Hotels, Venues & Event news
Construction of the new Courtyard by Marriott 130-bedroom hotel in Inverness has begun, marking the brand’s first foray into the city. The multi million-pound modular property will be operated by RBH when it opens later this year.
Located within Inverness Airport Business Park, the hotel will feature meeting and fitness facilities, a bar and a bistro.
Meliá Hotels International has announced plans to revamp its INNSiDE by Meliábrand. In 2019 INNSiDE by Meliá will expand to resort destinations in order to bring a stronger leisure and wellness offering to its portfolio.
INNSiDE will have 22 hotels, with plans to expand into resort locations in Europe and Indonesia, including Fuerteventura, Mallorca and Bali, as well as urban locations in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
The hotels will include fitness suites, digital fitness software and on-site swimming pools. Daily yoga classes will be available at the brand’s beach locations, with weekly classes available at urban locations. All properties will have open lobby spaces for meetings, whether social or business, as well as creative meeting room spaces including a cinema, wellness studio and recording studio, which can be hired for events and functions.
The theme will be the HBAA’s focus for events in the year ahead. The association will be exploring opportunities for collaborating with the Prince’s Trust, as well as developing resources to attract, nurture and retain the next generation of workers.
Experienced industry professionals will be providing continuous mentorship, and younger members will be invited to shadow the HBAA board at events throughout 2019.
Rachael Naylor, the new HBAA venue member chair, announced the launch of a Venue Members meeting, designed to forge closer collaboration between venues. This is set to take place along with the Great Venue Showcase on 11 and 12 April.
The HBAA will also be driving a major initiative to encourage action on mental health issues in the event industry. It will introduce a training course for members to become mental health ‘first aiders’, which all HBAA Executive Committee members will undergo.
It also announced a collaboration with charity Buses4Homeless, which outfits buses as overnight shelters and vocational learning centres for the homeless.
Angie Mason, HBAA Chair, commented: “I could not be more excited to take over as Chair. 16 years after my previous year in office, my association experience is coming full circle. I started my first business in this industry 29 years ago and have lived through tremendous change and three recessions. Many of the Executive Committee also have so much knowledge and experience to help, inspire and support ‘The Next Generation.’
Positive ROI can be achieved once you know what the meeting objectives are and how they can be met. So, when you’re planning an event you need to understand why it is being held. All events should have a measurable aspect, otherwise what is the point of holding them?
Whether the objectives of the event are to increase sales, spread knowledge, improve productivity, promote brand awareness, reward clients, motivate staff, promote best practice; there is still a goal.
Here are some points to think about when planning, to make sure you get the best results:
You don’t have to take it, but it could be useful. So, who can you talk to:
Research Companies can help with questionnaire design, response analysis and report writing. Why they will add value to your event:
The success of an event lies in the importance of not losing sight of the big picture – which is to achieve the organisation’s strategic objectives while reducing costs and controlling spending. Always follow the event with a questionnaire and then you’ll be able to judge whether the messages were communicated successfully. If you can measure activity or actions in the workplace as a result that will be a clear indicator that the event was a success.
The Master Robert hotel near London Heathrow Airport is to be rebuilt and relaunched as an Ibis Styles property with a residential element.
The new look 125-bedroom hotel in Hounslow will be a nod to 1930s design, with inspiration from nearby early to mid-20th century buildings including the Hoover building, Firestone headquarters and Gillette factory.
Ibis Styles Heathrow East will be Splendid’s fourth franchise with AccorHotel, alongside the Mercure Hotel Leeds Centre, Mercure Bristol Brigstow and Ibis York Centre. Splendid’s portfolio of hotels comprises 19 properties operating under Hilton, InterContinental Hotels Group and independent brands, as well as AccorHotel badges.
The Cugo Gran Macina Grand Harbour Hotel is design hotels first property in Malta
Originally built in 1554, the landmark structure that now houses the hotel’s expansive 21 suites – all with unobstructed views of a magnificent harbour and surrounding marina – is home to high-vaulted ceilings; an inspiring environment of chalk-white walls, limestone, and slate; and an amazing, large rooftop that is perfect for weddings and events.
The property also provides an unbelievable and unique location for an event – The Sheer Bastion. From the roof of the old bastion, one can enjoy a unique panoramic view of the Grand Harbour, the “three cities” and across to Valletta.
Now more than ever, event planners are requesting healthier food and drink options, driven by what their customers want. According to an IACC report on nutrition and wellness trends, more planners and attendees are asking hotels and convention centres for healthier food. They want the option of a healthy event experience.
Attendees are becoming increasingly health conscious with dietary requirements and choices requested on the increase. Vegetarian, vegan, paleo, gluten free, raw… the list of diets goes on. Eating healthy when at an event like parties, receptions, and conferences can be a challenging experience when you are trying to balance healthy foods with foods high in fat, salt, and sugar.
Selecting “heart healthy” foods is not always easy because you have limited control over the food preparation by event caterers. However more and more event caterer’s e.g. Compass Group are designing menus that give control back to event bookers and in turn delegates. Caterers and venues are recognising that gone are the days where they can serve potluck dinners and beige buffets. Although healthier options may cost more, attendees appreciate and remember events where the healthy choice was the most tempting choice.
Here are some thoughts on how event professionals can support the move for healthier food at events:
Ever been to a conference or organised one, and got the 2pm slump, usually after eating a selection of heavy beige food? This is no good for delegate engagement and no good for the conference speaker on at that time. To combat this, caterers are creating menus that support attentiveness and performance.
Levy Leisure, a division of Compass Group, is championing the need for healthy food by supporting The Food for the Brain Foundation, which is an educational charity promoting the importance of nutrition in mental health and well-being. The accreditation ensures that menus support mental health, well-being, concentration and performance.
Items on the menu for breakfast include probiotic yoghurt with linseed, hemp, sunflower, pumpkin and chia seeds. Lunch guests can expect vibrant, colourful and healthy salads and dishes which are predominantly plant-based. Items on the lunch menu include chargrilled courgette, baby samphire, red chard and pecorino cheese; free-range chicken roasted with garlic, leeks and onions, served with sourdough bread and kimchi.
Meals should be balanced to support healthy blood sugar levels, meaning brain activity is maintained throughout the day.
According to the Vegan Society the demand for meat-free food increased by 987% in 2017 and going vegan was one of the biggest food trends in 2018. Last year Veganism dominated the press, social media and has significantly impacted catering at events. Along with totally committed vegetarians and vegans, there is a growing movement toward being ‘flexitarian’. These people have a primarily plant based diet but are flexible about eating an occasional meat based dish. This adds another layer to consider when planning a menu with your event caterer.
More and more venue and event caterers are offering plant based menus, with this trend set to continue into 2019 and beyond. Venues and caterers that can add this option to their standard catering menus, at no extra charge, will surely have an edge over competitors.
There is a new trend to all day grazing, allowing delegates to eat throughout the day, when they want, rather than set break or lunchtimes. According to catering supplier Bunzl, 1 in 5 UK adults admit to choosing to snack all day instead of eating 3 separate meals. Grazers’ often choose smaller servings of ready-prepared food options, enabling them to have a balanced food intake throughout the day. Although snacks are traditionally seen as an unhealthy option, grazing can provide more energy, more stable blood sugar, better appetite control and even a more efficient metabolism — provided that the snack choices are good ones.
While this catering style might not suit your event, you could try setting up a fresh and dried fruit station in the main room that delegates can help themselves to throughout the day – a ‘healthy’ pick and mix if you will. Any food left over can be taken home in doggy bags to minimise wastage.
Modern events should be sympathetic to every delegate and provide beverage options that are suitable for all. Some delegates may not drink alcohol at all or others may want to cut back on the amount of alcohol they are drinking at an award ceremony, private dinner or product launch.
Offering an alternative of non-alcoholic or low-alcohol drinks that still taste great is something venues and event caterers are offering more and more. Non-alcoholic beer tastes very similar to alcoholic beer but because low-alcohol beer tends to have fewer calories than alcoholic beer, choosing it over alcohol can reduce calorie intake as part of a healthy event.
Today more venues stock a growing range of non-alcoholic drinks and beers, which means it’s easier than ever for delegates to cut back their alcohol intake, whilst still enjoying the event.
We all know we should be drinking a minimum of 2 litres of water a day but why? Well, hydration is good for the body and the brain. However it’s not good for the environment if water is being drunk out of single use plastic bottles. Event planners or venues could consider giving out branded event or venue water bottles for delegates to use throughout the event, minimising waste and prompting delegates to drink more.
Venues can place water stations throughout the venue so attendees can fill up. Make the stations different by providing water flavoured with cucumber, fruit, mint, or other herbs.
Sitting all day isn’t good for digestion. Come up with creative ways to get attendees off their backsides. Hold a post-lunch group stretch in the breakout room. Schedule walking conversations focused on specific topics for small groups of attendees. Give attendees the option of standing during lunchtime around poser or raised tables. Why not hand out pedometers to delegates to encourage them to take a walk during breaks and lunch time?
In summary, event caterers and venues that put healthier options first, will surely help to create memorable experiences that means customers will return time after time.
All 90 venues under the Lime Venue Portfolio brand ensure healthy options are on the menu as they are part of global caterer Compass Group, so customers can be assured no matter which venue they visit, within the portfolio, they will get the best possible healthy food experience.
For more information take a look at www.limevenueportfolio.com or contact enquiries@edgevenues.com or call 01780 484051 for help to find a venue.
Le Méridien St.Julians Hotel & Spa to become Malta Marriott Hotel & Spa following €25million investment
The first Marriott hotel to be opened in Malta, St.Julians area by summer 2019. The extensive transformation will see the hotel increase its rooms to 327, offering guests a wider choice of premium category rooms and executive suites.
The first Mandarin Oriental property in the Middle East, Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, Dubai, will open its doors in the first quarter of 2019.
Located in the heart of Dubai with pristine views of the beach, urban architecture and chic design, Mandarin Oriental Jumeira, the waterfront resort will have 178 spacious rooms and 78 elegant suites. The property will be home to a magnificent lobby welcoming guests on arrival with a forest of lights leading to the beach front, to six restaurants and bars, all of which are noteworthy additions to Dubai’s dining scene and a 2,000-square-metre spa and state-of-the-art gym that will have nine treatment rooms featuring a VIP Royal Suite, heat and water experiences and a fitness centre.
The UK conferencing and events market is growing as a whole, despite the conference and meetings segment suffering decline for a third consecutive year, according to an in-depth analysis of 11 industry reports by Warwick Conferences.
The analysis, by Warwick Conferences found that the number of events being held in the UK is falling, while continued scrutiny on meeting spend and return on investment (ROI) is driving a shift towards a more strategic meeting management approach.
While indications are that the decline is set to recover and achieve a growth of 3.6 per cent by 2022, the increased importance on ROI means the average number of events being organised is down. However, despite the industry seeing these lower numbers, Warwick Conferences has announced that it has seen a strong start to its financial year.
Paul Bartlett at Warwick Conferences said: “As event organisers attempt to stretch their budgets and deliver the greatest ROI, it’s no real surprise that we are subject to more scrutiny than ever before. However, at Warwick Conferences, we have seen increased numbers of our 24-hour rates, as well as our bigger event spaces continuing to perform well.”
Other findings from Warwick Conferences’ analysis include how venues must take on the role as a strategic consultant to deliver truly memorable meeting experiences, with catering to play an ever-important role.
According to the analysis, the quality of the Wi-Fi will play an important factor for successful meetings, while mobile app use is expected to grow, too, showing how technology is going to play an increasing role in the event experience.
Another expected trend is the wellness of delegates, as Bartlett concluded: “We have already announced positive changes to our wellness offering, thanks to the upcoming opening of the University of Warwick’s Sport and Wellness Hub, while our creative spaces ensure that truly memorable events can be easily and affordably organised.
“Our analysis ensures that we are best placed to support event planners maximise their ROI in 2019 and beyond.”