NEWCASTLE/GATESHEAD: A CITY REINVENTS ITSELF

By Frans Rombouts

In the North East of England, Newcastle and Gateshead face each other across the River Tyne. The two cities come together at the dazzling Quayside. Awash with restaurants, bars, cafes, hotels and must-see attractions including the award-winning Gateshead Millennium Bridge, the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, and the Sage Gateshead - billowing curves of glass and steel.

Rich in culture, architecture and history with a great reputation for style, shopping and nightlife, the variety of things to see and do in Newcastle/Gateshead surprises even the most well travelled visitor. Surrounded by 2,000 years of fascinating history, are cutting-edge media installations and fabulous classical Georgian architecture. These two Siamese towns abound with wonderful food, pavement cafes, traditional pubs and contemporary bars, full of live music and theatrical performances. Add to all this some excellent conference facilities, and you shouldn't be surprised that Newcastle/Gateshead is getting increasingly more popular with conference organisers.

A CITY REINVENTS ITSELF
Last year, The Times called Newcastle/Gateshead ‘The new capital of Britain'. Although this was meant as a wink, it made clear that the Newcastle/Gateshead area -once a heavy industrial region- is reinventing itself.
More than €1.5 billion has been invested in the area over the past 15 years, and the results are there. Probably one of the most visible results is Newcastle's quayside, with the Tyne Bridge the centrepiece of an impressive mix of award-winning modernist structures and renovated Georgian architecture. Meanwhile, the economic impact of its events market has grown from €22.5 million in 2002 to a projected figure of €150 million for this year.

This new image is the central pillar of the Newcastle/Gateshead marketing strategy.
Ian Taylor, Commercial Director of the Newcastle/Gateshead Convention Bureau (NGCB) says: "We recognise that culture is our Unique Selling Proposition. The changes here have been enormous. So, what we're highlighting is that this is a creative city that can act as a great backdrop to your key conference messages. We can animate a conference to make it into a far more memorable event."

THE SAGE: A CASE STUDY
A major focus of interest to the conference organiser is the bulb-like Sage Gateshead, which opened in December 2004. Designed by Norman Foster, it is an arts centre that serves at the same time as an excellent conference centre. The three main spaces are all eye-catching and modern in their own way. Hall 2's curved space is the largest with a 1,700 seating capacity, while 25 smaller rooms are also available. The building also houses various restaurants, public spaces and a media centre.

During our visit of Newcastle/Gateshead the United Kingdom Public Health Association was holding its 13 th Annual Forum. Some 1,200 delegates had signed up for the conference online, through a dedicated web page set up by the convention bureau.

"It was one of our most successful conferences to date," said Angela Mawle, UKPHA's chief executive." The venue was an inspiration for Benchmark Communications, the professional conference organiser, and when walking through the building, a real creative buzz did not go unnoticed.
The event made use of the two main spaces at the Sage as well as the Barbour Room and a number of smaller break-out spaces. Around 40 exhibition stands were set up to complement the event, which comprised a daily plenary session along with lunchtime and other fringe meetings.
Following the first day's conferencing, a lively welcome reception was held at Gateshead's renowned International Stadium, located at some ten minutes away from the quayside. The following evening, a dinner was hosted at the city's Centre for Life in the heart of city.

Around 70 per cent of attendees had come from outside the region, and feedback was positive. "The conference was brilliant," said Ceri Mather, acting director of public health for Guisborough in North Yorkshire. "It's probably the best I've attended."

OTHER VENUES
Only a two minutes' walk along the quay from the Sage, the Baltic Centre is a converted grain warehouse, which is now a full-time art gallery and events space. The bright eight-storey building offers a number of different possibilities, including a 56-seat cinema, a conference area and some restaurants.

Other venues of note combining a practical setting in a stimulating environment include the Biscuit Factory. It is now a classy modern art store with ample reception space and a chic restaurant. The already mentioned Centre for Life offers delegates a ‘crazy motion ride' and plenty of science gadgets to try out in between meeting sessions.

St James' Park Stadium - better known to football-mad locals as ‘The Temple On The Hill' - can host up to 1,000 guests and offers a range of different meeting spaces, many of which overlook the football pitch.

ACCOMMODATION
At this moment there are some 2,000 three and four-star bedrooms within 15 minutes' walk of the Sage. Of these hotels, Malmaison Newcastle was joint silver winner in this year's Enjoy England Excellence awards.

The 254-bed Hilton has been open for slightly more than a year. It enjoys an outstanding riverside location with breathtaking views of the River Tyne, the Quayside and Newcastle. With a stylish exterior matched by an wide range of state-of-the-art facilities inside, it cans host a conference, awards ceremony, grand reception or any other major event. The Gateshead Suite can cater for up to 500 delegates. Furthermore the Hilton offers 10 Hilton Meeting rooms, a business centre, and a Hilton Executive Lounge.
The Windows on the Tyne Restaurant & Bar serves good food in a relaxed atmosphere, and the view on the city and river is breathtaking.

On the city outskirts, some well groomed country houses are also increasingly being used for corporate groups. To name just a few: Matfen Hall, a spectacular 19th-century manor with a spa, golf course, and De Vere Slaley Hall, 30 minutes from the airport -another deluxe venue.

Seaham Hall , which was voted Condé Nast Traveller's Best UK Spa Destination, can add a very nice incentive touch to a conference.
This small luxury hotel at some twenty minutes from Newcastle, is a leading luxury hotel and spa destination resort in Northern England. AA Hotel of the Year 2004, this is a place to indulge yourself where service is still founded on instinctive hospitality and the hotel's cuisine is a pure delight.
Linked to the hotel by a magical underground walkway, the Serenity Spa is oriental in design and inspired by Feng Shui. Voted Best Spa for Style by The Sunday Times and Best UK Spa Destination by Condé Nast Traveller, the Serenity Spa offers over eighty different treatments.

GETTING THERE
Access to the Newcastle/Gateshead area is easy. Newcastle International Airport receives flights from Rome , Barcelona, Dublin, Amsterdam, Brussels, Düsseldorf and Paris. From Brussels, SN Brussels Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways and Swiss International Airlines will fly you over in 1h25. A 15 minutes' drive brings the passengers right into the town centre. The airport is also linked to the heart of Newcastle/Gateshead by the metro system.

DFDS Seaways
For those who are in for a mini-cruise, DFDS SEAWAYS operates direct services from IJmuiden, Holland year round.
The daily crossing sails from IJmuiden in the evening and arrives in Newcastle at 8:00 hrs. After a first-class dinner in one of the on-board restaurants you will have many opportunities to relax and enjoy yourself. There is always a varied programme of quality entertainment. You might for example like to enjoy a movie in the ship's cinema, which always features some of the most recent releases, and afterwards go to dance in the nightclub. All DFDS Seaways ships have live bands. In the morning, just before disembarkation, you can enjoy the choice of a full cooked breakfast or cold meats, cheeses, eggs, juice and fresh fruit, served with famous Danish pastries and freshly-baked bread - prepared overnight in the ship's own bakery.
Each of the two ships on the IJmuiden-Newcastle route also have conference facilities onboard so that evening presentations or lectures can be programmed.

NEWCASTLE/GATESHEAD CONVENTION BUREAU
Created in 2001, in its first two years of operation Newcastle Gateshead Convention Bureau had began to considerably swell the conference business in the region, but with a number of major announcements quickly following it was well on its way to securing a place at the forefront of the UK's conference circuit.
Ian Taylor, Commercial Director of Newcastle Gateshead Initiative, said: "At this early stage this was great news for the region and confirmation that the industry had a fantastic future and could potentially become one of the area's strongest economic assets."
Newcastle/Gateshead will be the first European host of the World Summit on Arts and Culture in 2006.
Newcastle/Gateshead will also host two other prestigious cultural gatherings in 2005. In October this year Womex, the World Music Expo will bring over 3,000 delegates and musicians to the North East while the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) conference will welcome the world's top producers and venue managers to Tyneside.

Ian Taylor: "Newcastle/Gateshead new concept of ‘creative conferencing' is its unique selling point. The area has a distinct cultural and creative energy which acts as a fabulous backdrop to our first rate infrastructure. Together these factors give tremendous added value to any event held here. By using creative touches as illuminating the Gateshead Millennium Bridge or projecting logos onto our iconic buildings we can add to the experience delegates have be attending an event in Newcastle/Gateshead. It can also help put delegates into a creative frame of mind which will help them get the most out of their event."

The convention bureau's team of experts have profound knowledge and information to host a successful event. From the very first point of contact they are on hand every step of the way to advise conference organisers.
In the early stages they assess venue and accommodation options and put together proposals. They build a mini website specific to the conference so that the delegates can access the most up-to-date information on the conference. All these services are free of charge.

FOOD & DRINK
Newcastle/Gateshead is an inviting city, famed for its warm welcome to all. There is a unique atmosphere and ambience about the place that makes visitors feel at home and want to come back.

Award winning chef Terry Laybourne's Cafe 21 and Cafe Live are among the best in town - classy contemporary cooking that never descends to the faddish. Cafe 21 boasts a Michelin star. Another great restaurant is Fisherman's Lodge. Located in the heart of Jesmond Dene, a picturesque wooded valley just one mile from the centre of Newcastle/Gateshead, this charming restaurant serves some of the freshest fish around.

If you fancy something more exotic, then head for Stowell Street's superb Chinese restaurants. There's also Fujiyama - a Japanese teppan-yaki restaurant situated in Bath Lane and Barn@theBiscuit, an excellent eatery attached to one of the UK's largest commercial art galleries.

The Gate is a unique entertainment complex in the heart of Newcastle City Centre, with an impressive collection of bars and restaurants. Tiger Tiger is one of The Gate's top eateries, with a modern approach to good food that balances classic British, European and Asian styles.
Blackfriars is one of the town's best-loved restaurants, with honourable mentions in both the Good Food and Michelin Guides.