thestudio is proving once more that it is supreme in its sector, after winning the Best Independent Venue Award at the CHS Awards 2017. The award ceremony celebrated venues across the country and saw thestudio emerge victorious in its category. Held at the Royal Armouries in Leeds last week, the prestigious evening brought together the best in the business for the third event of its kind to date.
Competing against venues from County Durham, Yorkshire, Warwickshire, and Manchester, thestudio‘s fresh and colourful take on the typically monochrome corporate world ultimately won out. thestudio was chosen as the winner by an independent panel of over 50 event professionals from leading agencies throughout the UK, with Richard John as Chair. More than 250 event industry professionals attend the third annual CHS Awards which were preceded by a glittering gala dinner.
Amongst these guests was Julian Kettleborough, Commercial Director at thestudio, who received the award on behalf of thestudio. Speaking about what the accolade means to the group, he said:
“We are so pleased to have won such a prestigious award and to be recognised on a national stage for our achievements as an independent venue. Since opening our first location in Birmingham just over ten years ago, our team has consistently worked so hard to ensure that each site succeeds. We’re all so proud that this has all paid off and we hope we can continue to prove why we are the Best Independent Venue in the future.”
The venue, whose mantra is ‘Customer First’, is known as the place to meet, train and entertain, and has four vibrant venues across the UK, with space to accommodate groups of 2 to 250. It’s third venue, thestudioleeds will not only be celebrating the award win, but is also gearing up to an expansion project that will see the venue double in size. The works will involve thestudioleeds taking over the floor adjacent to its existing site, adding an extra 7,000 sq. ft. to the space and creating four new rooms, capable of seating 8 between 63 delegates. The new floor will also equip the venue with an outdoor terrace and two additional breakout zones.
The awards ceremony was the finishing touch to a fantastic first quarter for the group. The CHS Awards provide hotels and venues with a unique opportunity to showcase their facilities – allowing even the smallest independent venue to be recognised for an aspect, service or feature of their property or service. The Awards are organised by CHS Group who deliver the annual Conference and Hospitality Show in Leeds and the nominations for this year were announced at the Show in April. The judging process was managed by Paula Kelsey and Cloud 9 Event Management.
The Awards were supported by Conference Leeds, LeedsBID, AS Audio, Hospitality and Events North Magazine and the Royal Armouries Museum. Sponsors included Off Limits, Venuefinder.com, Jurys Inn, Leeds Hotel & Venues Association, Ibis Styles Hotels, Mercure Hotels, Ta Dah Furniture Hire and Stadium Experience.