Torquay
Torquay
Think conference… think English Riviera
- The English Riviera offers a beautiful and practical location for all types of events in the south west.
- The resorts of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham offer a huge range of accommodation options, from seafront hotels to cosy guesthouses.
- The purpose-built Riviera International Conference Centre, situated in the heart of Torquay, was the first English conference centre to be accredited with a silver Green Tourism Business Scheme Award, giving peace of mind that your conference’s carbon footprint will be minimal.
- The mild climate, glorious beaches, seaside promenades and palm tree-lined streets offer stress-free environments to do business, giving attendees the choice to make their time away from the conference centre as action-packed or as relaxing as they’d like.
- The English Riviera is easy to access by road and rail, located under three hours from London and the Midlands. Delegates can also benefit from First Great Western discounted rail fares, while conveniently located airports at Exeter and Bristol provide further travel options.
Getting here
Fly into Exeter Airport and can enjoy the peaceful environment, sea-air and sophistication of the English Riviera.
BY PLANE
Exeter Airport is 35 minutes from Torquay. It offers connections with other major UK and european cities via independent regional airline Flybe.
BY TRAIN
Fast train services offer direct links from all parts of the UK to Torquay (and Newton Abbot). It now takes just under three hours to get from London to Torquay.
BY CAR
Torquay is only six miles from the A380 dual carriageway and the M5 motorway, a fast and direct link to London and the Midlands.
Expertise
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Electronics and photonicsTorquay is one of the top five UK locations for photonics and a key destination for advanced electronics engineering. Global leaders like Lumentum, Gooch & Housego, Spirent, Queensgate Nano, Effect Photonics and II–VI Photonics are all located in Torbay. These companies are committed to major ongoing investment in the region. Torbay also has a dedicated Electronics and Photonics Innovation Centre (EPIC), enhancing its reputation as a centre of excellence. This is an £8million project that has created 220 local jobs and responds directly to the needs of the sector, supporting prototyping, test development methodology, R&D and shared space for innovative hi-tech start-ups. |
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Fishing and seafood processingThe port of Brixham is at the centre of the UK fishing industry. It’s a modern market with a robust logistics infrastructure, provided by companies with expert knowledge in chilled and refrigerated transport. Investment in Brixham Fish Market, together with a combination of traditional values and modern methods, has given Brixham a strong marine economy and a distinct advantage over other fishing ports across the UK. |
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TourismSouth Devon received a record number of visits from tourists in 2018, up by five per cent on the year prior. The upward trend continued into 2019 with site visits up almost six per cent for the first two months of the year, compared with the same period the year before, including a 20 per cent leap in overseas traffic. The South Devon tourism economy is helped by the warm climate and films such as The Mercy, starring Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz, which created international interest in South Devon, the Teign Estuary and Teignmouth. |
Where to stay
The English Riviera has 2,500 bedrooms within a mile of Torquay’s town centre. Hotels in Torquay, Paignton and Brixham range from large seafront properties to boutique establishments and everything in between.
| 4* hotels | 400 bedrooms |
| 3* and under properties | 2,000 bedrooms |
| Other (student accommodation / home sharing) | 100 bedrooms |
Venues
Whether you require a seafront venue, a country house set in stunning landscaped grounds, or an unusual property to meet, eat or party, the English Riviera has it all.
Incentives
Reward top performers with water-based activities – sailing, surfing and scuba diving are all available. Or treat them to a round of golf on a course with stunning coastal views, or quad biking in the South Devon countryside. The area is also home to England’s seafood coast, English wines and a famous author’s former holiday home.
Conference English Riviera
Conference English Riviera offers an all-encompassing service, helping you to find venues in the resort towns of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham. The dedicated team will also assist with accommodation and out-of-conference activities, partner programmes, or dining around England’s ‘seafood coast’.
