Designed to work alongside the brand’s new ‘Synergy Contract’ scheme, which was put in place to help the cash flow of the operator during the post-lockdown period, the ‘Synergy Grill Partnership Initiative’ rewards ‘partners’ who sign-up an operator to the new scheme. To put the financial reward of this scheme into perspective, for every Synergy contract they introduce, Synergy Grill Technology will pay the partner a finder’s fee which could be as much as £792 per grill. So just ten-unit sales a month, could earn the partner nearly £8,000 a month.
Another benefit of the scheme for partners, is that there is no overhead of buying equipment upfront to then sell on, you simply introduce the customer and get paid on results.
Over this period, many people have re-evaluated both their short and medium term ambitions, so to now have the opportunity be part of a team that focuses on new British technology which delivers huge customer benefits and environmental advantages may well be the perfect timing.
Synergy Grill Technology has never needed to hard sell due to the obvious benefits of the equipment. However, we do continually get told by frustrated operators that they have never heard of us, or did not realise the like no other benefits, that a Synergy grill can bring. Therefore, this initiative will not only hopefully help out those in need, but will also give Synergy Grill Technology a wider ambassadors on the ground.”
Richard Ebbs – Commercial and Marketing Director for Synergy Grill Technology explains how easy it is for individuals to get involved:
“Synergy is keen to support those that are facing redundancy with this new initiative. We have tried to design it so partners can use the scheme as much or as little as they like and as there is no notice period or specific sales targets, it is a flexible solution that partners can utilise until they find new employment.
We have set up new partner packs which contain everything that a potential partner will need in order to promote the deal including; leaflets, flyers, spec sheets, contact information, price-lists and our contract savings calculator which provides personalised saving calculations for their customer on the likes of gas etc. All potential partners need to do is get in touch!”
Operators that sign-up to the Synergy Contract scheme will receive a brand-new Synergy grill, pay nothing for installation, pay nothing for the removal of their old grill and do not even pay a deposit! And the good news doesn’t stop there… Synergy is also confident that the monthly contract amount will equate to less than the immediate cost savings that customers will gain in reduced gas usage, through upgrading from a standard chargrill – so their cashflow benefits from day one.
Demand for hospitality professionals more than doubled last week, up 134% in the week ending 21st June, while the rest of the UK reported a 4% drop in hiring. That’s according to the latest real-time statistics from the world’s largest network of job boards, Broadbean Technology.
Hospitality jobs spike
The jump in hospitality vacancies is indicative of many businesses gearing up to reopen on 4th July, as confirmed in the Prime Minster’s announcement earlier this week. The Broadbean Technology data also revealed that the number of jobs being advertised was fairly balanced across most employers in the sector, with a few major brands posting a large number of vacancies, including Costa, McDonalds, the Stonegate Pub Company and Home Bargains.
In comparison, other sectors in the UK reported a slight drop in hiring activity, with the likes of sales & trading and ICT dropping 4% week-on-week, despite the resilience noted in these specialisms in the last month.
London leading the way
Of the UK’s cities, London remains ahead of others in the number of new vacancies added week-on-week, up 9% as employers in the capital begin filling staffing gaps where employees are unable to return to the office. This particular challenge is more apparent when the number of temporary and permanent roles are compared, with temp vacancies up 3% week-on-week, while perm hiring is down 5% during the same period.
Alex Fourlis, Managing Director at Broadbean Technology commented
“There’s no doubt that hospitality has been one of the hardest hit sectors during Covid-19, so to see vacancies up again is a truly promising sign for the UK economy. As the easing of lockdown rules continue to be announced by the Government and with cafes, pubs and restaurants given the green light to reopen in July, we anticipate this hiring activity to continue, particularly as many employers battle to get new staff on board quickly. The balance between temporary and permanent hiring remains tipped in the favour of temp positions and will continue to do so as businesses face the on-going dilemma of replacing employees unable to return to work for a variety of reasons including childcare commitments and shielding requirements in light of Covid-19.”
The world’s top 50 most valuable hotel brands could lose up to US$14 billion worth of brand value as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest Brand Finance Hotels 50 2020 report. Brand Finance’s analysis shows that the hotels sector is one of the most heavily impacted industries globally and could face a potential 20% loss in brand value.
COVID-19 is undoubtedly going to wreak havoc on the sector in the coming year – both financially, as hotels are forced to close and bookings are cancelled, and reputationally, as brands that do not manage to avoid association with COVID-19 may suffer lasting reputational damage.
Looking beyond the hotels sector, the value of the 500 most valuable brands in the world, ranked in the Brand Finance Global 500 2020 league table, could fall by an estimated US$1 trillion as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Brand Finance has assessed the impact of COVID-19 based on the effect of the outbreak on enterprise value, compared to what it was on 1st January 2020. The likely impact on brand value was estimated for each sector. The industries have been classified into three categories – limited impact (minimal brand value loss or potential brand value growth), moderate impact (up to 10% brand value loss), and heavy impact (up to 20% brand value loss) – based on the level of brand value loss observed for each sector in the first quarter of 2020.
“Unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic is going to hit the hotels sector hard as holidays are cancelled and people work from home. While Brand Finance has predicted that hotel brands could face an average 20% loss of brand value, the brands that will be less impacted will be properties with strong brands where social distancing protocols will be easier such as resorts and extended stay properties. Unsurprisingly, brands with a larger exposure to primary markets will be impacted more than secondary and tertiary markets as customers move their preference to properties within “drive-to” markets.”
Hilton remains most valuable
Hilton has recorded an impressive 35% growth in brand value to US$10.8 billion, holding on to first place in the Brand Finance Hotels 50 2020 ranking. The brand’s year-on-year success is due to strong revenue growth and a solid reputation, making Hilton a firm-favourite amongst holiday-goers around the world.
While Hilton’s revenue will take a hit following COVID-19, the brand is consistently elevating its reputation during the crisis, lighting up its buildings in support of the NHS in London, donating free parking spots to healthcare professionals, and teaming up with American Express to donate 1 million overnight stays to frontline medical workers across the US. Placing people at the heart of its strategy, Hilton has also helped its staff who have been furloughed or let go to connect with job vacancies in essential services sectors. As global lockdown restrictions begin to be reviewed, the brand’s gestures of goodwill are likely to pay off, protecting its future revenues and reinforcing Hilton’s already solid reputation.
Mercure is fastest growing, up impressive 57%
With a brand value growth of 57% to US$2.3 billion, Mercure is the fastest growing brand in the Brand Finance Hotels 50 2020 ranking, jumping 3 spots to 8th position. Accor group has been focussing on strong organic franchise growth across its portfolio with Mercure picked as one of the key brands to deliver this growth. This shift to franchise-based growth has fuelled the brand value growth versus last year.
In line with global trends, Accor-owned Mercure hotels have ceased operations in many of their locations but seem to have taken a long-term view approach to their brand’s reputation, demonstrating goodwill by providing rooms for homeless people and other vulnerable communities during COVID-19. Accor’s portfolio of brands are likely to benefit from an improved reputation from its rapid and employee-centred response to the Coronavirus crisis, which saw the parent company establish the ALL Heartist Fund to distribute money amongst employees and partners who have seen their income slashed.
Premier Inn named sector’s strongest
In addition to measuring overall brand value, Brand Finance determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance. According to these criteria, Premier Inn (up 22% to US$1.2 billion) is the world’s strongest hotel brand with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 89.1 out of 100 and a corresponding AAA brand strength rating.
The last few years have seen Premier Inn strengthen its reputation as a reliable hotel option, reinforced by the brand’s humorous advertising campaigns and strong celebrity endorsements. Alongside this well-executed branding strategy, Premier Inn’s BSI is driven by its high customer equity and CSR scores, undoubtedly boosted by the brand’s commitment to eliminate single-use plastics by 2025 as part of their ‘Force for Good’ sustainability programme.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Premier Inn has demonstrated its commitment to communities through a series of measures, ranging from closing their phone lines to reduce the number of unnecessary journeys to work, reserving hotel rooms to support the NHS and key workers, and implementing refund policies to non-refundable rooms.
“As the strongest hotel brand in the ranking, Premier Inn’s overwhelmingly people-led response to the Coronavirus crisis is likely to reinforce strong customer perceptions of trust and allow the brand to emerge with a relatively unscathed brand strength.”
Leisure & Tourism heavily impacted by COVID-19
Alongside analysing the world’s most valuable hotel brands, Brand Finance also ranks the top 10 most valuable brands in the wider leisure and tourism industry. Brand Finance’s analysis shows that leisure and tourism brands could also lose up to 20% of brand value due to COVID-19.
With a brand value of US$10.5 billion, Airbnb is the most valuable leisure and tourism brand. Combining technology and leisure, Airbnb has given traditional hotel brands a worthy opponent since its inception, favoured by homeowners as a hassle-free source of extra income, and by frequent travellers for its affordability and sense of adventure. Despite its business operations grinding to a halt, Airbnb is in a relatively good position to recover from the crisis as the economy slowly re-opens, likely to be favoured by holiday-goers looking for “staycation” options in their own countries.
“It is fairly obvious that the leisure and tourism industry is going to take a big hit from the Coronavirus outbreak as varying levels of lockdown are being imposed on nations globally – Brand Finance’s analysis demonstrates that leisure and tourism brands could lose up to 20% of their brand value. As with most sectors, however, the damage that will ensue on these brands will greatly depend on how long the pandemic engulfs the world, when borders are opened and how well brands can respond and adapt to the changing market.”
Stampede, a Leith-based start-up offering digital growth services for the hospitality sector, today launched a free managed gift-card service for businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to help them recover lost income quickly and create a continuous new revenue stream.
Stampede gift cards is a fully managed service, which means that a traditional pub or small local café with no ecommerce functionality can launch a website, create and issue gift cards to their customer database, and start accepting payments immediately through Stampede. The buy now/use later vouchers are designed to be a more sustainable alternative to crowdfunding options that have proved popular during the pandemic, giving business owners a new way to boost revenues and improve cash flow issues during this time of uncertainty. The service also helps businesses stay in contact with customers and provides them with more security for the future – guests are certain to redeem their vouchers after the shutdown ends and likely to spend even more money when they visit.
Crowdfunding campaigns have become a popular way for restaurants, pubs and bars to recover lost income while closed, in a bid to avoid job losses and bankruptcy. However, these kinds of campaigns are often a short-term solution and do not fix the longer-term cash flow issues created by COVID-19. Stampede gift cards allow businesses to compete in the market once again and tailor offers and services for their local customers. Stampede believes that this is a more dependable solution to cash flow issues in the long term, rather than being solely dependent on charitable donations via sites like GoFundMe.
Stampede gift cards are powered by fin tech services Stripe and Connect, meaning that Stampede clients need no technical expertise to launch their gift card campaign and start taking payments. The fully managed journey was an important consideration for Stampede, who understood that hospitality businesses do not have the time and resources required to build extra online/payments functionality during such a difficult time. The gift card service was created by the team in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and follows discussions with hospitality customers about how best to recover their lost income.
“Businesses that make their money by bringing people together have been hit hardest by COVID-19 and social distancing policies,” said Stampede founder, Patrick Clover.
“Many businesses are struggling to survive, and while donations via sites like GoFundMe are a great quick fix, no business owner wants to be dependent on charitable donations as their main source of income. We know that the general public want to support their favourite local businesses during their hour of need, but they don’t want to get takeout every night, nor can they order a pint for delivery from their local pub. We wanted to create a solution that would let people give their financial support to struggling local businesses, while empowering those businesses to start taking money again on their own terms.”
Wolverhampton’s Ramada Resort Park Hall Hotel on Park Drive is undertaking a major refurbishment on part of the hotel to transform 20 bedrooms and its 750 sq m ballroom and foyer.
The Grade II listed hotel and spa, which welcomed more than 31,000 overnight guests and hosted more than 250 conferences and events in 2019, is investing over £400,000 as part of its exciting expansion plans for 2020.
The 20 executive suite rooms will see new art deco style lighting and finishes, new carpeting, super-king-sized beds and bespoke furniture installed. While the 600-capacity ballroom will benefit from 750 sq m of Italian marble flooring, colour changing LED lighting and art deco style sweeping curtains.
The work is being completed by local contractors and the furniture has been manufactured within the midlands.
Clare Pitcher, who designed the ballroom and executive suites, said: “Through this investment we’re creating a truly unique wedding, conference and events space that will be unmatched in the local area. Improvements to the executive suites will ensure that guests of the hotel and spa can relax in style, take in the beautiful surroundings and enjoy a taste of luxury.”
Angela Bir, owner of the Ramada Resort Park Hall hotel, said: “We’re committed to increasing the number of conferences and events we can bring to Wolverhampton in 2020. These latest improvements mean we will be able to offer an incredible looking venue that can be fully adapted to the needs of our event bookers whether they’re hosting a wedding, awards ceremony or conference.
“We’re in a unique position within the city with views out across the Staffordshire countryside, but also in close proximity to major attractions such as the football ground, racecourse and Black Country Living Museum. This latest investment will help us take full advantage of our unique setting and deliver the best possible experience to our guests, whether staying overnight or joining us for an event.”
The grade II listed Ramada Resort Park Hall Hotel has 74 luxury bedrooms, an onsite health club and spa, two-onsite restaurants, including the authentic Indian fine dining restaurant, Anju’s, as well as five acres of landscaped gardens. The hotel has five event spaces able to accommodate up to 850 people.
