The Meetings Industry Association (mia) has again awarded AIM Gold accreditation to the Barbican in London.
It is the third time the international arts and conference centre, which is owned, funded and managed by the City of London Corporation, has received the mia’s highest ranking through the AIM accreditation scheme.
All venues and suppliers seeking AIM accreditation are audited against a strict 50-point criteria, including quality of facilities, accessibility, legal compliance, customer service and best practice standards.
Gaining Gold from the UK’s only nationally recognised standard for service providers in the business meetings, conferences and events industry, represents a significant achievement for venues.
Assessors for the mia said ‘good practice was observed and evidenced’ in all areas of assessment of the Barbican, which received its first AIM Gold accreditation in 2013.
They said extensive work had been undertaken over the past three years to improve many areas, inclulding the building’s safety, acoustics, technology, lighting and furnishings and was recognised for the ‘continuing improvement of the quality of its provision to its clients.’
Jane Longhurst, chief executive of the mia, said: “I would like to congratulate the Barbican for consistently performing so highly. It is an incredible achievement to gain AIM Gold, but to meet and exceed the criteria for it again is real testament to the venue’s ability to maintain high standards and continually improve the offering for its clients.
“AIM Accreditation at the highest level is a significant achievement as venues are thoroughly assessed and must meet strict criteria. Therefore, those choosing AIM Gold accredited venues can be assured of quality.”
Lee Dobson, head of business events management at the Barbican, said: “The team has worked incredibly hard to achieve AIM Gold for the third time and I am incredibly proud of their efforts. The work required goes far beyond one person and demonstrates everyone’s ability and desire to come together, focus on centre-wide goals and deliver both excellence and the highest levels of service to our clients.”