Author: Suzi Johnson

Posted on

London hotel occupancy drops by 0.6% in May

New hotel openings resulted in a slight decline in hotel occupancy rates in London during May, according to new figures from data company STR.

The supply of hotel rooms increased by 1.8% alongside a 1.2% increase in demand, resulting in a 0.6% fall in occupancy to 82%.

The Chelsea Flower Show from 21 to 25 May helped drive up average daily rate (ADR) by 1.6% to £147.76, with the first day of the show recording ADR of £182.33.

Revenue per available room increased by 1% to £121.17.

STR will release its full results of the performance of London hotels during May later this month.

Posted on

Dublin: ‘remarkable accessibility’ secures SITE annual conference

SITE (Society for Incentive Travel Excellence) has chosen Dublin as the destination for its Global Conference in 2021.

Following the review of several international bids, SITE’s board of directors selected Ireland’s National Tourism Development Agency, Fáilte Ireland’s, “Meet in Ireland” bid for a multitude of reasons, including its portfolio of hotels and venues, convenient global access and its socio-cultural appeal.

Philip Eidsvold, SITE president, said: “While we received several strong submissions to host Global Conference in 2021, Meet in Ireland’s proposal was distinguished by a combination of powerful logistical considerations such as Dublin’s remarkable accessibility and a true sense of partnership with the entire destination working together as a single unit in support of the bid.”

Ciara Gallagher, manager at Fáilte Ireland added: “This was a true pan-destination submission and our entire local team is looking forward to co-creating with SITE a truly unique Global Conference with Dublin as your village.”

SITE has a 40-year history with Ireland, dating back to 1973 when it elected its first president, Anne Wold Graham, an employee at the Irish Tourist Board in New York. SITE’s relationship with Ireland has continued to grow and SITE Ireland is now the society’s biggest chapter outside of North America with more than 120 members.

Didier Scaillet, CEO of SITE said: “With established chapters in nearby Scotland and Great Britain, resurgent chapters in Germany, Benelux, Spain and Italy and other new European chapters coming online soon, we’re looking forward to a Global Conference in Dublin in February 2021, with a distinctive European flavour and feel.”

SITE now has a global network of 2,500 members from 90 countries, representing industries in the meetings and incentive supply chain, such as airlines, agencies and cruise companies.

Incentive travel accounts for seven per cent of all business event activities and according to the Events Industry Council’s Global Economic Impact study (2018), the incentive industry is worth around $75 billion globally.

The annual SITE Global Conference is a hallmark event for the society, one that aims to connect and educate incentive industry professionals.

SITE Global Conference 2020 will be held in Vancouver between 24-27 January.

EDGE Venues recently ran a Destination of the Week on Dublin, highlighting just some of its key selling points. Check out some of it’s hottest venues and why it is such a popular destination for events.

Posted on

ICC Wales launches recruitment drive for ambassador programme

With the imminent opening of ICC Wales (International Convention Centre) the Ambassador Wales programme is aiming to expand to attract national and international association conferences to Wales.

Most recently, the Ambassador Wales programme held a recruitment drive at Swansea University to inform academics about the programme and how they can get involved.

Andrew Rhodes, registrar and chief operating officer at Swansea University said: “We were very pleased to welcome the team from ICC Wales to Swansea University and it was great to learn more about the venue we have all seen take shape as we drive past along the motorway.

“This conference centre is a very important new facility for Wales and we were excited to hear about how we can best work together to benefit from this fantastic opportunity, and the part the university and its faculty members can play in attracting and hosting new events.”

Much like other ambassador programmes in the UK, the Ambassador Wales programme aims to bring together a leading network of professionals, often academics, who believe in championing wales as a conference, event and business event destination.

Recruitment drive speaker and Manchester ambassador, professor Jackie Oldham, director of strategic initiatives, Oxford Road Corridor, shared her experiences of being an ambassador, while at the event.

“I used to think the role of ambassador was only for famous people like Brian Cox but I realised I was travelling to lots of conferences and making lots of connections, and that I could make a difference by promoting Manchester to these audiences. Not just the city as a destination but the expertise Manchester has developed within my own field of healthcare.

“Being a destination ambassador is a win-win from my point of view because it’s fantastic to bring colleagues you have met all over the world to Manchester and show them all that we have to offer, and it’s also of huge benefit on a more local level to work and network with my fellow ambassadors and achieve more by working together.

“The best example for me was bringing the inaugural World Healthcare Congress Europe to Manchester this year. That was something I never believed we would be able to achieve.”

When it opens this year, ICC Wales will accommodate more than 5,000 delegates and include a 4,000 sqm pillar-free main hall, a 1,500-seated auditorium, 15 flexible meeting rooms, a double-height glass atrium with views of the surrounding Coldra Woods and a 2,500sqm outdoor plaza.

The ICC Wales team will be visiting more universities in the coming months to further promote the benefits of joining the Ambassador Wales programme.

Posted on

8 reasons why EDGE Venues wants to #MeetYouAtTheShow

EDGE Venues is planning to make a big impact at this year’s Meetings Show, on 26th and 27th June at Olympia London.

The Meetings Show marks six months since EDGEvenues.com, innovative meetings technology, launched. And the team behind it has loads to share with show visitors.

Whether you’re an agent, a corporate or a venue, here are eight reasons why you should meet us at the Show:

1. Our technology

During our years of experience in the meetings and events industry, we’ve listened. We’ve listened to bookers and venues on what they needed to improve the simplicity of venue-finding. And we spent the last 18 months developing a new meetings platform that allows fast searches, intelligent comparisons and easy bookings everyone involved in the booking process. Want to know more? Then we’ll #MeetYouAtTheShow and show you first-hand how easy EDGE is to use.

2. See venues on the big screen

We’re going big at The Meetings Show – so big we’ve got a 86 inch screen to show you how great venues look on EDGE. And if you’re from a venue, we’ll go through your page with easy steps to improve your profile to achieve a spot in our 100% Club – because improving your searchability helps bookers match your property with their needs!

3. Central hub of information

New features, articles, venue news, special offers, commission deals, fam trips – and much more – are uploaded to EDGE Venues on a daily basis. So, it’s easy to find out what your favourite venue is doing, or with what’s happening across the industry. You can access many of the updates and all of our members’ amazing special offers by following us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Not only that, these offers are shown by city and destination – so pick your location and see what offers we have available there.

4. Be part of our booker prize draw

The Meetings Show wouldn’t be doing its job if there wasn’t a prize draw thrown in for visitors. Our first prize draw is for bookers (don’t worry venues, we’ve a got a treat in store for you as well), and it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t draw on the influence of our MD, Jacqui’s, to offer something with a real Irish Experience.

Dublin Weekend Experience for 2 to include:

Return Flights to Dublin from the UK.  2 nights bed and breakfast with a fabulous dinner each evening for 2 – with golf and lots of other treats at the wonderful 5 Star Carton House Hotel – sponsored by Visit Ireland and Carton House Hotel.

Visit our stand to enter and meet with our Irish friends to hear all about what Dublin and Carton House have to offer your event. 

5. Understand how to compare and share venues in your searches

One our key features is venue comparison and share options. Let us take you through some simple searches to compare some of your favourite venues. Then save and share this comparison with your colleagues or clients with a personalisation and your own insights on the venues offered. Whether you’re in need of a specific meeting room layout, or a hotel with capacity for overnight accommodation, our search function lets you easily compare your options. What’s more, where a venue has a special offer or a ‘buy it now’, it will be visible in the search so that you can take immediate advantage.  

6. Capture our destination knowledge

EDGE Venues is more than just a UK hub of venues, we’re global! We have profiles of more than 125 destinations over 45 countries. We’ll tell you the average flight time, the currency, whether Visas are required and how you can get value for money whilst you’re out there.

So why don’t you come and test our knowledge and let us show you how easy it is to find a venue in your chosen destination?  

7. Venues opportunity to win a fantastic prize

We promised that venues would also have the chance to win one of our fabulous prizes… Fancy winning a 3-night stay in Glen Cottage including one dinner for two people at Michelin star pub restaurant – The Olive Branch wand why not drop into the office and meet the Trinity / EDGE team on route whilst enjoying the delights of the Historic town of Stamford.

8. Meet the team behind the magic

We’re a relatively small team here at EDGE Venues, but we’re a team who is passionate about making a difference to the meetings and events industry. We always want to put a face to a name, so stop by stand D500 and let us show just how passionate we are and how we can help you make a difference to your bookings.

Our final call out to Agents/Corporates – Find out why EDGE Venues should be your first point of call for all meeting and event bookings – come and see us on stand D500.

Our final call out to Venues – Find out why you can’t miss out on the opportunity to showcase your venue to its maximum potential which will increase number of enquiries into your property – come and see us on stand D500.

Register for The Meetings Show here.

Posted on

HotStats report UK hotel rates down 11 per cent in April

Hotels in the UK saw an 11 per cent year-on-year decrease in average room rate to £102.35 in April.

And there was also a 1.6 per cent year-on-year drop in room occupancy to 75.9 per cent during the month, according to the latest data tracking full-service hotels from HotStats.

Hotels in the UK suffered their largest margin of year-on-year profit decline since late 2016, as ancillary revenues fell and costs soared in April,.

The 10 per cent year-on-year decline in GOPPAR (gross operating profit per available room) to £43.22 was far greater than the 1 per cent decrease in RevPAR (revenue per available room), which came in at £87.39 for the month.

Revenue declines were felt across all departments, including declines in food and beverage (down 6.4 per cent) and conference and banqueting (down 14.2 per cent) revenue.

“Whether or not unfinished Brexit is to blame, the hope is that the profit deflation this month is an exaggerated blip due to the timing of Easter, rather than something more ominous,” said Michael Grove, director of intelligence and customer solutions, EMEA, at HotStats.

The leisure-led Stratford-upon-Avon hotel market was one location to benefit from the timing of Easter, as events in key visitor attractions across the town, including the RSC Theatre and Guildhall, helped fuel a 10.3 per cent increase in RevPAR to £64.30, as the recovery in the market in 2019 continues apace.

Occupancy was at 75.2 per cent, up from 70.1 per cent year on year, while the average room rate was up 2.6 per cent on 2018 at £84.42.

In contrast to the wider UK, it was a positive month of performance for hotels in Reading, with a 4.2-percent increase in RevPAR to £62.08, contributing to a 16.4 per cent increase in profit per room.

The increase in profit was supported by an eighth consecutive month of ARR growth to £89.69, and a sixth consecutive month of room occupancy growth to 69.2 per cent.

Posted on

Networking is key to success in events, The Meetings Show reports

A survey of meeting and event planners carried out by The Meetings Show has found that the majority of event planners think networking is vital in their jobs, with millennials valuing it the most highly.

Overall, 59% of participants in the survey regarded networking events as an important part of their job, but this figure rose to 85% among 18-30-year-olds, who cited making new contacts (80%) and raising their profile in the industry (71%) as the key reasons for attending.

While the younger generation clearly see the value in networking, the majority – 85% – were averse to attending on their own, preferring to go with a colleague or group of colleagues.

More experienced event planners were happier to go it alone, with over a third (36.4%) of 31-45-year-olds preferring to attend by themselves.

Motivations for attending differed among the older generations too, with generating new business leads and meeting with existing industry contacts and friends being cited as key drivers by more than 50% of respondents over 30.

The survey also looked at the logistics which make the ‘perfect’ networking event and found that midweek events were most popular, with 69% preferring events held on Wednesdays, while more than half (52.2%) said they would be willing to travel no more than an hour to attend an event.

When it comes to the format of events, paired or group activities was the most popular option, chosen by 53% of respondents, although for the 31-45 age group appointment-based networking was preferred, while for planners aged 46 and over, seat rotation at a dinner was chosen by 70%.

David Chapple, group event director of The Meetings Show, said: “Networking is one of the core pillars of The Meetings Show, and so we are always reviewing the way we facilitate networking to make sure it’s of the most benefit to our exhibitors and visitors. The findings of the survey have reinforced just how important it is, especially for younger event professionals looking to grow their networks and raise their profile within the industry.

“Walking into a room full of people you don’t know can be daunting, which is why this year we have introduced a new initiative specifically aimed at helping junior event planners. If they have a senior colleague who is attending the show as a hosted buyer, then on the second day of the show the junior colleague will be able to join them for all of their appointments, as well as having access to the hosted buyer lounge, for a less intimidating introduction to the industry.

“With networking at The Meetings Show being provided in a number of different formats, all either on the show floor or within easy reach of Olympia, we hope that all of our attendees will benefit from the opportunity to come together at the show.”

The Meetings Show

Throughout The Meetings Show, networking opportunities will take place in a variety of locations and formats, making it the ideal opportunity to meet new contacts as well as catch up with industry friends.

For hosted buyers, the networking will get off to a swinging start with the Hosted Buyer Welcome Reception on Tuesday 25 June. This year attendees will have the chance to tee off at one of London’s top alternative venues, Puttshack, where a friendly – or ever so slightly competitive – round of mini golf will help to break the ice.

When the doors open to the show on Wednesday 26, networking opportunities will be on offer throughout the show, including on-stand receptions hosted by exhibitors, a charity party hosted by MPI and dedicated networking for young event professionals.

Hosted buyers will also have exclusive chances to network in the Hosted Buyer Lounge at the show, and can apply to join post-show fam trips to the West Midlands, Aberdeen, Brighton, Bristol or Paris to discover all the destinations have to offer on a fully-hosted tour, departing when The Meetings Show closes on Thursday 27.

For more information about The Meetings Show’s hosted buyer programme, which offers one, two and three-day attendance options, visit https://www.themeetingsshow.com/visit/hosted-buyer-programme.

The Meetings Show takes place on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 June at Olympia London. To register, visit www.themeetingsshow.com/register.

Posted on

How the future of hospitality is set to change

Keith Prowse, providers of sports hospitality to events such as the Wimbledon Championships, the Ashes and more, have released a new white paper titled ‘People Buy Experiences’.

The new research examines the future of the hospitality sector, and how what was once considered VIP has now become more accessible.

The paper underscores the importance of meeting face to face, showing that many sponsors and brands are using hospitality as a method of building trust with clients and customers.

Sam Coates, head of marketing for Keith Prowse, delivered a talk showcasing some of the results at IMEX Frankfurt on Thursday 23 May.

Among the key findings were that 40% of hospitality buyers were from small businesses, and 61% of attendees to hospitality events were from small businesses.

The industries which were most prominent for hospitality events were professional services, finance, construction and education.

When asked what reason buyers choose hospitality events, 31% said it was to build trust, while 27% said it was facilitate networking. 27% also said it was used to reward or recognise their members of staff.

The hospitality events people aspire to attend the most are tennis and rugby, according to survey results.

The closing remarks of the white paper state: “The automation of brand messaging is eroding trust between brands and their consumers.

“Brands want to meet their stakeholders and clients, and they increasingly understand that premium experiences that are rich in content and time help create the opportunity to engage face-to-face and re-build trust.”

Download the White Paper here.

Posted on

The Eastside Rooms set to launch in Birmingham

A new conference and events venue – The Eastside Rooms – is set to launch in Birmingham in the spring of 2020.

The venue, which will include an onsite hotel, is being built  as part of the Eastside development of the city, which will include HS2 and will be form part of the ‘Knowledge Quarter’.

The Eastside Rooms will feature one of the city’s biggest pillar-free banqueting spaces, with room for 1,200 delegates and  more than 2,980sqm of event space.

“The Eastside Rooms is a really exciting new development for the industry and is arriving at just the right time, in a dynamic city with a heritage of fantastic venues and interesting meeting spaces,” commented regional general manager, Matt Huddart. “This part of Birmingham has an amazing heritage that will be woven into the design of the hotel, but it also has a great future, and will becoming the city’s knowledge and information district, with businesses and innovation centres being built around it.

“We’ve worked really closely with event organisers from the very outset of this project to make sure we’re creating the right spaces with the right infrastructure for a modern event. Over the next few months we’ll be inviting more #eventprofs into the space so we can continue to listen to what they are after and give them the space they need.”

The Eastside Rooms will open in spring 2020, however the space itself will be presented to meetings and events planners in the autumn this year.

Posted on

Radisson Hotel Group launches incentives offering for event industry

The hotel group’s five-year plan includes the ambition of becoming the market leaders in the meetings and events industry.

An important components is Radisson Rewards for Business, the group’s loyalty program for event planners. Members can earn points toward rewards for all bookings at all Radisson Hotel Group brands.

Eric De Neef, Radisson Hotel Group’s executive vice president and global chief commercial officer stated that the offering was in response to changing market trends and expectations.

“We are investing in our meeting venues at our 1,100+ hotels worldwide, in training of our teams, and in technology. A state-of-the-art IT infrastructure and distribution platform are core elements helping us to deliver our brand promise. Finally, all Radisson Meetings are carbon neutral – we are the only hotel group worldwide to automatically offset any carbon footprint at no cost to our customers.”

Excellent customer service is one of the factors that matters most to event planners when selecting a venue.

To this end, the hotel group to making a multi-million investment across its portfolio in new audio-visual technology and improved facilities. Implementation has already been completed in 55 properties across 11 countries in EMEA and will be progressively rolled out globally across the group’s portfolio by the end of the five-year operating plan in 2021.

Sustainability is also a key area, and Radisson Hotel Group has teamed up with FirstClimate, one of the largest carbon offsetting organisations in the world.

For each meeting, the carbon footprint is calculated and then offset through First Climate by supporting projects that combat climate change and have a positive sustainable development contribution in Peru, Kenya, and India or invest in wind energy in Turkey and the USA.

Radisson currently has 500 hotels in their portfolio, across 80 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Half of the portfolio is in emerging markets such as Africa, the Middle East and Russia, whilst the other half is in mature markets such as the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Scandinavia.

Posted on

Prospects for meetings industry remain good

Prospects for the UK’s meetings and events venues remain good for 2019 despite trading against a backdrop of ongoing political and economic uncertainty, says the Meetings Industry Association (mia).

According to figures gathered by the mia, daily delegate rates (DDR) and 24-hour residential rates rose 4% and 9% respectively in the first quarter of this year, continuing a steady upward trend of 2018 when rates rose 2% overall.

Average DDR rates have risen as much as 30% over the last four years, with the biggest increase recorded in the South West and East Midlands according to the mia’s online benchmarking tool miaTouchstone.

Figures from the latest miaTouchstone report reveal the average DDR is now £44, with rates in central London above £60 and outer-London and the South East typically around £45-£50.

The average 24-hour residential rate now stands at £150, with the range between the lowest and highest regions narrowing to £130 and £170.

While the economic and political uncertainty brought about by Britain’s plans to leave the EU appear not to have impacted rates, it could be responsible for a ‘disappointing’ drop in the number of meetings per venue in the first quarter of 2019.

The average number of meetings per venue held from January to March this year were ‘well down’ on those held during the same periods in 2018 and 2017, which the mia believes could be due to a loss of confidence among clients as the UK approached the initial Brexit deadline of 29 March.

The drop in the number of meetings held during the first quarter of this year, is nevertheless being regarded as a blip, thanks to enquiry levels increasing by 5% in January to March compared to the same period in 2018.

Jane Longhurst, chief executive of the mia, said: “miaTouchstone’s review of enquiry levels is a key indicator of future prospects for the meetings and events industry and with those levels continuing to rise, we are optimistic that this year will end on a positive note.

“While the average number of meetings is down for the first quarter of this year, the fact that both DDR and 24-hour residential rates have risen suggest the sector is operating efficiently and robustly.

“We are aware that the uncertainty created by ongoing Brexit negotiations has made the trading landscape difficult for all sectors of the economy and will continue to do so into the near future, but giving participating members access to miaTouchstone means they are able to monitor and benchmark their activity against their peers so they can plan more effectively during this volatile period.”