Club members took on ‘The Cube’ as the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre and Goto Events held an evening of team-building activities and networking.
The Madejski Stadium is an impressive venue in its own right – capable of holding up to 24,000 guests, the view from the boxes and conference rooms above is unparalleled.
Inside it plays host to the Royal Berkshire Conference Centre and I was so grateful that some PA Life Club members and I got the opportunity to experience what the venue has to offer corporate clients, and boy do they know how to put on a show.
Located along the M4 corridor in Reading, I was pleasantly surprised at how simple it was to find the venue; with options to travel by train and car, it is ideal for group bookings and away days.
We arrived for an evening of networking for 6pm, where we were greeted with a round of bubbles inside the Royal Suite and some beautifully-crafted bowl food, which we were told had all been taken from the catering menu. The dishes included tandoori chicken, sea bass and purple mash and a lemon curd for dessert with homemade shortbread. It was fantastic to see first-hand what the venue can do in terms of its menu, and it didn’t disappoint.
With full tummies, we ventured on a tour of the grounds and its facilitates. Due to the structure of the stadium – it’s a bit of an oval shape – I didn’t expect there to be such a huge variety of conference and meetings rooms, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Inside guests can select from the Premier Suite, Director’s Lounge, Kennet Room & Loddon Room, 1871 Suite and many more, all capable of hosting a range of events, such as exhibitions, private gala dinners, panel discussions, conferences and board meetings.
The Princess Suite & Windsor Lounge was a space I was particularly fond of – the largest room at 517m square – it is fantastic for exhibitions or Christmas parties. Plus, with a five-meter ceiling height, a goods lift, dedicated wi-fi and AV, it has everything anyone could need when booking.
Plus, the venue also boasts a restaurant dubbed Cilantro, where guests can make the most of the private dining five-course menu. If anything is to go by the food we had on the evening, guests can expect exquisite dishes here.
And if that wasn’t enough, through a connecting hallway, users of the stadium can reach the Millennium Madejski Hotel. Guests don’t even have to venture outside to travel in between the two venues – it’s a seamless transition.
After a packed tour it was back to the Royal Suite to get creative and take part in some team-building activities, courtesy of Goto Events. Styled out the same as ITV’s TV show The Cube, we all got the chance to take on challenges as a team. As difficult as they were, I’m pleased to say my team won the most, including one where four of us had to balance on a beam using one leg for 30 seconds – not as easy as it sounds let me tell you!
It really was a fantastic way to round off the evening and we all thoroughly enjoyed getting up close and personal with this fabulous venue – I’ll definitely be returning in the future.
