The largest island in the UK, the Isle of Wight lies less than 5 miles from the south coast and yet feels worlds apart. An ideal getaway destination where business and pleasure mix effortlessly, meeting planners will find this diamond-shaped isle to be a real gem as it offers a versatile range of meeting venues well equipped to cater for any corporate event. Once home to the renowned poet Lord Tennyson and to Queen Victoria, the island has a rich heritage which can be seen in several magnificent historic venues and yet embraces modern living to also offer vibrant, contemporary conference spaces of varying capacity.
More than half the island is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and boasts 500 miles of footpaths and bridleways as well as dramatic coastal landscapes, miles of sandy beaches, river valleys and stunning countryside making this an ideal destination for outdoor pursuit teambuilding events and corporate activities on both land and water. With the added benefit of being one of the UK’s sunniest and warmest regions, what more could any conference delegate want?!
Newport is the county town, located close to the centre of the island, with Cowes, famed for its connection to sailing, and Ventnor, built into the steep slopes of St Boniface Down, being further popular meeting destinations thanks to the quality of conference venues available.
Travel to the island is easy with over 350 ferry crossings per day with connections at Southampton, Lymington, Southsea and Portsmouth. For international conference delegates, flights into Southampton or Bournemouth airports will allow easy access to ferry services.
Whether looking to host secluded conference retreats in a rural setting, teambuilding or training events in the great outdoors, luxurious corporate banquets and hospitality events or an intimate wedding, the Isle of Wight has the perfect venue. A famed attraction on the island is the Botanic Garden, which provides an unusual venue for meetings, exhibitions and events for up to 80 delegates in a setting with breathtaking views. Alternatively, delegates can take to the water at Mamarine or indulge in challenging teambuilding events at UKSA. Sporting venues include Newport IOW FC and Newclose County Cricket Ground, both offering a choice of meeting spaces for banqueting, conferencing and weddings, whilst cultural venues include the Winter Gardens and the Shanklin Theatre. Quay Arts is a flexible venue with superb facilities located in central Newport with experience in hosting training seminars, meetings, conferences and corporate hospitality events, whereas the Riverside Centre offers conference and exhibition spaces with capacity for up to 250 delegates. The county’s heritage can be seen in historic venues such as Landguard Manor, Northwood House, an elegant setting ideally suited to banqueting, exhibitions, weddings, conferences and corporate events, stately home Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s coastal palace, and Ryde Castle, a majestic building with views across the Solent offering 2 conference and banqueting suites able to accommodate 200 delegates. The Isle of Wight offers an excellent choice of outstanding conference-minded hotels such as the lovely boutique hotel Villa Rothsay, ideal for corporate retreats, activity days and teambuilding events, or the larger scale Gurnard Pines Resort, Conference and Leisure Club, which boasts 55 acres of grounds for corporate activities and teambuilding events alongside 3 conference and banqueting suites with capacity for 250 delegates. Country house hotels include the charming Bourne Hall Hotel with facilities for conferences, exhibitions, meetings and weddings, whilst Yelf’s Hotel is a quaint, traditional coaching inn. Major hotel groups represented on the Isle of Wight include Best Western Hotels, Greene King and Old English Inns.
All in all, this diverse and inviting county provides an inspirational setting for escapes from the office.