Four more conference centres have joined the Historic Conference Centres of Europe (HCCE), bringing the organisation's membership to 22.

At a recent meeting the HCCE board accepted applications from Germany's Kaisersaal Erfurt and Kongress Palais Kassel, The Pieterskerk in Leiden, Netherlands and the Athinais Conference Centre in Athens, Greece, to join the group.

Plans for next year include sales drives in Belgium and The Netherlands and signing of a UK sales representative. The HCCE group that approved admission of the four new centres also decided to book exhibition space at the new Frankfurt IMEX travel show next year and the European Incentive Business Travel and Meetings show in Geneva.

In addition, the HCCE group decided to invite British agents and venue finders to a workshop in Vienna.

HCCE Executive Director Ingrid Behaghel von Flammerdinghe said: "The HCCE has come a long way since its launch six years ago, but as next year's broad-based activities show, we are going to work hard to maintain the present high levels of brand awareness. With new members on board, that will be easier, and our reputation as a 'quality seal' means they are unlikely to be the last recruits to our rapidly growing organisation."