08/07/2010

Later this year, York's aspiring 5-star hotel will welcome the ‘Cats Whiskers' conference, an event worth over £10,000 secured by York & Scarborough Conferences. Over 30 former Masters of City of London based Livery companies will visit the city from the 10^th-12^th September for a dedicated programme of activity. The weekend event will see delegates staying at The Grand, enjoying dinner at the Guildhall and the Merchant Adventures' Hall, as well as visiting many of York's award-winning visitor attractions.

Laura Freer, Marketing Manager for York and Scarborough Conferences said:

"The opening of The Grand brings with it a whole host of opportunities, including attracting a wide range of national and international events. We were delighted to assist with the arrangements for the prestigious 'Cats Whiskers' conference, as it is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase York and The Grand, which is proving extremely popular with conference organisers. With views of the city walls as well as the Minster, The Grand's meeting rooms have a spectacular outlook which, along with the other top-class facilities and services, will make them desirable for business visitors."

The new Cedar Court development complements the existing portfolio of hotels and venues available in and around the historic city of York, allowing the conference bureau to extend its offering to the business tourism market.  Occupying the grade II listed former railway headquarters, the facilities at The Grand include seven beautifully appointed meeting rooms, aptly named after iconic railway figures Gibb, Ridley and Leeman, able to accommodate up to 20 people boardroom style. For more intimate meetings, the Butterworth and Paterson meeting rooms come complete with black leather chairs and a glass table, and have capacity to host 8 boardroom style. The oak panelled Chairman's Suite, formerly the original Chairman's office, has fabulous views of the city and can accommodate up to 40 theatre style and 30 for banquets. Finally, the Boardroom, a hugely impressive room with natural daylight and views of York Minster, is capable of hosting 120 guests.

General Manager, Andrew Coney, said:

"The facilities at The Grand are truly unique and the meeting rooms provide a setting unlike any other in the city, if not the region. We knew immediately that The Grand Hotel should evoke the Edwardian era and the architecture of the Golden Age of travel, reaching back to the opulence and luxury that people experienced on the likes of the Orient Express or Queen Mary. Seeing the completed hotel, it's clear that our vision has been realised and delegates are guaranteed a fantastic experience."

Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said:

"The completion of The Grand is fantastic news for Yorkshire as it will provide a five star venue for both business and leisure visitors. Business tourism is worth £1.6bn to the Yorkshire region and I'm confident the addition of The Grand will assist in raising this figure even further."

For further information about organising an event in York or Scarborough call

01904 554653 or visit www.yorkandscarborough.com

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