Summer 2021 Conference Away from the Everyday

So, when you’ve had your fill of video meetings and need to get the top team back together to drive business forwards, choose somewhere outstanding to look after your event…

A large healthcare sector client recently visited Ashdown Park Hotel, set in 186 acres of peaceful parklands to get back to business.  Meetings and conferences at the hotel are expertly catered for by an experienced team of events coordinators, where every detail is tailored to corporate needs.

Ashdown Park Hotel’s event’s team received the an enquiry in February for a small two day residential conference via a booking agent.  With small being the new medium for now, the hotel’s generously sized function rooms easily adapt to host smaller meetings accommodating appropriate distancing for seating, breakout and catering needs.

Liaising with an experienced contact client-side makes for a very focussed, detailed and relevant function plan… Function planning documentation covers every aspect of the client’s stay from the journey to the hotel to the return journey and absolutely every single thing in between and is the basis of every successful event (the devil is always in the detail after all)! 

  • Do we have Tesla charging points? Yes of course (and a large complimentary car park). 
  • Can we arrange an alfresco dinner on the grounds with a wet weather option?  We have a beautiful Summer House on the lawns (great for pre-dinner drinks too), and Chef loves creating bespoke barbecue menus if that would suit. 
  • For cyber security, we require our own dedicated wifi bandwidth.  No problem.

All of this, along with dietary specifics, timings, a great choice of overnight room and suite categories and inclusions are documented.

Our client contact had her eye on the ball too.  As their meetings progressed, the hotel team received live email updates to either bring forward or push back catering, tech and activity requirements. With our Events Manager as information gatekeeper, staff are updated and deployed, timings tweaked if meetings run over, and the clockwork magic begins.

“They enjoyed their first barbecue of the year with us, it was a pleasure to serve them in a relaxed seating arrangement in the Summer House” commented Iona, Ashdown Park’s F&B Supervisor.

Corporate events at hotels span the entire staff and their success is a reflection of the professionalism of all involved. From that first enquiry into the Events Office, to the smooth delivery of a client event in June (amid changing Government guidelines for spring 2021) we applaud the whole team.  We never underestimate the effects of the warm welcome by Concierge and Reception staff, the greeting by the specific Event Coordinator, the immaculate bedrooms and function rooms made so by Housekeeping, the execution of technical requirements by the C&B team and of course the contributions of the Bar and Chefs from the F&B department. 

“The weather and the grounds were amazing… the team were very attentive and managed our changing needs extremely well, we even managed to get out for a walk and saw some of the local deer!  A massive thank you to the team”

Great feedback proving how well the system works – even when faced with continually changing restrictions throughout the planning process.  Well done team Ashdown Park!

To enquire about experiencing your event in the heart of the Ashdown Forest, click here for the Events Team or call 01342 824988 .