Although companies using The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre’s (QEIICC’s) facilities will soon benefit from access to voice over internet protocol (VoIP) facilities, they won’t be able to smoke in the venue from 1 October. Both initiatives are part of a £570,000 refurbishment programme that began this month.

“This is not just an issue of complying with the law, it is important for the health and wellbeing of our staff and clients,” commented Adam Lewis, the venue’s executive head of human resources. “We felt that even though the smoking legislation will not take effect until 2007, it would be beneficial to make the changes sooner rather than later. We are confident that our industry colleagues and clients will support our decision to move forward with a pro-active approach, recognising the benefits of a smoke-free environment.”

The refurbishment work, which saw the venue close throughout August, includes an air conditioning upgrade, improvements to emergency lighting and internal redecoration. Technological enhancements will include an upgrade of the networking infrastructure, allowing all clients access to greater bandwidth as well as the benefits of the VoIP, as mentioned previously.