Enhancing Performance of Banquet and Conference Sector

The assignment content discusses the conference and banquet industry in the United Kingdom and its role in enhancing the country's GDP. The research study explores the factors that influence the quality of environment in event spaces, with ventilation and air conditioning being top priorities. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of strategic and operational planning for the five-star hotel London Hilton to improve its performance.

UNIT 13: CONFERENCING AND BANQUETING
MANAGEMENT
STUDENT NAME:
STUDENT ID:

Table of Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................................3
TASK 1..........................................................................................................................................3
LO 1 Identification of the traits and factors promoting the Conference and Banqueting sector....3
AC 1.1 Examining the dimension and capacity of the banqueting and conferencing industry of
UK..................................................................................................................................................3
AC 1.2 Analysis of the factors contributing to the development of the industry............................4
LO 2 Comprehending the operational and tactical issues helping in effective organization of the
banqueting and conferencing events.............................................................................................6
AC 2.1 Critical assessment of the operational and strategic matters............................................6
AC 2.2 Quality review and performance measurement techniques implemented in the industry
of banqueting and conference.......................................................................................................7
LO 3 Recognition of the systems implemented on food production and services.........................8
AC 3.1 Evaluation of the suitability of the implemented food production systems and servicing
styles in the industry......................................................................................................................8
AC 3.2 Factors taken into consideration for arranging an offsite banquet or conference.............8
AC 3.3 Analysis of the considerations made for planning a menu of a banquet or conference....9
TASK 2........................................................................................................................................11
LO 4 Comprehension of the ergonomic factors for organizing a banquet or conference............11
AC 4.1 Assessment of the ergonomic issues for a particular banquet or conference event.......11
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................13
Reference list...............................................................................................................................15

Introduction
The term ‘Conferencing and banqueting management’ refers to the management processes that
undertake various actions and activities with the aim of organizing and managing the various
events in the firm of banquet events and conferences. Banquet events comprises of private
functions or events in the form of dinner, birthday parties and wedding ceremonies. On the other
hand, conference events comprises of business functions in the form of product launches,
training events and company presentations (Davis et al. 2013). Through the report presented an
in-depth research is conducted on the conference and banquet management sector of the
hospitality industry functioning in London. Important factors, implemented systems and
ergonomic considerations controlling the ‘conference and banqueting’ sector in London have
been assessed which reference to a five star hotel named, ‘London Hilton’ situated in Park Lane.
Critical assessment of the operational and strategic issues involved in the efficient and effectual
management of the events related to banqueting and conference has been analyzed through the
research report.
TASK 1
LO 1 Identification of the traits and factors promoting the Conference and
Banqueting sector
AC 1.1 Examining the dimension and capacity of the banqueting and
conferencing industry of UK
The dimension and the capacity of the banqueting and conference industry have been assessed
with reference to the size and the scope of growth in the particular industry. London being one of
the leading destinations for the hospitality industry has the capability of immense growth with
respect to the conference and banqueting sector (Shaw et al. 2011). Being one of the
economically advanced cities across the globe this city has undertaken the exercise of holding
many conferences and seminars of the corporate houses in the 5 star hotels situated in the city.
The size of the ‘banqueting and conferencing’ industry is measured in terms of capacity of the
industry to hold number of banquets and conferences at a given period of time both onsite and

offsite. Survey results indicate that banqueting and conference related services as a part of the
overall hospitality industry in the United Kingdom contributed about 31% of the total share.
Thus, the size of the banqueting and conference sector as a part of the hospitality industry is of a
considerable amount.
The scope of the banqueting and conference industry in UK has been ever expanding as it
encompasses numerous factors that results in the overall growth of the above mentioned sector.
It has been observed that the scope of the banqueting and conference industry can be measured in
context to the direct and indirect contributions made by the industry to the economy of the
United Kingdom (Boella and Goss-Turner, 2013). The direct contributions made by the
banqueting and conference sector in the hospitality industry in UK has been in the form of rise in
employment, GDP contribution, tax revenue earned and investments made in the particular
sector. The indirect contribution of the industry has been in the form of rise in consumption of
the economy giving rise to higher demand and driving the growth prospects (McMichael, 2011).
It has been observed through studies that ample opportunities for growth exists for the
banqueting and conference industry in the United Kingdom.
AC 1.2 Analysis of the factors contributing to the development of the industry
For the purpose of analyzing the multiple factors that contributes towards the development of the
banqueting and conference industry in UK, PESTEL analysis has been undertaken. Through
PESTEL analysis different factors namely, political, economic, socio-cultural, technological,
environmental and legal factors have been analyzed with reference to the above mentioned
industry.
Political· Stable nature of the government
· Government policies
Economic· Financial crisis
· Inflation rate
· Exchange rate
Socio-cultural· Values, lifestyles and customs of people

Technological· Software implementation and usage
· Advanced technological facilities
Environmental· Abiding to environment standards
Legal· Prevailing laws and legislations
● Political factors: In the backdrop of the hospitality industry functioning in the United
Kingdom it has been observed that multiple political issues and policies in the form of
taxation, trade policies, stable and unstable status of the government can affect or
influence the attitude of the users of the banqueting and conference services provided by
the hotels in the country.
● Economic factors: Major economic factors in the form of global financial crisis, inflation
rate and the exchange rate of the Great Britain Pound in comparison to other currencies
plays a significant role in the development of the banqueting and conference industry in
UK (Koskey, 2013). These factors have been exercising substantial control over the
functioning of the hotels with reference to banquet and conference activities.
● Socio-cultural factors: The socio-cultural factors have been identified as the values,
lifestyles and customs maintained by the people of the society in London influencing the
development of the conference and banquet industry of the country. As the people of
London have been maintaining higher standards with respect to socio-cultural factors it
has given immense momentum towards the development of the industry under
consideration.
● Technological factors: The technological factor which encompasses the implementation
of the advanced technologies in the field of banquet and conference sector resulted in an
overall development of the services and facilities provided (Rogers, 2013). It has been
observed that the users of the banquet and conference facilities in the hotels have always
demanded for advanced technological support in order to ensure a comfortable and
technology friendly environment prevails throughout. For example, consumers demand
Wi-Fi enabled banquet and conference sites.

● Environmental factors: The factors in relation to the environment play a significant in
determining the choice of destinations to be made by the users of the services for the
purpose of holding a business conference or a wedding event in a banquet (Zailani et al.
2011). Adequate control and monitoring of the environmental factors helps in the
development of the banquet and conference industry functioning in UK.
● Legal factors: Over the passage of time, laws and legislations pertaining to the products
and services offered by the banquet and conference industry in UK have influenced its
development.
LO 2 Comprehending the operational and tactical issues helping in effective
organization of the banqueting and conferencing events
AC 2.1 Critical assessment of the operational and strategic matters
It has been observed that the due to the current financial crisis prevailing across the globe, the
regularity of corporate actions in relation to organizing different corporate events and
conferences have been affected. Further, it has been observed that clients are more prone to
assess the price and quality offered by the five star hotel, named ‘London Hilton’ in relation to
wedding and business events (Bladen et al. 2012). Thus, for the purpose of effective
management of the business of London Hilton the hotel is recommended to consider the
operational strategies enumerated hereafter.
Elements to be considered for effective management of wedding and business events in UK:
 Pricing and packaging: Analysis of the pricing strategy adopted by the competitors of the
hotel is required in addition to flexible packaging of the conference and banquet services
provided by the hotel (Van der Wagen, 2010). Customized services in context to
conference and banquet sector in the hotels can enhance the value for money for the
clients.
 Initiative towards discounts: Through discounts and rebates additional value can be
created in terms of the products and services offered by ‘London Hilton’.

 Laws related to licensing: For the purpose of conducting the business activities of
‘London Hilton’ in relation to banquet and conferences it is advised that the hotel obtain
adequate licenses on timely basis to avoid disruption of service.
 Workplace health and safety: It is well known that food and drinks are the core products
of importance in the conference and banquet industry (Heitmann and Roberts, 2010).
Therefore, as a part of the strategic and operational activity the hotel is required to
provide immense importance to workplace health and safety.
 Regulations on hygiene: The maintenance of hygiene is another operational issue in the
conference and banquet industry as it relates to food and drinks. Thus, the hotel is
required to hire trained professionals for the successful execution of their work.
 Etiquettes and Protocol: As a part of the strategic issue towards effective management the
owners of London Hilton are required to consider various aspects in the form of training
imparted to the employees to uphold the etiquettes and protocol of the industry.
AC 2.2 Quality review and performance measurement techniques
implemented in the industry of banqueting and conference
In the banquet and conference industry, the management is required to assess the performance
and review the quality maintained by the London Hilton with reference to the business and
wedding events held by the hotel. Thus, important techniques are enumerated hereafter for the
assessment of the performance.
 Reviewing the Budget: Fund allocation is undertaken in the initial stage for planning a
conference event or a banquet (Pullman and Rodgers, 2010). In order to ensure that high
standards of quality is maintained in the wedding event or conference it is necessary to
perform continuous assessment of the budget allocated for different activities or
departments in the events.
 Review of the food and drinks supplied: Specific attention and review of the food and
drinks section in an event is required as the choice of food among the guests is often seen
to vary to a large extent. Reviewing the food and drinks section in accordance to the
budget allocated and quality to be maintained is necessary.

 Reviewing the additional facilities provided: Entertainment activities and transport
facilities provided to the guests attending the wedding event or a conference have to be
assessed in order to ensure that the additional facilities planned to be provided have been
achieved (Neumann and Village, 2012). Additional facilities also play an important role
in achieving competitive advantage.
 Review of the Contingency Plan: It has been observed that banquet and conference
events often face unpredictable challenges which create an impact on the overall
execution of the event. Therefore, the hotel London Hilton is advised to implement or
develop an alternate plan of action for every banquet or conference events in order to
avoid monetary and time loss.
LO 3 Recognition of the systems implemented on food production and services
AC 3.1 Evaluation of the suitability of the implemented food production
systems and servicing styles in the industry
The best quality of the services of the is determined by the dimension of the food servicing for
the program. It includes choose the quality of different food products it based on the various
cultures available in the society. Fresh foods need best delivery services and the services are
provided by the different servicing system. Foods are also depending on the season for example
in summers there are soft drinks. When talk about off-set banquet an organization is consider
some factors such as participate of the conference and their variety of culture, cost of food and
also consider likes and dislikes of different customers. As an organizer of an event authors
should know about the ins and outs of the events. There is also some limitation such as difficult
to target audience and certain level of duty. Another core issue is that numbers of participants is
very important.

AC 3.2 Factors taken into consideration for arranging an offsite banquet or
conference
For the purpose of arranging an event to be held away from the actual place of business in this
case which is the hotel, the event manager is required to consider several factors discussed
hereafter.
 Nature of the event: The event manager is required to decide on the nature of the event
before moving forward in the planning stage. Conferences and banquet events in the form
of weddings and parties hugely differ in terms of decoration and sitting arrangement. Off-
site banquets or conferences require prior approval of the official of the chosen venue.
 Number of guests attending the event: In order to determine the space requirement in the
case of off-site arrangement it is important for the event manager to determine the
number of guests attending the event.
 Budget of the event: In case of off-site events it is very important to take into
consideration the budget in the initial stage and ensure appropriate allocation of the
budget for different departments since the event is to be held at some other venue
(Pullman and Rodgers, 2010). Budget constraint becomes a significant issue in case of
off-site events.
 Food and beverage to be supplied: For off-site events be it a conference or a wedding it is
very important for the event manager to assess the kitchen facilities to be provided on the
chosen venue in order to ensure timely supply of food and beverages.
 Storage facilities: Besides, the kitchen facilities the manager is required to ascertain the
storage facilities in order to preserve the unused food items.
 Additional facilities to be provided: For the purpose of off-site events, the event manager
is required to decide on the transport and parking facilities to be provided to the guests
(Pullman and Rodgers, 2010). In addition the manager is required to provide an estimate
to the officials of the chosen venue for the event.
 Policies of the off-site venue: Most importantly, the event manager is required to design
the course of action in accordance to the policies set out by the off-site venue.

AC 3.3 Analysis of the considerations made for planning a menu of a banquet
or conference
It is important for conference and banquet management is to planning a menu which ensure a
successful program. There are various factors which need to be considered by the
management in order to make their event more attractive. For the purpose of planning a menu
for a banquet or conference event it is essential to undertake the following considerations.
For Conference and Banquets:
 Knowing guest profile: This is one of the major consideration where management
required to know the people who invited for the conference. There are different types of
guests which can includes political background, businessman and other professionals.
This is responsibility of a conference manager try to know about their background, taste
and other aspects which can helps in planning a good menu for them.
 Guest assessment and preferences: For deciding the pattern of the menu for the guests
attending the conference it is important to assess the background of the guests and their
food preferences. Management also required to categorize their groups on the basis of
age, taste, preferences etc. For example, they can provide vegetarian and non-vegetarian
food items to their guests (Pullman and Rodgers, 2010).
 Menu Choices: When menu planner knowing its guest preferences they can offer meal
accordingly, but it is not possible to provide large range of choice in to their meal.
Therefore, two to three choices of menus to be provided which is quite good for them.
Management also provide three or more salads, two dessert option one can be healthy and
another one very indulgent.
 Seasonal influence: Depending on the season in which the event is taking place certain
seasonal food items to be included in the menu. Another food item can be included in the
menu fresh seafood with local ingredients.
 Regional influence: The menu has to be decided considering the guests attending the
event from various regions across the globe. Event planner can shape its menu with
ethnic specific theme on the basis of region. They can include Asian, French, German,
Italian, Mexican and so on.

 Menu as per schedule of the event: Depending on the schedule of the event, meal options
in the form of lunch boxes, buffet and plated meal to be decided. For this, event planner
can follow these examples:
Box Lunches Between conference (required 30 min)
Meals It required 1.5 hours minimum
Dessert After completed meal (15 min)
Cocktail Required minimum 1.20 hours before dinner
TASK 2
LO 4 Comprehension of the ergonomic factors for organizing a banquet or
conference
AC 4.1 Assessment of the ergonomic issues for a particular banquet or
conference event
For the purpose of assessing the ergonomic factors influencing a conference or banquet events a
primary research is conducted on the employees and managers of the London Hilton hotel
providing banquet and conference facilities.
Quantitative research: The questions and the responses of the employees are enumerated
hereafter. For the quantitative research a sample size of 30 employees were chosen.
Q1. What are the factors that influence the space utilization techniques for a particular event?
Space utilization techniques
Number of responseTotal% of response
Seating plan83026.67
Style53016.67
Comfort93030
Type of event53016.67

Computer aided
design packages
33010
Table 1: Space Utilization
Figure1: Space Utilization
From the above chart it is inferred that higher number of respondent has considered comfort as
the most important factor in the space utilization techniques.
Q2. What are the factors that influence the quality of environment of a particular event?
Quality of Environment
Number of responseTotal% of response
Floor Occupancy43013.33
Heating53016.67
Ventilation73023.33
Change of air rates33010
Air conditioning73023.33

Demands on floor
space
43013.33
Table 2: Quality of environment
Figure2: Quality of environment
From the above chart it is inferred that increased number of responses have provide that
ventilation and air conditioning issues influences the quality of the environment prevailing in a
particular event.
Qualitative research: The question and response of the managers is presented henceforth.
Q1. What are the Audio visual facilities implemented or used in banquet and conference events?
Through interview method the qualitative research for the study have been undertaken.
According to the response provided by the managers, it is inferred that video projections, light
and sound technology have been in high demand among the clients of the hotel. For successfully
conducting the conference and banquet events the above mentioned technologies are
implemented in appropriately.

Conclusion
From the research study it is observed that the conference and banquet industry prevailing in the
United Kingdom plays an important role in enhancing the GDP of the economy. However, the
financial crisis impacted the industry which requires strategic and operational planning. In order
to improve the performance of the banquet and conference sector of the hospitality industry it is
important for the five star hotel named London Hilton to incorporate the strategic and operational
measures put forward through the research report.

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