Sandy Park Shortlisted for Devon Tourism Award

Sandy Park Conference and Banqueting Centre will be vying for top honours at this year’s prestigious Devon Tourism Awards after being shortlisted for one of the event’s leading awards.

The multi-million pound facility, which is also home to the Exeter Chiefs, will be battling it out alongside the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth and Event Exeter at the University of Exeter to land the accolade of Venue & Business Tourism Award.

Now into its seventh year, the Awards – which will be staged at the Great Hall at Exeter University on November 10 – has now increased to 24 categories and will bring together the cream of Devon’s tourism businesses.

In what has been a sparkling 12 months for Sandy Park, highlights included catering for over 4,000 diners last Christmas, hosting three Rugby World Cup fixtures, Devon & Somerset Law Society Awards Dinner and a significant increase in bringing in exhibitions, conferences and high-profile dinners.

The venue also regularly caters for crowds in excess of 10,000 people attending matches involving Exeter Chiefs, who last season came runners-up in the Aviva Premiership and reached the last eight of the European Champions Cup.

Successful businesses in the Devon Tourism Awards will also be fast tracked into the South West Tourism Excellence Awards in February 2017, with nominees in matching categories invited to represent Devon in to the National Visit England Awards later in 2017.

The Chairman of the Awards Panel, David Fursdon, says: “I know how important the Tourist industry is to Devon. The wonderful reputation that this very special County enjoys in this area depends on maintaining the highest standards and this year's winners across a wide range of categories illustrate just that and personify one word; "Excellence.”

Sandy Park will be looking to add this latest accolade alongside that of being named previously as Rugby Expo Venue of the Year and the Express & Echo’s Tourism and Hospitality Venue of the Year.

Bev Gratton, Sandy Park Conference & Events Sales Manager, added: “As a business we are delighted to have been shortlisted at the upcoming Devon Tourism Awards. Over the past 12 months we have engaged in a huge amount of activity and events aimed at helping to put not only Sandy Park, but Exeter and Devon on the worldwide tourism map.

“Not only is Sandy Park being used by a wealth of returning customers, but all the time we are attracting more and more new clients, all of whom want to make the most of our state-of-the-art venue and its prime location.”

The winners will be announced at the ceremony, which will be hosted by Judi Spiers along with a special guest.