IHI HNN June 2022 Issue

HNN HOSPITALITY NETWORK NEWS

Dublin, Ireland

JUNE 2022

HNN CONTENTS 4 President's Note 7 New Members & Business Partners 8 Bourdeaux Then & Now 12 How can independent hotels combat the rise of OTAs? 16 Calls for Government Flexibility Around Student Work Visas to Help Address Hospitality Sector Staffing Crisis 18 Hotel Margins Under Pressure 21 Examfly founder wins Sodexo WMB Female Newcomer Award for 2022 22 Fourth Generation Donegal Hotel Celebrates Centenary of Success 24 Getting Presenter Ready for Virtual Events in 2022 with IMS 28 CPD Diploma in Visitor Attraction Management 3

PRESIDENT'S NOTE Dear Member, Our industry is made up of doers. It's in our nature. It's part of our DNA and is likely what calls us to this industry. It's the passion we have for what we do that drives us every day to get things done.

Lately, the headlines seem to only focus on the struggles in the sector, but I think it is important that we remember all the positive things happening too.

In recent weeks I have seen the considerable efforts made by both the education and industry sectors to help alleviate some of the issues currently affecting our industry.

Earlier this year, the Galway International Hotel School, GMIT, launched an innovative series of short oneweek courses designed for transition and fifth-year secondary school students to help them prepare for jobs in the tourism and hospitality industry during the busy summer season.

Diarmuid Ó Conghaile, Head of Department for Heritage and Tourism, Languages and Humanities, ATU Galway said “Demand for the bootcamps was immediate, with 2nd level students from all over the country getting in touch with us to sign up. Each camp was booked out within a week, and we had a waiting list for those who could not secure a place but still wanted to be notified of any cancellations. The Bootcamps proved to be a great success with all participants enjoying their experience on the various courses available. The success of the Bootcamps was down to the fun and engaging courses our team of lecturers created and delivered. The overall aim was to ensure that the participating students had a good foundation in preparing them for seasonal work this summer in the industry. Our hope is to continue with the bootcamps next year, hopefully with the support of Fáilte Ireland, and other industry partners”.

In May, Fáilte Ireland launched a €700,000 national campaign to address staff shortages in the tourism sector.

The campaign titled ‘Works for Me’ aims at attracting more people, of all ages and demographics, to jobs in the tourism and hospitality industry.

Another great initiative was recently launched by The Vintners' Federation of Ireland with Griffith College. The VFI Bar Manager Degree Apprenticeship allows students to build a lasting career in the bar sector. This is a great initiative to help train and retain people in the bar industry.

Sometimes it's easy to focus on what needs to be fixed and of course issues will always arise, but it's important that we remember that our industry is actually a community. One that helps each other when times get tough so let's keep working together to make our industry the best it can be.

All the best,

Brian Bowler IHI President 4

Save the Date The IHI Founder's Evening & Hospitality Management Awards are back 24th November 2022 Sponsorship opportunities are available.

Please call Tina Maree on 01 6624790 for details.

Welcome to our new Members Dominika O'Sullivan HR Consultant Action HR Srevices Clodagh Szakacs Senior Recruitment Consultant Choice People

Welcome to our new Business Partners Expedia Group is one of the world’s largest travel platforms. With unrivalled knowledge of the industry and advanced tech innovation, we built a two-sided marketplace that allows us to filter through millions of different possibilities, for travellers and partners worldwide.

Anthony Ryan Area Manager UK & Ireland anryan@expediagroup.com www.expediagroup.com

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How can independent hotels combat the rise of OTAs? This time last year, Booking.com expanded their Genius programme in an attempt to increase loyalty. The organisation stated their aim for Genius was to ‘help its property partners gain even more visibility, increase bookings and grow their businesses’. In reality, the expansion of the Genius programme has meant more of an incentive for people to use Booking.com and to reap the additional benefits by doing so. Currently, we are seeing OTAs including Booking.com working even harder to win back the market share they had lost during (and after) the pandemic, as hotel direct bookings notably rose.

There's nothing wrong with using OTAs and they can still be an incredibly valuable and handy part of your overall selling strategy - they have their place within the mix. This aside, as an independent hotelier your direct bookings should still be your number 1 goal. Remember that Genius loyalty builds guest loyalty to Booking.com – not guest loyalty to the hotels taking part.

What are OTAs doing to try and win back market share?

Promoting mobile discounts/use of virtual cards Mobile discounts are being pushed heavily by Booking.com and the majority of bookings are being delivered on mobile. As you know, mobile is crucially important to consider as part of your online strategy overall - but it's interesting to note what a push Booking.com put on it. No surprise as most of us spend a third of our waking lives on our phones. Pay attention!

“VCC or virtual credit cards are something used by Booking.com to pay hotels that have an additional commission to hotels averaging 3%. Expedia uses VCC as well but it calls them EVC or Expedia Virtual Cards. Most of the VCCs are issued in the US and the European Union, so for hotels located outside these two areas, their costs will be even higher as there is an additional cross-border fee to process payments.”

Flexing/cutting their commission rate resulting in a lower rate shown to the consumer There is an algorithm is in place to price match or discount a rate the customer is shown.

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Continuing to develop loyalty programmes like Booking.com’s Genius programme which has a number of tiers and incentives It is smart of OTAs to opt people in tho these kinds of programmes automatically so there is no thinking involved on the customer's part - only benefits.

We held a webinar session this week as part of which we asked our clients some questions around their participation with Booking.com - here were the results.

Are you participating in the Booking.com Genius Programme?

47% Yes 53% No Are you participating in the Booking.com mobile discount promotion?

32% Yes 68% No Are you using the Booking.com Virtual Credit Card as a payment type?

79% Yes 21% No

What can you do to entice customers to book direct?

The average user spends four hours and 48 minutes using their mobile phones every day! In relation to mobile, make sure you are: Checking your website booking process on mobile regularly Checking your image/text displays well Optimise optimise optimise - make sure everything is in order and you have optimised your website fully Be mindful of your pricing Always keep the best price for your hotel website! This is the golden rule Best practice is for your rate-plans to be ordered by price Weigh up the consequence of having the virtual credit card feature on. It is being used to charge for no-shows but in reality its true value is to Booking.com as they can show lower prices Auto replenish availability When a room cancels Booking.com hold onto the inventory to resell the room Replicate whatever offers/discounts you've used on Booking.com on your own website Use our rateplan badges! Booking.com use them extensively to create urgency and highlight value offers Rooms are sold by description and images – be sure your descriptions are detailed and there is a gallery per room type Ring fence key dates – not just in the short term Keep some rateplans and room types exclusively for your hotel website

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Be creative Incentivise guests to book directly by offering a small discount or unique enhancements Emphasise what you have to offer – your property, your area as a destination, your surrounding local attractions Create an engaging booking experience that ensures your guest sticks with it through until the end. Part of this is making sure you have an intelligent booking engine that is built for mobile, optimised for conversion and easy to integrate with other software that will collectively create a seamless user experience Use targeted newsletters Remember – Booking.com’s Genius program encourages loyalty to Booking.com – not your website. So be mindful of its features!

If you do offer the Genius/Mobile discount, consider the following: When do I get the bookings?

Which rate plans are booked?

Which room types are getting booked?

What is the cancellation rate?

What is the ALOS? What is the lead time on these bookings?

Finally... why is growing your direct channel so important?

It gives you the ability to control your marketing message It gives you more control over the experience your guest has and the relationship you have with them You will have lower cancellation rates It gives you a chance to secure new customers Sign up to our blog for weekly trends, insights and the latest goings on in the hospitality industry.

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Calls for Government Flexibility Around Student Work Visas to Help Address Hospitality Sector Staffing Crisis A lack of Government action on student work visas for overseas workers coming to Ireland will provide cold comfort for thousands of businesses in the hospitality sector who face extreme staff shortages as they approach the summer season.Leading recruitment specialists in the hospitality sector, Excel Recruitment, say that while much has been made of the dire situation faced by business in both the hospitality and retail sectors in the post-Covid period, recent comments from Minister for Justice Helen McEntee in the Dáil [1]demonstrate that little seems to be coming down the line by way of Government action. The leading recruiters are calling on the Government to make changes to Ireland’s Stamp 2 visa programme (See Appendix) – so that students from overseas can work more than 20 hours per week outside of their college holiday season, thus benefiting both the employers who are looking for staff, and the workers needing to earn an income sufficient to live on.

Shane McLave, Director at Excel Recruitment explained there are many downsides to the current visa programme structure that negatively impacts both workers and employers alike, “Ireland’s hospitality sector is struggling under the strain of staffing shortages. This country is currently home to thousands of students from abroad, many of whom are eager to work.

However, their Stamp 2 visa model only allows them to work for 20 hours for 7 months of the year and for 40 hrs for just 5 months. These students could also contribute in a big way to solving our staff shortages – if only our visa system facilitated this.

While “studying” is one of the primary requirements for securing a Stamp 2 visa, the reality is that vast swathes of these visa holders are economic migrants and while learning English may get them a foot in the door – essentially, many are here to earn money to send back to their families. Prohibiting these people from working more than 20 hours a week is both needlessly harmful to their own personal financial situation and to the industries that need them in the labour force”.

Excel Recruitment say the eligibility requirements for the visa are dated and in dire need of updating, Mr. McLave explained, “To be granted this visa you must show that you have a certain amount of money in the bank before you enter the country. But this level has remained stagnant over the years, and has not changed to reflect the soaring cost of living in the interim. So the people who come are already on the back foot when it comes to affordability.

What we have is a case whereby people are struggling to exist on the pay from a 20 hour working week, while employers throughout the country, particularly in the hospitality and retail sectors are shouting out for workers”.

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According to the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, there are currently 33,230 non-EEA students registered with an active Stamp 2 permission in the State[2].

Minister for Justice stated, “The conditions attaching to all immigration permissions are kept under ongoing review by my Department with all relevant stakeholders. Any changes to the work entitlements of non-EEA students would be a policy decision for the wider stakeholder group.”

Mr. McLave concluded by saying, “No attention has been given to the issues surrounding Stamp 2 visas and according to most recent Government response, there is no inclination to do so. We are calling on the Government to reconsider their position on this and to introduce some flexibility around the conditions of the visa. We would advocate that the Government look at extending the 20- 30 hours visa so that employers will have more access to staff and international students will have more income to maintain a decent standard of living while in Ireland."

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Examfly founder wins Sodexo WMB Female Newcomer Award for 2022 Deirdre Lyons, CEO and founder of Examfly, is the 2022 winner of the Sodexo WMB Female Newcomer Award, which has been sponsored by the company since 2015. Deirdre was presented with the Award by Deirdre Saunders, client relationship director at Sodexo Ireland at the ceremony in the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin in May 2022.

As part of the Award, the company will be providing sessions with a suitably qualified Sodexo mentor to Deirdre, to support her professional and business development objectives.

Commenting on her win, Deirdre Lyons said, “I’m honoured to win this award and grateful to WMB and Sodexo for their support. I’m standing on the shoulders of the many amazing women who have blazed a trail before me, and I look forward to ‘paying it forward’ by mentoring other female founders along their paths.

Success, to me, is about making a positive dent in the universe, however small. I hope to do this through the products we create, the people I mentor, and being a good role model for other female entrepreneurs.”

Examfly is an education technology start-up that is transforming the learning model for professional exams and continuous professional development. Working with subject matter experts, software developers, animators and game designers, Examfly creates a learning experience optimised for skill acquisition and reinforcement. Trusted by Big 4 firms, and large educational bodies, the Examfly Platform has earned rave reviews from students who say it makes learning quicker and more enjoyable.

Deirdre Saunders, client relationship director, Sodexo Ireland said: “ Congratulations to Deirdre Lyons, who joins an exemplary line of female entrepreneurs who have won this Award over the years. We’re delighted to have sponsored this category over the past seven years. Support of the Awards is central to our ongoing commitment towards supporting and mentoring SMEs to grow and develop their businesses and empower women in our communities.

Established in 2006 by Rosemary Delaney, WomenMeanBusiness.com is the business platform for working women. It is dedicated to tackling the issue of gender in the workplace, to promoting Irish female entrepreneurs and to featuring inspiring female business leaders and role models.

Rosemary Delaney of Women Mean Business (WMB) and Deirdre Saunders of Sodexo Ireland (on right) present the Sodexo WMB Female Newcomer Award for 2022 to Deirdre Lyons of Examfly.

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Fourth Generation Donegal Hotel Celebrates Centenary of Success This year the Arnold Family Hotel in Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal, are proudly celebrating 100 years in hospitality.

Since 1922 four generations of the Arnold family have been welcoming guests to this landmark hotel in the heart of town.

General Manager Aisling Arnold even celebrated her recent marriage to Aidan Kelly at the family owned hotel and they were delighted to mark their special day with family and friends at Arnolds.

Parents Derek & Gerarda Arnold, Aisling Arnold, Aidan Kelly, and uncle Bill Arnold

History The hotel was formally known as St Patrick’s, and was purchased as a guest house by William T. Arnold in 1922 for a mere £850! During World War II, it was impossible to get rations, so William registered the building as a hotel to enable rations to be obtained. Prior to the establishment of the hotel by the Arnolds, it was the residence of the then manager of the Ards Estate, Mr Edmund Murphy.

After William’s death in 1948, his son Richard took over, and he and his wife Ada ran the hotel very successfully. Richard and Ada’s eldest child Derek took over the business in 1972 and was joined in later years by his wife Gerarda and brother Bill. The trio ran the hotel together for almost forty years and enjoyed many rewarding years. Derek and Gerarda’s son Ryan also joined the business in 1993 but was sadly killed in a car accident in 1998.

The Evolution of Arnolds The hotel itself has also seen many changes over the years, from the introduction of electricity and running water to the town to the introduction of a licensed premises and bar, which meant the end of the building as a ‘temperance hotel.’

It has survived hardship and difficulty, from the Civil War through World War II, from varying recessions to, most recently, the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic, an unprecedented crisis that affected businesses everywhere.

Over the years, Arnolds Hotel has kept pace with the changes and challenges of modern tourism. It has also been a popular destination for many well-known guests, including celebrities like Oliva NewtonJohn, Kevin Whately, Chris Tarrant, Frank Carson, Nicky Chapman, Suzanne Dando, Ryan Tubridy, Dermot Bannon & Daniel O’ Donnell. Gay Byrne and his wife Kathleen were regular visitors to Arnolds.

Arnolds Today Arnolds Hotel is a familiar landmark for those visiting Dunfanaghy on their way around the Wild Atlantic Way. The hotel has always had a very loyal clientele who return year after year, and this has been one of the secrets of its success over the years. Arnolds is more than just a hotel: it and the Arnold family are part of the fabric of the local community and the hotel remains a favourite gathering place for special occasions and functions.

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Over the years working in the hotel was almost a rite of passage for young people living in Dunfanaghy.

For generations of local families, their first job was working in the hotel (or, in the early years, on the farm or in the stables at the rear of the hotel). It’s a tradition that continues to this day, with many a local young person starting their work journey in Arnolds.

Now a fourth-generation family business, Arnolds Hotel has flourished under the leadership of Aisling Arnold. Successful new additions include Café Arnou, a new look Restaurant, a Cocktail Bar and beautifully refurbished bedrooms. Events and Activity Weekends year-round add to the attraction of the hotel.

Awards The hotel won the Georgina Campbell Best 3 Star Hotel for Activity Breaks in 2021, and has also recently been awarded Best Three Star Hotel in Ireland.

Arnolds Hotel and Café Arnou are also featured in the 2022 John and Sally McKenna's Wild Atlantic Way Guide for their food offering.

Aisling has recently been joined in the business by her husband Aidan and they have a number of upcoming events planned to celebrate 100 years in hospitality. They look forward to welcoming residents and staff, old and new to the hotel to celebrate this momentous occasion.

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Getting Presenter Ready for Virtual Events in 2022 with IMS

By Earl Murtagh-Naughton, Head of Marketing The pandemic drove us to turn to virtual events to compensate for the absence of live events. We came, we saw, and now we are continuing to conquer the virtual events space like never before.

Attendees appreciate them as a way to stay connected, informed and effective for time management.

There are many benefits that event planners are discovering, including increased visibility, analysis, environmental impact, and metrics about who their customers are and what they want.

Lessons Learned? Don't go it alone! Partner with IMS Virtual Events to plan the perfect event. Our Virtual Event Methodology gives us a framework for thinking about events from the perspective of Planning, Registration, Live Event Support, Presentation, Engagement, and Post Event Support. We have seen a range of benefits from Virtual Events, including higher attendance, cost savings, increased flexibility, better analytics, and better feedback. Over the past two years, expectations for events grew, and the need for project management became increasingly evident. From the initial conversation, planning session, technology, dress rehearsals, data insights, live event, post-event information and brand awareness have become increasingly critical. In addition, we have learned the importance of commitment from all involved in the overall delivery of the live event. From the first initial meeting with IMS until our renowned wrap meeting, or as we like to call it, 'The High Five Session' In a sea of digital presentations, how can you make your Zoom presentation stand out? What can you do to ensure your remote audience is engaged with your content and focused on your presentation? Do you want to nail your online presentations? Check out these tips:

The right equipment is essential • Camera - ensure your image is clear and of high quality by checking your camera. Let's be honest; up the nose is not the best angle for anyone. Instead, you should place the camera at a height that allows it to be angled just a bit downward. Imagine the camera is at your hairline, and you are looking up at it, nothing too extreme, just enough to give you the most flattering angle. If we're talking about positioning, we should also note that you shouldn't be too close to the camera; otherwise, your face will appear distorted. In addition, you might want to ensure that your camera isn't set to a wide-angle since that also has the same effect.

• Headset - Test your microphone. If you do not already have one, we recommend using an external USB mic or a headset with a built-in mic, as it will make the sound clearer. Zoom has a feature that blocks out background noise, and with a headset, you can provide your audience with exceptional quality.

• Check your internet speed - Use a reliable high-speed connection. You should be hardwired into your router as much as possible rather than relying on WiFi.

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• Virtual Background - During Zoom meetings, people on camera get priority. Using this as an opportunity to display your brand can be helpful for many participants. Your brand colours or logo in a step-and-repeat pattern would suffice, prominently displaying your brand and yourself for all meeting participants to see. While using your natural background might be easiest, having something a bit neater always looks better than a messy office or kitchen.

• Suitable Light - Lighting is the most critical factor in looking good on camera. People often make the mistake of sitting in front of a bright window, which causes the camera to underexpose and creates a dark silhouette. Various ring lights are available on the market, which can be attached to your display or laptop so that you may look your best during a video conference.

• Installing the Zoom Client and checking for weekly updates - As the virtual world becomes an increasingly prominent part of our lives, Zoom continually adapts and grows. When you download the Zoom Client, you will have the most current information at your fingertips. Zoom meetings can be joined without a Zoom account. Nonetheless, we recommend downloading and installing Zoom Client before your meeting.

Looking your best for virtual events Before your session • Prepare your desktop for screen sharing by opening PowerPoint and closing all other applications • Practice screen sharing: You will be asked to share your screen so the audience can see your PowerPoint presentation during the session.

Review Zoom's instructions for screen sharing.

• Place yourself in a well-lit area. It is imperative to ensure that the light is in front of your face and that it is not too strong behind you.

• Do not combine daylight and interior lighting.

• Position your camera at eye level, relatively close to you.

• Create a virtual background and upload it. Review Zoom's instructions for Virtual Backgrounds.

Familiarise yourself with the Q&A & Chat feature in Zoom. Review Zoom's instructions for Q&A & Chat.

During your session • Make sure you look directly into the camera, so the attendees feel included in the discussion. • Wear clothing that is neutral in colour. Avoid plaids and stripes. Presume that you are always on camera, as attendees may watch your reaction to other presenters.

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In 2020, Tobaccoland identified the growing trend of a cashless society and embarked on a program of installing cashless payment solutions on our FUTURE Vending Machines.

Our FUTURE machine was designed by Tobaccoland and manufactured in Spain by GM Solutions. These machines are exclusive to Tobaccoland. Tobaccoland are currently the only Cigarette Vending company to offer this service in Ireland. What this FUTURE machine offers is a hassle free method of dispensing tobacco products for both Hotel/Pub and the consumer. Along with our FUTURE vending machine, Tobaccoland can also provide your premises with a cash for coin service with no fees charged.

I H I P A T R O N S