UKVMA members and individual managers throughout the country have been calling for a dedicated qualification and academic modules to promote continuous professional development and raise the profile and status of the industry for young people. Now the UKVMA has linked with Bucks New University to create a solution.

It will be ‘launched’ by UKVMA Director Neil Levett and Teresa Moore, Head of Department, Music and Event Management at Buckinghamshire New University in High Wycombe, which has developed the course and its modules

“Venue management has always been a massive task involving much more than event management and administration: it is a combination of so many different disciplines, each vitally important,” said Neil Levett.

And Teresa Moore added: “Bucks New University is highly respected for its work-based learning programmes. This new Foundation Degree in Venue Management takes the principles of work-based learning and applies them to a wide range of disciplines including event management, health and safety issues and commercial administration.”

Hampshire Cricket Club and Southampton Solent University have signed a partnership agreement designed to increase opportunities for students and improve creative benefit for cricket fans and visitors to The Rose Bowl.

The document, which also provides formal recognition and celebration of the close ties that already exist between the two organisations, was signed in The Rose Bowl’s Hambledon Suites in front of representatives from both parties and the local media.

Under the partnership students will gain valuable work experience at a venue renowned for national and international cricket and for arena-scale music concerts, particularly in areas of event management, sports journalism and outside broadcast.

Sharing facilities, such as audio-visual equipment, will improve the quality of coverage of matches and events held at The Rose Bowl. Provision of a city-based Box Office facility for The Rose Bowl, located in the University’s Sir James Matthews building will also be created. The Rose Bowl’s Cricket department will also have use of the facilities on offer in the Solent University Sports Science department.

Boyle comedian wanted to include Cardiff but was turned down by the Centre for its 1,900-seater main theatre. The venue is home to a number of arts organisation as well as a disability charity.

A spokeswoman said: “Wales Millennium Centre prides itself on its accessibility policies and is home to the Touch Trust, a charity which provides arts activities to people of all ages with the most profound disabilities. In the light of this, and after careful consideration, the centre made a programming decision not to take this booking at that particular time.

“We wish to emphasise that we offer a broad and eclectic mix of programming at the centre and we regularly welcome many of the UK’s leading comedians who return time and again to sell-out audiences.”

The move comes while Rangers awaits a tax tribunal decision over a disputed bill plus penalties totalling £49m.

Craig Whyte, who bought the club from former owner Sir David Murray last year, said recently that administration was an option if the club lost the tax case, which relates to the use of employment benefit trusts (EBTs) to pay players and other staff.

It is thought that HM Revenue and Customs believe the club misused the scheme and avoided paying significant sums in tax. The amount HMRC is claiming, including penalties and interest, is believed to be about £49m.

The new plans increase the footprint by a third and the cost to £21.9 million.

The successful construction company is company is expected to be chosen by April and work could then start on the arena in the summer to coincide with the Olympic games in London. The council is also preparing to find a design team to work on the other half of its leisure strategy, which will be the creation of an Olympic-sized swimming pool at Riverlights.

Councillor Hilary Jones, cabinet member for leisure and culture, said: “The leisure strategy proposes the most exciting and important changes to the provision of leisure in Derby in the last 40 years. Once complete, the new 50m swimming pool and iconic arena will provide people in Derby with facilities that are at the forefront of the country’s finest sporting venues.

“This is absolutely the right time to build. It will help boost the economy of the city, attract world class business, provide new jobs, build on the back of the Olympics and focus on sport and active lifestyles the Games will bring.”

The Chumleigh Lodge Hotel Limited and its sole director, Michael Wilson, pleaded not guilty to 12 offences under the Fire Safety Order at Blackfriars Crown Court.

The offences date back 2008 when London Fire Brigade was called to a fire at the hotel on Nether Street in Finchley, where the blaze had spread from a first floor guest bedroom, up a staircase to the floor above and along a corridor. Three people escaped: two by using the stairs and a third by climbing out of a second floor window.

Fire safety inspectors raised several concerns including defective fire doors, blocked escape routes and no smoke alarms in some of the hotel’s bedrooms. Mr Wilson was also unable to produce a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment and was found not to have provided staff with adequate fire safety training.

The company was found guilty of six offences, and Mr Wilson of ‘consent or connivance in the commission’ of those same offences:

• Failure to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of risk (article 9)
• Failure to provide staff with adequate safety training (article 21)
• Failure to ensure emergency routes from the premises are kept clear (article 14)
• Failure to adequately equip premises with fire detectors (article 13)
• Two counts of failure to ensure premises, facilities, equipment or devices are maintained in an efficient state, in working order and in good repair (article 17)

“Business owners have a clear responsibility under fire safety law to ensure that both the public and their employees are as safe as possible from the risk of fire,” said Brian Coleman, chairman of London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. “This verdict sends out a clear message that if these responsibilities are ignored we will not hesitate in prosecuting and people will face serious penalties.”

The GAA will provide around £15m of the funding and the exchequer £64.1m. The extent of the contribution from Croke Park has still to be finalised as the Ulster Council is still in discussions with Central GAA.

An invitation for tenders reveals the timeline for the design, planning application and construction of a stadium which will replace St Tiernach’s Park Clones as the new headquarters of Ulster GAA.

With the redevelopment of the St Lawrence Ground and its promotion as a conference, special occasions and events facility, funerals and wakes are being added to the repertoire.

Jamie Clifford, Kent Cricket CEO, said: “The St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury is steeped in history and is a tranquil, beautiful location to say farewell someone close to you or celebrate their life.”

Dignity offer funeral plans, similar to wills, for managing arrangements after death. As part of the partnership with Kent Cricket, members and supporters will be offered the opportunity to join a Dignity pre-planning evening and will have preferential purchasing rights.

Warren Hanson, Dignity’s Kent Area Manager said: “This is an innovative partnership for us and one that we believe will benefit all. Kent County Cricket Ground has exciting plans for their facilities and we look forward to being part of their future development, with the possibility of establishing a Columbarium and Memorial Wall.”

The Club receives many requests for Ashes scattering and some form of memorial at the ground. “This partnership and development will meet a real need we have. Thousands of people have enjoyed watching many days, if not years, of cricket at St Lawrence. We hope that through this partnership we will be to offer an appropriate send off and also an on-going place for family to visit in future years.” said Clifford.

The new website offers information about the facilities of the venue, with images of each of the suites and a detailed layout and seating plans.

Old Trafford is not only the home of United, but it also offers a wide range of event facilities in rooms for up to 1,000 to two-man meeting rooms. The conference venue has 24 suites, 155 syndicate rooms and over 5,000 car parking spaces.

Director of Venue, Karl Evans said: “The launch of our own dedicated website is part of our strategy to further cement Old Trafford’s reputation as a world class venue.”

Most of the other income streams have exceeded budget, helped by winning the Friends Life t20 Trophy and the subsequent Champions League. The Foxes also said there had been big savings in the coaching department and a further coach not being employed until after the financial year end.

Chief Executive Mike Siddall said: “The Board is delighted to see a healthy profit after the massive loss in 2010. We have implemented a number of measures to bring the Club’s finances under control. The Club has no debt and all payments to HMRC and creditors are up to date, which is a far better position than we were in 12 months ago.

“Leicester City Council has signed a Deed of Variation with regard to the covenant on Grace Road which now gives the Club some tangible security to offer its bankers.

“However, the current year will not have the benefit of the exceptional income received in 2011 and, with the economy close to recession, commercial income is difficult to secure. The Directors have set a break-even budget for 2012 and we will need the support of members and corporate sponsors to achieve this target. With this in mind we have strengthened the commercial department in order to produce greater sponsorship and related income.”