COMMENT
COMMENT | PETER HANCOCK
How to be
an insider
By PETER HANCOCK,
chief executive of Pride of Britain Hotels
F
or those of us in business,
The reason why I noticed this is
hoteliers through gaining reputations
the world may at first appear thanks to the need for more frequent for honesty, efficiency and reliability.
to divide into two groups: visits to the bathroom that beset us This applies especially where the
buyers and sellers. In some situations past a certain age. Hence slipping out hotel deals with a single person
that’s exactly how it is, in a shop for of the conference to notice a wall of who they regard as the face of their
instance or at a market. But a more smart suited individuals staring into company. I’ve witnessed examples
sophisticated system is at work most the middle distance, while their prey from the wine trade, insurance,
of the time. huddled together on the other side IT support and many other areas.
of the doors. It’s as if there was an But they’ve all had to find a way to
attended conferences where the invisible electric fence separating the make that first approach, which is
delegates were hoteliers and the hunter from the hunted. why sponsorship is so important in
On two recent occasions I have
exhibitors were tradespeople wishing
I confess to having a foot in both
opening doors.
There’s another reason why I
to sell their goods and services to camps, being responsible for a hotel those hoteliers. Both groups had paid, consortium that charges hoteliers believe exhibitors should always
either to attend or to exhibit, so were a fee for the services it provides try to be more involved in the
jointly supporting the organisations while also being targeted by outside programme of events. It is a brilliant
that staged the events. suppliers wishing to help us. In this way to understand what their clients,
role as in previous ones it has been the hoteliers, are up against. At
advance and good timekeeping on the my aim to become accepted as a the General Manager’s Conference,
day there were plenty of opportunities member of the fraternity of owners organised by the Master Innholders,
for the hoteliers and exhibitors to and general managers so as not to for example, speakers addressed the
meet. It’s a system that can work be considered merely a seller challenges of employee engagement
very well indeed. What struck me, of wares. and of cyber-crime among many
Thanks to good planning in
however, was a tendency on the part
This has involved years of doing
others. By taking part and sharing
of sponsors to stay at their stands helpful things like hosting awards and the educational experience with
throughout the day, even when there chairing seminars, which I admit to hoteliers, our suppliers can become
were interesting sessions happening enjoying very much, and getting to even better equipped to provide the
on the stage that absorbed the full know lots of people beyond our own right solutions.
attention of the delegates in between particular business circle. Little by the breaks. Why didn’t they join them? little, hoteliers have started to accept belonging to a community of like-
Quite apart from learning something me almost as one of their own kind, minded business people, whatever
new, it would have given them extra even though I have not managed an it takes to get there. And if you’ll
chances to introduce themselves and actual hotel in over 30 years. pardon a slight miss-quotation of J
perhaps to strike up new friendships
The very best suppliers
There’s much to be said for
Edgar Hoover “it is always better to
with the very people they had paid to understand all this perfectly and have be inside the tent spitting out, than
be exposed to. woven their way into the hearts of outside spitting in”.
February 2019
www.hotelowner.co.uk
17