Staffing levels at venues and response times to enquiries were
two of the biggest issues facing the sector in 2022.
So as we kick off 2023, we’ve spoken to a few eventprofs from
across the sector to build up a picture of where we are now and the current direction
of travel.
While response times might not yet be back to pre-Covid levels,
it seems like things are heading in the right direction. And anecdotally, service
levels on site have remained fairly high.
Check out our snapshot of the state of play…
Kirsty Tod, head of meeting and events UK at Reed and Mackay
“Staffing levels are still not back to full strength, eventprofs
were made redundant and changed profession completely, venues have had to hire
juniors and train them up, and of course make the money to justify the hires.
“Response times are better than 2021 that's for sure,
but still not pre-Covid response times. It used to be feasible to hear back
from UK venues within one working day, now it is 2-3 days and you may need to
chase, for instance. International bookings again are taking another day or two
to respond.
“From my experience service levels on-site have been fairly
similar to before: mostly good. However, we get the odd feedback about food
service or something being slow or going wrong. I think hotels and venues
managed to retain managers with the furlough scheme, so there was some good
retention of 'how things should be done' operationally as teams were built back
up again.”
Jacqui Kavanagh, CEO of EDGE Venues
“2022 was a challenging year for us all, and none more so than for hotels
and venues regarding staffing levels. And these challenges certainly had a
knock-on effect on us as agents, in terms of enquiry response times.
“During the first half of 2022 we found hotels and venues trying
to rebuild their staffing levels, But more often than not, we were faced with
inexperienced front-line staff who were frantically trying to learn the
industry and their product. They would often have to go and find additional
information required, adding time to our own response times to clients.
“Despite the challenges, service levels on site have always remained high. It
was always apparent that staff were doing their best despite their
inexperience, and we would work with them to minimise any direct impact on our
clients meetings and events. And that’s why our industry is as amazing as it is
– we pull together during challenging times to ensure we continue to deliver a
high-end service of which we are proud.”
Will
Poole, head of sales at The Mermaid London
“Since lockdown The Mermaid
London has built its sales team in line with the number of enquiries we
receive. Enquiries are still below pre-pandemic levels, and as such our current
team is smaller than before, but growing.
“We adopt a
strict two-hour response time to enquiries during the working day. However, due
to the complexity of some enquiries and to ensure we are sending out accurate
and relevant information, this is sometimes extended. We will always contact
the client to make them aware of any extended response time.
“It’s worth
noting that we are starting to see an increase in enquiries from a number of agencies,
some with very short lead times.”
Do these comments tally with your experience? Share your thoughts on this article with us by emailing [email protected]
M&IT editor Paul Harvey is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience. He began his career in the local press, working for various titles across the north. Since joining M&IT in 2013, he has become a trusted and respected voice in the sector, championing event professionals and reporting on all aspects of the events industry for the brand.
