13
Christmas
Case study:
Coventry
cocktail in the Grand Staircase
Hall.
Guests were offered the
opportunity to take
photographs with supplied
props and the Mad Hatter
himself, offering an opportunity
to post on social media. Those
who felt so inclined could test
their strategic skills by taking
part in a giant chess game in
the Colonnades, or have a
game of flamingo croquet.
Following drinks and canapés,
guests were invited to dinner in
The Mansion room which had
been decorated with fairy light
trees and centre-piece
branches from which were
hung a selection of chocolates
and trinkets, all following the
Alice in Wonderland theme.
From 9.00pm, a Brass
Awards Ceremony was staged,
celebrating the individuals and
achievements of the agency
throughout 2016, while
desserts were served.
Verdict
Helen Islan, Brass, marketing
manager, said: “The Mansion
provided the perfect setting for
our amazing Mad Brassers Tea
Party Christmas party. People
commented on the grandeur of
the setting, the creativity of the
props, and said it was ‘the best
party yet’! The location,
entertainment and food offered
the perfect package for a
wonderfully creative and
enjoyable Christmas party.”
www.conference-news.co.uk
Darren Cooke, cluster general
manager at Interstate Europe
Hotels & Resorts, reveals how
the leading third-party hotel
management company is
ripping up the rulebook to
provide a more inventive festive
offering.
At the Holiday Inn Coventry,
much like the rest of the hotel
industry, we’ve been challenged
by Christmas due to the extra
supply in the market.
There is now a broader range
of alternative venues, such as
pubs, sporting arenas and
leisure facilities.
We analysed the Christmas
market and realised that the
offering across the board,
compressed in the mid-£40
range, and making it difficult to
stand out from the crowd on
price.
Ultimately, we decided on an
‘around the world’ street food
theme offering. We also
reconfigured the layout and
seating to create a more
dynamic mix of seating options.
With regard to entertainment,
we have a casino room, a space
for games with air hockey, and
a photo booth. The chill out
rooms will have comfy sofas
and black and white Christmas
movies being played.
The reaction has been
positive. Last May we had one
party of 10 on our books for
Christmas 2016. At the same
point in 2017 we have 1,500
people already booked in.
We can now accommodate
320 people a night, and
reduced the price from £55 to
£39.95.