The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London's prestigious purpose-built conference centre in the heart of Westminster, has achieved record sales in the last financial year. The Centre reported a turnover of £10.209 million - up 18 percent on the previous year - in figures just released in its Annual Report and Accounts for the financial year 2003-04.

Over 400 events were hosted at the Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) Conference Centre during 2003/2004, including many high profile events from the UK and abroad.

Said QEII Conference Centre chief executive, Ernest Vincent: "The level of income reported for the year is the highest on record for any year. We have raised our profile substantially during the last financial year and the QEII Conference Centre has a strong reputation both at home and internationally as an acclaimed conference venue that hosts high impact events.

Our reputation is in no small part due to the excellence, professionalism and commitment of our staff. Client feedback confirms that we are preferred mainly because of the quality of the service we provide. This includes Leith's food and beverage operations, the services provided by the Interface in-house production team, the effectiveness of our event managers and our flexibility in dealing with changing circumstances."

The QEII Conference Centre exceeded all its performance targets set for the year ended 31st March 2004.

These were:

• Contribution to the Exchequer of £1.7 million (target £700,000)
• Occupancy of the three key conference areas of 479 days (target 470 days)
• Overall score for value for money in client questionnaires 97.0% (target 90%)
• The number of complaints per 100 events was 1.95 (target less than 2)
• The average response time to deal with complaints was three days (target less than four days)

The last financial year saw the implementation of a major capital works programme to re-style the interior and brand the Centre with a new corporate image. The Centre has been transformed internally giving it a fresh new look that is being appreciated by clients.

The QEII Conference Centre maintains a significant pool of technical expertise in the areas of engineering, audio-visual presentation, IT and telecommunications, and this was replenished and enhanced in 2003/04.

The Centre's in-house production unit, Interface, had a very profitable year. It produced a cleverly-designed set in the main Churchill Auditorium allowing easy conversion between front and back projection. The use of seamless switchers by Interface has allowed clients to enhance the presentation of projected images.

The QEII Conference Centre plans to continue to maintain its position as a premier and internationally recognised location for holding events. It has developed an integrated set of commercial strategies and capital investment programmes to achieve this over the next five years.

A programme to improve facilities and audio-visual and technological support is continuing, along with measures to maintain a high quality of service and customer care. The QEII Conference Centre is an ideal venue for large conferences, with or without exhibition space, and for annual general meetings and gatherings of international organisations.

However, it also continues to compete successfully for smaller events, award ceremonies and banquets. It operates in a highly competitive market where the pattern of later booking and shorter events has persisted as clients continue to search for the best value for money.