There are still a number of buildings in Derby that remind visitors of the important part rail has played in the city over the years.
One of the most aesthetically pleasing has to be the former London Midland and Scottish College of Rail and Technology, on the corner of Ascot Drive and London Road.
Designed by William H Hamlyn and opened in 1938, at the time it was something of a trailblazer. Costing £50,000 it was the first purpose-built training college for railway staff in the 海角视频.
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Today, this beautiful building, with its myriad of art deco features, is still very much in use – but not in the training of railway workers.
It is now more than a decade since the building was fully restored and relaunched as The Derby Conference Centre.
The Grade II-listed building still retains its architectural gems, such as its elegant facade, sweeping staircase, sunken lounge and period features, which transport visitors back to the 1930s.
But its heritage has been combined with modern facilities, catering for a broad range of business and leisure guests.
Matthew Hutchings is the managing director of this impressive site.
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“At the time, it was recognised that there was a gap in the market to create a venue that offered a whole range of services, all under one roof,” said Matthew.
“Our mission was to create a venue that brought people together by offering flexible, diverse, value for money services to a wide range of customers, somewhere outside of London that was in a convenient location.”
Employing 60 people, The Derby Conference Centre offers a range of facilities for all types of end user.
Inside, it has 15 conference and meeting rooms, which can hold from two to 350 delegates and are all fully equipped with technology, from projectors to microphones.
There is an on-site hotel, called The Portland House Hotel. It has 50 rooms, all en- suite. The site also offers self-catering accommodation in its India House complex, for guests that want to stay for more than one night at a more affordable option.
The centre has recently announced exciting plans to refurbish this block and add 45 hotel bedrooms to their bed stock within the next 18 months.
One of the most recent investments has been in the car park, which has been expanded to hold up to 300 cars and 14 car charging points installed. According to Matthew, more investments are in the pipeline.
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He said: “We are currently re-branding the business to ensure that the business and leisure community in Derbyshire and the East Midlands understands our multi-functional complex.
“As part of this re-brand, we have signed with OYO Hotels and Homes (海角视频) Limited who will refurbish our hotel bedroom stock and provide us more visibility through their online platforms and their worldwide client-base.
“Throughout 2019 we will continue to upgrade our facilities to include a new restaurant, two new meeting rooms, alongside the decor and furniture.
“We have recently employed an excellent new chef, John Boddice, who is transforming all our food offerings with rave reviews from our customers.”
According to Matthew, all of these improvements are aimed towards achieving one ambitious goal.
He said: “Our aim is to be the number one hospitality complex in the East Midlands; providing a quality hotel experience, a place to do business with flexible meeting spaces, long term office rentals and large conferences and conventions, all while providing fantastic food and drink offerings.
“We want to provide live entertainment to the local community and bring visitors to Derby by staging live comedy every month, frequent live acts and be a place to celebrate and socialise.
“In short, we want to be known as so much more than a conference centre.”
Up until last year, at the forefront of driving The Derby Conference Centre forward was Mike Ebbitt, who took on the role of managing director not long after its launch in 2007.
Under his stewardship, the centre grew in popularity while continuing its programme of improvements and investment in its facilities. Today, Matthew is carrying on that good work.
He said: “I absolutely love my role - Derby is a fantastic place to do business. We have an amazing team that really understand the vision and the direction The Derby Conference Centre is going in.
“At the end of the day, what motivates me is people. I feel an amazing responsibility to lead and nurture the team we have here; they have all completely bought into the vision I set out to create and are all contributing to the journey we are on through hard work and dedication.”