As general manager at the Barceló Hinckley Island Hotel, one of the largest conference hotels in the UK, Wayne Topley knows what can make or break an event. ABTN finds out more...
The 25-year old Barceló Hinckley Island Hotel started life as a pitstop for drivers along the busy M69, gradually expanding to become the 360-bedroom destination hotel with conference capacity for 2,000 people it now is.
Like the hotel, its general manager Wayne Topley started out small - after embarking in the hospitality business at a tender young age helping his parents run a cafe and bed and breakfast, he has gone on to manage five conference hotels, including De Vere's Oulton Hall.
Barceló Hinckley Island is located close to Leicester and Coventry, with easy access to the NEC in Birmingham, but it was built to be a desination in itself. The building "feels a bit Las Vegas" said Mr Topley.
"It was built to be self contained by its previous owner, who was infatuated by Las Vegas... it's an absolutely stunning purpose built conference venue.
"You can drive a car down the bedroom corridors they're so wide, some of the rooms are old American style double, which are probably twice the size of an average hotel room, and the reception is a grand old fashioned lobby - we can get vehicles in there for demonstrations. It's a very, very big space."
As it was built in a star shape, with several wings, the hotel is fairly flexible when it comes to running events simultaneously. "The layout makes it a perfect venue for conferences, as all the areas are very separate," said Mr Topley.
"We're able to look after three or four large events at the same time, without people feeling like they're stepping on each other's toes. For a GM, it's nice not to have to apologise for how busy you are."
As a conference hotel, however, it has seen the effect of recession-fearing companies reducing their budgets for meetings and events. The meetings and events sector accounts for almost 70% of the business for the Barceló group of hotels in the UK.
"The first quarter of 2009 was very difficult for us. A lot of events that had been held repeatedly year after year simply didn't go ahead," said Mr Topley.
"In terms of conference business we've seen more a reduction in cost than events - people are trying to run the same event, but at 60% of the cost of last year."
The drop in bookings represented a challenge early on in his first year as Hinckley Islands's GM. "It has really made us look at other options as to how we can sell our space.
"It's simple things, such as we now focus a lot more on the wedding market, particularly Asian weddings because of the sheer size of the venue.
"The reality is that when it came to January, budgets were irrelevant. We just forgot them. The target became beating last year."
The change in tack has paid off, with Mr Topley reporting a return to former enquiry levels in recent weeks. "We're not where we want to be, but we're getting some way towards it."
And through careful marketing, Christmas is also looking hopeful, he confessed. "We're having an absolute bumper Christmas. We're a little bit blown away by it really."
For Mr Topley, the early bird really does get the worm. "We ensured all our marketing was ready by May 1 and from there we've been tactically pricing from the beginning of summer - we offered a 20% discount from August 1 until September 31."
It's also about offering the right package for the moment, he said: "It's been a difficult year - what are people trying to project? There are two very different mindsets for Christmas parties.
"One is what a horrible year, if we don't go and celebrate we're going to go insane - they're the guys that are taking the £45 package and going for the full casino and full black tie.
"Then there are the guys who are saying ‘Okay, we've lost a lot of people this year and it's kind of disrespectful to blow the budget, so they're going for the £15 less luxurious evening.'"
Well planned and executed meetings are key for the Barceló brand, said Mr Topley, especially with the launch of Meet Barceló, a dedicated meetings service, in May. "It's a real judgement call for us... As an operator it gives us a real clarity over what we should be offering."
Barceló Hotels make a number of promises about standards and what to expect when people book meetings. For example, on-site audiovisual assistance will be available on request to ensure that all equipment is in good working order, otherwise the organiser will get free equipment hire.
Also, all meals and breaks must be delivered where, when and how an organiser wants them, otherwise the hotel will remove that element of the meal from the bill.
Mr Topley said: "We launched this at the very height of the recession. It was a strong statement for us to say to our customers that even though the world is upside down, we will not cut our conference standards and more importantly, that we're prepared to financially back those up."
Making sure that those standards are met is as much about planning as it is about teamwork, he said: "Being a conference GM is about being able to transfer exactly what the event organiser wants into what your hotel can deliver.
"You need energy and enthusiasm, and the ability to work with and drive your team... I enjoy working with large teams of people and the sociability of the industry.
"It's a people business, and that has to be by far the most difficult business to work in, but it's great fun."
www.meetbarcelo.co.uk www. barcelo-hotels.co.uk