Tourism and Hospitality

Agency Grass Roots Meetings & Events has appointed an events management graduate following Meeting Professionals International’s (MPI) inaugural MPI Connects event in April.

The MPI Connects event, which took place at Westminster University in April, was designed to bring together industry employers and new talent who are looking to make a start in the events industry.

As a result, Grass Roots Meetings & Events has appointed Takara Patrick, a Bournemouth University events management graduate, to the role of events coordinator.

Grass Roots Meetings & Events operational director Sue Massey said: “The MPI Connects event was a great opportunity, which not only benefitted the jobseekers but ourselves as employers.

“Off the back of the event, we have been able to employ a fantastic graduate in Takara and we are excited about her future in one of our client implant teams in London. The whole idea of bringing employers together with those searching for careers within the industry should be applauded.”

C&IT’s State of the Industry Report has revealed that recruiting new talent is the top challenge facing event agencies in 2015, with Smyle managing director Rick Stainton stating: “The top challenge for anyone at the moment is talent. There doesn’t seem to be any. It’s very difficult to find really good, multi-discipline, multi-sector experience or talent out there.”

The MPI Connects event was attended by more than 50 event management students who were advised to ‘take the initiative, pick up the phone’ and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the industry to find employment.

Hamish Reid, UK commercial director at MPI, added: “One of our main aims is to aid students with the transition between full-time education and finding a career.

“MPI Connects was created for the sole purpose of connecting jobseekers and students like Takara to potential recruiters so for a global company such as Grass Roots to hire as a result of the event is a real success.”

In March, Grass Roots made three ‘significant’ changes to its leadership team ahead of new ambitious growth plans.

In March MSc Retail Management and Marketing students had a chance to explore the London Borough Market, enjoying the unique opportunity to sample European food  (e.g. cheese and homemade bread) and to wander through Western market stalls. The students observed how market traders consistently use various experiential tactics to indulge visitors’ senses such as colourful product displays, delicious scent from the displayed products or cooking, friendly staff inviting visitors to sample products, welcoming store ambience, quirky and clear signage and, more importantly, the market traders apply hardly any pressure on the visitors to buy from them. These tactics exemplify the principles of great customer experiences proposed by Watkinson (2013) i.e. indulging consumer senses, being socially engaging, offering a stress-free environment, and empowering the customer with a sense of control.

After the market trip, students visited Dalziel and Pow (a London-based agency with over 30-years’ experience in retail branding and design, and met with Mr David Wright, the Group Marketing Director. Mr Wright gave a talk on the company’s history and the strategic roles that retail design play in branding a retail business and delivering added-value customer experiences. During his talk, Mr Wright shared some stories from their projects commissioned by leading retailers such as Argos, Primark, The White Company, and Monsoon. The trip to Dalziel and Pow concluded with a tour around the company and its design studio. This field trip was a great opportunity for the September and January cohorts to bond with each other and the tutors, Dr Jason Sit and Dr Gregory Kapuscinski.

Last Friday a guest speaker Alistair Turner, PR Director for Britain for Events Campaign, for BVEP – Britain Visits and Events Partnership came to give a talk to our Event Management students.

Dr Mary Beth Gouthro, a Senior Lecturer In Events Management said:  “we are very pleased to have Alistair Turner join us for a guest lecture on the heels of the recent release of the DCMS Business Visits and Events Strategy.”  This strategy is the first of its kind in that there hasn’t been an overarching strategic approach to business events before, so as to develop domestic and  international market opportunities.  In addition, the strategy also acknowledges future governance, infrastructure and funding, visas and ‘welcome from Britain’ to international visitors, marketing and strategic partnerships.  The strategy is also meant to play a key role in 2020 Export Drive, ie in optimising unique world events to boost UK exports.

One of the key features of the strategy (and a first) is the creation of a Business Visits & Events Board, made up of events industry representatives, government departments and agencies, under the auspices of the GREAT programme. The new board is tasked with identifying business opportunities and to win more events for Britain, and represents new resources for the events industry.

Alistair plays a key role in its promoting its execution go forward and reflects progressive steps eg policy implications and further legitimisation of the events sector in UK.

Alistair shared a great example for Britain bidding to host the Olympics 2012. If you haven’t seen the video yet you can view it here: https://vimeo.com/37241441

Daniele Quattromini, manager at ClubLounge39 at Canary Wharf and winner of the Gold Service Scholarship 2015, shares his top tips for providing quality service. 

http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Venues/Daniele-Quattromini-of-ClubLounge39-on-delivering-top-quality-service

As part of their Sport Marketing unit, students work around the real case of a German sport fashion firm and lifestyle internet platform in order to support their business activities in the UK.

The success of the entrepreneurially driven and award-winning myboshi brand in continental Europe is built on the refreshing way it challenges old crafting traditions and inspire creative communities to ‘crochet their own world’.

 Organized by Dr Tim Breitbarth (Faculty of Management), the work on the students’ marketing plans kicked-off with a one-day intense case workshop on campus. A similar workshop involving industry as part of his undergraduate delivery was trialed in 2014 already.

This format includes various short input sessions, a number of small assignments and action-based group work as well as selected presentations and instant discussion/feedback.

Students also had the chance to talk to Thomas Jaenisch, one of the two founders and CEO of myboshi, via video link in order to learn more about the past, present and future of the business.

As part of his ongoing collaboration with industry, Dr Tim Breitbarth will provide the firm’s management with a short report based on the students’ work. Already, during the video conversation a storyboard from one of the student groups for a viral campaign did catch Thomas’ very interest.

Picture 1: Thomas Jaenisch, CEO and founder of myboshi, getting interviewed by students in order to gain more insights into the business as basis for the students’ marketing plans

Picture 2: Students in a fishbowl discussion situation as part of the one-day intensive workshop

Picture 3: One of various short input sessions leading to short group assignments as part of the one-day intensive workshop (here delivered from Dr Christopher Huth, visiting scholar from Bayreuth University)

The participants in the inaugural Fast Forward 15 mentoring scheme for women in the events industry were unveiled at a special launch event at The Savoy Hotel, London. The scheme – the brainchild of Zibrant’s Fay Sharpe – is designed to help women reach the top in business.

 When she took to the stage at The Savoy Hotel, Sharpe told the 95 per cent female audience: “I feel like I’ve just had a baby!”

The event was a chance for both mentors and mentees to get to know each other and start to develop the relationships that will be crucial to the programme’s success. Sharpe said she had achieved multi-millionaire status by deciding on goals, writing them down but then “being prepared to move the goalposts” when necessary.” She told the audience that her father had died early and this left her focused on being the bread-winner for her family.

Sharpe said there had been 139 applicants to be mentored under the scheme but only 15 were successful.

Fleur Burrows-Jones, from The National Theatre, who is one of the scheme’s first mentees, said: “I am so pleased to be part of Fast Forward 15 and looking forward to gaining knowledge and expertise from a leading woman within the industry. Being part of Fast Forward 15 will inspire me to progress in my career within the events world. I am very much looking forward to working with my mentor Hannah Rhodes over the coming year.”

Commenting on Fast Forward 15, Hannah Rhodes, founder of Hiver Beer and Burrows-Jones’ mentor, said: “It’s a wonderful opportunity for the mentees to gain insight into working cultures outside of their own role and gain perspective on their own professional challenges.

“I’d love to think that in a year’s time the applicants will have clarity about their own ways of working and will be looking to lead the industry by example in the years ahead. Even as a mentor, you can’t help but be impressed by the high standards set by Fay and think, ‘What’s stopping me?’”

Fay Sharpe added: “This has been a momentous occasion; there was real electricity in the air when we introduced mentors and mentees to each other for the first time in the flesh. This will be an exciting and productive year and I look forward to working with all parties to ensure that the scheme is a resounding success, serving as an example to the hospitality industry.”

The full list of participants are:

Aspirational Board Director

Selina Donald, ITV (mentor: Fay Sharpe, Zibrant)

Rachel Bartlett, Warwick Conferences (mentor: Jo Austin, Lime Venue Portfolio)

Middle Management Progression

Fleur Burrows-Jones, National Theatre (mentor: Hannah Rhodes, Hiver Beer)

Catriona Ross, Post Office Ltd (mentor: Alex James, Zibrant)

Corporate Events Professional

Laura Adams, cievents (mentor: Joanna Lawlor, AstraZeneca)

Michelle Kibble, Everywoman Ltd (mentor: Karen Sumner, Allen & Overy LLP)

Lauren Glynn, Harrow School Enterprises Ltd (mentor: Jackie Mulligan, Leeds Beckett University)

Kate Furness, Zibrant LIVE! (mentor: Jason Scott, entrepreneurial consultant)

Emma North, Black Tomato Agency (mentor: Lex Butler, Wolf & White)

Budding Entrepreneur

Amy Seton, The Food and Drink Events Company (mentor: Paul Beavis, Champagne Lanson)

Libby Willetts, EMA Events (mentor: Sallie Coventry, ibtm events)

Maternity Leave Returner

Rebecca Goodman, Ageas UK Ltd (mentor: Yasmin Arrigo, Haymarket Media Group)

Under-26

Tanya Dennis, MRO Network (mentor: Meenaz Lilani, Fairmont/Raffles Hotels & Resorts)

Charlotte Warwick, Silverstone Circuit (mentor: Louise Bang, Ritz Carlton)

 University Final-Year Student

Hannah Coleman, Bournemouth University (mentor: Juliet Price, HBAA)

Bournemouth University have won the Passion 4 Hospitality Business Game for the second year in a row. Team member Ellen McCausland tweeted after the event “@HOTS_Simulation Such a fantastic day yesterday at @IoH_Online Conference. Proud to have brought home the trophy for a second year! #BUproud”. The competition was contested this year by teams from Plymouth, Manchester Metropolitan, University College Birmingham, Westminster Kingsway and Bournemouth. These five teams came through the online heats for the competition, which featured eight teams.

This year the focus of the business game was on revenue management, social media and guest reviews. Each of the five teams competing in the HOTS business management game were given the responsibility of managing individual hotels within the simulated environment. All five teams were in direct competition with each other and competition was fierce.

The simulation scenario was created to compliment the theme from the P4H live debate final. The teams were tasked with creating a revenue management strategy for their hotels and then executing this within the simulation. The teams were judged on their hotel performance results, which included RevPAR, ADR, Occupancy and Gross Operating Profit. They each also had to produce a written revenue management plan. The teams could sell rooms through online channels, set their rate strategies and also manage their social media profiles.

Peter Russell, Operations manager from HOTS (The Total Simulator Company) said, “We wanted to present the teams with a curveball this year and present them with an exercise closely focused on revenue management to see how they would cope. This will be an essential skill for them in years to come and all five teams coped very well, with all of them running profitable hotel businesses by the end of the competition, which is a great achievement.”

The properties all started the same, with all teams having an equal chance for success. The competition was fierce with Plymouth coming a very close second, followed by Manchester Metropolitan in third.

Debra Adams, Head of Professional Development at arena4finance said, “We were very impressed by the commitment and level of achievement demonstrated by all the teams taking part at this years event. REVPAR and GOPPAR maximisation was the key to success and all the teams massively improved these KPI’s for their virtual hotels resulting in a very close contest!”

The Business Management Game was delivered by the teams from HOTS and arena4finance and in partnership with the Institute of Hospitality, HOSPA and CHME.

The winning team will be awarded a day in industry from a partner organisation who will give them experience of what it is like working in the hospitality industry. This will be discussed with the team to make sure the day is focused on an area of interest to them.

All of the teams did exceptionally well. If these were real life hotels, all of the shareholders would be very pleased, as all five hotels were starting to turn a good profit by the end of the year, with the chance for further improvement in future years.

This was the second year that this Business Management Game has taken place and due to the positive feedback received, it will certainly be taking place again next year. If your university is interested in taking part, contact the teams from HOTS or arena4finance.

Picture caption: University of Bournemouth win P4H 2015 Business Game Competition. Peter Russell & Debra Adams present the award to the winners.

For further information contact: Peter Russell – The Total Simulator Company (HOTS) – prussell@etosc.com

Wayne Gosden – arena4finance – wayne.gosden@arena4finance.co.uk