For a second-year running, Center Parcs Conferences & Events hosted Britain’s largest family-owned independent furniture retailer, Furniture Village, for its end-of-year leadership conference. With over 59 stores nationwide and a thriving online business, the conference at the Woburn Forest venue brought together senior leaders across the business for one of the most important events in the retailer’s calendar.
The event was designed to create alignment around the company’s 2026/27 strategy, celebrate achievements and recognise the contribution of its people. This time, the event moved beyond traditional team-building activities, focusing instead on meaningful experiences designed to create greater engagement with the themes of the conference and make the event more memorable.
The standout feature of the event was the live eagle flying experience, where delegates were able to handle and fly a trained eagle, creating a memorable and unique interactive experience in the middle of Center Parc’s natural surroundings.
Furniture Village’s, managing director, Charlie Harrison praised the venue, saying: “We wanted something different from a traditional hotel conference environment. Center Parcs offered a unique combination of excellent meeting facilities alongside a relaxed natural setting that encourages people to switch off from the daily routine, have more meaningful conversations and build stronger relationships.
“We also wanted the opportunity to bring the event to life by offering the eagle flying experience, to help create memories and tie in with business objectives. It wasn’t simply an activity; it reinforced the messages we were sharing throughout the conference and gave delegates a memorable experience that tied directly back to our strategy.”
As businesses continue to seek more impactful ways to connect their workforce, Furniture Village’s leadership event demonstrates the value of choosing a venue that offers more than just meeting facilities.
Julia Green, head of corporate events at Center Parcs Conferences & Events, added: “As a family-run business, Furniture Village’s people and culture is incredibly important and they pride themselves on creating an environment where their people feel valued, supported and inspired to do their best.
“At Center Parcs, we share these values and see firsthand how bringing people together through unique, in-person events can motivate teams, strengthen connections and create lasting impact. This rarely happens in a traditional conference room, staring at a one-way presentation. It happens when people are given the opportunity to step outside, experience nature and engage in a more inspiring environment.
“The feedback that we’ve received from Furniture Village has been fantastic, with attendees saying they left with a renewed energy and an even greater sense of togetherness. The bird of prey experience was created specifically for Furniture Village in partnership with Herrings Green Farm & Bird Prey Centre, demonstrating our ability to develop bespoke experiences that support our clients’ internal communications and employee engagement ambitions, ensuring every event is tailored to their objectives.”
