During my time at The Conference People I have organised a real variety of events.  My latest project is probably one of the most unusual!

For the first time ever the major UK organisations involved in the cremation and burial movement have decided to join together to hold a single annual conference.  Faced with the prospect of several conferences run by different independant organisations, it has become increasingly difficult financially for existing and potential delegates and suppliers in this sector to choose between conferences.

So, in November of this year, using the Venue Finding and Event Management assistance of The Conference People, the Cremation Society of Great Britain, the Federation of Burial and Cremation Authorities, the Association of Private Crematoria and the International Cremation Federation will be joining together to organise one single conference and major exhibition for 2007.

The event is being held 12 - 15 November at the Hilton Newcastle Gatehead Hotel http://www.hilton.co.uk/newcastlegateshead.  I had never been to Newcastle and was very pleasantly surprised at what a lovely city it is.  The famous Grey Street rivals Bath for it’s examples of Georgian architecture and was recently voted the Best Street in the UK!  http://www.streetsofshame.org.uk/case-study-good.htm.  And I know it is a shameful cliché but the people were so friendly!

The hotel itself is in a great position overlooking the Millennium Bridge and the Tyne Quayside.  The Gateshead Suite and Foyer offer the ideal space to accommodate the 200 plus delegates and over 35 exhibitors the event is hoping to attract.  All facilities are easily reached from public areas and bedrooms so there’s no risk of finding delegates wandering aimlessly around the corridors! 

My first thoughts when starting this project were quite naive and I thought it was going to be a very morbid topic!  However so far the people we have interacted with are friendly and professional and most importantly have a genuine passion for their business, which at the end of the day is just what it is…a business.