A HOSPITALITY and dining giant has launched a new one-stop shop enquiry hub in Scotland which promises to boost business across many of the UK’s best-known venues.
Sodexo Prestige has created a dedicated enquiry hub service which will be the first point of contact for enquiries from UK Conference and Event Agencies. The ‘Hub’ will facilitate enquiries for 50 high-profile venues where it operates, including Ascot Racecourse, Everton Football Club and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
The move follows a successful trial firstly in Scotland, which saw the UK’s busiest venue finding agents welcome the new service and resulting in over £1,000,000 of confirmed revenue for Scotland alone.
Meanwhile Sodexo Prestige says it chose to base the new ‘Hub’ in Scotland because of the consistent successes delivered by its expert team north of the Border and comes as the company launches a new conference and events customer focused service called Prestige Venues & Events.
Austin Tilsley, regional director of Sodexo Prestige in Scotland, said: “It is an exciting time for Sodexo Prestige and the launch of the hub is a welcome endorsement of the innovation and hard work shown by the team in Scotland.
“We’re all delighted this new service is to be based in Scotland. It further enhances the strong working relationships we have built in recent years with UK venue finding agents – and if we can make our offering more compelling to them, then that is likely to translate into more business for the venues we work with.”
Sodexo Prestige partners with 50 of the finest venues in the UK, including 17 in Scotland such as Hamilton Park Racecourse and Hampden Park.
Stephanie Lee, the account manager who will be heading up the new enquiry hub, said: “It will be a one-stop shop across the entire Sodexo Prestige portfolio where we will work with agents to find the right venue, on time and on budget.
“We understand that agents are up against tight deadlines to get proposals out to their clients so the ‘Hub’ is on hand to offer assistance with any kind of enquiry. For example, it could be a Christmas Party in Newcastle, an incentive dinner in Edinburgh, an exhibition in Brighton or a conference in Central London.”
Already, three of Sodexo Prestige’s key agent accounts have put the new service to the test during a trial period delivering results which convinced the company to invest in the new hub. That has meant a major refurbishment of the Edinburgh offices, total investment of £250,000.
Amanda Brown, Sodexo Prestige’s national account director in Scotland, said: “The feedback we have received so far has been very encouraging, our clients have found dealing with a central function saves a lot of time and allows clients to focus on other important aspects of their booking.
“In response to our close engagement with clients, particularly within the agency market which has seen massive growth over the past two years, we decided to introduce this new service. Now we can act on the customer’s behalf and take care of pricing, packages, offers and bookings for all our 50 venues within one transaction.
“As Sodexo Prestige launch the new conference and events offer, Prestige Venues &Events in March, we are constantly raising the bar for our customers. At every touch point we want our customers to have confidence that we are better than our competitors at enhancing their business and personal reputation.”
Prestige Venues & Events is the new premium service offer of Sodexo Prestige, Sodexo Sports, Leisure and Travel Divison. Sodexo Prestige partners with 17 top class venues in Scotland – and 50 across the UK – including Perth Racecourse, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Ascot Racecourse and Churchill War Rooms. It also owns Bateaux London, the premier cruise experience on the River Thames.
Several of the Scottish chefs have also provided catering hospitality for The Open Championship, one of the world’s biggest golfing events that Sodexo Prestige delivers.
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