A MAJOR new conference centre is to be developed at the Suffolk Showground.And the name of the Bucklesham Road centre is to change later this year to Trinity Park to mark its new role and to emphasise it as a year-round venue.

A MAJOR new conference centre is to be developed at the Suffolk Showground.

And the name of the Bucklesham Road centre is to change later this year to Trinity Park to mark its new role and to emphasise it as a year-round venue.

The revelation comes hot on the heels of the news that a new conference centre is also being built at the Hotel Elizabeth at Copdock.

That hotel already has some conference facilities but the new extension will dramatically increase its capacity and its flexibility for the business market.

Other new hotels planned for the waterfront are also expected to have conference facilities although not on the Trinity Park scale.

At the Showground, the new conference and events centre will have room for up to 400 people for dinner and up to 1000 people for conferences.

The centre itself will be able to be split into six smaller function rooms - and will be wired up with the latest audio-visual technology.

The new name refers to the "Suffolk Trinity" of farm animals that originated in the county - Suffolk Punch horses, Suffolk sheep, and red poll cattle.

Work on the new conference centre is due to start in early August, and should be completed by late spring next year.

Suffolk Agricultural Association director Chris Bushby already has plans for a grand opening.

He said: "We shall be officially showing off the conference centre at next year's Suffolk Show which will be the 175th."

There will be no accommodation at Trinity Park at present - although that might happen in the future.

n. Do you think the town needs more conference facilities? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk>

nWeblinks:

www.suffolkshowgroundevents.co.uk

www.elizabethhotels.co.uk