More than 500 venues and service suppliers across the UK have achieved AIM accreditation, the UK’s only recognised accreditation scheme for the business meetings and events industry, which is endorsed by the HBAA and more than 35 UK business tourism destinations. AIM-accredited venues and suppliers are audited against a strict 50-point criteria, with qualifying venues achieving the highest standards in areas such as quality of facilities, legal compliance, customer value proposition and best practice.
The 10 Sodexo Sports and Leisure venues, which join existing venues – The Crystal in London and Emerald Headingley Stadium in Leeds – as mia members are:
• Imperial War Museum, London
• Aberdeen Football Club
• Hamilton Park Racecourse, Hamilton
• Hampden Park Stadium, Glasgow
• Knebworth House, Stevenage
• Newcastle United Football Club
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh
• The Amex Stadium, Brighton
• The Apex, Bury St Edmunds
• The Athenaeum, Bury St Edmunds
Sodexo Sports and Leisure is a team of event specialists, food experts and hospitality professionals who create and deliver dining experiences at a large number of venues across the UK and Ireland.
Kate Nicholl, head of sales stadia for Sodexo Sports and Leisure, said: "It was very important to us that we achieved AIM accreditation as a group to further establish that you should expect to receive the same levels of compliance and quality standards across all our sites.
“The additional benefits the mia can offer with regards to increased sales opportunities, commercial insights and the various engagement platforms are all powerful tools to help our sales teams achieve their goals.”
Jane Longhurst, chief executive of the mia, said: “We are thrilled to see another 10 Sodexo Prestige Venues take up membership of the mia and see the value in our accreditation scheme AIM, which allows venues to stand out from their competitors by assuring bookers of the high-quality of service and facilities they provide. As well as accreditation, these prestigious venues will be able to access support to help their business grow, which gets stronger as our own membership increases.”
A desire to travel led Holly Patrick to the business meetings and events world and she’s never looked back. Holly takes a particular interest in event sustainability and creating a diverse and inclusive industry. When she’s not working, she can be found rolling skating along Brighton seafront listening to an eclectic playlist, featuring the likes of Patti Smith, Sean Paul, and Arooj Aftab.
