Pressure building on hotels...

For those who have read any of my previous blogs you’ll be aware that I am quite keen to highlight issues with hotels, be it costs or service provision and it seems that I am not the only one.  Hotels are coming under increasing pressure on the issue of costs and price fixing (or in this case ‘rate-parity’), which has – according to the article – cost holiday makers hundreds of pounds.  The area not highlighted by the article is that, if found guilty, then this price fixing scandal has surely cost the Meeting and Events (M&E) industry a vast amount of money.

The thing is that there has been an opinion in the industry for years that the rates charged by different hotels are very similar despite, in theory, being in competition.  Usually in a competitive market, which the hotel sector certainly is, the main players try everything to stand out and win the custom from their rivals; one way this is achieved is through costing less than their competitors.  In the UK hotel sector, especially in London, this has never appeared to be the case, even during the recession. 

Is there anything wrong with price fixing by hotels?!  The use of the term rate-parity certainly makes it sound less illegal.  Usually the idea of price fixing refers to competitors agreeing to charge certain or similar amounts but in this scenario it is slightly different.  Basically the hotels are (allegedly) telling third party websites, i.e. lastminute, expedia, etc, the lowest rate they are allowed to charge for rooms at their hotel.  Scenarios have occurred where chains have been emailing third parties to tell them they are no longer allowed to offer their hotel on the site due to ‘parity issues,’ in other words the site is offering rooms at the hotel for an amount that doesn’t provide the required profit margin.  Although it pains me to admit, I tend to agree with the hotels – what’s wrong with this?!

Surely any business is entitled to set what they feel is fair in terms of how much their service / product is worth.  At Connect we offer a range of event services for which we have a minimum price we can realistically charge, i.e. the profit margin.  If a third party offered our services for a figure lower than this we wouldn’t be happy in the slightest.  Therefore I have to ask, why should we expect hotels to not have the same principal?!  My main issue with it is that they have not just come out and explained that’s what happens.

Hotels, especially those in London, do appear to have been relatively unaffected by the economic downturn and subsequent recession.  It is frustrating when the majority involved in the M&E industry have had to make cutbacks (both financial and otherwise) but hotels continue to charge high accommodation and meeting rates.  Without question I would like to see a greater sense of realism from hotels in terms of what they charge to use their properties (this applies equally to holiday accommodation).  Does this mean I feel the hotel chains in question should be fined up to 10% of their profits should the allegations prove founded?  The simple answer is no.

The hotels are not so much price fixing as guaranteeing their profit margins.  The British public are very quick to show their displeasure at anything that is seen to unfairly increase their costs, especially in such a tough economic time but I am not sure this particular accusation is fair on the hotels – after all they are not being run as charities.  Customers of hotels, both business and pleasure, have a wide ranging choice of hotels that offer a great difference in terms of quality and subsequently price.  If the budget for accommodation is £150 per night or event is £60 per person certain properties, possibly the preferred option included, could be out of the required price range.  This isn’t the hotels fault – there is a reason the hotel industry operates a star rating system – and there will be viable alternative options.

This rate parity / price fixing, call it what you want, from hotels is at worst a questionable practice.  If, as mentioned already, they openly came out and explained that this is how rates on third party sites are agreed then, whilst you would have some who disagree, I think for the most part it would be accepted.  There would definitely me a part of me that would enjoy seeing the hotel chains in questions being fined the figures being suggested but I wouldn’t agree with it.  For many reasons pressure has been building on hotels over their costs and, for the most part, rightly so but I feel that in regard to these accusations the additional pressure is unfair.

http://www.connectevents.co.uk/

The issue with WiFi...

Given the UK is so advanced in many ways the quality of WiFi in public places is a continuous source of frustration for all who use it.  As an event organiser I would like to use a stronger word than frustration but given this is a public blog it’s probably best I don’t.

The internet is such a major part of our every day life today that when attending events there is almost a look horror when you tell them that it is available but at a cost – this applies frequently to delegates as well as sponsors.  The pressure on event organisers to provide free of charge WiFi for all is growing but unfortunately venues do not seem to appreciate this.  In the current economic climate it would be refreshing for venues to provide WiFi for free but unfortunately (and sadly unsurprisingly) they don’t.  Charges vary but are rarely cheap and put additional pressures on those responsible for the budget and financial viability of events – especially if the organiser chooses to provide free access for all (£550 per floor per day at the QEII for example).

If it was a world wide issue then I, along with other organiser’s, would not be as irritated by the charges faced by the event itself, sponsors and delegates.  However it isn’t a world wide issue and through my travels it is becoming increasingly obvious that it is not even just a European issue but predominantly a UK one.  If we were not as economically advanced as we were then it may be understandable that countries such as Estonia embarrass us with how advanced their WiFi provision – both on a professional and domestic basis – is.  On a recent Connect Events site visit trip to Tallinn I enquired as to whether WiFi was available and what the charges were – the answer was yes and free (bet you are shocked with that outcome).  However, the best part was when the venue event manager simply stated “in Estonia wireless is almost a human right.”  A human right?!?!  In the UK we’re lucky if we can get connected for less than £5 an hour!  A further shock to the fact that it is a human right was that it’s available not just in buildings free of charge but also in parks, beaches and even buses!  The mind boggles at how far behind we, the UK, are in the provision of this service.

I’m not saying it should be that widely available and in fairness t the UK countries such as Estonia have an advantage in that they are a fairly new country since their independence from the Soviet Union and as a result they can implement new technologies that impact infrastructure, etc much easier.  However this sort of example, along with the fact that wireless is available free of charge in US hotels, just demonstrates that UK based hotels (and similar) continuing to charge is­­­­, to put it bluntly, mad!  The common argument, especially with hotels, is that they need to cover capital charges, in other words the costs of installing and running the routers, etc, but if that were really the case wouldn’t they need to charge every time you flushed the toilet or took a shower, as I am sure the plumbing and so on was not free?!  The reason hotels and other venues charge is simply that they can – they know organisers, sponsors, delegates need (rather than simply want) access to the Internet and therefore see it as an easy way of making additional revenue; basically the Ryanair ‘charge because we can’ approach.  To add insult to injury the quality of wireless connection is often inadequate, especially when compared to the cost incurred. 

Personally, I don’t have an issue with venues charging for a supported service, i.e. a WiFi connection that has technical support included on site if something should go wrong, and I am sure I’m not the only one.  Perhaps a compromise is the best and most viable solution.  Basic WiFi could be free to all – including large exhibitions in the venues that offer this space – but advanced WiFi, i.e. those that support VPN services and therefore may require technical help, can be charged at a fair rate to those who need it.  Currently, at the majority of venues, any WiFi connection is charged for and it is this that we need to move away from.  If high street vendors such as Starbucks can provide it for free I see no reason why hotels, conference centres and exhibition halls can’t do the same.  Given the continued high room rates, accommodation costs and DDR figures across the event market it would provide a welcome break for all concerned.

www.connectevents.co.uk

Essential tips for Event Success

If prepared and planned for properly, being involved in events (exhibitions, conferences, networking meetings, etc) can provide an ideal platform to meet with and impress your target audience.  However, it is often difficult to know where to start in planning for an event, which can often result in a poor event and resulting low return on investment (ROI).

Here at Connect Events we have compiled a list of top tips to help you and your team prepare effectively for any event you are involved in.

Pre-Event: Planning & Preparation

1.       As with advertising, events should be treated as part of an overall marketing strategy rather than a last minute choice as a way of utilising left over budget.  This ensures that the events you sponsor and participate in will be the ones most suited to meeting the goals and objectives of your organisation.

2.       To maximise ROI we’d always recommend the setting of measurable objectives.  Doing this ensures that your staff attend the event knowing what it is they and the organisation want to achieve from the event.  It creates focus and can help make the difference between a good event and an exceptional one.

3.       Request to see a copy of the event marketing plan from the organisers.  This provides you with the opportunity to double check that a) the right people are being targeted and b) they are actively promoting the event to the market.

4.       Produce a detailed budget, which is circulated to the key members of the event team.  Ensures a clear understanding of the finances available to help meet the event objectives.

5.       For efficiency, appoint one person to be responsible for the planning and budgeting of the event – often known as an Event Coordinator.   This can be either and internal or external appointment.  One of their responsibilities is to read the event manual.

6.       Whilst it is the responsibility of the organisers to attract the right quantity and quality of delegate to the event it is always advisable to invite your own customers and prospects.  Meeting your customers / prospects at an event provides guaranteed face-to-face networking time and is probably the single most effective way of generating business.  Recent research by the ‘Centre for Exhibition Industry Research’ has shown that 83% of the most successful exhibitors had emailed their customers pre-event.

On Site: At the Event

1.       Ensure you select the right (and best) staff for your on-site team.  Whether you have a large exhibition stand or just a small spot in the networking area the quality of your staff’s performance is central to your event success.  Often it can be useful to provide training for your staff pre-event to ensure they are aware of ideal event behaviour.

2.       It’s easy to spend a lot of money on the most visual aspect of an event – your stand – without actually getting the stand to have the right impact.  It is important your stand is designed to meet your objectives rather than simply to be eye-catching in an exhibition.  A bold and flashy stand is no use if customers and prospects can not see or find the messages you want them to.

3.       Research and make the most of additional on-site sponsorship and networking opportunities.  A lot of events have on site activities such as drinks receptions, breakfast briefings, seated lunches, etc that sponsors are encouraged to attend.  Utilise these free / low-cost elements to maximise your event presence and experience.

4.       Avoid asking questions such as ‘can we help you...’ almost everyone will say no.  Ask open questions that encourage answers and discussion.

5.       Produce an easy to use and understand lead-recording system.  This will ensure that when busy on-site at an event your staff will be able to complete them quickly.  Some events will have a barcode on their badges, which contains the FULL contact details of the delegate – at these events hire a scanner – this ensures that you will be able to record the details of those delegates that have taken the time to visit your stand.

6.       As mentioned in point 1 the right staff on site is vital to your event success.  Of similar importance is to ensure your staff are motivated and looked after on site.  For example provide achieveable targets for your stand staff to help concentrate the mind but also book them into a hotel close to the event to ensure they do not have a long and tiring journey in the morning.

Post-Event Site: ROI

1.       A common error is to think about following up leads once the event has finished; you need to plan your follow-up before the event.  This can include, for example, setting a deadline for making contact with all leads, not just the hottest ones.

2.       If organisers have promised data post event make sure someone in your team is allocated to chase the event data up.  It should not take an organiser more than 3 days to get the data to you.

3.       Don’t overload your sales team post event.  If they are too busy they will not be able to follow up the event leads so try, where possible, to clear their diaries for a week after the event.

4.       To maximise ROI ensure that leads are prioritised according to importance – in other words those that are most likely to result in business are contacted first.  Ideally leads should be categorised on site

5.       Linked to closely to point 3 is the importance of following up leads immediately.  The longer you leave a lead before contacting them the less likely they are to purchase your product / service (or even worse they may use one of your competitors instead).

6.       Very rarely will you see a result from a lead sooner than 3 months post event.  Be patient but persistent both with the leads but also your sales team.  In the current economic climate the procurement process of many organisations is much longer so take this into account when analysising your ROI.

The above are just a selection of the points we at Connect Events feel are key to ensuring you have a productive and rewarding event experience each­­ and every time you are involved in one.  There are of course more.

Further hints and tips can be found on our homepage - http://www.connectevents.co.uk/

A great weekend of sport ahead

As my bio states I am a bit of a sports mad person so I’m sure it is unsurprising to see I am just a little excited about the weekend’s sport, which admittedly is making it hard to concentrate on the daily job!

The Masters (golf), Grand National (horse racing), Malaysian Grand Prix (F1), Heineken Cup Quarter-Finals (Rugby Union) not to mention the weekly tension of the business end of the football season – just 7 games to go now in the Premiership!

The Masters is an amazing sporting event and I think one of the few golf tournaments that even those who do not like the game (or sport in general) can at least appreciate and possibly even enjoy.  Historically it is one of the oldest tournaments but it is in the prestige factor where it really shines through.  When past greats such as Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Arnold Palmer still have nerves when teeing off and current greats such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson describe it as “one of the most exciting tournaments” then you know it is something special.  Thankfully the weather in Augusta, Georgia (USA) is proving to be as nice as it is here currently, which just adds to the impressive aura of the tournament.  The appearance of the Masters course – Augusta – is simply breathtaking and I can’t wait to watch the excitement over the next 3 days – hopefully McIlroy will repeat his first days form and bring home the green jacket.

A lot of us don’t understand horse racing as a sport and, whilst I am an armchair fan, I do fall into that category.  Despite that I do love the big race meetings – Cheltenham Festival, Royal Ascot and of course Aintree with its Grand National!  For some reason, ever since I was young, the Grand National has always been the race everyone knows about.  Now I’m not sure why exactly – perhaps it is because there are 40 horses, lots of betting opportunities, amazing level of build up and coverage or indeed a combination of all those reasons and more – but the bottomline is that even those not interested in horse racing appear to look forward to it.  This is proven by some of my colleagues at Connect Events who usually show no interest in sport yet this week have been asking me for my tips and suggestions!  It’s been fun being able to talk about sport in the office and no one yawning!  My tips (for those of you who are interested) by the way are Don’t Push It, Majestic Concorde and Calgary Bay – all each way of course.

Out of the sports listed at the start F1 is the one that least excites me, however with three British drivers now in the field there is definitely a lot more interest than in previous years.  I think it is a British thing...we don’t really care about a sport unless there is someone who is British and good involved.  Given the close battle last year I am looking forward to the Red Bull / Ferrari / McLaren three-way battle again, especially with Hamilton and Button both driving for the same team.  Practice went well this morning and I am hoping for a British winner come Sunday morning – fingers crossed if there is, that it precedes a British Masters winner too!

Club rugby doesn’t really get the coverage it deserves.  Over the last decade or so, especially since it became a professional sport in 1995, attendances at rugby union club (top flight) matches have steadily been increasing but yet there is still an over-riding theory that it is not a hugely popular sport, especially when compared with football.  The quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup take place this weekend and the success of this tournament is a true testament to the improvement both on and off the field of rugby union in the Northern Hemisphere.  With four French, two English and two Irish sides competing for the semi-final spots their is a great deal of excitement surround this round, especially in my family given one of the teams is the ultra-successful Leicester Tigers.  Coverage of these matches is fantastic but sadly, owing to the amount of great sport this weekend, I may have to watch these matches as-live later in the evening – not sure the other half will be too impressed!

Finally onto the football, that is now entering the vital ‘business-end’ of the season.  As a Newcastle there is usually something still riding on matches at this stage and unfortunately over the past 5 years (last seasons promotion season excluded) it has rarely been on the positive side.  This year is no different – 7 points from safety with 7 games left; sounds fairly safe but with the Magpies you never know.  There are of course teams in a much worse position and I don’t envy them.  The Toon Army are live this weekend against one of them (Aston Villa) so a win is a must to guarantee another top flight season...this means we will lose 4-0, just to keep the season ‘interesting.’  Championship, League 1...in fact all leagues have crunch games this weekend (at both ends of the table) and I imagine I’ll be glued to Jeff Stelling’s addictive ‘Soccer Saturday,’ whilst sat in the garden with a cold cider watching it all happen.  Sounds like a good day, thankfully Newcastle won’t ruin it until the Sunday!!!

So all in all a sport-laden weekend (and I haven’t even mentioned Rugby League, European Gymnastics or the start of the domestic cricket season), that is sure to be full of drama, skill and, sadly, plenty of mistakes.  The addition of The Masters and The Grand National really makes this sporting weekend for me personally and I can’t wait for the action to unfold over the next 3 days.  Unfortunately all this sport may mean I am in need of a new girlfriend by Monday morning...a small price to pay for the joy of sport* (only the mad will agree)!

* Don’t worry I don’t actually believe this...

www.connectevents.co.uk

Is this one of the best but most underrated venues?!

Having recently organised three events at the venue in question I can safely that say in terms of staff, facilities and impact it is without doubt one of the best, if not the best, venues I or my client(s) has worked with – especially within London.  Given we have organised events at venues such as ExCeL, Olympia, Earls Court, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge and Hilton London Metropole the opinion above is not made lightly.

Before we go any further, let’s name the venue that is referred to in such a positive light – The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (QEII).

Facilities wise I believe that, in terms of mid sized exhibitions and large conferences, it almost unbeatable.  The number of rooms available to hire is mind-boggling – 29 – and they are almost all different in terms of look, feel and size.  In fact it is only the ‘Poet Rooms’ on the fourth floor that are remotely similar.  Size wise the venue can cater for a vast array of requirements, ranging from a 1300 person through to a 15 person event.  The word flexibility does not really do the QEII justice.  For most events the QEII somehow offers not one but two viable options, the only downside of this is that, on many occasions, there is no availability. Cost wise it can prove expensive (partly due to the AV included – see below) but the sales staff do appear genuinely interested in any budget constraints you are working within, which – in the current climate especially – is obviously greatly appreciated.

The only real negative, in my personal opinion, with the QEII is the style of the venue.  Both externally and internally the venue is strangely designed and it is not an exciting or inspiring view upon arrival – especially when compared to what surrounds it.  The shape of a large number of the meeting rooms and the venue in general is hard to fathom and there does not seem to be an obvious reason for why it was designed this way.  The number of pillars present rooms such as the Fleming, Whittle (3^rd Floor), Mountbatten Lounge and Elizabeth Windsor (5^th Floor) do prove a little frustrating when planning exhibitions or large dinner events.  However when taken in the context of the overall quality of the venue this negative is quickly forgotten.

Away from the meeting rooms the venue almost gets even stronger in terms of its performance.  Included within the rates for most of the larger rooms is a great AV package that, unless you require anything overly advanced such as switchers, additional lapel mics, etc, does not require expanding on.  Add to this the efficient and even sometimes friendly crew and the QEII’s AV side is above average by some margin. 

One area of events that can greatly annoy clients and organisers / agents alike is catering.  Often event organisers (and therefore the clients) pay so much for so little – cold, lukewarm, tasteless but expensive food.  Thankfully this is not the case at the QEII.  Admittedly the in-house caterers are not cheap, for example their basic DDR offering is bowl food at £38.50pp (when added to the room hire, etc it quickly appears on the high side).  However, what the in-house caterers (Leith’s for those of your interested) do provide is fantastic service coupled with high quality food and drink.  At almost every event above about 50 people our staff often needs to get involved in queue management but at the QEII this is not the case, even if you wanted to.  The quality of food is fantastic, on par easily with a good restaurant – despite the fact it is clearly produced in bulk to meet the event numbers (300 for our last event). 

I think the final positive paragraph should be reserved for the Event Managers themselves.  As an organiser of over 100+ events I appreciate we are not always the easiest people to deal with, whether it be due to stress caused by our own organisation, the client or our sponsors we are often demanding at best.  Somehow, and I would love to understand how it is possible, the QEII’s Event Managers just seem to take everything in their stride.  A box goes missing – they look for it.  Catering / AV / another in-house service has made an error – they fix it.  A client shouts at them – they accept it and turn it into a positive by the end of the day.  The key aspect, to me, is that they operate as organiser’s do.  They appear to understand the needs and wants of organisers (and clients) better than other venues – that’s not to say other venues do not have stand-out event managers – but all of the QEII’s have this trait.  It makes for a relaxing event, regardless of how stressful it may in fact be (or appear).

For those of you who have read my previous blogs you may know that being positive is not genuinely my approach.  I like to highlight areas within the industry that cause issue with organisers, etc – or just myself on a bad day.  However, after running a third event at the QEII in just five months I felt compelled to spend some blog time waxing lyrical about exactly how impressive the venue, as an entire package, is.  Anyone looking to run an event, of a certain size, in central London should look no further than the QEII.  Oh and by the way – I haven’t even mentioned how amazing the location is...something quite awe inspiring looking out of the venue windows to see Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament glistening in the sun.  Quite simply – a top venue.

www.connectevents.co.uk