Conference and Banqueting: Strategic and Operational Management Report

This report provides a detailed analysis of conference and banqueting management, focusing on the growth of the sector, its scope, and the factors influencing its development. It assesses key strategic and operational issues, including managing staff, technology, food and beverages, coordination, budget control, and legal considerations. The report also emphasizes the importance of delivering quality in conference operations and reviews various quality review techniques such as customer satisfaction, profitability, budget review, customer feedback, and venue appraisal. Furthermore, it explores the suitability of different food production systems, service styles, and beverage services, using the example of Chewton Glen. The report also covers menu planning considerations and limitations, and ergonomic considerations involving venue and facilities. The report offers insights into the conference and banqueting sector, providing valuable information for improving operations and driving growth in the hospitality industry.

Conference and Banqueting
Management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1 ...........................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Growth of conference and banqueting sector, its scope and scale .......................................1
1.2 Causes of market growth and factors influences its development .......................................2
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
2.1 Assess key strategic and operational issues involved management of conference ..............3
2.2 Importance of delivering quality in conferences operations and quality review techniques
.....................................................................................................................................................4
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................4
3.1 Suitability of food production systems, styles and services styles .......................................4
3.2 Key factors and issues involved in organize off site banquet ..............................................5
3.3 Menu planning consideration and limitation ........................................................................6
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................7
4.1 Ergonomic consideration involving venue and facilities .....................................................7
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
In the modern era, there have been rise in the number of conferences and banquet
meetings which are trending in the market scenario. There has been rapid growth of such
preferences and demands by consumers of corporate units in terms of organising events or
celebrating any event (Punzalan and et.al., 2015). It approaches adequate growth and revenue
generation for hospitality businesses in long term period. In the present report, there have been
discussion based on key factors which are affecting growth of such sector as well as appropriate
strategies to improve their operations. There will be fruitful suggestions awarded to City hotel is
in scenario 1 and Chewton Glen is in scenario 2 with the motive of making appropriate growth
and development in such industries.
TASK 1
1.1 Growth of conference and banqueting sector, its scope and scale
Conferences and Banqueting: It is normally about putting together an events and it
usually has as scope different form of get-together such as ceremony or celebration, birthday
party or wedding. Banquet is large meal complete with main courses and desserts often served
with alcoholic beverages like wine or beer (Bouchon, Hussain and Konar, 2017). On other hand,
conferences are meeting of people that confer about topic while an event encompass a festival,
ceremony or celebration.
Growth of conferences and banqueting: Conferences and banqueting sector is
fundamentally from non-core hospitality business. It has related terms such as events industry.
This sector deals more proficiently with different events such as business meeting, travels and
tours, trade fairs, cultural events, community, sports events etc (.Trigo, 2017). Conferences and
banqueting manager is planning of wedding, parties, dinners, business functions like
presentation, products launch, training activities etc. It is an emerging industry that struggles to
clearly define its career path. With the help of this business, manager is growing their revenues
and profits.
Scope of conference and banqueting in UK: This sector is worth 42.3 billion to UK
economy in terms of direct spend by events delegates, attendees and organisers, an 8% rise on
the previous data. Manager of city hotel organise many conferences and meeting for generating
revenues that is 19.9 billion in UK (Fletcher, 2012). Organization set up many events such as
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trade fair, outdoor events, travel and performance improvement and other events. With the help
of these events, hospitality industry has generated revenues. By trade fair and exhibition, hotel
has earned 11.0 billion, 1.1 billion revenue earned through festivals and cultural events.
Therefore, according to research, a hotel will have large amount of revenues through conferences
and banqueting. A substantially higher figure is achieved once the wider economic impacts are
included. Spend those accompanying attendees at business events is worth an additional 7.7
billion.
The UK is one of the world's most essential business destinations. It is estimated that
about 1.3 million corporate meetings are held in the UK annually. Build up of events in the UK,
events businesses have grown to about 25000 with workforce of up to 530000 people.
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Illustration 1: British Events Industry
Source: (Valuing the events industry for economic growth, 2012)

1.2 Causes of market growth and factors influences its development
There are different factors that are affecting development of conference and banqueting
sector. Such as follows:
Political factors: Over past year, due to political peace and instability, transformed into
international business part. There are number of political resolutions made by ruling government
affect hospitality industry and other sector. For example, government policy to enforce high
taxation on hotels operating in UK ultimately discourage conferences and banqueting sectors
(Lewis, 2015).
Social Factors: Banqueting and conferencing attracts diverse customers base such
groups of people lives different lifestyle and have various preferences for leisure and definitions
of pleasure. Due to choice of leisure activities, ranging from food and beverages being served by
banqueting and conferencing department in City hotel.
Environmental Factors: Due to consideration, in planning of banquet and conferences
facilities, sustainability and renewability. Because of, most countries around world are currently
best for enhancement in the preservation and care of nature (Kwak, Park and Sun, 2018). For
example, food and beverages package made from material that recycled to help reduce and
control possible pollution of the environment. The external competitions for market control also
change some of environmental factors that affects companies offers Banquet and conference
facilities.
Legal Factors: Employees of banquet and conferences establishment always respect and
uphold dignity of customers visiting the premises of UK. In order to that, consumers laws also
protect customers from unhealthy food and beverages that premises offering at point in
time(Shashidhar and Prakash, 2016). Non, all the products offers by banquet and conferencing
companies must be consistent with majority of customers expects from advertisement.
Technological Factors: Due to technological advancement and innovations in UK,
banquet and conferences facilities are changing in the hotels. Most of the customers are looking
for comfort in the selecting an appropriate banquet and conferences facilities. For example,
conference hall with adjustable chairs, modern audio and video systems, appropriate air
conditioning equipment definitely impress an organization willing to have an employees retreat
at the establishment.
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TASK 2
2.1 Assess key strategic and operational issues involved management of conference
There are different operational issues that are involved in managing conferences and
banqueting in city hotel. Such as follows:
Managing staff: Manager of city hotel make sure that all staff are working together and
managing successful conference and banqueting in their hotel. Therefore, they are giving training
for arranging events (Soltani and Navimipour, 2016). If any of employee does not work
effectively, it is a big issue for managing conferences in their organization.
Technological issues: It includes some technological errors, improper sound, devices,
lighting system etc. City hotel manager make sure that it utilizes the latest technology in
conferences and meeting. So that, there is not problems faced by guests regrading to technical
issues. For this, they are also giving training for their staff, thus staff are effectively working for
managing conferences (Gabarrón and et.al., 2015).
Managing food and beverages: It includes some issues like lower quality material,
storage of food etc. It is essential to manage food and beverages in conferences and banqueting
management in city hotel. Therefore, manager of food and beverages of hotel make sure that
providing the best quality lunch and drinks for their guests. Effective conferences and banqueting
management helps in growth of business in terms of increasing profits and generating revenues
of business(Mokhtarian and Lindgren, 2018).
Coordination: It involves some issues such as ineffective communication between
workers, misbehave, ineffective behaviour etc. There is effective coordination among staff of
hotels. Therefore, manager of city hotel coordinate with their staff for managing conferences and
banqueting in their hotel. Effective coordination of staff and manager helps in successful
managing conferences or meetings.
Control budget: It includes some issues such as increasing costs of labour, lighting etc.
Manager has to control and monitor of budget of banqueting that includes labour costs, food and
beverages costs etc. Effective budget controlling helps in managing conferences or meetings in
their hotels. Manager makes sure that providing better quality food and beverages from effective
costs to their guests(Rauch and et.al., 2015).
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Legal consideration: It includes issues such as ineffective protection of guests etc. It is
also operational issues that affects on banqueting and conference in off site venue. It includes
Health and safety, hygiene regulation etc. These legal consideration affects on effective
managing of conferences and banqueting.
Function etiquette: There are many rules of organising function and banquet on behalf
of guest opinion. Therefore, manager make sure that know place setting, following up protocol
effectively, waits on other, practices proper serving etiquette by manager of hotel for managing
different function and events to hotel. Manager also ensure that following appropriate culture and
religion of organizing banqueting of various functions(Silver and et.al., 2015).
Requiring protocol: It includes managing food and beverages according to different
events and functions etc. Manager make ensure that following appropriate protocol of different
occasions such as wedding, formal dinners, room design, seating plans and other arrangements
that are required in managing banquet in city hotel.
2.2 Importance of delivering quality in conferences operations and quality review techniques
Delivering quality services to customers are essential for conferences operation as well as
city hotel. With the help of this, organization increase profits, customer’s attraction and generate
revenues.. On other hand, there are many techniques of quality review and performance that are
utilised in managing conferences and banqueting operations of city hotel. Such as follows:
Customers satisfaction: With the help of delivering quality services in conferences or
events to customers, it increases customers’ expectations and satisfaction for their hotel (Izogo,
and Ogba, 2015).Therefore, manager make sure that they are delivering the best quality facilities
to their guests. Effective customers' satisfaction is beneficial for business.
Profitability: With the help of delivering quality services in conferences or events
operation to customers, it increases customer satisfaction ultimately this increases profitability of
city hotel. Therefore, manager makes sure that providing the best quality services to guests by
effective managing conferences and banqueting.
Budget review: It is technique of quality review for effective managing conferences and
banqueting in their hotel. Therefore, manager make sure that control and monitor budget and
taking its review on regular basis in their business (Davison and et.al., 2015).
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Customer feedback: With the help of service users feedback, manager of city hotel
improves quality of their services of hotel. This type of review technique is used by manager for
managing effective conferences and banqueting operations in their business.
Venue appraisal: Effective venue appraisal is advantageous for success of the hotel.
Therefore, manager make sure that organizing upcoming events effectively in their hotel. This
helps in more improving performance of business in hospitality industry(Punzalan and et.al.,
2015).
TASK 3
3.1 Suitability of food production systems, styles and services styles
Food production system:
Food production system involves all processes and infrastructure including in feeding
population growing, harvesting, processing, transporting, marketing, consumption and disposal
of food and food related products. Select off site venue that is Chewton glen located at
Hampshire. It is one of the UK's finest country house in which 70 bedrooms including 12 luxury
tree houses. There are different food production systems that are included traditional, cook hill,
cook freeze etc. In order to that, traditional method is conventional partie approach, majority of
food is purchased raw very little falling into know convenience foods category (Bouchon,
Hussain and Konar, 2017). The term cook freeze refers to catering system based on the full
cooking of food followed by fast freezing with storage at controlled low temperature. It is
completed food production process from the initial raw food through to final service of product.
Food services system:
Manager of select off site venue that is Chewton glen located at Hampshire. There are
range of food services system that such as table services, sliver services, self services etc. In this
particular event, table services is method of food services that waiter brings customers food to
table. On other hand, if it is silver services that is served with salver on to plate and then placed
in front of customers. There are various styles of table services such as American, French,
Russian and English services (Trigo, 2017).
Beverages services system:
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There are many beverages services methods that are included self-services, counter, table
services etc. In order to that, self-services beverages methods is one in which customers collect
their own beverages from counter rather than waiter serving beverages to the customers at table.
On other hand, counter services are found in public hotels and restaurants that have licensed bars
customers purchasing their drinks at the bar. Then usually carrying them back to table for
consumption (Lewis, 2015).
3.2 Key factors and issues involved in organize off site banquet
Banquet manager of city hotel faces different factors and issues for organizing off site
banquet. These factors as follows:
Complex logistics: It is the biggest issues for setting up transportation of reaching at
venue. Therefore, manager make sure that setting and providing appropriate transportation for
their guests.
Manpower requirement: It is also most critical factor that is required in case of an
offsite event as each and every thing needs to be set up as the requirements of clients. .
Therefore, manager make sure that hiring of skilled workforce for helping in organizing off site
banquet is done (Kwak, Park and Sun, 2018). Efficient workforce assists in handling and
providing all services to guests effectively.
Higher logistical costs: Manager face most critical issues that is higher logistical costs
by hiring more workforce and setting up complex logistics in organizing off site banquet. This
effects on organizing banquet and profits margin.
Unhealthy environment: It includes some reasons such as ineffective interaction
between guests because of large number of guests coming in conferencing etc. If environment of
off site venue is not good, it becomes a major concern. This affects on organizing off site
banquet by manager. This also effects on health of guests (Shashidhar and Prakash, 2016).
Technology failure: It is also the most critical issue in organizing off site banquet in the
Chewton glen. Therefore, manager make sure that checking up all laptops, projectors, speakers
and other equipment’s that are utilized in conferences. This type of factor affects client’s
behaviour and their expectation.
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Unexpected weather: It is unexpected factor that affecting of organizing off site
conferences. Therefore, manager has to make sure that at least covering arrangements for all
technical equipment’s is made . This factor also effects on organizing conferences ( Michael,
2015).
3.3 Menu planning consideration and limitation
Menu planning consideration:
Menu planing is procedure of deciding that each meal which is involved main dishes,
side dishes and desserts. It also entails knowing plan of meals and severing them. A menu
belongs to list of dishes that are offered to customers. There are various factors needs to consider
when planning menus for food services and catering industry. Such as follows
Available time to cook: It is necessary factor that is considered in planning of menu. It is
essential that only such food items are included in the menu which are possible to be cooked in
available time. (Soltani and Navimipour, 2016).
Seasonality foods: It is also necessary factors that is considered in menu planning, it is
essential that all types' seasonality foods are added in menu planning. Therefore, manager make
sure that providing different foods according to season to their clients.
Special Occasions: Manger make sure that appropriate menu planning according to
occasions in their hotel. This type of factor helps in customers satisfaction and their
expectation(Gabarrón and et.al., 2015).
Limitation of menu planning:
There are many limitations of menu planning for organizing off site conference by
manager of City hotel. These cons are such as follows:
Customers taste and preferences: It is a limitation of menu planning in organizing off
site banqueting by manager of city hotel. It is due to the fact that , every individual has different
taste and preferences. Therefore, manager has to make sure that effective planning of menu in
managing conferences is done (Mokhtarian and Lindgren, 2018).
Marketing implications: Because of Menu lists items that Food and Beverages
operation is offering for sale, it is turn becomes a marketing tool. With the help of marketing
implications, manager increase customer attraction of their banquet as well as hotel.
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TASK 4
4.1 Ergonomic consideration involving venue and facilities
Ergonomics consideration:
It is scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among human
and other components of system. It is profession that applied theory principles, data and methods
to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance. In terms of
hospitality industry, ergonomics prevents these types of injuries by filling the job to person using
proper equipment’s and work practices (Wright, 2016). This result in the safest way to work and
prevents workplace injuries. Many factors are essential considerations for choosing ergonomic
solutions in industry are:
Posture: This factors includes inconvenient positions increasing risk of injury. Bodies
function of hospitality is the best in comfortable postures. It increases stress on attachment and
joints. This lead to tiredness and discomfort, increase risk of injury.
Movements: This element involves actions that are repeated frequently increase risk of
injury.
Budget: Employers of hospitality are suffered huge losses due to workers 's injuries. The
need to invest in ergonomic solutions in obvious. Fortuitously, many solutions are not expensive.
There are many ways to reduce risk of injury in managing banqueting in city hotel. Such
as follows:
 Through utilizing tray carrying carts for reducing travel.
 By resting its, support large banquet tray.
 Fewer plates at times, so that more plates carrying by staff. The greater stress on muscles
and joints(Rauch and et.al., 2015).
In order to that, here many other solution of ergonomic in managing banqueting by city hotel
manager at off site venue. Such as follows:
Space utilisation: It is necessary to effective utilization of space for managing
conferencing and banqueting at off-site venue. It includes seating plans, room layout, guests
style, accommodation facilities etc. to guests.
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Hall and room occupancy : It is necessary to effective calculation of hall and room
occupancy in their hotel or off site venue. There are two types of procedure for identifying
occupancy that is exit and occupant capacity. Both calculations are needed to undertaken with
lower number calculated used as maximum occupancy figure(Silver and et.al., 2015).
Types of events: Manager of city hotel needs to manage banqueting according different
types of events. Because of, there are many types of events such as wedding style, Board
meeting, lecture room, exhibition, trade fair etc. Therefore, manager make sure that size and
occupancy are corrected or not according to events. They follow various style for decorating
banquet such as class room, Hollow square, U-Shape, Board room etc.
Technology utilizes: It includes such as audio-visual, lighting, sound, video projections,
computer disc presentation, lighting and sound technology. Manager of make sure that utilizing
of technology according to different events. In terms of Wi-Fi, internet services, projectors,
sound system, lighting system etc (Izogo and Ogba, 2015).
CONCLUSION
On the basis of above report it can be concluded that, to have the adequate growth and
development in the operational activities of Banquet and conference sectors there is requirement
of analysing the market. Key factors which are affecting growth of such industry has to be
determined with the approach of making qualitative operational development. Report had
highlighted strategies and key approaches for City hotel and Chewton Glen which will be helpful
to them in sustaining the adequate growth. Further, it can be said that, such sector will have
adequate rise in the operations which in turn will be useful for generating higher revenue and
profitability.
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