139Printed blousesBlack burst66 . www.conference-news.co.uk . February 2012HULLHull and East Yorkshire is beginning to make a deeper impression in the association meetings sector. Association conference business won recently includes the Organisational Learning, Knowledge and Capabilities Conference, the International Society for the Systems Sciences 55th Meeting and the Association of Surgeons in Training. John Godber's Hull Truck Theatre, now housed in a new £15m building, provides conference facilities right in the heart of the city for for up to 440 delegates. Godber's drama is not the only rebellious theme running through Hull. Anti-Slavery campaigner William Wilberforce was born in Kingston-upon-Hull and Wilberforce House on the High Street is open for smaller events. And the Freedom Centre, built in 2005, can hold up to 300.The city's independent streak is further illustrated by its telephone exchange and white phone boxes, as well as its own train company, serving London King's Cross. For large events, Hull City Hall can seat 1,200 and Hull Guildhall, with extensive oak panelling and marble fl oors, can host formal dinners and civic receptions. The city universities also offer the association market plenty of space.In DeepHull is also home to the world's only submarium, The Deep. The tourist attraction can be used for receptions, where guests can meet with sharks circling behind the glass, or high above the waves in the glass observatory.Country retreatThe area also has venues in rural and coastal settings. Exclusive retreats include Cave Castle Hotel and Country Club, Mercure Hull West and Tickton Grange Hotel. While along the East Coast you can fi nd the £20m redeveloped Bridlington Spa where rooms offer stunning views of the beach, promenade and the sea. Away from the coast, in the heart of a 200-acre countryside estate, is the KP Club, a venue looking out over the Yorkshire Wolds. Sporting dreamSporting venues for hire for meetings and special events, include the KC Stadium, home to Hull City FC. It offers 13 meeting rooms for up to 450 people, plus 28 boxes for use as breakouts. Beverley Racecourse and Events Centre has 15 meeting rooms and can provide programmes for delegates including a taste of the 'Sport of Kings'. AccommodationHistorically, Hull has not always been able to offer a critical mass of quality hotel stock, now organisers can choose between budget, boutique, independent or chain hotels. There is a Holiday Inn in the remodelled Hull Marina and a luxury refurbished Hallmark Hotel overlooking the landmark Humber Bridge. The Royal, recently re-branded a Mercure Hotel, is centrally located adjacent to the Hull Transport Interchange. The Willerby Manor Hotel has three acres of gardens and can host gala dinners for 400. Its smaller meetings spaces can cater for 200 theatre-style and 120 for dining in the Talbot Suite.Off-duty activitiesShop around for discounted entrance fees around the region and deals on some high-octane adrenaline pursuits. Post-event there is much to explore, including shopping at high-street favourites in Princes Quay Centre on the waterfront and visit the city museums for free. Nightlife, fi ne food restaurants and bars of Hull and other scenic outdoor locations can be discovered by foot, car, bicycle or on horseback. In independent Hull, you no longer have to be a slave to the poor hotel system. The Wolds, and the whole of Hull and East Yorkshire are emerging as a new meetings oyster on the North East coast. Contact at HEY ConferencesLiz Neal, Business Tourism Offi cerT - 01482 468500E - conference.bureau@vhey.co.uk W - heyconferences.co.uk Type of Event: Conference with pamperingDate: 26 March 2011Venue: Village Hotel HullNumber of delegates: 150Brief: A conference with treatments and pampering for delegates, all of whom have had breast cancer.Informative workshops and guest speakers also on the agenda.Event challenges: Meeting rooms used as treatment/therapy rooms and one turned into a quiet relaxation area.There were various dietary requirements, including fat-free, lactose free and vegetarian. The catering was further challenged to come up with healthily themed menus.Social programme: Education talks and networking session over drinks.Special features: All therapists were volunteers on the day which kept costs down for the charity organiser, Hull and East Riding (HER) Breast Friends.HER Breast Friends - Pink Pamper Day Top: Bridlington's Spa Theatre is back in conference business after a major refurbishment

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