I was lucky enough to win a 4 x 4 driving experience with go-karting at the Heritage Motor Centre however before we got down to some serious driving we did a tour of the conference facilities which were really impressive and with all the vintage and space age cars in the museum it is a really unique venue for conferences, exhibitions and events. I must say some things never change and I still want the pink Miss Penelope car from Thunderbirds which they have on show there…..I can dream!!!

We then drove into Birmingham and stayed at The Burlington Hotel which has been Birmingham’s premier independent hotel, offering four star accommodation for well over 125 years. The magnificent Horton Suite has its own breakout area and separate bar for relaxation and refreshment between conferences. Designed to provide space and versatility, it can comfortably accommodate upto 400 delegates in a range of formats and is perfect for meetings, conferences, dining and banqueting and ensures the perfect location for every occasion. A range of state of the art meeting rooms provide an ideal venue for smaller meetings. Rooms feature high speed internet access, video conferencing facilities and independently controlled air conditioning.

I recently had a delicious lunch and venue inspection at The Grand Eastbourne is one of the UK’s most magnificent Victorian hotels. Situated on the seafront at Eastbourne, it dominates the shoreline and enjoys a stunning outlook over the sea and, to the right, the cliffs at Beachy Head. The Grand Eastbourne’s conference and banqueting facilities are discreetly, yet superbly, organised so as to blend in with the smooth running of the hotel - importance is placed on meeting the flexibility, comfort and support required for every guest whether it’s for a private board meeting or a large celebratory dinner. There are 17 fully equipped conference and meeting rooms of varying sizes.