Ladies and gentlemen, we have good news!
After a large number of visits, we have a hotel booked, exclusive to the show.
The hotel will be the Holiday Inn Barnsley but it is actually the other side of the M1 in Dodworth, this is right on Junction 37 with great access, some hotel details: https://bit.ly/hotel-details
Google Maps: use post code S75 3JT
Our main selection criteria were;
Whole hotel booking affordable
Room rates within affordable range
A better hotel than previously
For #1 we decided to stay under 100 rooms (this discounted many on the list)
For #1 and #2 this ruled out most places anywhere near Birmingham / Coventry (NEC, Convention Centre) as far too expensive
For #3 this ruled out Britannia chain (we are aware of another that has taken the Home Office deal)
Last Sunday the team visited the hotel again and signed a contract, we have today placed a significant deposit for the 2023 Show. So, it WILL happen.
As we indicated earlier, we have decided to move upmarket to avoid Home Office deals (our chosen hotel has informed us that they have already refused the Home Office scheme).
Availability of a whole hotel was an issue yet again (and Spring 2023 is very crowded with events / holidays) so unfortunately it will have to be in October, Spring 2023 is already very busy for the hotel, this hotel is extremely popular and regularly full every single week night.
The 2023 show will be on the Sunday 29th October – the usual Saturday set up. The good news is that weekend the clocks go back so you have an extra hour in bed, or extra drinking of course
This a really nice 77 bedroom, 3-star hotel, very used to being the host to large events.
There are no single rooms, couple of bridals but the rest are doubles or twins. Bedrooms spread over the first and second floors and are of a very consistent size / shape (somewhat like Kegworth, see sample floor plan below).
Easy to find your way around as no weird side corridors or random numbering!
Regular Round Table and several Army Reunions take place here. They also hosted the 2022 Labour Party conference, so they know how to scale up catering and very importantly bar stocks.
The hotel has a level entrance, very large lobby and two lifts to the bedrooms on floor 1 and 2
Free car park (NO Parking Eye control) holds 250 cars with free on-street parking outside also. Looks like the adjacent Bannatyne Health Club car park has cameras so we MUST avoid this.
Not a shock to learn they have several large bars! The main one is excellent.
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Nearby there is an IBIS Styles hotel right on the motorway junction if extra sleep rooms are required once we exhaust the contracted 77 rooms, we would ask people to book with us first as this helps our finances, we used 73 rooms at Stoke. The IBIS is about a 10-minute walk away.
The is a small Budgens supermarket, a pub, a convenience store, a Fish & Chip shop - all just before our hotel entrance.
Also, under 10-minute walk into Dodworth village to 2 curry houses (one looks quite large), a small Co-Op in that area as well.
Dodworth railway station is small, but with connecting trains to Sheffield and Doncaster we believe. A 10-minute walk to the hotel from here.
There will be a good breakfast in the restaurant and a 2 course exhibitors’ dinner on Saturday night in one of the ballrooms that also has its own sizeable bar. We expect better food!
Whilst this hotel is a little further north it is very accessible from the motorway and about the same driving time as Stoke Hotel was from the M25/M1 junction.
Pricing will be announced on here over the next few weeks as we are discussing with a small number of trusted trade exhibitors to help defer some of the show costs. More to follow on this, please be patient.
Next step will be Paul / maverick posting a sheet for people to enter their entry requests and another sheet for sleep only room requests. Note that this is an expression of interest only, no financial commitment at this stage. As usual priority will be given on allocation to exhibitors and show staff. PLEASE NOTE: It will be important that we know who wants a room on Friday night as our contract presently only covers the rooms for Saturday and Sunday nights so these will need to be added to our booking to secure rooms.
Hotel has doubles and twins, no singles. Rooms can ONLY be booked through the Show Team NOT with the hotel, please do not try.
Full PL and cancellation insurance is being arranged as the next job by Paul.
The team visited very many hotels are really excited about being a position to book this nice venue; we hope that the HiFi community, particularly our great members, are as supportive as ever and we have a fantastic show.
There will be a nominated show charity as usual.
Many thanks in advance,
The 2023 Show Team
https://www.hifiwigwam.com/threads/wam- ... ed.115250/
