Month: February 2019

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May opening for Radisson Collection Hotel, Warsaw

Radisson Collection has launched in the Polish capital of Warsaw, the hotel, will be a new addition to the group’s portfolio of premium lifestyle properties when it opens in May.

Following a major capital investment to upgrade and rebrand the existing Radisson Blu property, the Radisson Collection Hotel, Warsaw will seek to offer the highest standard of guest experience.

Situated in Warsaw’s business district, the property will be close to the city’s Financial Centre and the eye-catching Rondo ONZ Tower, making it an ideal base from which to attend meetings.

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Hotel Football joins Marriott International’s Tribute Portfolio

Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville’s Hotel Football in Manchester has joined Marriott International’s Tribute Portfolio soft brand for independent hotels. The Tribute Portfolio is described as a collection of independent boutique hotels with character that are rooted in their local community.

Under the franchise agreement Singaporean businessman Peter Lim and former Manchester United players Neville, Giggs, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and Philip Neville will remain the majority owners of the 133-bedroom hotel. Their management company, GG Hospitality, will continue to manage and operate the property.

The property will become the second hotel in the Tribute Portfolio in the UK, joining the Great Northern hotel in London’s King’s Cross and will forthwith have the full title of Hotel Football, part of the Tribute Portfolio.

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Why choose an unusual venue for your event?

There are lots of good reasons to choose a different or unusual venue for your event. Somewhere that has the ‘wow’ factor or is popular on social media will boost attendance because people want to go there. We all know about museums, sporting venues, castles etc, but now it’s all about what’s new. It’s not always easy to find a desirable venue, but look at Instagram and check which have created a great brand.

Of course, you need to follow the normal rules and consider the overall capacity, whether the space will work, access for production and caterers etc as well as the objectives and finding somewhere to match your brand. But if you’ve got the creative juices going then it’s time to think outside the box and find a venue to match your message.

Create an amazing first impression

This will start with the event invitation, people will want to attend and be part of your experience. Don’t only think about the venue, but what about the entrance and is there outside space? Build the excitement before people arrive.

Hire a bar or restaurant

There are new places launching all the time, some have private dining and some can be hired privately. Rooftops are really popular, so how about the B&H Garden Room on a rooftop in Leicester Square which has great views. Or Ours in South Kensington and Sushi Samba both have private dining rooms for small groups and are places that people want to be seen.

Hotels

The ME London can now privatise the Atrium area on their 1st floor for events and Zela is a new restaurant on the ground floor. The Curtain in Shoreditch can privatise their Lido Deck restaurant at some times of the year.

Cafés

The café culture has exploded in recent years and these destination venues are particularly good for a breakfast or lunch event. Take a look at
Feya and Butterscotch as well as the Elan Café, which has flower walls and LED lighting. Just one thing to watch for is that not all cafés are licensed so you may not be able to serve alcohol.

Blank canvass

Think about a warehouse, car park, ice rink, church and farm buildings as these venues can offer a large space to create the mood you wish. The ambiance is important, but also having flexibility to do what you want.

The warning signs

There is a risk if you work with a venue whose normal business is not events. You’ll need to keep on top of the communication, check their insurance, contracts and KPIs carefully to make sure the venue can deliver as agreed. If the venue is open to the public, there may be restrictions when you can have access and when you need to return it to them.

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Lumley Castle

Lumley is a Grade 1 listed castle, celebrating 630 years, with  73 unique and individually designed bedrooms. These include some Narnia style bedrooms with bathrooms through the wardrobe and the stunning King James Suite with a 20 foot high four poster bed – originally the chapel.

There are 9 acres of land for team building and the tea at Lumley Castle can help create an event for you. They also offer exclusive use hire so you can have the whole place to yourselves. Lumley is one of the few castles in the UK that can accommodate over 70 guests for a 24hr conference inhouse. Lumley also launched the first Escape Room in a castle on the 14th February and this is centred around Lily of Lumley and have their own seamstress inhouse who designs the costumes for the Elizabethan Banquets and drapes etc for the bedrooms.

Lumley Castle are in the process of launching a new brand and website which is all about #creatingstories at Lumley Castle which will go live in the middle of March where great events that happen at the hotel and the personalities of the people visiting will be celebrated.

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Research shows companies fail to carry out meetings risk assessments

New research reveals that many companies are failing to carry out proper risk assessments for every meeting despite the fact that 62 per cent of travel buyers say this is a growing priority.

A survey conducted by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) in partnership with WorldAware found that a quarter of organisations never or rarely conduct a formal risk assessment of specific venues.

Furthermore, 24 per cent never or rarely assess the risk of meeting locations, such as a particular city or neighbourhood.

While most travel programmes have a risk management solution in place, less than half (49 per cent) have one that includes MICE data. The GBTA says this lack of itinerary data makes it difficult for companies to track their travellers and, in turn, ensure their safety, with a third of travel buyers saying it is more difficult to track employees when they travel for meetings than for transient travel such as a sales trip.

In the event of an emergency, 80 per cent of respondents say they sometimes have a crisis communication plan for meetings, but only 36 per cent say they always have plans in place.

Some of the travel buyers responding to the survey admit they don’t have a risk solution that includes MICE data, but 28 per cent plan to adopt one within the next year.

Michael W McCormick, GBTA executive director and COO, commented: “Organisations are certainly making strides in the meetings risk management field, but current efforts leave something to be desired. Proper risk management can be the difference between a successful event and a catastrophic disaster. Although it’s encouraging to see more organisations do assess the risk of meeting locations, the research shows that many companies have some catching up to do.”

Theresa Thomas, senior VP of strategic partnerships at WorldAware, added: “Successful risk management for meetings and events requires organisations to clearly assign risk management responsibilities to an individual or team of individuals, and that responsibility must be comprehensive. In other words, those responsible for risk management must be empowered to assess risks related to location at a city and neighbourhood level, the venue itself and ground transportation, including public transit as well as private transportation.”

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New Cvent research suggests corporate travel budgets are expected to rise

According to new research, seven in ten European corporate travel buyers anticipate an increase in travel budgets this year, with 16 per cent expecting significant growth, but many said they face multiple challenges over the next 12 months.

The survey of 500 corporate travel decision makers by meetings, events and hospitality technology provider Cvent found German buyers are the most optimistic, predicting a significant increase in their budget for 2019. Only a quarter overall believe their allocation of company funds will remain the same.

Forty-four per cent of respondents manage spend of more than €1 million.

Nearly six in ten (57 per cent) of those surveyed said their hotel sourcing process occurs once a year, showing many buyers are still focused on the annual Request for Proposal (RFP). Meanwhile one in five undertake this task every two years and 16 per cent look for properties more than once a year.

Furthermore, buyers pointed to rising hotel costs and value for money (both 44.5 per cent) as the top challenges they face this year, with German decision makers especially worried about the latter (46.5 per cent).

Nearly six in ten UK respondents (59 per cent) said Brexit uncertainty was their main concern. The UK’s exit from the EU is also creating a challenge for buyers in Spain (31.7 per cent), Germany (30.7 per cent), Italy (30 per cent) and France (17.8 per cent).

Safety and security were regarded as less of an issue compared to costs (37.4 per cent overall).

Cvent says the research highlights clear opportunities for the corporate hospitality industry. When asked about their biggest challenges when negotiating with hotels, more than a quarter (26 per cent) cited rate increases that were above city or benchmark averages, followed by a lack of transparency (17.4 per cent) and bids that do not meet the requirements set out in the RFP (15.8 per cent).

A lack of transparency was the biggest issue for 24 per cent of UK decision makers.

Meanwhile, 13 per cent across Europe highlighted poor, slow, or incomplete responses from hotels and 11 per cent said chain account managers were not relaying their company information to specific hotels.

And when choosing which hotels to use in their programme, location tops the list, with 69 per cent of respondents prioritising this, followed by rates (59.7 per cent), amenities (53.6 per cent), star rating (30.8 per cent) and loyalty programmes (25.1 per cent). One per cent said they don’t prioritise any particular features, with the remaining 0.6 per cent citing other factors.

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Hoxton Hotels open in Chicago

The Hoxton’s seventh hotel has opened in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighbourhood. The Hox, Chicago features 182 rooms separated into three individual types – Snug, Cosy or Roomy, Cira, an all-day Mediterranean restaurant  and a basement cocktail bar. The venue includes The Hoxton’s first rooftop pool and wellness studio and joins properties in Shoreditch (London), Holborn (London), Amsterdam, Paris, Williamsburg (New York) and Portland (Oregon).

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Networking at events

The idea of throwing yourself into a room of people you don’t know is a daunting prospect for most people, but networking is one of the best things that you can do to learn about what’s happening in the industry and develop your career.

It’s easier to do to do business with people you know or by recommendation and industry events, forums, educationals and exhibitions are a good way to make connections. But it’s not just about face-to-face meetings, there are networking opportunities online and social media sites give everyone access to a global community.

Practice

It can be hard to start a conversation with a stranger, so start in the office, at the gym or when you’re out and about by talking to people you don’t know. Just begin with small talk and see where the conversation goes.

Prepare

Spend a little time thinking about what you want to achieve from the networking event and have a few questions ready to ask new people. Also think about what you want to tell them about yourself, as it’s a two-way process. What news can you give them or place business or share contacts that will help.

Relax

Try not to worry about what to say next or what the other person is thinking. Focus on the person you’re talking to. Smile and look as open and approachable as you can, if you look friendly then someone will come and have a conversation with you.

Focus

Give the person you are talking to your complete attention. It’s off-putting if you’re looking for someone new to talk to. Build a rapport by asking questions and listening carefully. When the conversation has finished then move around the room.

Pick your events

There are so many opportunities but going to everything is time-consuming and exhausting. It’s better to be strategic and plan which events are most likely to be worthwhile.

Find a friend

If you’re going to an event alone, try and make at least one connection as this will make everything much easier. A lot of people in the room will be feeling the same way as you and don’t know anyone else either, so look for other people on their own and see how you can make them feel more comfortable.

Or, if you can, take a colleague this will make you comfortable until you gain confidence and find some new contacts of your own.

Keep in touch

Maintaining a relationship with a new contact is crucial to networking. Follow up with an email, connect on LinkedIn or another social media platform. Share ongoing news from time to time and find out what other events they are going to attend and catch up with them again there

We’ve all walked in to a room where everyone seems to know each other and are in groups, but remember that those confident people were in your shoes once. Even the ones who have been attending networking events for years still may not really enjoy it, but can hide it through years of practice and experience.

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Laura Ashley The Manor hotel sold to Countrywide Hotels

Countrywide Hotels has acquired Laura Ashley The Manor hotel and renamed the property the Manor Hotel Elstree.

Laura Ashley bought the hotel, formerly known as the Edgwarebury, in 2012 from Corus Hotels before rebranding theproperty, showcasing the furnishings and furniture of the high-street retail brand.

Laura Ashley The Belsfield in Windermere, Cumbria was launched in 2014 and Laura Ashley, Burnham Beeches on the border of Buckinghamshire and Berkshire is currently being rebranded. Both properties operate under a licensing agreement with owner Corus Hotels.

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mia to debate AI and Brexit at Future Fit Conference

The Meetings Industry Association (mia) is planning a giant leap into the future with expert-led discussions on sustainability, AI and Brexit at its upcoming Future Fit Conference.

On Monday 11 March the mia, which has more than 800 members, will host a day of expert-led insights into the future of the meetings industry.

Held at America Square in London, the Future Fit Conference will hear from keynote speakers on issues such as artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality, sustainability and the potential opportunities posed by Brexit.

With nearly 40 years of industry experience, expert speaker at the event Richard Lewis believes it’s important to be prepared for the positive impact technological advances will have on the business meetings and events industry.

He said: “Without a doubt, disruption will continue at a faster pace than ever before and our industry will not be immune from change.

“In fact, it is about time we woke up. AI, AGI, robotics, blockchain, AR and Infotech will positively impact almost every aspect of travel and tourism.

“Disruptors will disrupt the disruptors. New entrants will challenge legacy operators and we have seen nothing yet.”

Delegates will hear speakers scrutinise AI as a money saving tool, address issues surrounding single-use plastics in the industry and discuss the current economic forecast.

Jane Longhurst, chief executive of mia, said: “Future Fit will offer delegates the enviable chance to discover what the future holds for our industry.

“The fantastic programme is designed to engage, educate and perhaps even make delegates feel a little bit uncomfortable.

“As a sector we have the opportunity to be bold and develop new and innovative plans to drive business growth by embracing and taking advantage of both the technological advances set to occur over the coming years and the opportunities presented by Brexit.

“At the same time, we have a huge responsibility to ensure that the sector takes its social responsibility seriously and how small steps can be made for larger gains by reducing our reliance on single-use plastic.”

Opening the conference is veteran broadcaster and journalist Declan Curry who will discuss the current economy and the challenges and opportunities for a post-Brexit UK.

Mia chair Kay England will tell delegates how the association is championing best practice with its #20PercentLess campaign.

The #20Percentless campaign is supported by the Zoological Society of London’s project officer Rachel Shairp, who is a leader of #OneLess.

Their sessions will highlight the necessary steps the industry should be taking to change its behaviour and safeguard our future.

Atsushi Ishii and keynote speaker Azeem Azhar will take to the stage to reveal the opportunities presented by AI.

Giraffe Innovation’s Rob Holdway will be looking at plastics and packaging alternatives and 15Hatfield’s Warren Campbell will be quizzed by conference chair Peter Hancock about best practice and the steps they are currently putting in place.

Professor David Russell, will discuss the importance of ecological consciousness amid cleaning and waste, food procurement, food logistics and guest services ahead of Expo 2020 Dubai.