Land Rover Experience

Bigger isn’t always better. When it comes to size, Exeter’s never going to be much of a rival to the country’s major players in the meetings market, but the Devonian city – population less than 120,000 – is still more than capable of holding industry attention, says Ben Lerwill

A university town with a modern pulse and a string of historical sites, it’s somewhere that’s benefited from considerable investment in recent years. Notions of an out-of-touch backwater are misguided – The Times calls it a “buzzing little city with an active arts scene”. The Exeter outskirts provide appeal of their own, meanwhile, with Exmoor, Dartmoor and an impressive coastline offering good potential for team-building activities.

Wow Factor
Name: Woodbury Park Hotel, Golf & Country Club
Address: Woodbury Castle, Woodbury, Exeter, Devon, EX5 1JJ
Tel: 01395 233382
Email: events@woodburypark.co.uk
Web: www.woodburypark.co.uk

A swish country hotel set in 500 acres of Devon countryside, this is generally considered the region’s best bet for a high-end corporate retreat. The property itself is owned by Nigel Mansell, and aptly enough he’s doing a good job at setting the pace for others to follow – a decent spa and two picturesque golf courses help look after leisure interests, while accommodation and conference facilities are suitably grand. There are 56 guest rooms on offer, as well as five “Swiss Lodges” in the grounds, capable of holding up to eight. The hotel has six meeting spaces and can cater for up to 250 delegates theatre-style. Exeter Airport sits ten minutes away, and Junction 30 of the M5 is a similar distance.   

Quirky Venue
Name: XCentre
Address: Commercial Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2 4AE
Tel: 01392 435612
Email: contact form on website
Web: www.x-centre.net

The XCentre is a painstakingly converted medieval drying shed, now reborn as a multi-purpose facility on the city’s historic quay. Geared mainly at providing space for creative training and development, it channels its funds towards helping homeless, vulnerable and socially excluded young people in the local area. It has a 70m2 timber-beamed room for conferencing and can seat up to 54 delegates in a theatre-style set-up. AV facilities and refreshments are provided in the hire cost, which starts at £60 for a half-day. The building also plays host to a fully equipped recording studio and an IT suite. The quay is within walking distance of the city centre and has parking nearby, although not on site.

New Kid on the Block
Name: Land Rover Experience, West Country  
Address: Wessington Farm, Awliscombe, nr Honiton, Devon, EX14 3NU
Tel: 0844 848 4471
Email: info@lre9.com
Web: www.lre9.com

Not so much a brand new offering as an established venue undergoing expansion, the Land Rover Experience has already proved well suited to the corporate market. There’s considerable scope for team activities, ranging from off-road driving and clay-shooting to bridge-building and quad-biking, and 2009 sees the introduction of falconry and a permanent archery facility. In addition, next year will introduce new ‘self-drive’ programmes across Exmoor. Sitting around 15 minutes’ drive from Junctions 28 and 29 of the M5, it’s also a conference venue in its own right, with a meeting room for up to 35. The centre was presented with a Silver Award by the Green Tourism Business Scheme in February, and is also a member of the British Off-Road Driving Association.   

On a Shoestring
Name: St Sidwell’s Centre
Address: Sidwell Street, Exeter, EX4 6NN
Tel: 0113 343 6100
Email: contact@stsidwells.org.uk
Web: www.stsidwells.org.uk

St Sidwell’s is a community centre founded in 2001, becoming an independent charity earlier this year. It offers six functional event spaces, including the 40-capacity Rougemont Room and, on a quirkier note, the fully equipped Old Chapel, which still boasts stained glass windows. The St James Room, good for up to 20, comes with the option of hiring up to ten laptops. The venue’s pricing is staggered according to the size and type of the client but starts from as little as £5 for a two-hour slot. It’s easy to reach too – ten minutes’ walk from Exeter Central Railway Station or 15 minutes’ drive from the M5.    

Wired Up
Name: The University of Exeter
Address: The Queen’s Drive, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QJ
Tel: 01392 215566
Email: conferences@exeter.ac.uk
Web: www.exeter.ac.uk

Two different city campuses and a 15,000-strong student body mean The University of Exeter has no shortage of facilities out of term-time, with its meeting rooms catering for groups of up to 1,400. Perhaps most notable is the multi-purpose Peter Chalk Centre, which offers adjacent lecture theatres, but there are seemingly endless altern-atives across the university. Formal dinners for up to 600 can also be hosted. AV and IT facilities are extensive, with technical support offered for all events and video-conferencing equipment available. On the accommodation front, there are in excess of 1000 en suite bedrooms.

Small but Perfectly Formed
Name: Haldon Belvedere
Address: Higher Ashton, Exeter, Devon, EX6 7QY
Tel: 01392 833668
Email: vaults@smws.com
Web: www.haldonbelvedere.co.uk

Looking more like something from a Tolkien novel than a meetings brochure, the 18th-century Haldon Belvedere is a venue apart – quite literally. The slim cream-white castle stands alone on Haldon Hill, giving panoramic views over surrounding moorland and offering one of the most unique venues in the region. It’s just six miles from Exeter itself, but feels a world away. Functions and corporate events are mostly held in the castle ballroom, which once entertained King George III and can today welcome up to 45 people. The room still bears the original Indian mahogany flooring from the 1780s and gives access to a roof terrace. The age of the building prevents the preparation of hot meals inside, but buffet-style receptions are a popular option to go with meetings.

Exeter Info
How to get there: By car, the M5 gives good links from Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham, also feeding off the M4 corridor from London. There’s good rail access too – train times from London are just over two hours. Meanwhile, Exeter International Airport welcomes flights from various parts of the UK and Europe, with flybe offering the most options.
Key sights: Historic Quayside; Exeter Cathedral
Contact: Visitor Information at Exeter City Council, Civic Centre, Paris Street, Exeter EX1 1JN;
Tel: 01392 665700; email: tic@exeter.gov.uk  

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