Venues of Excellence (VoE) is proud to celebrate the outstanding achievements of its member venues at the Famtastic Rocks Awards 2025, held at the Village Hotel, Blackpool on Friday night. The event recognised innovation, sustainability, and excellence across the UK events industry — and VoE members shone brightly, taking home multiple awards and commendations.

Among the evening’s top honours were several remarkable wins by Venues of Excellence members:

• Millennium Point – Winner of The Famtastic Use of AI in Events for Future-Ready Events, Delivered Today: Why Millennium Point Sets the Standard
• Wyboston Lakes Resort – Winner of The Famtastic Green Initiative of the Year for its inspiring Room2Give initiative
• Edgbaston Park Hotel & Conference Centre – Winner of The Famtastic Independent Hotel of the Year
• Wyboston Lakes Resort – Winner of The Famtastic Marketing Campaign of the Year for More Than Monday to Friday: How We Unlocked the Power of Weekend Events

Billy Harris-Wright, Director of Commercial and Company Secretary at Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre reflecting on their awards said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be recognised as The Famtastic Independent Hotel of the Year. This award is a true reflection of the dedication and passion of our entire team over the past 12 months. From achieving outstanding commercial results to earning our B Corp certification, our team have worked incredibly hard to make a positive impact on both our guests and our community. Our impressive guest satisfaction and team engagement scores highlight our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences. This recognition from Famtastic Rocks celebrates not just our achievements, but our vision that drives us forward – To be exceptional at delivering hospitality, valuing our people, and making a positive impact on the environment.”

Winning the Famtastic Use of AI in Events for Future-Ready Events, Delivered Today, Victoria Webb, Head of Events Sales at Millennium Point said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be recognised at the Famtastic Awards, particularly winning the Use of Tech and AI in Events category. At Millennium Point, we’re committed to staying at the forefront of innovation to deliver exceptional experiences for our clients. Being highly commended as both an Independent Venue and Unique Venue is the icing on the cake. It’s brilliant to see the wonderful efforts of our team acknowledged by our industry peers.”

Seeing our venues win awards is a great accolade and as Louisa Watson, Marketing Director at Wyboston Lakes Resort commenting on their wins said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to win three accolades. These awards are a testament to the hard work, creativity, and commitment of our amazing team – especially in continuing to drive sustainability and innovative guest experiences. Thank you to the Famtastic Rocks Awards for recognising our efforts, and to everyone who supports us on this journey.”

In addition to these impressive wins, several VoE members were also recognised with Highly Commended awards:

• Nottingham Venues – The University of Nottingham – Highly Commended in The Famtastic Academic Venue of the Year
• Wyboston Lakes Resort – Highly Commended in The Famtastic Conference Centre/Hotel of the Year
• Millennium Point – Highly Commended in both The Famtastic Independent Venue of the Year and Unique Venue of the Year

Academic venue Nottingham Venues,  were highly recommended and on the evening Melissa Sobo, Director of Sales said: “We are absolutely delighted to have received a Highly Commended accolade in the Academic Venue of the Year category at this year’s Famtastic Awards. This recognition is a true testament to our exceptional venue and, most importantly, to our dedicated and passionate team. Their commitment to delivering outstanding service and memorable experiences is at the heart of everything we do.” – Melissa Sobo, Director of Sales, Nottingham Venues.”

CEO and Owner of Venues of Excellence, Mandy Jennings, commented: “We are absolutely thrilled to see so many of our members recognised at this year’s Famtastic Rocks Awards. Their success reflects the heart of what Venues of Excellence stands for — a commitment to delivering outstanding quality, innovation, and service. From pioneering uses of AI and creative marketing to impactful green initiatives, our members continue to set the benchmark for excellence in the events and hospitality industry.”

The achievements across these categories demonstrate how Venues of Excellence members are leading the way in sustainability, digital innovation, and exceptional guest experiences. The consortium’s continued focus on quality, creativity, and collaboration ensures that its members remain at the forefront of the UK’s dynamic venue sector.