No longer the new kid on the block, this year thestudio is celebrating turning 10. Since opening in Birmingham in 2006, thestudio has grown significantly over the last decade, now laying claim to four venues nationwide and a team of 68 staff members.
Known for its fresh and colourful take on the typically monochrome corporate world, thestudio has firmly secured its place as one of the leading independent venues to meet, train, and entertain. Since opening its doors to Glasgow earlier this month, the group has a total of 42 meeting rooms across its city centre sites. This expansion means that thestudio will have welcomed 137,000 customers in 2016 alone, a huge increase from its 2007 total of 30,600 visitors, and the reason behind its impressive £4.5million turnover.
Commenting on the decade of success, thestudio’s Director Emma Jennings said:
“This milestone is a huge one for the entire team at thestudio and we are so excited to be turning 10! When we started off with just 10 rooms in Birmingham, the dream was always to expand to the other major UK city centres while firmly keeping our ‘Customer First’ mission at the centre of what we do. Now that we’ve managed to do this, I am over the moon and I am so proud of all the success that we have had.”
thestudio can be found in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, and Glasgow, with each site having its own quirky accents: if you’re looking for a roof-top terrace, a 1950s police box, and a secret library, look no further than Birmingham; for a classroom and a train generated by tweets, it’s Manchester. However, if you want to get closer to the outdoors, with a moss-wall, silver birches, and 3 sheep, head to Leeds; and for an homage to all things Scottish, thestudioglasgow’s icon wall depicting favourites like Tunnocks Tea cakes, the Wallace Monument and even The Krankies is what you need.
“Each venue has been a labour of love for the team at thestudio and these little features are what make them all unique. We call them our TNTs: Tiny Noticeable Things. Every one of these details has been meticulously thought out and there is no feeling quite like walking into a newly completed venue and seeing it all come together. It’s what drives us and keeps us on the search for our next location,” added Jennings.
Whether you are looking for a space for 2 or 250, the team at thestudio can help you out. Each room is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, providing a comfortable and stylish environment for maximum productivity: guests can expect every room to have wireless internet connection, HDMI data projectors, Apple TV and integrated sound systems. Its breakout zones also take centre stage, as well as its open spaces for exhibitions, networking or simply a place for clients to recharge batteries. Customers are able to fuel their creativity with award-winning meals cooked on-site with locally sourced ingredients by thestudio’s chefs, not to mention free-flowing hot drinks and snacks throughout the day.
If you are interested in hosting an event at one of thestudio venues, the booking team is ready and waiting to hear from you. Bookings can be made by calling thestudio team on 0800 028 6694. For further details about thestudio, head to the website: https://thestudio.co.uk/.
No longer a wee rumour, thestudioglasgow is set to be unveiled later this year. So in the spirit of our new Scottish home, here are some things you may or may not have known about Glasgow!
• We all know New York is a ‘hell of a town’ but did you know that Glasgow has its own Statue of Liberty?! Mounted on The City Chambers, the figure of Truth stands proud mirroring on a smaller scale its twin from across the pond.
• ET phone home… Fortunately this transmission’s origins were terrestrial; Scotland had its first taste of TV in the one and only Grand Central Hotel. A place familiar to thestudio team… Check out our Glasgow away day!
• Why the long face? Home to the longest bar in Europe, measuring over a whopping 104ft, the bar stretched its way into the Guinness book of records… and rightly so! Aptly named the Horseshoe Bar.
• Did you know Glasgow has the fourth largest population within the UK ? That’s a lot of Glaswegians!
• Third place to only London and Budapest, Glasgow owns the third oldest subway system in the world! Pretty impressive, and it’s even got its own nickname: Clockwork Orange!
• If you love a bit of football trivia this is one for you… the first international match was held on 1872 in the land of kilts West of Scotland Cricket Club. Though the team weren’t from too far afield: Scotland vs England!
• When it comes to law enforcement Glasgow was ahead of its time, having established their first police force in 1789, 40 years before London! Thankfully no sign of Robocop yet.
• A holiday that is either avoided or celebrated by the masses, St. Valentine’s Day is renowned for celebrating love. Funnily enough, this Saint’s remains can be found in the Blessed St John Duns Scotus church in Glasgow!
Now we all know a little more about our new home. If you’re curious about our new venue, stay in the loop on Facebook, LinkedIn or twitter! Have a lovely weekend all 😀
If we’ve had the privilege of hosting your event, you’ll have noticed our strong customer orientation from the onset! With this in mind, here at the studio, we believe everyone’s role within our business is important, whether it’s picking up the phone or your first steps through our doors, we appreciate everyone has an impact on our customer’s journey.
thestudio team Assemble!
A gathering made up of our all three of our venues (Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds) thestudio undertook their final quarterly meeting of the year! As t’is the season to be jolly and give gifts, the evening kicked off with the ultimate Christmas convention: Secret Santa. Gathered around the large open space that doubles up as our business lounge, the atrium is everything a sparkle with all things Christmas. Adorned with fairy lights and a jazzily dressed tree, it was the perfect setting for the team to dish out the prezzies!
After the initial festivities it was time to get down to the nitty gritty with thestudio forum meeting. Sounding a lot more daunting than it is, this little get together acted as a roundup of the year just gone and upcoming plans for the near future. With a mulled wine or cider to hand, all departments had their chance to present and discuss next year’s business ambitions then it was off to Stable Pizza for pizza, pies and cider… a promising start to the end of year indulgence!
Christmas is a time where people are naturally drawn to one another and is the perfect season to rebuild bridges once burnt, in the hope of a more unified future… Wishing you all a very merry Christmas from thestudio team!
Do you remember when internet was everything but wireless? Now we have powerhouses of 4G in our back pockets. How times have changed!
When we look to the past, our ancestors fashioned tools to become more efficient hunter-gatherers. Today we can see the impact and implications of technology, much like the spear of the past; it innovates and drives us forward, pushing to create new possibilities, enabling us to constantly imagine, invent and innovate, turning thoughts into reality.
Tidy desk, tidy mind…
Like an artist who is stirred by a beautiful landscape, new spaces can rouse a whole host of emotions, yes, even a work desk can be inspirational! Funnily enough, we @studiovenues strongly believe that if you want a new idea, it’s best to change the view… Hence why spread out across the UK (Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds) thestudio venues pursue the ultimate goals of being customer driven and providing light, innovative spaces, perfect places for your bright ideas. (more…)
“This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town, And beats high mountain down.”
If you’re a fan of The Hobbit, you’ll most likely already know the answer: time.
The consumer of all things and one of the very few things that cannot be bought in this world, time can either be a friend or foe… Luckily for us at thestudio, we seem to be on his kind side! Hopefully we haven’t spoken too soon, but with plans of building a bigger future roaring ahead, as they say, only time will tell!
In today’s modern, fast paced life, it easy to admire the beauty of a finished piece and lose sight of the intricacies and dedication of the process. Much like how an artist’s completed work is always admired and adorned in galleries; the perceiver may miss the difficulties and enjoyment experienced when creating a “Chef-d’oeuvre”. (more…)
Have an hour to kill on your lunch break? Rather than clock watching until your next session kicks in, why not stretch those legs with these great suggestions courtesy of the local studio team! Whatever you fancy doing, we’re sure you’ll find something on this list.
Venturing out …
Nestled in the northern quarter of Manchester, The Hive isn’t just the home of thestudio but of an amazing eatery: Pie & Ale. Apart from being a great combination of décor, food and service, this place is a brilliant location to reenergize just before that long journey home.
I could do with a brew …
The Brits are world renowned for a ‘spot of afternoon tea’ and café Sugar Junction, Rosy Lee tea rooms and Teacup Kitchen will make for a perfect setting for this (not more so than thestudio of course). If you’re scouring for some class cakes or thirsty for a charming cocktail, these places are just lovely and are 5 minute walk away.
Vintage You Say?
Have a fondness for all things alternative and vintage? Then Affleck Palace will keep you busy! In just 5 minutes you can find yourself having a good old fashion rummage. You never know what gems you’ll uncover. (more…)
A few months before the London 2012 Olympics a Key Note press release announced that the UK Corporate Hospitality Market fell by 2.5% to 1.b billion between 2007 and 2011. However, the same press release remained hopeful about the market’s ability to gradually recover in the aftermath of the Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Although Corporate Hospitality was controversial (more…)
This year has been a great one so far with lots of good news for our growth and development plans. Our business has grown with the opening of a new floor in Birmingham and now we’re exploring expanding our venue in Manchester so that we can accommodate many different size events.
The expansion of the studio was naturally followed by a growth in our team members. We originally (more…)
There’s been a lot of debate regarding the link between our brains and food. The food we eat influences our brain. Refined sugars give an energy boost but after a short while they cause drowsiness, proteins keep us active longer and the right mix of carbs (sugars), protein and fat benefits our health; and it’s not just us saying that. It’s science!
Now, we tend to take science very seriously here @thestudio and ever since we opened our first venue in Birmingham we’ve made sure that we build our menus with everything that we need in order to keep our brains working (more…)
It’s been a week since International CONFEX (19th – 21st March) in London closed its doors. How time flies in the world of events! It seems only yesterday we were unwrapping our Christmas gifts and now we’re slowly wrapping up the month of March! It’s funny that in a world based on people contact you really seem to sometimes miss keeping in touch with your fellow colleagues and peers. CONFEX is a great opportunity to meet old acquaintances, get to know new people and hear people’s enthusiasm for the services we offer.
This year we were part of an elite selection of venues that were brought forth under the Meet Birmingham umbrella. It was great to see so many people who recognise the advantages of holding meetings in the Birmingham area. More than ever, people realise that the West Midlands is a great hub for bu (more…)
