Strategic and Operational Issues in Conferencing and Banqueting Sector

This report provides a detailed analysis of the conference and banqueting industry, focusing on the UK market. It begins by exploring the size and scope of the sector, highlighting the factors that influence its development, such as environmental, political, technological, social, and economic considerations. The report then delves into key strategic and operational issues, including documentation, pricing, health and safety, and communication. It also examines performance and quality review methods, such as PERT, used within the industry. The report emphasizes the importance of employee performance and customer satisfaction in achieving success. The assignment utilizes the case study of "Service On A Plate", a UK-based catering company, to illustrate practical applications of the concepts discussed. Overall, the report offers a comprehensive overview of the conference and banqueting sector, providing valuable insights for industry professionals and students alike.

Conferencing and Banqueting
Management

INTRODUCTION
UK is one of the most formulated country in respect of meeting and dinner party sector.
They have huge range for this industry in their nation. Group meeting business is that sector
which provides large meeting and seminar place for people along with this banquet industry
provide best quality food products or services. Conference and banquet industry industry need to
focus on some issues which are related to development that includes food, environmental
problems, accommodation, social, budget, decoration, special techniques and many more
(Rahimi, 2017). Conference and banqueting industry follows some key strategies for managing
regular operations such as pricing, booking diary, security issues, performance evaluation,
maintaining records and important database management, etc. This project is based on “Service
On A Plate” which is catering company and is located in UK. In this assignment, discussion
about size, scope of conference and banqueting sector and major key strategic or functional
issues will be measured in better manner.
TASK 1
1.1 Size and scope of conference and banqueting sector
The meeting and feasting industry's size and scope is one of the most essential elements
which attract the investors to invest their funds in this sector. The sizing and range of banquet
sector is generally based on various component which includes ownership style and their
positioning and the work level rendered by them. The conference and banqueting sector are
classified into different parts.
Scope- The market is estimated to be worth £18.8 billion to the UK economy, including
spend at different occasions and in the wider destination by representatives and organisers. It can
be analysed that there is requirement of providing appropriate services which are associated with
hospitality facilities for their customers and satisfy their all needs in a proper manner. This is the
duty of hospitality manager to deliver effective facilities to their clients regarding conference and
banqueting so that they will become loyal towards their company (Hurrell and Scholarios,
2011). In current period of time, most of the people consider hospitality facilities as celebrating
various events or occasions like festival, weeding, ceremony and various family functions. In
present era, this sector is very fast growing due to conducting of events at each or every day in
different locations. There are requirement of best and appropriate quality based services in this
sector where Service On A Plate catering company offer variety of services which attract more
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people towards hotel services in well manner. The scope of conference and banqueting industry
is based with the help of another industry such as bar, restaurant and so more related sectors. For
conducting investigation, it can be analysed that there are approximately 46000 building and
visitor houses which are located in the united kingdom. This business covers approximately
130000 holding and 1.5 million people involves in the property. There are higher possibility for
United Kingdom in this industry so they are specialized in this sector (Varini, 2012).
Size - The property of conference and dinner party industry can be described as large,
small or medium. Along with this, size can be divided on the basis of number of guest who are
attending some event, square size of sector and number of meetings and conference which
conduct at given time period. On the other hand, size of conference is wide where around 5000
to 1000 people are easily attending the meetings or conferences in the Service On A Plate.
1.2 Analyse factors that have influenced its development
In conference and banqueting sector, there are various components which directly impact
on Service On A Plate. Thus, it is required for analysing various elements by management which
help in declining the major risk and also make proper improvement in conference operations in
better way. For this, the hospitality industry determine appropriate communication system which
are mainly dealing with different factors such as social, political, licensing, economical, sound
system and lightening and crowd control, etc. these factors directly impact on conference and
banqueting services in positive as well as negative manner so company need to develop effective
policies and strategies to maintaining sustainability advantages. These factors are described as
follows: Environmental – The development need to be environmental friendly. In the case of
infrastructural improvement, the sector should determine major impact of development
on the environment. Along with this, the room layout liaison must be followed and
requirement of the guest and policy need to maintain for room layout in proper manner.
For developing the conference and banquet sector it required for company is to make
development in the license (Kitchin, 2011). Political – It is one of the major factor which are beyond the control of management and
directly impact on business operations so if any issue will occur then this will not simple
for maintain any meetings and conferences at specific location. It involves policies,
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authorities stability or instability, tax policies and process, etc. so these factors are
directly impact on hospitality industry and its services. Technological – This sector require to focus on effective development of technology
because in current time period, they are depend upon new or modern technology. In
addition to this, the development will mainly concentrate on sound system, lightening
and some other specialist techniques for reaching with the need of customers. Hospitality
sector need to determine modern and advance techniques for decorations, catering
services and make unique events (Berners, 2018). Social – It is another major factor which need to consider by hospitality which provide
appropriate banquet hall to the people where events are held in well organised manner
and reduces the financial issues within an organisation. They are also one of the biggest
employer company in UK.
 Economical – In this, there are direct impact on economical factors on the business
organisation so this includes different elements such as tax rates, growth rates, GDP and
variations in currencies, etc. this will directly affect on company productivity and
profitability in better manner.
TASK 2
2.1 Assess the key strategic and operational issues
For regular action administration of meeting and feast industry, governance need to focus
on certain critical barriers and problems on regular ground because it will require to inform its
activity on given time. There are various central strategical and functional issues which involves
in the impressive administration for meeting or dinner party which are described as follows: Documentation and booking diary – The booking diary contain the conference date,
space, time, room number, number of participants, total number of days for the
conference and also seen venue for each seminar or meetings (Kennell and et. al., 2012).
In this, all the component should be controlled in the engagement journal which required
to be preserved effectively. Pricing and packaging – The pricing factor for each meeting effect need to be managed
as per the regulation of an organisation and promotion method activity are consider as
major encouragement factor.
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 Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASWA) – This regulation are developed for the
employees health and safety that is required for improving in the productivity and also
satisfy its employees in effective manner.
 Implementation and evaluation – The work should be implemented by every employees
which need to be managed and monitored and performance require to be evaluated on
the basis of improvement of appropriate work in the company (Pantelidis, 2012).
 Communication factors – In this, communicating between worker to employees and
administration to organisation which required to be maintained by administration team of
the operative strategic and determining functional issues that involved in the
administration in the given meeting and banquet (Health and Safety at work Act, 1974.
2017).
2.2 Performance and quality review methods used by conference and banqueting industry
The conference and banquet industry make success which is depend upon the
presentation of them towards meeting and if the conference is flourishing so after that sector can
easily acquire success and growth. In this industry, each and every employees is essential and
their performance can be determine success within this sector. The employees performance
required to be evaluated on periodic basis and quality of performance should be consider and
evaluated in proper manner. For measuring the quality and performance of conference and
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Illustration 1: Health and Safety at work Act 1974, 2017
(Source: Health and Safety at work Act 1974, 2017)

banquet sector need to be followed. This method is named as PERT. Along with this, Pert
technique evaluating the actual company performance as per their cost relationship and effectual
time. It can be done by project management and it is that tool which monitor the whole
performance of their staff members, holding eye on them and also measuring their customers
performance (Roy and Pyne, 2011). Moreover, organisation need to ensure that they should
evaluate the quality presentation in effective manner. Service On Plate need to measure the
presentation of their customers. If there is any issue and difficulty along with attribute and the
performance so that governance group need to take several first steps for find it and they have to
control on their employees and also analyse employees performance.
TASK 3
Covered in PPT
CONCLUSION
From the above mentioned report, it can be analysed that The conference and banqueting
industry size and scope is one of the most essential elements which attract the investors for invest
their funds in this sector. The scope of conference and banqueting industry is based with the help
of another industry such as bar, restaurant and so more related sectors. The size of conference
and banquet industry can be described as large, small or medium. Thus, it is required for
analysing various elements by management which help in declining the major risk and also make
proper improvement in conference operations in better way. There are various key strategic and
operational issues which involves in the effective management for conference or banquet. In this
industry, each and every employees is essential and their performance can be determine success
within this sector.
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REFERENCES
Books and journals
Rahimi, R., 2017. Organizational culture and customer relationship management: a simple linear
regression analysis. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 26(4), pp.443-
449.
Hurrell, S.A. and Scholarios, D., 2011. Recruitment and selection practices, person-brand fit and
soft skills gaps in service organizations: The benefits of institutionalized informality (pp.
108-127). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Varini, K., 2012. Revenue management for the hospitality industry.
Kitchin, P., 2011. Planning and managing the stadium experience. Managing Sport Business: An
Introduction, pp.350-66.
Berners, P., 2018. The Practical Guide to Managing Event Venues. Routledge.
Kennell, J., Bladen, C., Abson, E. and Wilde, N., 2012. Introduction to events management. In
Events Management (pp. 26-45). Routledge.
Pantelidis, I.S., 2012. The role of events in the hospitality sector. Events Management: An
International Approach, p.253.
Roy, S.K. and Pyne, P., 2011. Managerial Accounting in the Hospitality Industry—An
Overview. Management Accountant-New Delhi, 46(9), p.750.
Bladen, C., Kennell, J., Abson, E. and Wilde, N., 2012. Events management: An introduction.
Routledge.
Guilding, C., 2014. Accounting essentials for hospitality managers. Routledge.
Wilton, N., 2012. The impact of work placements on skills development and career outcomes for
business and management graduates. Studies in Higher Education, 37(5), pp.603-620.
Lindsey, K., 2011. Planning and Managing a Corporate Event. Hachette UK.
Online
Introduction to HACCP Training. 2018. [Online]. Available
through:<https://food.unl.edu/introduction-haccp-training>.
Health and Safety at work Act, 1974. 2017. [Online]. Available through:
<http://keywordsuggest.org/gallery/83401.html>.
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