Author: Suzi Johnson

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COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak causes uncertainty throughout the events industry

Working alongside venues, venue bookers and attendees there is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 Coronavirus situation globally. Hotels and venues are working above and beyond to ensure the safety of both staff and guests. They are providing up-to-date information to help both pre and post events.

Last Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a document to help those that are planning large events. Within this document contained key recommendations including preventative measures, risk assessments and crowd density. The document also provides critical guidance if any attendees display any symptoms consistent with the COVID-19 virus during an event.

The following guidance has been excerpted from the WHO document:

  • Promote hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette. Include this advice within multilingual informational materials.
  • Soap and water or alcohol hand-sanitizers and tissues should be easily accessible in all common areas.
  • Where possible, event organizers should consider distancing measures to reduce close contact among people during a large event including staggering arrivals and minimising congregations at sanitary stations and food and water distribution areas.

A UK-wide action plan to tackle Coronavirus was agreed by today’s COBRA meeting which was chaired by Boris Johnson. Elements of this action plan will start to appear as early as next week.

Here at EDGE Venues, we will continue to provide relevant updates and be in close contact with those affected within the industry. For event organisers planning an event, please see our advice to help you plan.

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Ricoh Arena set for a Hampton by Hilton

A new £15m Hampton by Hilton hotel could open at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena next year, subject to planning permission.

If the planning application is successful, work on the 150-bedroom hotel could start this summer. Completion is scheduled for the fourth quarter of next year. This will be in time for Coventry City of Culture and ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

Wasps Group’s Ricoh Arena complex already boasts a 32,600-capacity stadium alongside 20,000 square metres of event space. The proposed hotel is hoped to attract more conferences, exhibitions and other multi-day events.

The Ricoh Arena already stages more than 1,300 events a year and has a 121-room DoubleTree by Hilton hotel.

Stuart Cain, chief executive (venue) at Wasps Group, said:

“This is an exciting project which will greatly benefit not only Wasps Group but the city as a whole. The new hotel has the potential to create more than 30 new jobs in the hospitality sector. It will bring in around £3.5m per year to the local economy.

“It will also support Wasps Group’s ambitious commercial plans. We have some of the finest conference facilities in the Midlands. Unfortunately, a shortage of bedroom stock at Ricoh Arena means that we are not always able to reach our full potential by accommodating people on site.

“The new hotel will make us an even more attractive venue for organisers that are looking to stage large events over more than one day, and we estimate that it will boost revenue by as much as £1m per year.”

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration, added:

“This is great news. A hotel has always been part of the wider plan for the whole development, so I’m glad to see this progress. I’m sure it will enable the team to secure even more brilliant events at the Ricoh and of course it will create new jobs for local people.”

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Value of 2020 meetings sector to be uncovered by UKCAMS survey

UK conference and meeting venues are being urged to take part in the 2020 UK Conference and Meeting Survey (UKCAMS). This will help determine the value of 2020 meetings for the industry.

Though designed to be answered by venues, the survey will help event planners determine levels of investment made by venues in their product. It will give an indication of what percentage of event management is outsourced to a PCO or event management agencies and collect data on average rates achieved by venues and average durations of meetings and conferences.

Scheduled for publication in June, the UKCAMS 2020 report is hoping to achieve a minimum of 300 survey responses from UK venues.

Tony Rogers of Tony Rogers Conference & Event Services said: “We work on there being a universe of circa 3,500 primary conference and meeting venues across the UK. In 2019 we achieved 340 responses, approx. 10 per cent. We are also asking some new questions this year, alongside our traditional questions.”

“These cover factors that may impact levels of business, such as labour shortages, Brexit, competition, climate change, the economy, and also factors that are important to buyers in selecting venues, such as non-traditional seating and modular spaces, facilities for hybrid meetings, security and privacy.”

Value of 2020 meetings survey focus on venues’ conference and meeting business during 2019

Questions include:

  • how many events were hosted
  • rates achieved
  • event duration and size
  • client type
  • levels of residential and non-residential business
  • origins of the business
  • and capital investment undertaken.

The results aim to provide a definitive insight into the conference and meetings sector. They are widely used to inform investment, advocacy and marketing activities.

Last year’s research found that the conference and meetings sector was worth an estimated £18.3 billion to the UK economy. 1.48 million meetings taking place in 2018.

UKCAMS 2020 also includes a section on the targeting and securing of international events by UK venues. There will also be a question on factors likely to affect venues’ level of business over the next few years.

Venues that participate in the survey will receive a complimentary, personalised summer report. This will enable them to benchmark their performance in 2019 against other comparable venues.

The survey is accessible here.

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Radisson Hotel Group driving plastic reduction

Radisson Hotel Group is launching a global roll-out plan of plastic reduction. This includes the introduction of bulk amenities in all hotels across the group’s portfolio by 2022.

Radisson Hotel Group will implement bulk amenity dispensers across all brands by the beginning of 2022, replacing small bottles for common bathroom products.

This action will remove 57 million miniature amenities from circulation, avoiding the use of almost 500 tons of plastic annually.

In addition, Radisson Hotel Group has a global commitment to #refusethestraw. This ensures plastic straws and plastic stirrers are no longer used in its hotels by 2021. Eco-friendly alternatives will be offered to guests upon request.

Federico González Tejera, chief executive, Radisson Hospitality, said: “Plastic pollution is one of the current major global issues and our Group is proud to play a leading role in driving plastic reduction across the travel and tourism industry.”

The group is running a series of innovative pilot projects aiming to find new ways to drive plastic reduction globally.

Find out more about the Radisson commitment here.

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Blackpool to reveal forthcoming £500m transformation

Blackpool has returned to the conference and events mainstream. The resort’s message is to showcase its £500m transformation of the resort and its conference offer.

VisitBlackpool has joined forces with the resort’s Winter Gardens and a range of hotel partners to showcase its forthcoming transformation. They will exhibit at the International Confex to be staged at ExCeL London, 25-26 February.

A brand new £28m conference centre which is under construction adjacent to the historic Winter Gardens. This will increase capacity to almost 8,000 delegates when it officially opens for business early next year.

Several three-, four- and five-star hotels are also under construction.

The electrification of the Blackpool to Preston railway line will open up the resort to direct daily services with major cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

The infrastructure, including a remodelled seafront, new European-style trams and the development of the biggest range of branded visitor attractions outside London, is also to delivered.

Partners at International Confex include representatives from two of the resort’s new hotels, The Boulevard and Hampton By Hilton. As well as existing hotels including The Imperial, Best Western Carlton, Royal Hotels Group and The Grand.

Mandy Tythe-McCallum, business tourism manager, for VisitBlackpool, said: “Blackpool has a long-established reputation as a conference destination, but we need to tell the world that we are not trading on nostalgia.

“Our business tourism offer has benefited from the huge programme of resort regeneration that is underway. At the heart of our offer is the brand-new conference and exhibition centre that has been specifically designed to accommodate modern conferences and other large-scale events.”

With the addition of the new Conference & Exhibition Centre, the Winter Gardens will become a hub of 12 distinct venues. It will offer a total of 4.9 acres of connected conference, meeting, event and exhibition space.

The 140-year old Winter Gardens is itself enjoying a multi-million-pound upgrade. This will include a new air conditioning system, improved digital connectivity and extensive refurbishments throughout the complex.

The plans for the new Conference Centre and upgraded Winter Gardens have already seen the venue sign-up several new major clients. They also welcome back a number of big events which had relocated to other venues.

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Radisson Riyadh Airport set to open in late 2020

The Radisson Riyadh Airport is the newest addition to the Radisson Hotel Group portfolio. It brings the group’s portfolio to over 45 hotels, resorts and serviced apartments in operation/ under development.

Riyadh is the largest city and capital of Saudi Arabia. King Khalid International Airport is about 35 kilometres to the north of Riyadh city and home to Radisson’s newest hotel.

As the economic capital of Saudi Arabia, the number of passengers through King Khalid International Airport exceeded 26m in 2019.

Located within close proximity, the hotel will be conveniently accessible from the airport. The city centre can be reached via Riyadh’s new metro system, making it an ideal location for business travellers.

Elie Younes, chief development officer, Radisson Hotel Group, said: “Saudi Arabia is one of the eight key focus countries in EMEA.

“We align our plans along those of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 which aims to significantly increase the contribution of tourism to the country’s economy.

“We thank our partners for their trust and look forward to opening the hotel later this year and to an exciting and rewarding journey.”

Opening late 2020, the hotel will complement Radisson Hotel Group’s array of city and leisure hotels across Riyadh.

The hotel will consist of 471 keys across various room types including serviced apartments and villas. Enabling them to cater to guests that require larger units or long stay units.

The property will feature an all-day dining restaurant and two speciality restaurants.

Guests will be able to enjoy an outdoor swimming pool and various leisure facilities. Including separated ladies and men fitness studio, indoor pool and a spa.

Check back for updates on opening later this year.

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ALL Visa card launched by Accor for Loyalty Members

Accor Hotels Logo

Accor and Visa have announced a global partnership to bring new payment experiences to ALL-Accor Live Limitless loyalty members.

The partnership will bring together Accor’s loyalty program and Visa’s global payment capabilities to create the new ALL Visa card. Members who apply for the new Visa card and use it for everyday purchases everywhere Visa is accepted. Accor will collaborate with Visa financial institutions across Europe, America, Middle East and Asia Pacific to issue ALL Visa cards. It will offer members tailored rewards based on customer preferences. They will also have the ability to earn more loyalty points when staying with Accor or when making purchases.

Accor boasts a portfolio of strong and iconic brands across all segments in the most promising markets around the globe. Accor offers unique experiences through its 39 hotel brands, in more than 5,000 hotels and residences across 110 destinations.

The introduction of ALL Visa payment cards aims to leverage Accor’s augmented hospitality ecosystem. ALL Visa will engage customers beyond their stay via industry-leading benefits and innovative digital, mobile-first experiences.

The cobranded payment cards will generate additional customer engagement in hotels and new member recruitment opportunities for ALL as well as spend uplift.

Sébastien Bazin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Accor, said:

“Partnering with Visa will be a huge boost to Accor as we embark on the shared journey to develop an innovative co-branded payment card. This new initiative will provide unmatched benefits to our members and reinforce the success of our ALL loyalty program by increasing our member base driving additional engagement and giving each member incentives to stay with us more frequently and easily. The development of ALL is a major milestone for us, and in Visa we are very pleased to have found a partner which shares our passion for delivering everyday rewards and recognition.”

Al Kelly, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Visa, said:

“We are delighted to partner with Accor and support the introduction of a new customer loyalty program. Today’s digitally-savvy consumers expect rewards that are tailored to their needs and offer new and unique experiences. I am extremely excited about the power of Accor’s expertise in hospitality coming together with Visa’s global network and digital capabilities. This combination will translate into attractive loyalty and payment products that will be at the forefront of the hospitality market.”

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Almarose Hotels and Resorts appoints Richard Moore as group chief executive

Real estate investment company Aprirose has appointed Richard Moore group chief executive of its Almarose hotel management platform.

Moore most recently served as area senior vice-president UK, Ireland and Western Europe for Radisson Hotel Group. He has also previously held roles including managing director of director of hotel consultancy services for CBRE Hotels and area senior vice president at Radisson Hotel Group.

Moore will lead and develop Almarose as the business continues to look for opportunities to grow and invest in its portfolio. Aprirose launched the company in February 2019 to create a dedicated team to manage assets under its ownership.

Moore said: “As a new entity, a year into its journey, the company has clear aspirations for growth, a best in class team and a committed parent company dedicated to operational excellence and delivering strong results. There is ample opportunity available to build on the strength of the hugely professional management in place. I look forward to working alongside Aprirose, and to lead the team at Almarose, to develop this agile and ambitious business.”

Manish Gudka, chief executive of Aprirose, said: “[Moore’s] extensive experience in the UK and Europe, alongside his strong relationships working with hotel groups and third-party brands, makes him perfectly placed to fulfil this role.”

Almarose manages 20 properties within its portfolio, including 14 QHotels which Aprirose acquired in September 2017, five DoubleTree by Hilton hotels and the Nottingham Belfry.

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Last minute chance to experience Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona

As you may already be aware, The Mobile World Congress Convention has been cancelled in Barcelona due to the global concern of the Coronavirus outbreak. The event is a key part of Barcelona’s visitor economy which in 2019 resulted in an economic impact of 473 million euros and 13,900 temporary jobs.

With the event due to be held between the 24th and 27th February The Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona has launched an incredible offer to try and recoup some of the economic loss they will face.

I am contacting you all to make you aware of this offer and ask you to choose this venue for any business you can put forward to them. It is our direct responsibility to help venues where we can, and you too can help us to help them by considering the venue and the below offer where possible.

The Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona is a venue not to be missed and this opportunity will enable your clients to experience a great venue at an unmissable price.

As a strong venue procurement community, please let us show our support and find a fantastic event to fill this space.

Jacqui Kavanagh

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Planning approved for new EventCity

Plans for a new and bespoke EventCity have been approved. The application proposed the creation of a state-of-the-art venue in TraffordCity, in the present site of the Soccerdome.

Boasting an enhanced premium offering whilst still providing the same blank canvas as its existing core offer, the new site will bring EventCity even closer to several leisure venues and hotels, as well as providing excellent road and public transport access.  

At 23,700 sq. m, the purpose-built facility will cater for a range of events and will be more malleable, allowing for areas to be divided off with acoustic walls, so multiple events can take place at any one time. The venue will include updated features, such as a central foyer with breakout space and a reconfigured entrance.

With the doors to the new venue set to open in Spring 2021, the current EventCity will remain in operation until then. Work will commence at the new site immediately, with EventCity and Peel L&P entering a new, long-term lease of 25 years.