be able to provide a quick and simple method for you to submit information to us, from wherever in the world you may be; whether this is in conjunction with accommodation for hundreds or dietary requirements for two, our team will be pleased to respond to you within just a number of hours."

For more information, or for help with finding conference venues, visit http://www.sosmeetings.com.

If you're looking for a custom built team development package without the classroom training approach, but are on a limited budget, turn to the award winning Sundial Group for their professional team building activities available at a fraction of the cost of a dedicated event.

Get your team working together quickly and efficiently with the Sundial Group's bespoke team building activity toolkit. It provides an extremely straightforward delivery of powerful learning outcomes in a format that everyone can engage with. Depending on what you want the outcome to be, you can build your own team building package, picking and mixing the various components to suit.

The Sundial Teamscapes toolkit is a significant departure from traditional team building activities and means you can say goodbye to classroom style learning and get on board with stimulating learning instead. The firm reproduces everyday challenges in the workplace and then assesses teams on how well they cope with the situations at hand.

Lucy McGibbon, Learning & Development Director, explains, "Each team is judged on their responses to the situation and to each other and this is what ultimately decides who wins the task. We believe this dynamic method of learning is far more productive than the military classroom-style learning which has been a hallmark of teambuilding for so long."

The four different teambuilding categories from Sundial Teamscapes are:

Working as a team: Teamscapes uses a number of innovative activities to enable everyone to work with everyone else, regardless of their age, ability or position in the company. The idea is to work towards a common goal rather than reinforcing individual positions and established corporate hierarchy.

Communication: As it says on the tin, the aim of these activities is to see which team communicates in the most effective and efficient manner. The team that masters communication most effectively will be successful. It's such a small but hugely important part of working together, that Sundial believes it should have a whole category of its own.

Co-operation and trust: If any of these two sentiments are absent, the team as a whole sufferers. The aim of this programme is to remind team members how important it is to trust each other and co-operate in times of need in order to be able to work better together.

Identify strengths: This programme not only allows managers to see and assess the strengths and abilities of their colleagues, it allows individuals to assess themselves and instills a sense of self awareness within.

Sundial Teamscapes teamwork training can be carried out wherever you want, whether that's outdoors, indoors, at a particular training venue or even at your workplace. The toolkit features a range of indoor and outdoor team building activities, as well as culinary teambuilding activities. The common aim of each programme is to improve a team's attitudes and responses to everyday workplace challenges.

For more information, or to design your own Teamscapes team building package visit http://www.sundialteamscapes.com.

With wedding season fast approaching, an increasing number of couples are looking for value for money packages, helping to combat the recent 2.5% increase in VAT and ever escalating wedding expenses. Fortunately, the award winning Sundial Group have a trio of solutions with three beautiful, fully licensed wedding venues with perfect packages to suit various budgets.

If you live in the Midlands and want something rather spectacular, Highgate House in Northamptonshire is a must see. Set within miles of breathtaking English countryside, Highgate House recently won 'Number One Venue' in BDRC's VenueVerdict survey; it also achieved Gold Standard because of its ongoing dedication to providing customers with an outstanding experience. Furthermore, according to TripAdvisor reviews, Highgate House is the 'Number One Hotel in Northampton'.

Highgate House features 97 supremely comfortable bedrooms perfect after the madness of the wedding starts to ebb away. The rooms are individually decorated for a truly memorable stay. A further ongoing refurbishment programme ensures all the bedrooms are designed to the highest standards, helping to make your wedding as restful and hassle free as possible. With single, double and family rooms available, Highgate is an ideal choice for your Northamptonshire wedding venue.

If you're further down South and want a wedding venue close to London, Barnett Hill in the gorgeous Guildford countryside is ideal. Set amidst the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Barnett Hill is a picture perfect summer wedding venue. It features 56 superlative bedrooms, all individually decorated. It has superb accessibility and guide dogs are welcome on site.

Hidden away in the beautiful Warwickshire countryside, Woodside is a delightful Birmingham wedding venue located just outside the town of Kenilworth. It encompasses 74 bedrooms which have all, again, been individually decorated to set them apart. Also featuring induction loops onsite and the permission to bring guide dogs in. Woodside also has a unique 'commitment to the environment' initiative that guests can join for free. If you're a couple who want a spectacular wedding celebration, but still want to be kind to the environment, the initiative allows you to celebrate in style but help the planet at the same time.

For further details on any of the venues, or to book a viewing, please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

Planning a memorable, efficient and effective meeting can be difficult. With so many phone calls to make, conference venues to view and book, and, of course, inviting all the delegates, getting everything done in time and then hosting a productive meeting can be a big ask.

Sundial Options and Solutions, part of the award winning Sundial Group, have a devised a handy cheat sheet for successful event management. Follow these ten steps to success%u2026

Putting the Meeting Together

1) Plan your meeting

This may seem obvious, but it's surprising how many businesses try to put together a meeting at the last minute. Choose your venue finding agent or conference venues well in advance. You'll also need to draw up a guest list and meeting agenda, and set a budget for everything at least three months in advance if it's a big conference, or a month in advance if it's a small one. This will ensure all the big tasks are completed before you start to tackle the smaller things.

2) Food and drink

Collate all dietary requirements and send them to the caterer within the time specified by them. If they have not given you a time frame, always ask. You don't want to end up in a day long meeting or conference without food and drink.

3) Give your team members plenty of notice

You wouldn't want to be told about a meeting at the last minute so offer your colleagues the same courtesy. If you have everything planned in advance, it will be easier to inform your colleagues so they can arrange their plans accordingly.

4) Venue and accommodation

Ensuring your delegates have a comfortable venue will go a long way towards ensuring the meeting is productive and worthwhile. Sundial Options and Solutions are a specialist venue finding agent and can get you great deals on local, national and international venues, and if needed, book in the local language. They also arrange group accommodation for your guests if the conference is scheduled to take place over a number of days.

You've got the meeting agenda and you've made up the guest list. But the nightmare every planner faces is choosing the perfect meeting venue. Worry not because the award winning Sundial Group, have come up with a list of the top ten things to look out for when choosing the ideal venue for your business meeting.

1. The Location

Deciding where to hold your meeting or conference can by tricky so it's important to assess your business's needs before you make any decisions. According to the Sundial Group, the location is one of the most important things when choosing meeting venues. If you want calm and serene, choose a Surrey meeting venue like Barnett Hill. Set in 26 acres of beautiful gardens, it provides an intimate, distraction free environment for those all important meetings.

2. The Cost

As tempting as it might be, DON'T make a budget after you've seen great, expensive venues. Make a budget right at the beginning and stick to it. Booking a five star hotel when you can't really afford to could make a big dent in your business bank account. Provided you choose a good quality, experienced venue committed to making your meeting productive and interruption free, as well as keeping delegates nourished and hydrated with food, drinks and snacks, you'll get just far more from the event.

3. Facilities

Always look at the facilities in a venue before you book it. Many venues claim to have 'dedicated meeting facilities' but not all do. Look out for the following if a site is claiming to have dedicated meeting facilities:

Does it have a meeting room or function suite?

Projection screens and LCD televisions available?

Does the venue use high quality, heavy duty cables and offer Wi-Fi access?

Are there suitable light fittings, power points and unobstructed views in the meeting room?

All of these should be a part and parcel of any UK meeting venue that says it has dedicated meeting facilities. Members of organisations such as the IACC (International Association of Conference Centres) are what Sundial Group consider to be true conference venues. They provide a distraction-free environment and have either purpose built or single-use facilities.

4. Response Times

When you've found a conference centre you like, see how quickly the venue's sales team responds to your enquiry. This can be indicative of what the venue's service will be like throughout your booking. Always see if you are offered a site visit. Site visits are important because they give you a chance to see the venue and decide whether you like it or not, and whether it will fit your requirements.

5. The Site Visit

When you have booked a site visit, always make a note of the most important things you want in the venue, a few days before you go to view it. This way, you won't get distracted on the day and will know exactly what you are going in for. When you reach the venue, consider the following:

- The welcome you receive from reception and your sales representative (as it is likely all your delegates will be greeted in the same way).

- Is there a car park, and if so how full is it?

- Is there somewhere to have lunch? If there is, try to have lunch there to assess the quality of the food and menu choices before you book the venue.

-

If you want a concrete return from a teambuilding training investment, turn to the award winning Sundial Teamscapes nationally recognised EDI Level 2 Award. The program requires the successful completion of two activities plus two structured debriefing sessions.

The programme is certified and participants must fully complete the programme in order to get a certificate.

The EDI Level 2 Award is quality-assured and fully certificated by the EDI, which is the national awarding body for this course. The level of learning is equal to doing an NVQ Level 2 or one GCSE at grades A* to C and is as described within the National Qualification Framework, making it a fully recognised qualification. All of Sundial's venues are EDI licensed centres.

Team development, personal development and teamwork training are all part of the learning outcomes of this programme. Your colleagues will learn to recognise the importance of good communication, trust and co-operation within a team, as well as learn to identify different strengths and utilise resources when working in a team. All your team members need to do is complete any two outdoor Teamscapes activities, plus a small debriefing/analysis session with an approved Teamscapes facilitator, in order to get accredited.

Lucy McGibbon, Learning & Development Director, said: "This programme is ideal for those businesses wanting to reward their employees by providing them with something tangible from their training.

"By enrolling on this half day course, they are not only learning how to work well within a team while contributing to their own development, they're getting something at the end of it to show them they've done it."

For more information, or to book your team on to an EDI Level 2 Award course, please visit http://www.sundialteamscapes.com.

Sundial Teamscapes is offering a series of innovative indoor teambuilding activities, perfect for forging closer bonds and encouraging greater productivity during the cold winter months. The indoor team building programme allows participants to keep warm indoors while developing communication skills and trust at the same time as enjoying challenging culinary tasks.

Each team building activity has been purposefully designed to get colleagues and employees working better together, as well as getting them to work within resource constraints, such as budgets restrictions and impending deadlines.

With the weather not looking to improve anytime soon, indoor activities can fast track the business benefits of team work without the need to wait for the arrival of summer. Sundial Teamscapes indoor team building activities use the same set of 36 hand crafted hardwood blocks to create a series of challenges in three unique scenarios. Each team is required to work together to solve the challenges within the boundaries set, helping the identification of individual strengths and weaknesses as well as facilitating better work practices between the unit as a whole.

For teams new to team building, Blockheads is an ideal starting point. This exercise begins with each team member selecting a card to discover what their task is. They must then collect particular combinations of blocks from the ones provided and trade or discard blocks they don't need to achieve their goal as quickly as possible. This activity is ideal for those wanting to gently ease their staff into being able to work collaboratively whist also encouraging them to shine as individuals. Conflicting demands will force them to decide whether they should focus on their own needs or those of the team. The activity takes a mere 20 minutes and is given a complexity rating of five out of 10. It is most effective if repeated throughout the day to improve team performance.

The hardest indoor activity is Block Exchange, rated nine out of 10 for complexity. It involves participants jointly owning their own public company and wanting to increase their shareholding by exchanging blocks. However, customer orders throw things off balance as fulfilling the orders to a high standard would result in the company's value increasing but the individual shareholders shares reducing due to the demand. A delicate balance is needed to be able to fulfil the needs of the customers as well as the organisation, and this is what determines the final score.

For teams sporting a healthy appetite and generous dose of creativity, Sundial Teamscapes culinary teambuilding activities are designed to add a splash of fun and a pinch of competitiveness to your team's way of working. Testing timing, planning, task allocation abilities, creativity, resource planning, invention, the ability to work under pressure and the ability to trust each other, the activities also promote empathy, understanding and tolerance between the participants.

Everyone loves cakes so the Teamcakes activity should be no problem for most. Rated a six out of 10 for complexity, the activity involves decorating a sponge cake as creatively as possible. There's one slight snag though; the only person who will be allowed to touch the cake and the ingredients will be blindfolded! The finished cakes will be marked for good presentation and how the teams manage their working environments.

If your team sports a sweet tooth, the Chocolate Challenge is guaranteed to have them bonding over a shared love of coco. The activity involves observing a master chocolatier at work, and then designing and producing a chocolate bar or handmade truffle selection. The chocolates must then be packaged and presented at the end of the session where they are assessed for taste, aesthetics and originality of the theme. This activity is designed to encourage creativity and the ability to work as a team.

For more information on any of these activities, or to sign your team up, visit http://www.sundialteamscapes.com.

Looking for the perfect place for work and play? Sundial Group's specialist venue finding agent, Sundial Options & Solutions, has devised a handy list of the top 10 cities where you can work hard and play afterwards. As a part of the award winning Sundial group, Sundial Options & Solutions know what they are talking about when it comes to destinations and venues. Beginning in 1999 as a free service, Sundial Options & Solutions now places £5 million worth of business annually at conference venues around the UK. Its top 10 list is based on cultural and leisure offerings, bookings popularity and business facilities in situ.

10) Norwich

Located in Norfolk, Norwich is bathed in history. At one point playing second fiddle only to London, Norwich is today a popular tourist attraction and home to many must see sights such as Norwich Cathedral. The quaint cobbled streets are a testament to the history of the town but choosing a meeting venue in Norwich means you are a hop, skip and jump away from one of the country's leading, and most modern shopping destinations, which includes one of the UK's largest outdoor markets. And with the biggest Wi-Fi networks in the nation, it looks to be a city that wants to come out on top of the business world as well.

9) Northampton

A large market town, situated in the heart of the East Midlands, Northampton is home to some of the largest financial and distribution sectors in the country. Having established itself as a financial and distribution hotspot, a meeting venue in Northampton puts you in illustrious company amongst businesses such as Barclays and Carlsberg. If you're the cultural type, Northampton also offers a wide range of activities including an array of museums and galleries, due to its rich history, that you can take advantage of.

8) Newcastle

Newcastle, located on the River Tyne, is perhaps one of the few cities in the UK to have a rich and varied identity. Once upon a time, it was a thriving port and is now a thriving centre for both business and culture. Boasting a booming nightlife and leisure scene, the city also has strong environmental credentials and has become the UK's first carbon neutral town. If you want to relax after a long day of meetings, the city has restaurants, theatres, festivals and fairs, making it ideal for training and teambuilding venues in Newcastle.

7) Edinburgh

The capital city of Scotland is also one of the largest and busiest in the UK. It is often cited as one of the most beautiful and scenic cities in the whole of Europe and so makes for the perfect meeting venue in Scotland. It is filled with gorgeous Georgian and Medieval architecture as well as is an educational hotspot with the prestigious Edinburgh University. It is well known for cultural activities such as the renowned Edinburgh Festival and the annual Military Tattoo. Conference venues in Edinburgh are guaranteed to open up a world of culture you never even knew existed.

6) Belfast

The capital and largest city of Northern Ireland comes in at number five because of its incredible history. Home to the Northern Ireland Assembly and being the economic heart of Ireland makes it worthy of this spot. Belfast has a diverse economy around industry, education and business and boasts two airports plus a major working seaport. Belfast City Hall and the Belfast Big Wheel are two of the hotspots the city is noted for, as well as its breathtaking architecture. It boasts fantastic business and pleasure facilities, so choosing a conference venues in Belfast will ensure you can work hard and play harder afterwards!

5) Leicester

Being right in the middle of the country and in the heart of the East Midlands, Leicester is one of the most diverse cities in the UK. With a particularly strong history in engineering, the city boasts of names such as Jones and Shipman, Richard's Engineering, and Trelleborg. It is also home to the historic 'Golden Mile' where rows and rows of jewelers have settled from parts of Africa and India for decades. It also features countless Indian restaurants and takeaways. Major grocery brands such as Walkers Crisps (Gary Linekar is famously from Leicester) and major financial and banking firms such as NatWest, HSBC, RBS and Barclays also reside here. The Walker's Stadium is one of the largest football stadiums in the UK and the Leicester Cathedral plus the chic Curve Theatre are just some of the attractions to see in the city. Conference venues in Leicester are a hop, skip and jump away from the bustling city centre and other hotspots aroun

Sundial Group's award winning venues in three idyllic country locations around the UK can now be enjoyed by leisure travellers following the launch of Sundial weekend breaks. Whether you want a luxurious weekend break in Guildford or a mid-week family break in Kenilworth, Sundial Group's choice of three country estates in Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Surrey are beautiful destinations with a plethora of leisure facilities, first class cuisine and easy access to some of the UK's most idyllic landscapes.

Whether you're looking for a budget family holiday or the perfect romantic setting for a couples weekend in Surrey, Barnett Hill, in the gorgeous Surrey countryside, is ideal. Featuring 56 en-suite bedrooms, the Queen Anne-style main house sits in 26 acres of vibrant gardens and beautiful woodland, making it the perfect space to relax and rejuvenate body, mind and soul. With a mix of single rooms, double rooms, twin rooms and family rooms, the accommodation is equally suited to couples wanting to get away from it all as it is to impromptu reunions with family and friends. Free Wi-Fi, a fully equipped gym, Jacuzzi and sauna provide plenty to do while elegant dining rooms, private dining and chic bar serving an extensive wine list and lounge menu promise to round off the day perfectly.

If you're not one to sit still, Highgate House should top your weekend break in Northamptonshire wish list. Located near Rockingham Castle, Silverstone race circuit and the beautiful Spencer family home of Althorp (where Lady Diana is laid to rest and spent her childhood), there is plenty to do in and around the area. With easy access to and from both Leicester and Nottingham, it's also a great base for exploring all that the East Midlands has to offer.

Another hotspot in the Midlands is Woodside, available as a gorgeous, family and purse friendly bed and breakfast in Warwickshire option. Situated within easy access of attractions such as Warwick Castle, Cadbury World and Kenilworth Castle, you'll never be left without things to do. It is also within driving distance of Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's birthplace), Leamington Spa, Rugby and Birmingham.

Choose Woodside for your weekend break in Warwickshire and you'll have the chance to experience the 32 acres of grounds, an indoor swimming pool, gym, sauna, tennis courts and a pitch-and-putt course. After exerting yourself in the fresh air, there's award-winning cuisine served in the Orchard Room, overlooking the impressive front lawn.

The venues are already attracting positive feedback from leisure guests, with one TripAdvisor review saying, "Staying for a couple of nights, service impeccable, nothing too much trouble, restaurant food punching way above its weight - and that's a big compliment."

Breaks can be booked online or by calling venue directly. For more information on these and other Sundial services, visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

Corporate events, meetings and conferences are the lifeblood of commerce and if you have one planned for 2011, you'll no doubt be looking to maximise every possible opportunity to ensure your event goes off with a bang. Successful event planning is a key component in ongoing business relationships, a factor in winning new business and crucial to inspiring, educating and motivating staff.

Using a venue finding agent (also known as an event management agency) can help propel your conference or meeting from humdrum to outstanding by understanding what makes an event memorable and pulling out all the stops to ensure everything goes off without a hitch. Confirm you're getting the most out of your event support team by following these guidelines from the award-winning Sundial Groups' SOS Meetings Management team.

1. Ability to plan well in advance but capable of working to your schedule

It's not always possible to foresee and plan for the future in a business environment and from time to time, a last minute event or conference will be called to session. While a good venue finding agent will relish the thought of planning an event a few months in advance, a great venue finding agent will make your vision a reality in the face of tight deadlines and even tighter last minute budgets.

2. Able to understand your vision

Understanding the type of event you plan to host is the single most important factor in creating a venue shortlist so a good event placement agency will be able to delve down to the nitty gritty of your occasion and carry out UK venue finding or international location searches accordingly.

3. Have an eye for detail

The best venue finding and recommendation agencies have an eye for detail that comes from years of event planning experience. Considering factors you may not have thought of such as will space be needed for presentations, do delegates have special dietary requirements, will evening entertainment be available and will there be room for dancing in the evening are all in a day's work for a good venue agency. These considerations will shape not only the choice of venue but also the total final cost of the suggested locations.

For more information about SOS Meetings' venue finding service and to request assistance locating your next meeting or event venue, visit http://www.sosmeetings.com.

Sundial Group's continued commitment to offering an outstanding level of 'Value for Money' has again been recognised, having officially topped 'Value for Money' in BDRC Continental's "VenueVerdict" survey for 2010. Sundial Group has now held this position consistently for the past three years, having first been named best Value for Money for 2008. This is in addition to Sundial Group's Northamptonshire Venue, Highgate House, claiming the national title 'Number One Venue' for 2010.

BDRC Continental is the leading supplier of marketing research insight into the meetings sector, with a team of research professionals dedicated to this important part of the hospitality industry. Their surveys and programmes feature over 200 of the top UK Conference Centre groups, and internationally renowned hotel chains.

Highgate House in Northamptonshire was also the named the national 'Number One Conference Centre' in the BDRC Continental "VenueVerdict" Awards 2010, a survey which tracks how well a venue has performed after an event, through customer feedback. Further to these accolades, each of Sundial Group's Midlands meeting and conference venues, Highgate House in Northamptonshire and Woodside in Warwickshire achieved the prestigious 'Gold Standard Venue' title, only given to a handful of the 200 participating "VenueVerdict" venues.

Tim Chudley, Sundial Group's Managing Director, was thrilled; "At Sundial Group we know that value for money boils down to the delicate balance between quality and price. We can only achieve this balance by understanding and working better with our clients than anyone else in the market" He explained, "Meeting planners are no longer looking for the cheapest deals, they need partners with a vested interest in the success of their event."

While Paul Williams, Manager at Highgate House said, "I am thrilled to see that the hard work of our dedicated team here at Highgate House is being recognised nationally, we are extremely proud to hold the national 'Number One Venue' title, and I am very confident that the feedback we have been receiving truly reflects the personalised experience that we offer to our guests."

Sundial Group owns and operates three dedicated UK meeting venues; Barnett Hill in Surrey, Highgate House in Northamptonshire and Woodside in Warwickshire. For further information about Sundial Venues please visit http://www.sundialgroup.com.

Organising special events, conferences and meetings can be quite a hassle. Sundial Venues not only offer incredible meeting venues, but have now simplified the whole process of arranging an event with their 'Meeting in a Box' package.

This innovative concept from Sundial Venues means that everything is taken care of with minimal fuss whilst offering outstanding value for money on a variety of packages. A meeting with accommodation (if required), catering, room hire, refreshments and teambuilding or entertainment (or both) can be arranged with just one phone call or email to Sundial. This eliminates the need to hire a multitude of services through different channels, but far from 'taking over' a meeting planner's job, it frees some of their time to focus on other matters - such as reporting or reviewing return on investment, or assessing new venues, any other thing that may require their attention.

Creating a tailor-made conference is simple; contact one of the Sundial Venues sales team and choose either one of their Midlands meeting venues, or their venue in the South East; clients have the opportunity to run their "Meeting in a Box" at Highgate House, Woodside or Barnett Hill.

Customers can then choose their preferred meeting package. Teams can either have a residential package; which includes lunch, meeting room hire, car parking, three-course table d'hôte dinner, overnight accommodation and breakfast or, for smaller or shorter meetings or teambuilding days, customers can have a non-residential package. Both packages include a choice of activities and start from just £99 per person, depending upon which activities are selected.

When the package is complete, team leaders can choose a variety of activities which will be the basis of the conference itinerary over the day/weekend. Clients can take part in a teambuilding experience in addition to the meeting room facilities, or simply enjoy the wonderful surroundings of the UK meeting venues. In Northamptonshire, there is even the opportunity to take on two challenges at Silverstone Race Circuit.

To make further enquiries about the superb 'Meeting in a Box' package; visit the Sundial Group website on www.sundialgroup.com/meetinginabox.

Fans of the Terrace Restaurant at Highgate House, Northamptonshire now have the chance to claim superb rewards in the restaurant's recently launched loyalty programme, Terrace Restaurant Rewards. Earning points is simple, customers come and enjoy their freshly prepared meal, made with as many locally produced ingredients as possible, and earn points based at the end of their meal. The more you spend, the more you earn.

The Terrace Restaurant is a contemporary brasserie-style restaurant offering modern European cuisine from a regularly-updated menu. Contemporary and modern in its design, The Terrace Restaurant features plush, comfortable seating for up to 150 guests at mealtimes and offers a delightful environment in which to enjoy dinner.
Away from the town centre, it also eliminates all the hassle involved with driving into town and parking.

"Each time you dine at the conference venue's award-winning restaurant, spending £50 earns one point for the loyalty programme. Points can be spent and saved according to which prizes you want to claim, and how often you dine with us!" explains Tim Chudley, managing director of Sundial Group.

For five loyalty points, customers are rewarded with a bottle of sparkling house champagne to accompany their next meal; whether it's Scottish smoked salmon, succulently grilled steak or a choice of fresh fish dishes, a bottle of bubbly will make any meal special; perfect if you're celebrating birthday, anniversary or special occasion!

If you're a regular diner, ten points on the loyalty scheme will earn a delicious dinner for two at the Terrace Restaurant, while there is also the chance to stay over at one of Sundial's fabulous Midlands and South-East venues. For fifteen loyalty points, snuggle up for a good night's sleep in one of Sundial's classically-designed bedrooms and enjoy a hearty breakfast the following morning.

Deck the halls, it's time to book the perfect corporate Christmas party, and with places filling up faster each year; guarantee your staff a superb night full of festive cheer at the stunning meeting venues owned and operated by Sundial Group.

With delightful December events taking place in all three locations; booking a corporate Christmas party or even enjoying a family gathering in style can be memorable and affordable with the superb menus Sundial has available. Near Guildford, Surrey- the Barnett Hill venue is an ideal choice for those organising a corporate gathering for parties of up to 95 people. The venue can accommodate dinner in one of the stunning dining rooms, and for those who are travelling far, the superb en-suite bedrooms come with a special discount when reserved alongside the dining rooms. "Everybody wants to have a good time at a Christmas function, and staying over means people can arrive and leave at their leisure, getting a good night's sleep and not having to worry about a taxi home!" explains managing director Tim Chudley.

Whichever meeting venue you choose for the Christmas party, a delicate and diverse menu is available for an delightful Christmas meal and parties have the option of also booking a disco to celebrate the season of goodwill in style! The Highgate House venue, based in the scenic and historic Northamptonshire has a traditional Christmas atmosphere and provides stunning private dining rooms for colleges and families to enjoy the turkey and trimmings.

For smaller groups; the three award-winning conference venues have a calendar of public party dates including New Year's Eve. Couples, small families and workmates can socialise in the upbeat, classic parties from just £32 per head. The stunning Northamptonshire surroundings also play host to a sensational New Year's Eve party to see in 2011! With a fun-play casino and champagne reception, celebrating New Year's Eve at Highgate House will be both enjoyable and unforgettable!

For more information on the public and private Christmas parties; or to view the Christmas brochure visit the website on www.sundialgroup.com/christmas

About Sundial Group: Sundial Group specialises in hospitality, meetings management and team development. If you need help in planning or organising a meeting or event, either at Highgate House, Woodside, Barnett Hill or anywhere else, or want to develop your teams and their culture to achieve success, Sundial Group is your ideal partner.

Highgate House, situated in the stunning rural surroundings of Northamptonshire is home to Church Meadow; a beautiful outdoor space where those using the conference venue can take part in some of the outdoor activities provided by the Sundial team or other team building companies.

The large field gives visitors the option to partake in traditional activities including archery and laser clay pigeon shooting, or if guests are feeling the adrenaline rush a quad bike circuit is a fun, stimulating option.

"The vast open space surrounding the meeting venue is perfect for both rigorous, engaging activities and tranquil, relaxing activities" says Mark Cooper, sales director of Sundial Group; which specialises in providing quality service in all its UK meeting venues. "Whether you are taking time out from a busy conference, or simply visiting for the day, the dedicated teams we have at our meeting venue in Northamptonshire can cater to various numbers and provide exciting refreshments".

The refreshments come with a choice of a delicious buffet lunch at the midlands meeting venue's prestigious Terrace Restaurant or, alternatively, the team can provide an outdoor selection of gourmet snacks including; a BBQ, bottle bars, packed lunches and an ample selection of soft drinks. The team is flexible, though, and will cater to your exact requirements.

"Church Meadow allows you to let loose on your group's away day. Having the run of over a hectare of land avoids the worry of being distracted or disturbed from the activities in hand. The conference venue itself can host an array of leisure activities, and if your team wishes to make a weekend of it, Highgate House has a selection of en-suite bedrooms - 97 in total!"

For more information on Church Meadow or to view the entire Sundial meeting venues portfolio; visit the website on www.sundialgroup.com.

The stunning surroundings of Sundial's midlands meeting venue Highgate House recently played host to the Heart FM Charity ball to raise funds for their 'Have a Heart' charity appeal. The black tie event took place for the first time to help those children in the local community who need an extra hand to build a better future.

The event was hosted in one of the spacious conference rooms at Highgate House and helped the intrepid group as, in total, their fundraising activities raised over £20,000 for the 'Have a Heart' campaign. Anna Vitiello, Anglia Marketing & Events Executive for Heart FM, had previously used the meeting room facilities and was quick to recommend the excellent service and beautiful surroundings when the black tie ball was announced "I know them to be a friendly, helpful business and they were the first choice for us, even from the initial planning stages".

The fun started at 7pm; where guests were greeted at the midlands meeting venue by Heart's Breakfast presenters with an array of champagne and strawberries before an exquisite dinner in one of the large dining rooms, prepared by Sundial's award-winning chefs. After dinner was thoroughly enjoyed the guests took to the conference room to enjoy a disco through to the early hours, holding a special auction and raffle to raise even more money for the underprivileged and disabled children.

The evening was labelled "a huge success" by Anna and the Heart FM group. "The evening was full of glamour and laughter and I know the team worked very hard for us and ensured the stresses of the event were minimal!"

To book an event in one of the superb meeting rooms, view a sample menu and browse the events at Highgate House; visit the website on www.sundialgroup.com.

About Sundial Group: Sundial Group specialises in hospitality, meetings management and team development. If you need help in planning or organising a meeting or event, either at Highgate House, Woodside, Barnett Hill or anywhere else, or want to develop your teams and their culture to achieve success, Sundial Group is your ideal partner.

Sunday lunch is a long standing British family tradition; whether mum is cooking or the family is taking a trip out, the appeal of a well-cooked leg of lamb or succulent roast chicken is hard to resist. The Terrace Restaurant at Highgate House, one of the UKs leading conference venues, is now open for a traditional, delicious Sunday lunch every weekend.

With the meeting venue's superb surroundings and versatile menu, the Terrace Restaurant is enjoyed by many and seats up to 150 people during mealtimes. The comfortable yet practical layout caters for families perfectly; with full wheelchair access and spacious, free on-site parking.

The ever-changing menu consists of locally-sourced ingredients guaranteeing guests fresh produce cooked and served by the award-winning Sundial Group team. The main course usually gives a choice of juicy roast meats, with a good choice of vegetarian options to suit. The venue, which sports a range of meeting rooms and luxurious en-suite bedrooms, opens for Sunday lunch at 12:30pm; and with helpful, friendly staff to cater to your needs, all you have to do is book your table and turn up!

"With an award-winning head chef, stunning surroundings and supreme menu, the Terrace Restaurant at Highgate House conference venue is an ideal family day out" says managing director Tim Chudley. The Terrace Restaurant offers a variety of special offers, including incredible discounts and rewards for regular visitors, and if that isn't enough to tempt your taste buds; the dessert menu is now available to view online at The Terrace Restaurant's website!
To book a table, view a sample menu and browse the events at Highgate House; visit the website on www.sundialgroup.com.

About Sundial Group: Sundial Group specialises in hospitality, meetings management and team development. If you need help in planning or organising a meeting or event, either at Highgate House, Woodside, Barnett Hill or anywhere else, or want to develop your teams and their culture to achieve success, Sundial Group is your ideal partner.

UK meeting venue specialists Sundial Group have again received the prestigious and environmentally friendly IACC 'Green Star' accreditation for all three of their high quality conference venues.

Each venue was scored individually, with Highgate House, their meeting venue in Northamptonshire, scoring an impressive 95% by ensuring that 52 of the 55 green practices are in place around the venue. Barnett Hill in Guilford and Woodside in Kenilworth came close with an highly commendable 87%.

The venues, which sport a range of meeting rooms to suit every criteria, were assessed by the IACC's 'Code of Sustainability' which includes scoring points for planet-friendly waste management, recycling, reusing, water conservation, energy management and air quality.

This is the second year of accreditation for the renowned meeting venues, and the team, including managing director and green champion Tim Chudley are "delighted" to have reached the gold tier again and are busy making plans to ensure that each conference venue can achieve full marks in 2011. "We at Sundial Group will be reviewing our own internal action plans to progress in all the required areas. We constantly measure our carbon emissions at Sundial Group venues and are dedicated to reducing our impact on the beautiful locations we are so lucky to occupy"

With a society concerned with both global warming and the current economic status; the majority of businesses have had no choice but to cut costs rather than go green. With stunning meeting venues all over the UK, Tim expresses pride that the company has 'not lost sight of the bigger picture' and are determined to continue being as green as possible.

To find out more information about any of the award winning, environmentally friendly meeting venues that Sundial Group has to offer; visit our website www.sundialgroup.com.

About Sundial Group: Sundial Group specialises in hospitality, meetings management and team development. If you need help in planning or organising a meeting or event, either at Highgate House, Woodside, Barnett Hill or anywhere else, or want to develop your teams and their culture to achieve success, Sundial Group is your ideal partner.

Highgate House, one of Sundial Group's popular and award-winning UK meeting venues, recently hosted the 2010 distributors' conference for major retail supplier Bambino Mio. Bambino Mio offers a complete reusable nappy system and related accessories which are available in all major retailers in the UK such as Mothercare and Boots and the company felt that Highgate House would be the ideal conference venue, having experienced Sundial's service previously. The midlands meeting venue; described as a 'striking' country mansion; sports thirty practical meeting rooms which can play host to a variety of meetings, annual conferences and teambuilding activity days.

Bambino Mio, a Brixworth based company, has received various regional and international business awards and now works with over forty distributers in seventy different countries. The company decided to hold a distributors' conference as part of their global strategy for 2010 in order to communicate brand development and share best practices. The team at Highgate House meeting venue was flattered to play host to the company's "largest conference to date".

The meeting rooms, teamed with superb bedrooms and award-winning food, was the ideal option for the formal dinners held as part of the meeting programme; and the distributors were more than impressed. Sarah Sproston, International Account Manager for Bambino Mio described the event as "the best conference held by Bambino Mio yet".

"The variety of meeting spaces, breakout rooms, dining rooms and leisure areas at Highgate House meant the conference venue could easily welcome guests from many countries and provide spaces for a dynamic agenda. An inclusive approach to catering also meant that looking after delegates with special dietary requirements and their own unique cultural approaches to business was not a problem"

To find out more information about any of the award winning meeting venues that Sundial Group has to offer; visit our website www.sundialgroup.com.

The four walls of an office can sometimes lack in stimulation for the mind, especially when working in the same environment every day. With the good weather for the year seemingly over, and only months of rain and cold to look forward to, office morale can slump. Companies usually plan a major sales push at this point in the year to get ready for the festive season, so why not freshen up your team with a Sundial Teamscapes team-building exercise before the hard work begins?

If spirits have been dampened in your place of work, and not just by the rain, taking the team away can renew enthusiasm and provide a well-needed boost. Sundial Venues offer three stunning country house venues for such use - Barnett Hill in Surrey, Highgate House in Northamptonshire and Woodside in Warwickshire. All with great transport links and set in idyllic, tranquil locations, they are the perfect choice for recharging batteries and boosting morale. Your team will be working with Sundial Teamscapes in team development activities which look to recognise good communication skills, co-operation, identify strengths and weaknesses within a team and utilise resources to a maximum level of efficiency.

At one of the three luxurious locations, Sundial Teamscapes offer a whole range of indoor and outdoor team-building exercises, designed to encourage your employees to engage with each other. The tasks are not physically strenuous and are suitable for all levels of ability; they were created to improve the flexing of the mental muscles and to get your possibly dispirited group working as a real team again. The exercises are great for spotting potential within your workforce too as leadership qualities shine through in these sort of situations.

These personal development activities are not to be taken lightly - further motivation can be added with one of Sundial Teamscapes' Team-Building Qualifications. Accredited by Educational Development International (EDI), the programme offers a solid outcome from the event in the form of a Level 2 Certificate, equivalent to a GCSE. The qualification is taken seriously; you won't get the certificate just for turning up. You and your team must complete the challenges set to achieve the highly regarded qualification.

Indoor team-building activities provided by Sundial Teamscapes include bespoke tasks tailored to fit the needs of your group, with different time frames and levels of complexity. The outdoor team-building activities vary depending on the location you choose, but rest assured that whichever of the three elegant locations you opt for, the tasks will be of the highest standard. Sundial also offers culinary team-building activities, where you can create your own chocolate, cocktails and canapés, for consumption at dinner as a reward for your efforts.

Sundial Teamscapes are also available at your office and at any other hotel or training venue in the UK.

To find out more about Sundial Teamscapes' range of teambuilding exercises and to design a bespoke programme, visit http://www.sundialteamscapes.com.

The meeting venue and conference hotel specialist has seen its properties recognised by both the meetings and leisure industries with prestigious awards from BDRC Continental, TripAdvisor and EnjoyEngland bestowed upon Highgate House, Barnett Hill and Woodside in the last twelve months.

Sundial's Warwickshire meeting venue, Woodside and Surrey meeting venue, Barnett Hill were both recognised in the recent BDRC Continental VenueVerdict survey for the third quarter of 2011. Both venues achieved the coveted 'Gold Standard Venue' accreditation in the poll of more than 300 UK Conference venues and internationally renowned hotel chains.

Sundial was also recognised as the 'top value for money' UK venue group by BDRC Continental, reflecting its pricing commitment across all three of its country house properties. Having first been named as the best value for money provider in 2008, Sundial Venues has now posted a trio of successive honours in the category following this latest survey.

One location certain of requiring an extension to its trophy showcase in 2012 is Northamptonshire meeting venue and top UK conference hotel, Highgate House. The stunning 17th century country house is set in 26 acres of gardens and grounds in the heart of Northampton. It boasts 34 dedicated conference, meeting and syndicate rooms and 97 individually decorated traditional and contemporary bedrooms.

The property started 2011 on a high, having been named the 'UK's Number One Venue' by BDRC Continental. It followed this nod with a globally-recognised TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence' for 'excellent' accommodation reviews and was then named the Best Business Tourism Establishment in the UK by the EnjoyEngland Awards for Excellence.

This clutch of awards was followed by a third successive 'Number One Hotel in Northampton' title, as voted by TripAdvisor Reviewers. Finally, The Terrace Restaurant was named a finalist in the Northamptonshire Food and Drinks Awards' 'Restaurant of the Year' category. Highgate House's Head Chef, Lee Gaskin was also recognised, taking home the 'Booker Chef of the Year' award.

Tim Chudley, Sundial Group's Managing Director said, "It has been a fantastic year for us at Sundial. The hard work of our teams has paid dividends and we are extremely proud to have won such a host of awards throughout the year." He continued, "With such tough market conditions it is important that we are able to prove to be the best in everything we do, from offering top value for money meeting packages to serving award-winning food."

For more information please visit www.sundialgroup.com

With summer just around the corner and with it the prospect of baring
all at the beach, award winning meetings group Sundial Venues is launching a
'Get Fit for Summer' campaign. Visitors to each of the group's three UK
conference hotels will be offered exclusive use of state-of-the art gyms at
each property. Two of the country house locations also boast scenic jogging
paths, carefully laid out so guests can enjoy beautiful views while keeping
fit. They offer the perfect way to unwind after a day of meetings and are a
great way to keep fitness plans on track for summer.




Tim Chudley, Sundial Group managing director said, "Sundial welcomes
hundreds of companies to each of its three
UK meeting venues each year. We know that for many of our delegates,
juggling a busy schedule of meetings and conferences not too mention commuting
and other work commitments leave very little time for a fitness regime. We have
made it our mission to provide dedicated conference hotel
facilities coupled with all of the amenities you'd expect from a top hotel.




"Over the last 12 months we have invested in new equipment for our
fitness centres and worked hard to create picturesque jogging paths through our
beautiful grounds in order to make working out a pleasure rather than simply
work."




The three Sundial meeting venues, located in Warwickshire, Surrey and
Northamptonshire, couple the fitness suits and jogging paths with a commitment
to using only the freshest, most seasonal local produce and an overflow of
organic ingredients in each of its menus. This dedication to natural products
and fresh food makes it easy for those taking advantage of the swimming pools
and running trails to keep up their good work when it comes to sitting down to
dinner.




Complimentary use of the on-site gym and pools is available to all
meeting delegates. To find out more and to book a Sundial complete meetings
package, visit http://www.sundialgroup.com