Catering & Vending
Ampersand awarded prestigious Sage Gateshead contract
A
mpersand, part of the CH&Co Group, has been awarded a five-year contract to provide all catering services to the iconic concert and events venue, Sage Gateshead. Located on the banks of the River
Tyne, the flagship venue was designed by renowned architect, Lord Foster. It opened in December 2004 and today attracts over 600,000 visitors per year and hosts events featuring a wide range of stars from Sting and Katherine Jenkins to Gareth Malone’s choir, Voices, and Showaddywaddy. Sage Gateshead is also home to the Royal Northern Sinfonia. Ampersand’s responsibilities within the multi-million turnover contract will include managing the bars, brasserie, café and events for Sage Gateshead and a team of up to 70 Ampersand staff will provide the services. Within Sage Gateshead there are five bars, a café, a brasserie and scope to run events such as dinners for up to 400 people. If both concert theatres are in use, there are in
excess of 3600 customers on site. Paul Jackson, Managing Director of Ampersand, said, “Even though Ampersand has contracts across the UK, Sage Gateshead is our first contract in the North East and it’s a very
exciting opportunity for us. The building is incredible, the location is great and the facilities inside are amazing. These three elements give us a very good platform to build on with Sage Gateshead to maximise the potential of the venue. “We have some very exciting initiatives and concepts that we’ll be launching with Sage Gateshead in January 2016 and these will help cement its place as the premier venue in the North East.”
Abigail Pogson, Sage Gateshead’s Managing Director said “We’re here to offer great music and great experiences and that’s why it’s important to us that Sage Gateshead’s bars, cafes and brasserie are a cut above. “Ampersand won a highly competitive tender process with a combination of creativity, innovation and flair and we’re looking forward to working with them, and making a visit to our great building as enjoyable as possible.”
www.ampersandcatering.co.uk
Cashless vending operations V
Chris Lyons, Managing Director, Systopia International.
ending facilities have come a long way over recent years; machines are now developed with modern, cutting-edge technology providing consumers with an excellent level of service. These developments, coupled with the significant decline in the use of cash, which has decreased to 48% of all payments and is expected to fall by an extra 30% in the next 10 years, have led to an increase in Facilities Managers looking for new solutions for their vending operations. Whilst this shift in payment methods and advancement of technology has improved the customer experience, by enabling fast and convenient transactions, what does this change mean for the Vending Industry and for Facilities Managers who need to cater for the changing consumer landscape? What is clear is that the days of cash- only vending machines are long gone. Consumers now expect state-of-the- art vending technology which accepts various payment methods. To meet this demand, Facilities Managers need to reassess their vending amenities and
Building & Facilities Management – January 2016
take steps forward in terms of offering innovative vending solutions within their establishments. This is where cashless payment systems come in. Using Radio-Frequency Identification [RFID] technology, cashless payment systems, such as those provided by Systopia, can be built on to pre- existing vending machines or fitted as part of a business’ cashless solution; making the switch to cashless vending seamless. The technology also enables the cashless system to be integrated directly onto ID cards or passes, allowing consumers to pay for items from vending machines quickly and easily with just a simple tap of a card – reducing queue times by an average of 25%. A cashless payment system can also integrate with existing access control technology (such as ID cards) providing a one-stop token which can be used to pay for food and beverages from vending machines – as well as many other items within the business environment, such as car parking access, printing and photocopying usage – producing an overall, smoother operation.
In a highly competitive market and with the use of cash decreasing at record rates, it is now more important than ever that Facilities Managers develop their services to meet changing consumer demands and spending habits, to ultimately gain a competitive edge. As consumer’s time is becoming increasingly limited, having food and snacks on the go is now the norm and this provides the opportunity for vending sales to flourish. With the focus on convenience, now is the time for Facilities Managers to invest in a cashless payment system to bring their vending offering to the next level and experience benefits to the bottom line. To find out how your business can benefit from Systopia’s cashless payment systems visit
www.systopia.co.uk or call 0800 085 2056.
catering & vending
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