Independent
hotels have been facing a new range of issues and challenges as the sector bounces
back after the pandemic. Here, beam’s independent hotel members share the meetings
trends they have seen and offer some predictions for 2023….
Independent
hotels have seen a huge rise in team building and outdoor activities,
residential meetings with spa and golf, wellbeing breaks, and ‘wholesome’
connected executive time in 2022.
That’s
according to Anthony Mocklow, director of group operations at Searles Leisure
Group & Heacham Manor Hotel, who puts the trends down to the scale of
workforce fragmentation during Covid and the subsequent rise in remote working.
Jenny
Rogers, marketing manager of Down Hall, agrees: “For some companies, it has
been the first time in a long time that all their staff has come together, so
they want a fun element to help break the ice with their team.”
This
renewed desire to connect, strengthen and reward teams has boosted bookings for
awards dinners, too, says Katie Niland, director of sales at The Belfry Hotel
and Resort.
“We’ve
seen a 100 per cent increase month-on-month in banqueting, with a lot more
corporate dinners and award ceremonies,” she says. “We’re starting to see
longer events, stretching out over a couple of days to facilitate more people
in total, yet reducing the number of delegates per day.”
Immersive
dining rather than formal catering has also been in greater demand. Niland
believes companies are “putting aside more budget to cater for higher quality events
that focus more on the delegate experience and the service they receive.”
The
demand for well-ventilated rooms with natural daylight has increased, too, says
Audrius Pribytkovas, M&E accounts manager of The Wesley Hotels in Euston
and Camden Town.
“Requests
for natural light rooms are on the rise with options to open windows,” he says.
“Clients are cautious and want to provide two-way ventilation for attendees.”
In
a post-Covid world, the trend for hybrid events has continued. “It's become common
to want to run hybrid for any size event or meeting,” says Pribytkovas. “Unfortunately,
clients are not willing to spend on it. For one large event recently, a client
expected to have several cameras and technicians for less than £200.”
Challenging times persist
While
independent hotels were hit hard by the pandemic, particularly as many did
not have the luxury of economies of scale or support from sister properties,
their independence also brought advantages, says Niland.
“While
it is true that scale does have some benefits, we treasure our independence as it
allows us to quickly adapt to changes in the market and guests’ requirements.
We have proven this by being able to make quick decisions at a local level
post-Covid that are continuing to deliver record revenues and with profit
margins back to 2019 levels.”
Ceri
Richardson, head of business development at Brooklands Hotel, agrees: “There
are advantages to working collectively with suppliers to ensure economies of scale
have an impact on the costs. However, a downside to being part of a collective agreement
means that if there are attractive rates by going direct to a smaller, local supplier,
this is out of reach of a group. Independent hotels can benefit from working in
partnership with local suppliers.”
Other
obstacles include the race for space and accommodating dates.
Mocklow
says: “Pressure is on for critical dates and space. Staff availability is
challenging too, rendering some dates null and void.”
Staffing
and recruitment have been a major problem for a sector severely affected by
Brexit and Covid. Nevertheless, positive signs are increasing.
“Staffing
has been a challenge throughout 2022,” says Emma Ryan, sales manager of Lea
Marston Hotel & Spa. “However, we are in a stronger position now with new recruits
and a strict training process in place.”
Lockdowns,
rail strikes, and weather disruptions have led to high demand for flexible T&Cs,
too.
“Clients
are looking to have flexible cancellations or amendments in their bookings,”
says Pribytkovas. “A lack of delegate participation, or delegates cancelling
their attendance for booked events or training results in clients asking for discounts
or compensation.”
Another
challenge that has persisted is short lead times and this often causes another
issue for hotels as supply logistics are much longer lead. However, Niland says
lead times are slowly improving with some events now being “booked at least 12
to 18 months in advance”.
What’s in store for 2023?
M&E
business is expected to grow significantly in 2023. Ryan is already starting to
see “larger events coming through for 2023/24 and many of our clients are
confident that demand for training, away days, and team engagement meetings
will increase.”
Richardson
expects meetings to return to 2019 levels. She says: “We are mindful of the pressures
on clients’ budgets with supply chain costs rising, so we are offering added
value to our packages.”
With
companies becoming more conscious of their sustainability credentials, Jenny Rogers,
marketing manager of Down Hall, “expects more bookings around sustainability
for 2023” as planners are increasingly searching for venues that reflect their
values and ethos.
