HOTEL CHAIN RADISSON BLU is launching a series of specialised meetings packages for its UK properties – including for training bookers, and the automotive and pharmaceutical sectors. Firstly, the Trainers’ Club includes an undertaking that the hotel will provide a direct line of contact for the trainer as well as the booker to dedicated meetings and audio-visual managers. For training bookers, Rezidor has launched a companion package
called Blu Sky Thinking, highlights of which include flexible terms such as later deadlines for bookings and cancellations. Access to the meeting room the night before is guaranteed, as is a promise to take advance delivery of training materials. Radisson’s Pharma package places additional emphasis on client confidentiality, such as guaranteeing no other pharma company will be allowed meeting space at the same time. The company has hired a pharma meetings expert to ensure clients book events that are compliant with the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry code of practice – the code’s rules limits how much can be spent on entertaining healthcare professionals. Radisson Blu director Mirelle Brown said: “When hard times come, it becomes paramount that customers feel a greater sense of value for money, but this is often misinterpreted as showering them in discounts and general value-adds. We pride ourselves on not having inflated rack rates, so we don’t offer lots of discounts.”
Business in Legoland
FANS OF LEGO HAVE A NEW OPTION this year as a new 150-room Legoland hotel opens in the UK. Situated 20 minutes from Heathrow in the middle of the 15-acre Legoland Windsor Resort, the themed hotel is offering corporate and entertaining spaces with contemporary conference facilities for up to 320 delegates, plus three separate syndicate rooms each seating between 12 and 35 people. The hotel will feature some 1,600 models, made by a team of 45 Lego model makers, with the largest being a 100kg, 6-metre long fire- breathing dragon perched in a tower outside the entrance to the hotel. In addition, delegates and hotel guests will be greeted by a wall made from 5,000 5cm tall mini figures behind reception. The Legoland Business and Bricks programme offers team building, tailored corporate meetings and events packages, as well as exclusive use of a selection of the resort’s 55-plus interactive rides, building workshops and attractions. The hotel offers eight-hour and 24-hour delegate packages, and has a business centre and high-speed wifi throughout, which is complimentary for delegates.
Two TMCs capture central
Capita wins Santander account BANKING GIANT SANTANDER has appointed Capita Business Travel to manage its UK travel. The contract followed a competitive tender process. According to Capita, Santander will achieve “dramatically reduced service-fee costs alongside lower direct travel expenditure”. Mark Payne, Santander’s travel manager, said cost reduction had been a key measure when deciding who to award the contract to, alongside technology that delivers to the end user. “Organisations such as ours, with a high domestic spend profile in hotels, rail, meetings and point-to-point air, are often not well served by generalist travel management companies in every one of these areas, he said. However, he found Capita Business Travel’s offering to be “innovative, cost-efficient and user-friendly”. Matt Selby, Capita’s director
12 1
of sales and marketing services, said Santander’s service, account management, and reservation and online technologies are now controlled and managed under a single contract. “Integrating specialist services
allows us to offer a unique value proposition to align with travel managers’ procurement agenda,” he said.
government travel contract BEFORE 2012, NINE TMCS were involved in managing travel for central government departments, but this year the Government Procurement Service (GPS) has appointed just two, under the scope of the newly formed Central Government Travel Management Service. HRG has been contracted to manage all global travel and Redfern
Travel to manage the domestic sector. The decision of the GPS to appoint just two TMCs prompted some criticism amongst the business travel community. Among the comments was that of Mervyn Williamson, joint managing director of Statesman Travel, who said the tender did not encourage smaller businesses to put themselves forward. But a GPS spokeswoman said the appointment of Redfern Travel was
indicative of the government’s bid to work more with smaller businesses. “This procurement demonstrates the government’s commitment to improving access to government business for small- and medium-sized organisations,” she said. Andrew Waller, EMEA president for Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), which was unsuccessful in its bid for the domestic travel tender, spoke of his concerns about the appointment. He said: “I am proud of what CWT has achieved in the UK for the public sector over the past 15 years. Together, we developed travel programmes that delivered very significant savings, met sustainability targets and successfully moved transactions online. “In my experience, one of the key decision factors in procurement
Matt Selby
of large contracts is the ratio of the value of the contract relative to the turnover of the potential supplier, in order to limit exposure to risk. I am surprised, therefore, at the decision of the Government Procurement Service in this respect.”