Yorkshire-based Calder Conferences has been awarded the contract for provision of booking services for meetings and events across central government. This is the first time a sole supplier framework has been awarded.

Calder Conferences currently provides this service for the Ministry of Justice. As a pan-government agreement, the first government departments to move to Calder Conferences will be the Home Office at the beginning of August, followed by a rolling programme to implement all departments by April 2013.

The event management agency uses venuedirectory.com’s GRATIS system, which provides an online meetings and events solution for bookers, with connections to 27,000 venues worldwide.

Michael Begley, MD, for venuedirectory.com, added: "We are delighted to be working with Calder on this significant win and will be working with them over the duration of the contract to deliver efficiencies and savings through technology, which combined with Calder's outstanding customer service will deliver results for both the government and venues utilised.”

Calder Conferences also recently won the SUPC (Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium) sole supplier contract for meetings and events.