IHI HNN March 2022 Issue

HNN HOSPITALITY NETWORK NEWS

Winners of the IHI National Hospitality Business Management Game 2022, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.

Pictured left to right: Skye Stagno Navarra, Ellen Ryder, Julia Rodriguez de la Fuente and Emer Leonard.

MARCH 2022

HNN CONTENTS 4 President's Note Brian Bowler FIHI 6 IHI Events 8 New Members 11 Fáilte Ireland Launch TY Program 12 IHI National Hospitality Management Business Game 10 Netaffinity Why book direct is better for everyone 18 Excel Recruitment Implementing fast-track changes to the work visa process 22 Guestline Hotel Trends Paving the Way 18 Expert Chef to Attract Top Talent For The Hospitality Industry Excel Recruitment 18 Sodexo Employees recognised UK’s Women to Watch & Role Models for Inclusion 28 Education & Training

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PRESIDENT'S NOTE Dear Member, It seems like when things get going, they really get going. Like me, you may be finding that lately days are filled with plenty of things happening and it is absolutely fantastic. It's wonderful to finally see our lives returning to "normal".

The IHI has been very busy planning events to give you, our Members, Patrons and Business Partners, the opportunity to finally come together after two very long years. Just this week, the IHI held its first physical event since the start of the pandemic. The IHI National Hospitality Business Management Game 2022 took place at the Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport with 7 teams competing from TU Dublin City and Tallaght Campuses, Dundalk Institute of Technology, Shannon School of Hotel Management and Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.

I was delighted to host a panel discussion on 'Career Wisdom from Industry Leaders' as part of the seminar with IHI members, Alan Smullen, Daragh Feighery, Denyse Campbell & Tara Meehan who shared some nuggets on their amazing career journeys and industry insights. In my capacity as IHI President, I also had the honour of announcing the winners of this year's game.

A massive congratulations to team GMIT and well done on their achievement and indeed well done to all of the teams who took part. It was a pleasure meeting all the teams and I look forward to our paths crossing in your future careers in our great industry.

This week, the IHI also hosted yet another insightful webinar with guest speaker Margot Slattery, ISS Group Head Of Diversity & Inclusion Group People & Culture. Margot gave attendees a better understanding of diversity and inclusion and the importance of incorporating them into our businesses. If you were unable to attend and would like to view the recording, please click here.

I am also delighted to share that IHI will be launching our Connacht Chapter on Thursday, 7th April at Jekyll Restaurant by Hyde Hotel in Galway. I'm happy to share Andy Friend, Head Coach of Connacht Rugby will be our guest speaker on the evening. Please email cynthia.oneill@ihi.ie to book your spot.

The Leinster Chapter will also host its first live event on Wednesday the April 6th at Roe & Co, Dublin.

Booking information will be shared soon.

I look forward to welcoming you to an IHI event in the near future.

Best wishes,

Brian Bowler 4

IHI President

IHI Events

Save the Date for signature cocktails and canapés at Roe & Co. Date: Wednesday, 6th April

Join us for the launch of the IHI Connaught Chapter with Canapés & Wine Date: Thursday 7th April Venue: Jekyll Restaurant by Hyde Hotel Galway Time: 6.00pm

Guest speaker: Andy Friend, Head Coach of Connacht Rugby Ticket cost: IHI Member €30 Non-IHI Member €35 Hyde Hotel B&B: Single €89, Double €99 To book please email cynthia.oneill@ihi.ie or call 01 6624790

IHI Business Partner, Ideas will share insights on Revenue Optimisation.

Date: Thursday 28th April More details to follow.

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Save the Date The IHI Founder's Evening & Hospitality Management Awards are back 24th November 2022 More details coming soon.

Welcome to our new Members

Alan Rooney General Manager Tifco Hotel Group Mark McGowan Scholars Townhouse Hotel Director Peggy Moores Pub President Of The Restaurants Association of Ireland Conor O'Donovan Chief Executive Sefton Hospitality Group Hugh Fitzpatrick Rooms Division Manager Lyrath Estate

Congratulations to IHI Fellow Paul Carty on his recent appointment to the position of Chairperson of Fáilte Ireland,

the National Tourism Development Authority.

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Fáilte Ireland launches first industry-wide Transition Year Work Experience Programme The programme offers a great opportunity to shine a light on businesses offering opportunities, and also opens up a valuable recruitment channel of seasonal and part time work for businesses.

We are hoping to have as many placements from across the country as possible before the launch. We know that many of you who signed up to the webinar have already posted placements and it’s great to see such ana array of businesses. If you haven’t already done so, and you wish to offer some placements please post here. Remember to fill out every section to ensure your placement will be live as soon as possible.

As part of the placement programme we’ve developed a range of resources to help businesses and students get the best out of their experience including both Student and Manager manual, a quick demo, and a link to the skills training videos on YouTube. Businesses will also be able to post their placement by following the relevant link there.

• Businesses can access the TY Work Experience Programme Resources & Placement Portal here • Watch the webinar here • View placements here If you have any issues with the placement portal or any queries about the resources or programme, please email tourismcareers@careersportal.ie

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The IHI National Hospitality Business Management Game 2022

Ellen Ryder, Skye Stagno Navarra, Julia Rodriguez de la Fuente, Emer Leonard.

A team of 4 students representing Galway – Mayo Institute of Technology, International Hotel School were selected as the winners of the Irish Hospitality Institute's National Hospitality Business Management Game 2022.

The winning team scored top marks in the competition that attracted seven teams representing, Shannon College of Hotel Management, Galway - Mayo Institute of Technology, TU Dublin City & Tallaght Campuses, and Dundalk Institute of Technology.

1st 2nd 3rd

Galway - Mayo Institute of Technology Galway – Mayo Institute of Technology Dundalk Institute of Technology

The Game supported by Fáilte Ireland, Russell Partnership, Irish Hotels Federation and Center Parcs saw the teams complete 3 challenges. The challenges were designed to test the teams in terms of real-world application of their learnings in the areas of financial planning, human resources, and business development strategies.

Tina Maree National Executive Officer said “We are a people industry, so it was wonderful to host the Game live after two years in a virtual environment and to meet the exceptional team participants, our next generation of hospitality professionals”.

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A student seminar was held before the announcement of the winners as has been the case in previous years.

'Career Wisdom from Industry Leaders' with guest speakers Daragh Feighery MIHI Village Director Center Parcs, Tara Meehan MIHI Group Head of Corporate Sales Lee Hotel Group, Alan Smullen MIHI, Head of People The Doyle Collection and Denyse Campbell MIHI General Manager Maldron Hotel Dublin Airport.

The panel chaired by IHI President Brian Bowler discussed the importance of leadership and team development. The group shared how having a mentor has been so important throughout their career paths. They advised to students not to be afraid to put themselves forward when opportunities arise, ask for help if needed, treat every day as a learning day and echoed the importance of building networks.

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Why book direct is better for everyone With consumer expectations rising by the day, it’s no surprise the book direct channel (your hotel’s website) is becoming more popular with tech savvy holidayers (aka the majority!) We have become used to increasingly personalised experiences when it comes to parting with our money in exchange for a product or service. When booking a hotel, we approach it no differently – in fact, our expectations potentially rise again, because a holiday (large, small, workation, staycation, vacation, whatever) is generally a larger expense. Therefore we want more. Consumers know that shopping around for the best deal is the smartest thing to do before clicking ‘pay’. They also, evidently, want a more personal and direct relationship with the hotel, especially if they know they will be rewarded for taking this route.

Direct bookings are more favourable for your hotel because they reduce the commissions paid to third parties while helping you to form stronger, longer term ties with your guests. They nurture the potential of loyalty. It looks as though direct bookings are currently 12.5% more profitable than those derived from OTAs. Phocuswright predicted that 2022 would be the year direct bookings would grow to a 50% share. This recent article from Hotel Tech Report shows that US hotel websites now generate 50% more bookings on average than the OTA channel with loyalty campaigns strengthening or stabilizing the growth of a hotel’s own website. As well as this, Siteminder reported the sustained growth of direct bookings for hotels globally in 2021.

The book direct channel (a hotel’s own website) was the second top revenue maker for both Irish and UK hotels in 2021. As we mentioned, this only highlights the need that guests have to have more control over, and a direct relationship with, the hotel itself. This is great news! It does however mean it’s more important than ever to continue providing a safe, secure, absolutely brilliant booking experience from beginning to end.

When it comes to your offers, don’t just plan for key dates throughout the calendar year – try to also be reactive and keep your eyes open for ad hoc opportunities as the months progress. Be flexible in relation to your guests’ plans and needs – a third of global travellers desire the ability to freely cancel or modify a booking as a top-two priority, so flexibility is the name of the game.

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You need a smart, high performing booking engine that is: Mobile first Able to provide you with actionable data and reporting Able to allow you to share rates, availability and critical information from your PMS and Channel Manager to a wide variety of distribution channels, including direct website booking engines, OTAs, GDS Built with a variety of booking modules like ‘weddings’ Built for conversion Able to recapture abandoned bookings Able to facilitate secure payments Built with search flexibility Built with no limits on the creation of tariffs, room types, special offers & discounts Review your rate plans & offers – always highlighting flexibility Add wording such as “Fully Flexible”, “Pay at the Hotel”, “Free Cancellation” to your rate plan names and descriptions Use rate plan badges to highlight key selling points of a rateplan, eg. “Free Cancellation”, “Flexible Rate” Keep your USPs up to date and include selling points that appeal to guests such as “Book Direct for Best Rate” Add extra value to current packages e.g. late / early check-in, exclusive welcome gift to those who book direct, a discount with promo code Try not to over-complicate your packages as this can be confusing for guests!

Promote book direct offers on your homepage clearly with a strong call to action on your action bar or action badges Booking flexibility is now viewed as a requirement for successful trading for hotels and this will force a change in how hotels manage capacity, overbooking and pricing.’

Maintain online campaigns Hotels who have maintained a brand presence throughout the pandemic maintained an advantage over the OTAs. It’s imperative to continue to protect your brand and positioning as restrictions continue to ease globally.

Google Ads Ensure you are running brand search campaigns and hotel ads Run display or discovery remarketing ads to capture website visitors with an exclusive book direct offer. Eg, “Book Direct for free Breakfast”

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Social Remarketing & prospecting You can further support your offer by running dedicated rooms remarketing and prospecting campaigns on Facebook & Instagram Lead Generation Facebook Lead Ads are a great way to collate a refreshed database and increase newsletter subscriptions Social proof your brand ‘Social Proofing’ occurs when we witness others do things which reinforces the message to us that something is worth doing.

It’s much easier to sell a hotel with a 4 bubble rating on TripAdvisor and visible reviews across all online channels Encourage guests to leave a review with a post-stay email or at their last point of contact in the hotel Make sure you are monitoring and responding to reviews across all online channels including Trip Adviser and Google Reviews Technology platforms Invest in your book direct tools and email marketing systems so you can improve communication, upselling and the overall customer journey. Some useful tools to consider include the likes of The Hotel’s Network, Guestjoy, Revinate or AskSuite.

The advice for hoteliers across the board is to continue being as flexible and agile as you can be. As well as this, having a simple to use, beautifully crafted website paired with a fully capable booking engine is the key to maintaining, and growing, your direct bookings in 2022.

Book a demo of our booking engine here.

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Call on the Government to implement fast-track changes to work visa process to deal with hospitality sector staffing crisis Ireland will need 10,000 ,000 visas processed in the next 9 months ·Ireland’s reputation as a quality tourist destination is under threat ·Burn-out levels will soar in an already demanding industry Calls have been made on the Government to address the staffing shortages facing the hospitality sector by changing the visa process for workers coming to Ireland from overseas to ensure a faster, less expensive and more flexible process. Excel Recruitment, one of Ireland’s leading recruitment specialists working with over 1,000 employers in the sector, are warning that Ireland’s businesses throughout the country face closure unless the Government makes moves now to help bridge the gap between available roles and the staff available to fill them.

Speaking on the issue, Shane McLave, Director at Excel Recruitment said, “Ireland’s hospitality sector is yet again facing almost insurmountable challenges as pubs, restaurants, hotels and other outlets throughout the country emerge shaken but standing from the most tumultuous period for Ireland’s hospitality in living memory. The businesses that have managed to stay afloat are now experiencing serious staffing shortages – particularly in the positions of chefs, kitchen porters, and front of house staff. The list is endless really.

The numbers required in terms of the workforce are simply not here at the moment, so like many growing and successful economies, we must look overseas to fill the gap. But this is an immediate problem and as it stands the solution i.e., the work visa process, is cumbersome and slow. It needs to change – and thankfully it’s not a difficult fix.

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In short, Ireland is going to need 10,000 ,000 visas processed in the next 9 months to deal with the crisis”.

Arduous and Lengthy Visa Process Excel Recruitment report that if a person who is qualified as a chef wants to come from abroad to work, they are required to have a job offer before they arrive, and if they are granted a visa, it will only allow them to work for one employer.

The recruitment specialists are calling on the Government to adopt the Australian visa model, which allows people to work for multiple employers.

Mr. McLave pointed to recent experience in trying to recruit from overseas, “We recently secured visas from Korean workers to come and work in the Irish hospitality sector, but it took almost six months and came at major cost to the employer. This system is not going to cut the mustard in the current climate.

The Government needs to fast track the process and reducing the cost of permits, or at making permits transferable. Something akin to a 1- or 2year visa is what we need which allows skilled workers to work for more than just one employer.

If we don’t do something, restaurants will close, standards will drop, which will have a knock-on impact our international reputation as a highquality tourist destination. There is also the very imminent threat of higher levels of burn out in an already demanding work environment.”

Excel Recruitment contend that the visa process needs immediate attention, followed swiftly by changes to the work eligibly for overseas students currently studying in Ireland.

Mr. McLave concluded, “The imperative at the moment, however, is to get candidates through to fill the vacancies so that, on the one hand, workers can secure fulfilling, wellpaid employment in Ireland and, on the other, so that the industry can begin to recover and regain some of the momentum lost over the worst of the restrictions. Changes to the visa process in the short-term will certainly go some of the way to alleviating the crisis.”

Mr. McLave explained, “Ireland currently have 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.”

The Kitchen Porter Crisis Excel Recruitment say the “Kitchen Porter crisis” is mirroring the existing “Chef crisis” as Brexit, the pandemic, and an image problem, specific to the role itself, have all led to restaurants struggling to fill these jobs.

Mr. McLave continued, “The Chef crisis continues unabated, but the big question of the moment is ‘where are all the kitchen porters?’ – the reply is simple – they’ve understandably moved sector during the pandemic and are not coming back! As with front of house, we simply do not have the people coming into the country that we used to. In addition to this, those finishing school or in college are no longer attracted to roles in the hospitality sector, many of whom had been receiving the PUP payment over the last 2 years and have no desire to go back into an industry that has had such a stopstart existence over the same period.”

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Two Irish senior executives working for Sodexo, Aoife Wycherly and Deirdre Saunders, have been recognised as role models in the UK’s ‘Women to Watch & Role Models for Inclusion in Hospitality, Travel & Leisure (HTL) Index 2021’.

The Index is produced by WiHTL (Diversity in Hospitality Travel and Leisure) in partnership with the MBS Group and features 62 women and 13 advocates for change from across the hospitality, travel and leisure industry in the UK. Former UCC graduate Aoife Wycherley is head of food procurement and head of supply chain at Sodexo UK and Ireland, with responsibility for annual spend in the region of €175m annually, which she manages from her base in rural Cork.

Former TU Dublin graduate Deirdre Saunders is a divisional director for Sodexo, with responsibility for more than half of its employees based in the Republic and Northern Ireland. A member of the Sodexo Ireland senior leadership team, Deirdre oversees contracts representing €50m turnover, with clients in the professional services, pharmaceutical, manufacturing and education sectors. Dublin-born Deirdre is also the diversity, equity and inclusion lead for Sodexo in Ireland.

Aoife is passionate about responsible procurement and was instrumental in the launch of Sodexo’s supplier inclusion programme in 2015. The programme continues to this day, helping small, medium enterprises (SMEs) and voluntary, community and social enterprises (VCSEs) not only become part of Sodexo’s supply chain but providing them with valuable business advice and mentoring to help make their businesses a success.

As a result of her commitment to supplier inclusion, Aoife has recently been appointed chair of the UK’s Business Services Association’s (BSA) SME committee. She has also received recognition for her work on responsible procurement from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) as well as Enterprise Nation, MSDUK and SEUK. Aoife said: “It is an honour to be included in this Index. I am firm believer that there is always something more to learn, at Sodexo we have changed the conversation from diversity and inclusion to diversity, equity and inclusion but we must all remember that having the conversation is one thing, but we must also look at the delivery piece and ask yourself, what are we actually doing to orchestrate change and create a truly inclusive workplace.”

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Deirdre said: “I am delighted to be included in the 2021 Index, I am very passionate about sharing my own experiences to help develop leaders in our business and in supporting all our colleagues to understand the importance and steps they can take to ensure their workplace and the wider market is inclusive. My hope in sharing my story and my experience is that I will inspire others to realise their full personal and professional potential.”

Diversity, equity and inclusion have long-been heralded by Sodexo as real differentiators and it endeavours to make these values part of its DNA and through its Social Impact Pledge it has committed to creating social contracts that support equity, inclusion and wellbeing.

Sean Haley, region chair, Sodexo UK & Ireland said: “I am immensely proud to see Aoife and Deirdre included in this Index. At Sodexo we recognise that everyone’s unique background, experience, and abilities are at the heart of our vibrant workforce and truly reflect the communities we serve. Which is why we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture where our employees feel valued and respected as individuals.

“Aoife and Deirdre are not only role models for the industry, but their efforts are also respected and recognised at all levels within Sodexo too. Huge congratulations to both, this recognition is welldeserved.”

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To apply or for further details, please email karenhealy@outlook.ie 30

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