Facing competition from other international class conference and meeting venues across London, The Royal College of Physicians has scooped a major award for its customer care. It clinched the silver medal for ‘Outstanding Customer Service’ in the Visit London 2009 Annual awards on 5 November.
It was the highest place achieved by a specialist conference centre. The College also reached the final stage of the ‘Business Venue of the Year’ category, won by ExCel.
The ‘Outstanding Customer Service’ category looks for individuals or teams who have shown exceptional commitment to customer care and service in all aspects of hospitality and contact with guests, and it was the whole of the RCP’s events team that was nominated for the award. “Making sure we satisfy our customers is our overriding objective, at every level of our organisation,” commented Clive Ostler, the College’s General Manager, Marketing and Facilities: “In terms of size, we were a relatively small player in the Visit London Awards, and we are very proud to have been judged so highly against so many rather more celebrated venues.”
Awards and investments
The Visit London award comes in a year which has brought a number of other major achievements and developments for the RCP – including an appearance on BBC TV’s Masterchef. In the spring, for an unprecedented second year running, it won the annual ‘No 1 UK venue’ award from BDRC, the leading market research company, based on detailed analysis of customer feedback. This shows the continuing strength and robustness of the College’s processes for achieving customer satisfaction.
The development of a specific website for conference and event organisers also brought national recognition for the College, when it received a commendation in the recent Meetings Industry Marketing Awards for ‘Best website’. The website has already been instrumental in building new business for the College.
The College has also completed a number of projects to enhance its facilities. This year saw the final stage in a £1.7 million programme to extend provision for people with disability, including improvements in the Wolfson, its main lecture theatre, access to reception and internal and external glass lifts. This work won a commendation in the conference industry’s main awards, the M&IT awards, particularly for The College’s efforts to adapt a building not originally built for such provision. The work also saw the College chosen for the Royal Mail’s national conference on accessibility in February.
The Wolfson Theatre also benefited from a £250,000 refurbishment programme in the summer, funded by the Wolfson Foundation. The purpose built, tiered auditorium, which has a maximum capacity of 300 people, no has new upholstery for all seats, new carpets and wall colours, improved lighting systems incorporating a motorised bar to facilitate control, a new central projection screen and curtain, and a remodelling of the facilities for support technicians.
Heritage
The RCP also made important progress in developing elements of its unique heritage for the potential benefit of conference meetings and event clients. It has a unique collection of historic items, include manuscripts from the 12th Century, some of the earliest printed books, paintings and sculptures by major artists including a magnificent silver collection, and a unique collection of medical artefacts. The collections were accorded formal Museum status last year, and this year he College has made them even more accessible for special tours by investing in new display cabinets.
In the summer, The College also completed significant extensions to its nationally renowned ‘physic garden’ to make it the largest display of its kind in the UK. The garden, which includes many exotic and historic medicinal plants - including some dating back to prehistoric times - is a popular location for summer events and provides a relaxing break for conference delegates.
Starring roles
The excellence of the RCP’s facilities for corporate dining was emphasised in October with an appearance in the finals of BBC ‘MasterChef: The Professionals’. Using the College’s extensive kitchens, the MasterChef contestants prepared courses which were served to senior officers of the College in its prestigious Censors’ Room. The room is used for the College’s most important ceremonial occasions, and by client organisations seeking an exclusive, uniquely historic location for private meetings and celebrations.
During the year, the College also proved popular as a production location. The forthcoming new BBC1 ‘Material Girl’ romantic comedy will includes a scene filmed in the College’s stunning Council Chamber – a popular location for business meetings. Capable of hosting events for up to 70 people, the Chamber was ‘converted’ into a ‘Fashion Council’ meeting room for a key scene. The RCP also played a role in the production of the sequel to the highly successful 'Nanny McPhee' feature film, which is expected to come to cinemas next year. The College's facilities were booked by the film's production company while it was on location in nearby Park Crescent, as a make-up and wardrobe centre for more than 100 extras who were involved in the shoot.