There’s a new option for businesses seeking conference and meeting venues in Staffordshire, as multi award-winning farm attraction, PLAY@ Lower Drayton Farm, hosted its first business conference in its huge indoor play barn last month.
The event saw the editorial team from the Farmer’s Guardian converge at the Penkridge farm, which lies handily just 1 mile from Junction 13 of the M6. Following a boardroom-style presentation, the team embarked on a tour of the 750 -acre beef and arable farm led by farmer Ray Bower; showcasing the exciting developments past, present and planned by the entrepreneurial Bower family.
Over the past two decades Ray, his partner Val and son Richard have worked tirelessly to diversify the family farm, with the most recent development being the launch of a £1 million indoor and outdoor farm attraction that launched in 2020. PLAY@ Lower Drayton Farm, with its 2km square of indoor play space, acres of outdoor adventure play, large and small animal zones and exciting programme of seasonal events and activities has quickly established itself as one of the Midlands’ leading farm park attractions; scooping a number of accolades including named Best New Tourist Attraction of the Year in the 2022 Enjoy Staffordshire Food & Tourism Awards; Best Small Visitor Attraction of the Year in the 2023 Enjoy Staffordshire Food & Tourism Awards and being shortlisted in the School Travel Awards 2023. It now employs 67 team members and works closely with a number of local businesses and suppliers.
With the play barn closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays during school term time, the management team identified the potential for offering corporate event space, as Richard Bower explains:
“We’ve got a fantastic space here at the farm in a really convenient location transport-wise, so are in a great position to offer businesses looking for a venue a bit out of the ordinary a truly unique backdrop for their meetings or conferences. We can offer a flexible range of event layouts with breakout rooms available too, and can also offer a range of different ways to entertain delegates, from farm tours and talks to letting loose on the massive play frame, which is designed for adult use too. The challenge of taking on our ‘Drayton Drop’ gravity drop slide could be a great team building exercise!”
The feedback from the farm’s first ever corporate client has been great, with Farmers Guardian editor Olivia Midgley saying:
“Planning content and shaping our editorial strategy for the year is a key point in Farmers Guardian’s calendar and with one of our key themes being around diversification, what better place to visit than a truly diversified enterprise such as Lower Drayton Farm.
“My team and I would highly recommend the venue. With an attentive and well organised staff, plus great food and facilities, it’s the perfect place to host a corporate event, whether that be a conference or a team building day out.”
If you’re interested in finding out more about hosting your next business meeting or conference at Lower Drayton Farm, please email [email protected]
Image: (credit Marcello Garbagnoli) – the Farmer’s Guardian team during their meeting at PLAY@ Lower Drayton Farm
