The UK’s largest independent hotel group, Macdonald Hotels has created new positions in its dedicated meeting and events division following a £13m investment in its properties and a 11.5% increase in corporate bookings in the past year.
To support the corporate activity at its 48 UK properties, the Group has created 12 dedicated area champions. The experienced hospitality professionals will each look after a handful of hotels and will be experts in their region understanding the various venue offerings to ensure clients get the best possible service.
Team members will be based throughout the UK and will be responsible for raising the profile of Macdonald Hotels in their nominated region which includes corporate event hot spots such as Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow. As part of the Group’s business development strategy, the team will aim to deliver more meetings and events from a spectrum of industries including legal, sport, finance, energy, and automotive.
Within their first month the team undertook an innovative interactive training programme created by Macdonald Hotels. Inspired by hit television show, The Apprentice, the ‘20/20 Challenge’, saw the new recruits visit 20 hotels in 20 hours, before presenting the most suitable venue against various client briefs. The training has allowed the team to develop in-depth knowledge of each of their hotels, as well as the wider regions, ensuring they are well placed to advise clients on the most suitable venues for individual events. In addition to learning about the various products, the team also received rigorous training to support their ability to manage client accounts and deliver a personalised experience from the brief through to the post-event follow up.
Macdonald Hotels sales director, Gill Jackson said: “Last year we completed a series of investments in our properties, refurbishing bedrooms, public areas and restaurants at some of our most popular hotels. We have also upgraded meetings and events facilities across several venues, installing the latest technology and developing new services for clients.
“Through our new, dedicated team, we will showcase our range of fantastic properties, as well as cement Macdonald Hotels as a leading and reliable brand within the corporate events industry.
“Each recruit brings with them a specific set of skills and they have already begun making a huge contribution to the wider business. We have never before had such an experienced team which will focus solely on developing the company’s corporate event sector. I am excited to see what we can achieve together in the coming months.”
For more information on meetings and events offerings at Macdonald Hotel please go to www.Macdonald-hotels.co.uk/business