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Media Pack

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Elite Conference Venues of the World is a unique award of excellence which is only accredited to the world’s 100 leading conference venues. To achieve this exceptional award the listed venues must have proved that they excel in every aspect of event hosting. This requires these leading venues to undergo a thorough and impartial assessment using comprehensive criteria established by the conference industry.

ECVW was formed by a group of international conference organisers in order to recognise excellence of quality and outstanding achievement in all aspects of event hosting in the conference venue industry. A highly experienced and prestigious panel of event industry professionals has developed the set of benchmarks which is applied to establish which conference venues can be considered to be amongst the very best in the world.

The ECVW accreditation allows Event Organisers to consult a single comprehensive reference source of

the world’s very best venues; confident in the knowledge that they have been thoroughly and impartially evaluated by experts in the conference industry. Conference organisers can therefore minimize the time, costs and risks involved in finding a venue of the highest quality.

Furthermore, ECVW provides extensive marketing of all its accredited venues to generate increased bookings for them from leading conference organisers worldwide.

The ECVW handbook is published biannually and lists details of the world’s 100 leading venues. The handbook is distributed free of charge to conference and events organisers and provides an instant and valuable reference guide for any event organiser looking to confidently choose one of the world’s top venues for their conference.

All venues that have been accredited with the Elite Conference Venues of the World award of excellence will be extensively promoted to conference and events

organisers. The venues will also benefit from increased conference bookings due to the enhanced reputation and prestige of being accredited as one of the world’s elite venues. All venues will be extensively promoted through ECVW’s marketing tools which include press releases, magazine articles, tradeshows, newsletters etc.

(please see “How are Venues Promoted” section for further details.

Elite Conference Venues of the World – an introduction

Impartial, confidential and professional assessment are the core principles of ECVW. The accredited venues will be identified using comprehensive measurement criteria established by and for the conference industry.

In order for ECVW to identify the 100 leading conference venues, an independent panel has been established consisting of experienced conference organisers from 10 different companies worldwide. The panel have been chosen for their extensive and vast ranging

experience in organising conferences for their respective organisations.

The panel have impartially compiled the many detailed benchmarks that they believe contribute towards a truly outstanding conference venue. Just a few of the many factors they are looking for in identifying the world’s leading conference venues include: quality of facilities; ambience; location; staff; pre-event service; on-site service; overall delegate experience; capacities; quality of conference rooms; transport links; terms & conditions etc.

(see ECVW’s “Venues Inspection Pack” for further details)

Using the information compiled by the Panel, a set of measurement criteria has been established to carry out venue inspections and to identify the world’s leading venues. Because these criteria are strictly defined we can ensure an impartial and balanced assessment of every venue with detailed evaluation and feedback available on every aspect.

The Financial Times

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Oliver Kinross LtdHeadquartered in the United Kingdom, Oliver Kinross is an internationally operating business research and conference organizer.

Oliver Kinross was founded in January 2008 with the aim of delivering high quality training, business intelligence and networking opportunities for industry. This is achieved through a series of Conferences, Summits, Exhibitions and Training Workshops attended by many of the world’s largest organisations. The main industries in which Oliver Kinross operates are Energy Trading, Cyber Security, Africa, Oil & Gas Exploration & Production, Smart Energy, International Development & Infrastructure.

How Does the Panel Operate ?

The ECVW Panel includes –

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The ECVW Organisers’ Panel was asked to compile a listing of the most reputable conference venues in the world for assessment and potential accreditation by ECVW. These leading venues are then contacted to see if they would like to be inspected and to commence the process.

Any venue that is not already in this list but would like to be inspected can apply to be considered by the Panel if it is potentially of a high enough standard. The thorough and detailed inspection process will then determine if they can officially be classified as one of the leading100 venues in the world.

Any venue which is accepted for assessment and decides that it wishes to be fully considered for accreditation will undergo a 4 stage assessment process : -

STAGE ONE: An online questionnaire comprising over 250 detailed questions about the venue. The questionnaire will provide a thorough initial assessment of the venue (covering facilities, service, staff, location, quality etc).

The total score a venue achieves in the questionnaire will determine if they are able to proceed to Stage 2 of the inspection process. Any venue which does not score highly enough will be unable to proceed to the next stage.

STAGE TWO: A follow-up telephone consultation with the venue in order to obtain greater details and to obtain reference requests for clarifications and corroboration.

STAGE THREE: A site inspection of the venue. This stage is a thorough and detailed assessment of all aspects of the venue by an impartial inspector representing ECVW. The inspection will be based on strict measurement criteria

established by the Organisers’ Panel. The inspection will include a detailed analysis covering all aspects of its quality, facilities, staff & service.

The process is defined and rigorous so that all venues are measured to exactly the same standards.

Within 2 weeks of the inspection the venue will be provided with detailed feedback on the inspection results and they will be notified if they have successfully reached Stage 4.

STAGE FOUR: Any venue which has successfully completed Stages 1 – 3 will reach the final short-list for Stage 4. Every quarter the Committee Meeting will assess the inspection results of the short-listed venues and will identify the venues which have achieved the high standard required.

If a venue is successfully selected in Stage 4 then an announcement will be made that the venue has been accredited and has joined the top 100 listed in Elite Conference Venues of the World.

Accreditation – the process to identify the 100 Leading Venues

Venue Promotion

Any venue which successfully completes the inspection and accreditation process will have its status as one of the premier conference venues in the world officially announced and promoted to the conference industry.

This will be achieved through a range of marketing methods which are uniquely available to ECVW listed venues : -

The ECVW Handbook:

This is the prestigious handbook that lists the world’s leading 100 conference venues as assessed by ECVW.

Each accredited venue will receive 2 full colour pages in the handbook in which the venue can provide photographs, venue descriptions, marketing information and booking details.

The handbook is released bi-annually and is distributed to a database of professional conference & events’ organisers worldwide. The handbook is distributed free of charge to ensure maximum circulation, and is distributed to a targeted audience of conference professionals responsible for sourcing venues for their conferences. The handbook is also provided on request to any other party interested in receiving a copy.

The handbook provides a reliable and easy-to-use reference tool for any conference or events’ organiser looking to source one of the world’s best venues as chosen by ECVW for the conference industry. Any conference organiser that uses any of the venues will be safe in the knowledge that they are officially using one of the best venues in the world.

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ECVW logo and accreditation symbol

Accredited venues are entitled to use the ECVW logo and accreditation symbol on all of their marketing material. This includes – the venue’s letterheads, websites, brochures and any other internet or printed guides in which they wish them to appear.

Plaque & Certificates:

A prestigious plaque and certificate is presented to all successful venues. This will not only recognise their presence in the conference industry, but also their ability to achieve the highest standards in the fields of hosting and organising conferences. The plaque stands as a symbol of excellence and an advert to all who would choose that venue for their events.

Marketing emails:

With a fully qualified marketing team dedicated to advertising and promoting ECVW, marketing emails describing each elite venue and its accreditation will

be sent to our database of conference organisers worldwide Further emails will be scheduled and sent according to the individual venue’s requirements. For example this will provide the opportunity for accredited venues to announce their latest promotional deals, new facilities, photographs and new ventures.

Venue Promotion in International Media:

Any conference venue that achieves the ECVW listing will be publicised extensively in the international media. As this is the first time that an impartial industry body is recognising the world’s leading conference venues, all international news articles and features will be reporting on venues that have been officially accredited as achieving this demanding standard.

Our media and PR experts will be promoting all venues in the international media as soon as they have been recognised by ECVW as being one of the world’s leading 100 conference venues.* All news reports, features and

articles on an accredited venue will then be forwarded on to that venue for use in its own marketing material.

Any venue that is accepted for listing by ECVW is able to liaise directly with our media and PR team to request how and where they would like the venue’s ECVW listing to be publicised.

* Please note that ECVW cannot guarantee coverage in any particular media outlet. Our media and PR team will work closely with venues to maximise the number of news stories on their venue in the international media.

ECVW Monthly newsletterECVW’s monthly newsletter is sent out to its large global database of conference and event organisers. The newsletter includes details and announcements of all newly approved venues.

Venues are regularly invited to contribute articles, features and offers for promotion within the newsletter.

The process is so selective that excellent conference venues may still be denied accreditation. For any venue that does not pass the rigorous assessment process it is obviously an unwelcome outcome. It may be some consolation that the accreditation is extremely demanding but it is still a disappointment.

However, there are various ways to benefit from this outcome.

First, it is important to know that the result is confidential and so is the fact that any assessment even took place. A Non-Disclosure Agreement will be signed to ensure this. The agreement will specify that ECVW will keep confidential that the venue is being inspected and will never disclose the name or identity of any venue that does not pass the inspection.

In addition, the venue benefits from a thorough written report identifying the results for every area of assessment and providing guidance on those areas where improvement is necessary. Both the strengths and weaknesses of the venue will therefore be clearly evaluated. The information can also

be used by the venue to gain a greater understanding of the conference industry and to further their understanding of what conference organisers are looking for when selecting a venue. Again, this report is strictly confidential.

Finally, any venue that does not pass the inspection is able to re-apply for another inspection no less than 6 months after their previous inspection.

The Next Step

Whether you are an event organiser or a conference venue, if you would like to know more please contact –

Elite Conference Venues Ltd

Tel :

Email :

What happens if a venue does not achieve accreditation ?

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www.ecvw.com© Elite Conference Venues Ltd, 2013