Nottingham Venues, the collection of independent venues specialising in meetings and events set within the University of Nottingham campus, is celebrating after winning the prestigious Venue of the Year Award at the Academic Venue Solutions Awards.
The award recognises the strength of Nottingham Venues’ teams and its commitment to delivering an exceptional guest experience across its collection of meeting, event and hotel spaces. It celebrates a year defined by collaboration, resilience and a strong culture of shared achievement across every part of the business.
The award criteria centred on teamwork, a principle deeply embedded in Nottingham Venues’ culture. New colleagues are supported from day one through structured induction and development programmes, while ongoing coaching, recognition and leadership pathways help them grow in confidence and capability. This approach has played a key role in maintaining strong retention, high engagement and consistently excellent guest feedback.
This collaborative culture was exemplified during the £1 million refurbishment of The Orchard Hotel and Bramley’s Restaurant, a complex project completed without closing the venue to guests. With daily operational coordination, open communication and support between teams, the business maintained service at full standard throughout. The refurbished spaces have since been praised by guests and industry peers, and Bramley’s Restaurant went on to receive its first AA Rosette for Culinary Excellence within months of reopening.
On presenting the award, Ross Cox from Switch Events Management Software, and board member of Academic Venue Solutions, said: “Nottingham Venues exemplifies teamwork at scale. Across a transformative year that included simultaneous refurbishments, new openings, and record commercial growth, the team maintained exceptional guest satisfaction, developed their people, and delivered world-class events without disruption.
“Their culture of collaboration, innovation, and recognition embodies the ‘Teamwork Makes the Dream Work’ ethos, and their results speak volumes.”
Melissa Sobo, director of sales at Nottingham Venues, said: “Winning Venue of the Year is testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone in the business. Whether through major projects like the Bramley’s refurbishment or the everyday work delivering brilliant service, our teams exemplify what makes Nottingham Venues special.
“This award is something every colleague has contributed to, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together.”
