Cambridge is more popular than ever as a location for events, according to recently released figures from Conference Cambridge, the official free venue-finding service for The University of Cambridge, which is celebrating the start of its 10th anniversary year with record results.

During 2007, the number of enquiries received increased by 14% to 2,459, resulting in the total value of business rising by 37% to £3.3 million during the year. Most dramatic was the growth in website traffic, which showed an increase of 46% against the previous year, representing the largest single source of enquiries.

The corporate sector was the largest client base during 2007, with 36% of the total business, followed by academic institutions with 28%. Other fans of Cambridge as a venue include government organisations, associations, societies and charities. Around 57% of clients were from the surrounding area, while 11% came from London and 28% from other areas in the UK. Dinners and one day meetings were the most popular type of events held.

Building on its success in 2007, Conference Cambridge is celebrating its 10th birthday with the launch of a series of events called Opendoors to be held throughout 2008, demonstrating that Cambridge is open for business as a destination for all types of events.

“We are delighted with our 2007 results which represent our best year yet and are a great start to our tenth anniversary year," said Kelly Walsh, office manager for Conference Cambridge. "Our aim with Opendoors is to spread the word about what is on offer to event organisers in Cambridge. Our venues have state-of-the-art AV technology, such as podcasting, video conferencing and audience voting facilities, in addition to well appointed accommodation and award-winning cuisine available in world-famous historic settings.”

Conference Cambridge was established in 1998 and represents 35 venues including 28 Cambridge colleges, as well as University sites, Faculty buildings, Cambridge University Press and the Møller Centre. A total of 550 function rooms and 6500 bedrooms are available.

During 2007, Conference Cambridge received a national award for excellence accreditation by MIA, the Meetings Industry Association, which is given in recognition of good practice.