Business management & development
In the sessions ‘Data is King: UK Outlook for Performance and Pricing’, there were further insights revealed. They included a study of key stats, showing that while there is a slower return for corporate travel, the leisure market is more than making up for it. Thomas Emanuel of STR explained that big UK
cities are key to driving UK growth, with Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester, boasting impressive occupancy rates, alongside regional areas such as Aberdeen, Exeter and Swansea thriving over the past 12 months.
All about the experience Later in the day, discussions moved from data to delivery. With the conference looking towards building a successful future, a key theme throughout the event was the power of experience, and how positive experiences for guests, appropriate to the hotel segment, have the ability to transform offerings and ultimately improve the bottom line. A candid interview with Sacha Lord, night-time
economy adviser for Greater Manchester, looked at the importance of community and hospitality providing unique experiences, an idea further emphasised in session ‘Homegrown Hospitality: Adapting Products to Anticipate New Demand Drivers in the UK Market’. The debate, rounding up day one’s programme of sessions, delved into the power of genuine and unique experiences to attract guests and corporate business. Residents Hotel CEO David Orr said, “People are looking more and more for an experience that links them to communities and wider people.” The experience theme returned on day two, with a
focus on F&B offerings in restaurants and hotels. In her presentation, ‘F&B Trend Forecasting: How
to repair your food offer for the future’, Kateline Porritt of Egg Soldiers said: “When you’re offering an experience, you have the opportunity to bring food to life in an entirely unique way.” This sentiment was echoed in discussions led by hotel experts who emphasised the importance of creating an experience, whether through the introduction of a considered F&B concept; improving the working environment through training and technological support or engaging the local community, to improve the chances of success. In panel discussion ‘Live, work, play: building
whole hospitality experiences’, Philip Lassman of Accor said, “hotels that consider locals as well as guests will reap the benefits”. “It’s about building a hotel for the local community,
get the place pumping for when the out-of-town visitors are in your neighbourhood. They want to stay in vibrant places and if your lobbies are full and bars busy, then you’re going to attract those people.”
Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
Adapt to thrive “A business that doesn’t grow goes backwards. Anything that doesn’t move forward is by inertia going backwards,” said Tom Ross, CEO of Pig Hotels in ‘Trailblazers Talk: Two Hospitality Leaders on Thriving in the UK’.
It was a sentiment that underpinned the theme of the event this year, ‘Adapt to thrive’, demonstrating a shift to a more solutions-focused approach to ensure a sustainable but robust industry for the future. There was a strong call for leadership training in the
‘Work in Progress: Engage Your Workforce and Increase Productivity’ session in which the panel discussed the importance of developing leaders who are attuned to the industry’s unique characteristics and values is key to its continued success.
Other breakout sessions looked at operating agreements, enhancing asset output and alternative use to help delegates make informed decisions for the future. Putting the spotlight firmly on the conference’s host city and showing how important hospitality is in the city, was Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. He discussed the role of hospitality in development, regeneration and growth in Manchester, explaining his plans to highlight the great employment opportunities available to the local community, and bringing in young talent from other areas. “Manchester is the home of 24-hour party people, that is important in itself, in terms of the visitor economy, the money that it brings in, and the jobs that are sustained, by hosting bustling nightlife,” said Burnham. Leaving the thriving community of hospitality professionals with some food for thought was La Gavroche’s chef patron, Michel Roux Jr, who talked about his family-run business and gave his top tips for success. Closing the conference with his poignant keynote, Roux reminded delegates that to move forward and thrive requires adaptability. “If it’s not working, change it and move on, you need to be nimble, fast and able to adapt quickly.” ●
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Above: The two-day event saw more than 1,000 members of the hotel investor community meet.
Opposite page: Figures from across the hotel sector visited Manchester for AHC 2023 to discuss the industry’s future.
AHC 2023 © Simon Callaghan Photography
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