Raising the bar for the Body Control Pilates Assocation
In 2023, after 15 years at another London venue, the BCPA moved its flagship annual event to No.11 Cavendish Square – and immediately booked in for the following year.
Every year, the Body Control Pilates Association (BCPA) hosts its ‘Development Weekend’ – a member conference featuring 70 different sessions over two days, covering everything from lectures to practical workshops. Around 300 delegates attend each day, travelling from across the UK and the world.
For 15 years, the conference was hosted at another major London conference venue. However, for 2023, the BCPA decided to break with tradition and search out a new venue to take its flagship event to new heights. They chose No. 11 Cavendish Square.
Getting ready
Navigating scale and planning for success
Day one of the Development Weekend kicked off with the arrival of 250 delegates at 9am on Saturday, with every single room here at No.11 needed to accommodate the event’s many lectures, workshops, classes, partner stands and support offices.
With so many delegates and sessions, it was vital to manage the flow of traffic across the property and around breaks. This required extremely detailed pre-planning and close communication between the No.11 Cavendish Square and BCPA teams – 15 people in total – to keep the entire experience frictionless, professional and enjoyable.
“From the first visit to No. 11 Cavendish Square, it was clear that Mark and his team would be very proactive and very much present throughout the weekend. We were not disappointed.”
– Leigh Robinson, Managing Director, Body Control Pilates Group
On the day
Quietly managing every detail
Due to the size and complexity of the event, a detailed schedule was drawn up between us and the BCPA team for the entire weekend. This covered everything from room set-ups and transitions to AV support for certain rooms, tea and coffee services for attendees, and regular refreshments for the conference team.
We carefully scheduled breaks between sessions, since these offered a vital opportunity for delegates to network, catch up with old acquaintances, and to visit and support partner stands.
Our team took deliveries of equipment leading up to the conference – including 16 Pilates Reformers weighing 120kg each – and made everything available to the organisers on the Friday evening. With our support and unrestricted access to the event spaces, setup was handled quickly and completed well ahead of Saturday’s 9am start.
With our in-house caterer, Searcys, we served a buffet lunch that met a range of dietary needs and was very well received by delegates. The BCPA team was served lunch early, giving them time to support delegates during the official lunch break – a minor point that was noted and appreciated by the team.
“Before and during the conference, the No.11 Cavendish Square team was always on hand with help and constructive solutions to ensure everything ran smoothly. Our focus on attention-to-detail was fully matched by the 11CS team.”
– Rebecca Willis, Conference Manager, Body Control Pilates Group
Mission accomplished
Delighted delegates and glowing reviews
The 2023 Development Weekend was an unqualified success. Next year’s conference is already scheduled and quotes from attendees providing feedback on the event included “I’m proud to be part of this unique organisation” and “I’ll be back for next year”.
We are thrilled to have played a part in bringing this wonderful event to life. The unanimously positive feedback from delegates about our venue, and our team, is a feather in our cap.
Lynne Robinson, Body Control Pilates Founder and Director, left us with a promise to return in 2025 and some lovely words about their experience:
“Having worked with another London venue for so long, moving presented a considerable risk for an event of this size and complexity. However, from our first visit to No.11, we immediately knew that the venue could potentially work for us.
“This was a very successful conference in a stunning and extremely well-located venue. We’re heading back here in March 2025 for the next of what we are sure will be many return visits!”
We look forward to welcoming them back next year and setting the bar even higher.
Planning your next event? Our beautiful Georgian townhouse in London’s West End could be the perfect place. Book a show-round and experience the venue yourself, by calling 020 7307 2474 or emailing us at: [email protected]