Looking for something a bit different? Roger Plumpton, MD of event industry hotel representation company Hosmark Hotels, explains why working with a 'middle man' can produce a truly memorable event...
We are all familiar with pizza chains, they
deliver decent pizza. But it’s unlikely you would say it's the
best pizza you’ve ever eaten.
You're more likely to remember a pizza you ate in an amazing restaurant in
Sorrento, for example, from a family-run restaurant, with a great atmosphere, a passion for
service and amazing food.
And this analogy translates into event venues. For a special event, some
people would prefer a boutique, unique venue as opposed to a hotel chain.
This is where the rep companies come in.
A rep can introduce that hidden gem of a venue with a flavour of the
destination, probably not part of a global brand or consortia, but with a
wealth of local charm, personality, with all the services and facilities needed
to host events. These hotels do not have sales teams in the UK, but many
appoint a rep company, because they want to work with the UK events market and this is the most cost-effective way.
Rep companies bring to the market regional and small
hotel groups which might be the ideal solution for your next event and they
have the local expertise, offer top service and facilities.
However, some rep companies may not have the marketing muscle of the hotel
chains and they are rarely able to match the amazing hospitality and entertainment the global brands can offer. What they do offer though is a total
understanding of, and commitment to, the events industry. The chains will always
be the largest supplier network to the events industry because they have so
many hotels, but rep companies offer something different, something special,
something inspirational.
Reps must provide the best service levels and they
concentrate on making life easier for event professionals. They can
liaise with hotels across the world for you, leverage their relationships with
hotels and help with your negotiations to get the best deal.
You may think that you will get
better rates from the hotel directly? Wrong!
Many rep company
contracts clearly state that rates offered through their services will be
identical to those rates offered by the hotel directly.
Rep companies do not handle money and all contracts are
signed directly between the agent/client and the hotel, which means that
payments are never handled by a third party, reducing the level of risk.
They are paid a fee and a performance related bonus, based on the
business they direct to their hotels.
Think of rep companies as an important niche supplier to you.
The advantages of working with a rep company
- Experienced team of passionate professionals with in
depth knowledge of the events market.
- Relieve the pressures and administration of dealing
with a hotel directly, including time differences, language barriers and speed of response
- Introduce hotels that are under the radar.
- We have visited all the hotels we represent.
- Our rates are exactly the same as hotel direct quotes.
- Help you to get the best deal possible.
- We work with hotels that are event industry focused.
- Going Greener strategy providing a simple way of
checking a hotel’s sustainability credentials.
- ICO certified under the 2018 GDPR/Data protection Act.
Written By
Roger Plumpton
Roger began his hospitality career in tour operating; working in Spain, France and Greece. His hotel career started in 1985 with Crest Hotels and ended up by running the European Sales Team for Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts. Roger set up Hosmark in 2001.
