Miss Moneypenny Martini at Park Plaza and Book Club at The Bingham

The Miss Moneypenny Martini​

To celebrate 50 years of James Bond films, Park Plaza County Hall ​has launched a special, limited edition martini called the Miss Moneypenny for March. Made with Martini Extra Dry, sloe gin and standard gin, the Miss Moneypenny is finished with orange peel and blackberries. The Miss Moneypenny will join the classic Martini and the sweeter French counterpart to form a trio of martinis all costing £9.50, with a two-for-the-price-of-one deal. “James Bond is an iconic British hero and with our Thames location, a stone’s throw from MI6 headquarters, we wanted to celebrate fifty years of great films by introducing a special martini,” said Simon Mahon, Park Plaza County Hall’s General Manager.

Business Book Club​

The Bingham Hotel​ in Richmond has launched the Bingham Business Book Club for the local community in a bid to provide an informal networking opportunity for business guests with inspiring guest speakers. Priced at £27 per person, the event, run in association with the Entrepreneurial Business Academy, will offer guests wine, canapés and the option to enjoy a two-course dinner at the Bingham’s restaurant. Sam Fitzgerald, general manager at the Bingham, said: “We all know someone who belongs to a book club as they have become more and more popular.  We look forward to welcoming members of the local business community to what, we know, will become a firm fixture in their calendars.” The first event will feature “millionaires’ mentor” Bev James, who co-founded the Entrepreneur’s Business Academy​ with former Dragons’ Den tycoon James Caan.

Online hub​

PizzaExpress​ has launched a new, more user-friendly website which focuses on using technology to add real value to customers’ experience. The new online hub allows customers to find and book a restaurant, order a takeaway with ‘click and collect’, create a personal account and set up favourite restaurants. It also allows for the purchasing of PizzaExpress gifts. Rebecca Farrer, head of brand development at PizzaExpress, said: “The transformation of our digital channels brings a level of sophistication in digital, unrivalled by any other restaurant on the high street. This will be a key communication channel for the brand where our customers can experiencePizzaExpressin its entirety, from restaurants, to takeaway, to gifts to retail.”

£1 Meeting Rooms​

The Holiday Inn Darlington A1 Scotch Corner ​and the Holiday Inn Jesmond Newcastle ​have launched a new scheme, allowing for meeting rooms to be hired for £1 – allowing groups, organisations and charities the chance to hold meetings or small conferences. “We know that lots of organisations can’t afford to hire rooms for their meetings so we are now giving them the chance to use somewhere with first class facilities for virtually nothing,” said hotel sales and marketing manager, Paul Weild. “We’re also hoping to extend the offer to small businesses that might also like to host an event or meeting in smart surroundings but can’t because of their budget restrictions. This offer should hopefully solve that problem for them too.” The hotels have a range of facilities including large function rooms and meetings rooms and the aim is to highlight their versatility through this special offer.