Author: Katharine Jordan

Posted on

Mövenpick Hotel Villa Pamphilli, Rome opening this year

Movenpick is opening a new hotel in Rome. Villa Pamphilli, it was due to be open this summer, but may be delayed by the Coronavirus outbreak.

The property was a hotel which closed several years ago and is being completely renovated with a new lobby lounge which wraps around the bar to make the most of views of the terraced gardens and surrounding Valle dei Casali park.  There is a destination rooftop which has panoramic views of the city and countryside.

The hotel is 15 minutes away from the Vatican City.  Fiumicino Airport is a 30-minute drive away, and the transfer to Termini Railway Station takes 25 minutes.

Movenpick Villa Pamphilli has a Congress Center of 14 rooms spread over three floors with flexible spaces to increase the room sizes.  The main meeting room has capacity for 460 people in theatre-style.   

There are two restaurants, the American and a pool bar next to the swimming pool, solarium and spa.  All of the 235 bedrooms have balconies.

Posted on

Maintaining good mental health when working at home

maintaining-good-mental-health-whilst-working-at-home

The Coronavirus COVID-19 has brought great changes to our lives and in the event industry we are under immense pressure to keep our businesses going. Our first priority is to postpone or change our events into virtual meetings wherever possible, rather than cancel them. We can’t risk anyone’s health by proceeding with conferences, but at the same time a lot of hard work has gone into the planning of events and we’d all like them to take place in one form or another if possible.

Our industry is particularly sociable and we are used to travelling and meeting people, so working from home or being furloughed is quite a change of lifestyle. However, we are also used to working on the move, from hotels, venues, airports and lots of us are set up to work whenever we need to and wherever we are. We usually have contact and encouragement from colleagues and now that this has been removed, we need to maintain good social connections, through the increased use of technology.

The current situation is likely to increase stress in an industry where it is thought 70-80% of employees already feel that they are constantly worried. So, what should we look out for? Stress is not an illness, it is a mental, emotional and physical state where we feel overwhelmed and unable to cope as the result of unmanageable pressures. This can cause an increased risk of depression, substance abuse, alcohol consumption, lack of sleep and other effects.

Working from home

The first thing to do is change your mindset and plan a routine:

  • Set a start and finish time and when the working day is over, put your devices and work away to make the most of your downtime
  • Schedule tasks that are manageable and don’t get overwhelmed
  • Take a lunch break and coffee breaks, not only will you work better afterwards but it will stop your mind thinking about work all day
  • Look after yourself. Find an exercise to make yourself feel good, because keeping physically find will help your mental health. There are lots of different classes online, YouTube videos, zoom, Instagram and Facebook sessions that you can do on your own or join a virtual group. Or would a mindfulness session help?
  • Remember you are not alone – keep in touch with your colleagues in virtual meetings or speak to friends and relatives
  • Do what is in your control and keep the things outside your control in perspective
  • Achieve some of the things that you normally don’t find the time to tackle
  • Solve the little problems first, so that you get jobs ticked off the list
  • Take time to review your social media platforms and websites, which need peace and quiet and are difficult to do in the normal working day. What works and what doesn’t, can you streamline your messaging and make it work better?
  • Find ways of planning and developing for when the events industry does bounce back

If you do need help, talk to a professional immediately and get the guidance you need. But in the meantime, the way we can get through this is to accept the situation, talk about our problems to people who will support us and only worry about the things we can control.

The HBAA is running two mental health webinars in April 2020, for more information take a look at their website.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest industry insights and news by reading our EDGE news section.

Posted on

Keep your staff occupied, whilst they’re working from home

Working from home venue sourcing by EDGE Venues

None of us want staff who don’t have enough work to do, whether they’re in the office or at home and we feel the best way is to set a routine and make the most of your time while Coronavirus COVID-19 has changed the normal working day. No-one wants to be bored even if we’re not working, so these are also ideas for events staff who’ve been furloughed and can take the opportunity to further their careers.

Training

There are plenty of resources online and people are being very imaginative and generous with their knowledge. Pick a topic and research it. Does anyone know enough about virtual conferencing, augmented reality or just the best event app to use. When you’ve made yourself an expert in the subject, write a report for your colleagues or a blog for your company’s website and share the information, it will come in useful later.You could also focus on a destination in the UK or overseas and research it for future events and plan a site visit for a later date. All the conference bureau have websites with lots of information or how about learning a language the Open University and Open Culture have free courses.

Or it’s easy to learn from each other, plan a weekly meeting with Microsoft Teams or Zoom to share best practice and pass on tips or advice.

TED Talks

There are more than 3,300 online on a wide range of topics to make you think or behave differently, improve your career or just learn about something new. Or there’s a TED Talks daily podcast.

Podcasts

Podcasts are growing massively. Listen to business leaders talking about how they developed their companies or how about ‘Everything You Need to Know About Working from Home (But Were Too Afraid to Ask!)’. Or there are the conference and events industry podcasts such as EventIcons, Event Brew, The Event Tech Podcast or Event Industry News Podcast.

Blogs

A Backward Glance at 5 Trends that Changed Events in the ’10s
The C2 conference in Montreal is a business event that combines combine progressive and inspiring content in a highly creative, festival-like setting. In this article they look at the 5 key trends that changed events in the 2010s.

Online magazines

When do we really have time to read these thoroughly, maybe there’s time to catchup on the latest industry news on a regular basis. Check out Conference News, Conference & Incentive Travel and M&IT magazine.

Posted on

ExCeL to be used as a hospital

EDGE Venues is proud to announce that one of the venues on their platform, ExCel London is to be turned into a temporary 4,000-bed hospital under NHS England’s plans to cope with the peak of the coronavirus epidemic.

The venue, which opened in London’s Docklands in 2000, usually hosts a variety of meetings, conferences, exhibitions and sporting events. However, it will be turned into a critical care unit, staffed by NHS and private heathcare staff, as well as military personnel and will be ready in about a month’s time. It is possible that the O2 arena on the south side of the Thames could also be used for the same purpose.

Jacqui Kavanagh, CEO of EDGEvenues.com was very happy to hear how the venue is supporting the COVID-19 crisis and said, “Our industry has always had a role to play in times of emergency. I wish all the team the best during this very difficult time. I know they will pull out the stops and deliver excellence as they always do. Our thoughts are with them all as they are a great team.”

ExCel already supports the Community Food Enterprise which tackles homelessness and poverty in East London, by making an annual donation to the organisation, collecting toys, clothing and merchandise from exhibitors. ExCel’s catering partner contributes through giving surplus food which is distributed throughout the local area.

We have already seen other hotels and venues helping in these exceptional times. In February, the Holiday Inn at Heathrow airport was booked to be used to quarantine arrivals to the UK. Kents Hill Park Training and Conference Centre looked after 118 guests who were isolated for 14 days following their return from overseas and all left after testing negative for coronavirus.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest industry insights and news by reading our EDGE news section.

Posted on

Event insurance, are you covered for Coronavirus COVID-19?

Before the breakout of Coronavirus, insurance cover for communicable diseases was either part of the standard policy or could be added at low cost. However, since January 2020, when the insurance companies realised the extent of the problem, this cover was removed. It is unlikely that an event organiser will be able to add it to an insurance policy now as it is classed as a pre-existing condition and listed under excemptions.

However, the way to get around this going forward is for organisers to put clauses in their contracts with event attendees, speakers, exhibitors, suppliers and venues.

If you think you are going to cancel an event, the best thing to do is speak to your insurance company as early as possible, take advice and understand what the procedure and terms are. Make sure you’ve got all the necessary evidence to claim successfully. The worst thing to do is present them with a claim after the event has been cancelled, without notice. Each claim will be assessed on an individual basis, taking the government advice into account and whether Force Majeure applies.

Force Majeure

This is a provision in a contract that allows a party to suspend or terminate the performance of its obligations when certain circumstances beyond their control arise, making performance inadvisable, commercially impracticable, illegal, or impossible. A recent example is a law passed by the Swiss government prohibiting public events of more than 1,000 people which caused the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show. Some other considerations are if the city/country is in a state of emergency, flights have been suspended or travel has been prohibited.

  • The law that applies will be the law of the country where the event is being held
  • If your meeting is in the UK but attendees are from China, USA or EU countries which are not operating flights to the UK
  • Hotel contracts will usually have a Force Majeure contract that applies to the hotel’s location, so would only apply if that destination prevents the event.

Will Coronavirus be covered by future insurance?

After 9/11 very few event insurance policies would cover terrorism, but as time passed the option was offered with an expensive premium in proportion to the risk. In the longer-term insurance underwriters adjusted their assessments and exposure to claims and the rates reduced. At the moment we don’t know how long Coronavirus will last and the impact on events in the future. When will a vaccine be available or will the virus die out in due course? There may be legislation to address insurance claims due to Coronavirus in the future, but in the short-term it’s better for event organisers to take matters into their own hands and build clauses into their contracts.

This article does not constitute legal advice and we advise organisers to take independent legal guidance which is appropriate to their circumstances. This article is not intended to be relied upon to make specific decisions.

Posted on

Proceed, postpone or cancel?

Decisions need to be made about forthcoming events that are being organised, whether to continue as usual, postpone them until later in the year or cancel them entirely. We saw yesterday that Imex has cancelled their event in Frankfurt in May. So, with the spread of Coronavirus, how should you come to a decision how to proceed in the next few months?

The first consideration is to make an informed decision, based on facts. We work in a collaborative and supportive industry and everyone understands the value of the global events industry. The most important factor is making a choice that is best for the business and whether the company’s objectives can be met without the event or if there is reduced attendance. What is the event’s purpose and what are the alternatives? Once this decision has been made, then the legal and insurance factors come in to play, but these should not be the driving factor whether the event should go ahead.

Force Majeure

The question is whether damages have to be paid if the conference is cancelled. So, does Force Majeure apply? It does if the event is illegal, impossible or commercially impracticable to hold. A recent example is a law passed by the Swiss government prohibiting public events of more than 1,000 people which caused the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show. Some other considerations are if the city/country is in a state of emergency, flights have been suspended or travel has been prohibited. Fear is not force majeure.

Cancellation or postponement

Establish the critical mass of attendance for the purpose of the event to be successful. If 10% of attendees cannot be there it probably won’t have a significant impact, but if 30% or more don’t attend then that’s a different situation. Set a date when the decision will be made whether to proceed or not, considering travel arrangements, event set up, suppliers etc and make a well-thought-out business decision.

Contracts

Check all contracts: venues, DMCs, a/v providers, caterers, other suppliers, as well as attendees, exhibitors and sponsors. Is there an event cancellation policy in place and what will this mean? Take advice about whether the force majeure provisions apply, your legal team can argue about cancellation and attrition fees. It’s in everyone’s interest to proceed with the event, so if numbers are reduced then speak to the venue about minimum attendee numbers, accommodation and the spend on food and beverage because it is in everyone’s interest to negotiate. If there’s a new agreement make sure you have an addendum signed by both parties. If additional hygiene practices are required, find out what the venue is going to put in place and get these agreed in writing.

Insurance

There are two factors here. Firstly, the event insurance, check your general liability insurance, which should cover you if an attendee becomes ill at an event and have a claim against your company. Does this specifically cover COVID-19? Some insurance companies excluded COVID-19 from their policies since January 2020 as it became more prevalent. Secondly, there is business travel insurance which may come into effect if a company imposes travel restrictions to their employees.

Crisis Management and Communication

There should already be a plan in place and even if it isn’t entirely appropriate to the current circumstances, then elements may help to manage the situation.

Communicate with the stakeholders separately and stick to the facts. Keep the message simple and clear. If you are proceeding, then tell people about the hygiene practices onsite and how the event will be managed. Update any statements as necessary before and during the event.

This article does not constitute legal advice and we advise organisers to take independent legal guidance which is appropriate to their circumstances. This article is not intended to be relied upon to make specific decisions.

Posted on

Coronavirus: advice for event organisers

Following the news that Hilton has closed 130 hotels in China, due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus, the hotel chain has now received another blow at their Barcelona venue – The Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona, as The Mobile World Congress event has been cancelled. The event was due to be held 24-27 February 2020 and attracts around 100,000 attendees.

EDGE Venues is working closely with the Hilton hotel group by promoting a discounted offer for the Barcelona hotel in the hope of recouping some of the lost business. Working closely with various venues and event organisers, EDGE Venues is providing guidance to the industry to help with clarity and advice on the topic in this time of uncertainty.

Event Cancellations and Postponements

The largest impact that the Coronavirus has had on the events industry is the cancellation of large events. These have been planned years in advance and provide substantial income and temporary jobs. Cancellations are having a knock-on effect in many different sectors, not just the event organisers and venues.

With the coronavirus already affecting numerous events throughout the world, particularly in China and other parts of Asia, many event organisers are now choosing to err on the side of caution and either cancel or postpone events, including those outside Asia.

Subject Knowledge

The events industry, venues, event organisers and event attendees are looking at each other to be a source of advice in this time of uncertainty. It is important to share reliable and up to date information with each other and help those that are affected.

Virtual Meetings

A benefit of conferences and meetings is the chance for attendees to meet face to face and network. But with the current health risk one option is to consider a virtual meeting. This could be a viable alternative in the countries that currently have travel restrictions in place, or those that are worried about a low attendance rate due to the outbreak.

Communication

Communication is extremely important, in the run up to and during an event.

Planners should keep informed about the latest Coronavirus updates and inform attendees accordingly. If the event goes ahead it is advisable that a crisis communication plan is in place, should anyone fall ill.

For further information, check these websites, which are constantly updated with the latest advice:

The situation in the UK

If travelling abroad

World Health Organization advice

Posted on

Four Seasons Hotel Madrid will open in May 2020

Following seven years of building restoration and development, the Four Seasons Hotel will open on 15th May 2020 in Madrid. It is located in Centro Canalejas with the Galería Canalejas, a luxury shopping mall of 40 luxury boutiques. The development is in seven historical buildings which will also house residential and commercial property.

The Four Seasons hotel is the first of this brand in Spain. It will have 200 bedrooms and more than 1,400 square metres of flexible function spaces. This includes the oval-shaped Sol Ballroom which has capacity for up to 300 people classroom style or 340 banquet. There are four more smaller meeting rooms and an outdoor walled courtyard which can be used for breaks and receptions.

There are three dining options, a rooftop restaurant from Spanish celebrity Chef Dani Garcia, a gastrobar serving tapas and cocktails and a lobby bar and lounge. The spa will be the largest in any hotel in Madrid and has an indoor pool and sun terrace looking out across Madrid’s rooftops.

Transfer time from Madrid Airport is 25-30 minutes.

Posted on

New hotel openings in Copenhagen this year

The past few years have seen a huge increase in the number of new hotels being built in Copenhagen. From cutting-edge technology in new ‘hostel’ hubs to reworked factories, an old library and the former Central Post and Telegraph Office in Copenhagen, the hotel scene is booming. Here at EDGE Venues, we’ve brought you some of the new exciting openings to look forward to…

Bryggen Guldsmeden Hotel Copenhagen

Kicking off the year is the new 4-star Bryggen Guldsmeden. This hotel opens on 17 February 2020 in the Islands Brygge area of the city. The 214-room hotel combines sleek lines and Scandinavian minimalism with a tropical vibe emanating from lush planting that surrounds the indoor pool in the glass-walled rooftop Orangery. The capacity of the meeting space is to be confirmed.

Villa Copenhagen, Hotel & Conference, Copenhagen

In spring 2020, Copenhagen Central station gets a new neighbour as the former Central Post & Telegraph Head Office opens as Villa Copenhagen. Allowing the past and present to come together the historic building dates back to 1912. The hotel incorporates many original features with an elegant and contemporary Nordic style in the 390 bedrooms and public areas. Villa Copenhagen will be able to hold events for up to 1,200 people, with 8 adjoining studios for breakouts or smaller intimate meetings. Villa Copenhagen will have a breakfast restaurant, a brasserie, wine bar and a cosy courtyard. There will also be an outdoor heated pool, sauna, gym and an urban rooftop garden.

Scandic Norreport

At Copenhagen’s busiest railway station, Denmark’s largest hotel chain Scandic will open its 27th hotel, Scandic Norreport on the corner of Frederiksborggade and Nørre Voldgade. The hotel has a direct metro service to the airport and minutes from the city’s food halls and Botanical Garden. The 100-bedroom hotel will be small compared to other Scandic properties. It will have meeting space, a roof top terrace, restaurant and sky bar for breathtaking views of the city. This property is due to open at the end of 2020.

Comfort Hotel

Located at Copenhagen airport, Comfort Hotel will open the largest hotel and conference centre in the Nordic Countries in September 2020. With 619 bedrooms, conference facilities, a restaurant, sky bar and a fitness centre spread across 12 floors. Its event space, ‘The Hangar’, will have room for 2,150 people across five areas, each holding up to 400 guests.

Beyond Copenhagen

In spring 2020, Radisson Red Aarhus, the new creative brand from the Radisson Hotel Group inspired by music, art and fashion, will open in Aarhus. The hotel will have 78 rooms, a restaurant, gym, and a meeting space. Located in the city centre, it will be close to main attractions and historic Latin quarter with bars and cafes. The main railway station is within walking distance and there will be easy access to the airport.

Scandic, Aarhus Waterfront

The Aarhus waterfront (pictured) will also become home to a new landmark conference hotel. The complex will include a 29,000 m2 hotel with 500 rooms. The meeting facilities will seat 2,000 conference-goers or a total of 3,500 concert guests. Located on ground level, the conference facilities will include a waterfront restaurant. The new conference hotel, to be operated by Scandic. It will include an exterior public walkway covering the full height of the building with gardens and sea views.

Jorgensens Hotel, Horsens

Less than an hour south of Aarhus in the town of Horsens, Jorgensens Hotel is set to open in 2020 after a major refurbishment. The hotel is located in the majestic Lichtenbergs Palace, dating from 1744. The reopened hotel will maintain its period charm and personality. The event space has capacity for up to 300 people.

Posted on

Tips to create an event brief to maximise profitability

We all want our events to run smoothly and get the best value for money from our suppliers. We’re looking at writing an event brief and how to make it attractive to hotels and venues as well as managing the event costs. Here are a few ideas that will help you get the best response to ensure your event runs smoothly.

Make the conference or meeting attractive to the venue or hotel

If you can demonstrate the value of holding the event at the venue, then you’re likely to get a better rate. Some of the things that you might want to include in the event brief are:

  • Information about your company. How many events you hold. Whether there’s the possibility of the venue hosting several of them.
  • The event details. Is it a new meeting, if so, could it be repeated at the same venue for a possible 2-year deal? Is there scope for growth in the future? Or is it an established event which means that you can demonstrate the attendance, accommodation pick up, food and beverage consumption etc?
  • Know your budget, both the overall spend and breakdown of items. Do you need timed coffee breaks or all-day servings? Will the meals be buffets, standing or seated, or a 3- or 4- course served meal?
  • What are the event objectives? Make it clear exactly what you and the attendees need while they are onsite. That way there are no surprises for the venue later.
  • Give the venue as much detail as possible. Can they assist with local suppliers for better rates on transport, team building, leisure activities etc?
  • Plan the space that you need and make it clear to the venue. That’s not only the meeting rooms, but the catering space and networking areas. Do you need it for exclusive use, or will it be shared with other companies?
  • If you can, be flexible with dates. If a venue can fit your booking between ones already in the diary and it fills a gap, this makes it more attractive to them.
Be flexible with your event brief
  • Accommodation – will it be booked by the attendees or from a rooming list supplied by you. The less work that a hotel does to manage the accommodation bookings the better.
  • Highlight if you are detailing with a preferred partner or preferred group. If the venue can verify that your event is an attractive piece on business, then they will want to work with you.
  • Tell the venue your decision-making date, deadlines and milestones as this will help them work with you. If you have dates planned for site visit, then let them know and whether you’d prefer to see the venue empty or with an event running there.

Factors to consider in your event brief

  • Work out what needs to be booked as far as possible in advance to gain the best rate as last-minute buying leaves less room to negotiate and increases the costs. However, if you don’t know some of the detail, leave that until later to confirm as you don’t want to book something and then have to cancel.
  • Get a quote from the in-house technology supplier and if there’s chargers for bringing your own supplier. Ensure this is negotiated and contracted at the time of the booking. You don’t want to find that you have unavoidable cost later.
  • Is there free WIFI and is it secure and good enough for your speakers, organisers and attendees? Adding a secure network can be expensive, so make sure you know the cost in advance and contract it.
  • Are there any costs for loading and unloading equipment? Consider the costs for setup and breakdown, can these be included or provided at a reduced rate? Are there any time restrictions in place?
  • Meeting room set up – find out if there are costs for changing a meeting room set up. In some countries there may be labour costs if rooms are changed during the day.
  • Do you need overnight hold of all the space? The answer is ‘yes’ if you have a two-day event with a/v equipment. You don’t want to find that the venue sells the room for a dinner while you are not using it in the evening.
  • Don’t find that you have unused break out rooms that you’ve paid for. Would it be possible to use the main room for a breakout session and save the room hire on an extra small room?
  • Use a template to compare costs from different venues against your budget. Check the prices and re-negotiate. Check the rates of other bookings that have been made in the same destination or with the same venue group.
  • Keep to the deadlines and contract, missing dates or trying to change details will at best irritate the venue and can also incur additional cost.

The best ways to negotiate

  • Ask for everything you want in your event brief. You won’t get it, but you will get some of the things you ask for.
  • The venue maybe prepared to give you items that add value to your event, that cost them very little but are of significance to you and the attendees. Bacon rolls on arrival, a proportion of the bedrooms in upgraded categories, some bedrooms with early check-in or late check-out etc.
  • Use a specialist? A venue finding agent is an independent 3rd party and may be able to negotiate a better deal than if you do business directly. For example, they may be placing more business with the venue or group and have good contacts there, so you can take advantage of their buying power. They also have a wealth of experience of many different events and can help you throughout the booking process.

EDGEvenues.com offers a free venue finding service, just email enquiries@edgevenues.com or call 01780 484051 for help or advice.