The University has won the Best University Accommodation for Groups award for the twelfth year in a row at the Group Travel Organiser’s Awards.
The award is voted for by readers of the magazine and focuses on all aspects of the University’s offering for group booking including pre-visit information, transport, accommodation, catering and attractions.
During its spring and summer vacation periods, the University regularly hosts over 1,000 residential events and accommodates more than 155,000 delegates at its Canterbury campus, providing a huge economic benefit to the city of Canterbury and the wider area. These events generate in the region of £4.5m which is re-invested into the student residential estate and facilities.
Additionally, the business generated by the Conference office during vacation periods creates employment for around 250 full-time staff and a further 500 casual employees.
Residential events and groups to be hosted on campus this summer include the SESCA Taxation Conference, Data Envelopment Analysis International Conference, Global Challenges Research Conference, National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies, Polish Educational Society Conference, British Sugarcraft Guild Summer Skills School and Centre for Higher and Degree Apprenticeships Summer Schools.
Sheena Butterworth, Conference Manager at Kent, said: ‘We are very happy to win this award for an incredible twelfth consecutive year. It’s particularly special as it’s the readers and our clients who have consistently voted for us each year.
‘We are proud to deliver a very high standard of accommodation for groups here at the University, along with outstanding customer service from our team, all of which drives the continued success in winning this national award year after year.’