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tackle this , Kavanagh is working closely with hotels , helping them where there are knowledge gaps and is managing costs tightly .
The commission element is something Brown has been working on . He explains : “ We are highlighting our terms around commission at the point of booking and trying to streamline processes . Like most challenges , the key to this is around communication .” beam is proactively addressing the client experience when it comes to payment . With the exodus of talent , best practices and standard business practices have been lost , says Shorrock . “ A Payments Advisory Board has been appointed to review the ‘ pain ’ areas around payment . The objective is to improve the client ’ s experience , agree best practice , and how we cascade this throughout the industry .”
Great expectations “ High-cost expectations ” are a challenge , says Simon Richards ,
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“ Help with Bounce Back and other Covid-related loans would free up cash flow and encourage employment and business development .”
Simon Richards , finance director , beam
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finance director of beam and managing partner of Convenus . “ Client expectations are greater than before the pandemic – and growing .”
Meeting expectations is particularly difficult when lead times remain short , supply chain prices are rising , and venue response times are often slow , due to pressures on venues . Investing in systems to automate time-consuming admin tasks has helped some agencies , such as HTS .
To overcome fast turnaround times , rising expectations , and increasing costs , transparency and planning ahead are vital , said both Kavanagh and Martin . He adds : “ We are being very transparent with clients and continue to negotiate hard . Lead times are everything . Getting our clients to plan ahead leads to better buy prices and helps us manage the workload effectively with our current resources .” Kavanagh and her team now research and share much more information about short-listed venues with clients so that it is easy for the CEO or CFO to make a decision more quickly .
Sustainability and inclusivity While sustainability and inclusivity have risen on business agendas , more work needs to be done .
Louise Goalen , director of venues at Top Banana ,
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says the industry needs “ more concrete sustainable solutions from venues ” and a sharper focus on inclusivity . Goalen urges us all to “ challenge clients and venues ” and calls for more transparency in ESG policies and measurements . “ We need to work together to establish best practices that filter down to grass root levels .”
Government support When asked what external support is needed for the industry , it ’ s clear that more help from the government is wanted and needed .
Richards says : “ Help with Bounce Back and other Covid-related loans would free up cash flow and encourage employment and business development . Also , before Brexit , it was very easy to organise EU Interns from International Business Schools who often converted into full time staff . This is impossible to achieve now .”
Martin adds : “ More government support for smaller businesses with energy bills – the current help does not go far enough . There also needs to be a better understanding of the importance of the events and hospitality industry .”
All agree that industry training , education and awareness days , provided by organisations such as beam , are vital for encouraging conversation , progress and ultimately , success . CN
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