IHI HNN June 2019 Issue

June 2019

Irish Hospitality InstituteÂ

Roe & Co., Dublin

Be Progressive - Be Entertained - Be Recognised - Be Part of Us

In this Issue

2

Note from the President

3

Welcome New Members

4

Member News

5

IHI Hospitality Management Awards

9

Industry News

21

Industry Events

22

Education & Training

23

Career Opportunities

24

IHI Events

Be Progressive - Be Entertained - Be Recognised - Be Part of Us

IHI PATRONS

Dear Member, As we approach the opening of the nominations for the 2019 IHI Hospitality Management Awards on 17th of July, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that unlike many other industry awards, the IHI Hospitality Management Awards, are a recognition of the person in their role, their capability and technical skill, their ability to demonstrate continuous professional development coupled with the energy & innovation they bring to their role. These competencies are all assessed throughout the judging process.

To add a further layer of professionalism, independence and objectivity, our panel of 39 selected judges are experts in their chosen field.

This year we are delighted to introduce our online nomination system, Submittable. It is important to note, that when commencing your nominations, ensure your candidate/s are working within the role you are nominating them for. Please ensure you read the criteria required to the associated award. This is your opportunity to showcase your candidate and keep in mind that facts are powerful. Lastly please remember to review your entry for errors prior to submission. I would encourage you not to leave your nominations to the last minute.

Save the date, 28th November 2019, Founder's Banquet and Hospitality Management Awards. I look forward to seeing you there!

Warmest regards,

Oonagh Cremins Oonagh Cremins FIHI President Irish Hospitality Institute

2

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Chris Austin MIHI iNua Hospitality

Damien Redmond MIHI Kilkenny River Court Hotel

Brian Fahy MIHI The Wilder

Davin Dunlea MIHI TU Dublin

Martin Daly MIHI Hillgrove Hotel

Catherine Murphy MIHI Kildare Street & University Club

3

MEMBER NEWS

President Oonagh Cremins FIHI has appointed General Manager Brian Bowler FIHI of The Montenotte Hotel, Cork as the Deputy President of the Institute. Originally from the Tourism hotspot that is the Dingle Peninsula, Brian grew up working in the industry, from his Mothers B&B to local Bars & Restaurants, Brian was always destined for a career in hospitality. A graduate of the CERT Trainee Management Program Brian has worked his way up in the industry with key learnings from some of the best hoteliers and hotel groups that Ireland has to offer.

Brian is a seasoned business and hotel manager, with over 20-years’ experience in the hospitality sector. Starting his trainee manager career with the Gleneagle Hotel Group in 1997, Brian has held senior management roles with prestigious hotel brands, such as the Brehon, Carton House as well as Choice Hotels Ireland and The Great Southern Hotel group.

Brian returned to his home county of Kerry in 2013 to take up his first GM role at The Brehon where he was twice shortlisted for the IHI General Manager of the year award. During his time in Kerry, Brian was actively involved in the Kerry branch of the IHF where he was Vice Chairperson, was a board member of the Destination Kerry Tourism Forum that assisted in the creation of the Kerry Tourism Strategy & Action Plan 2016 – 2022 to support the development of Tourism in Kerry. Brian was also the President of SKAL Club of Kerry in 2016 and was part of the inaugural organising committee of the now annual Let’s Talk Tourism conference.

In early 2017, Brian joined the Montenotte Hotel in Cork, which at the time had just completed the first phase of a major refurbishment and has overseen all major refurbishment since, including the creation of Bellevue Spa, built in the original mansion house of the Montenotte Hotel. Over the past two years, Brian along with his team has taken a locally known 3-star hotel to an award-winning, high end 4* boutique hotel which has become in a short time a national brand. An innovative property and team which has been led by Brian and is recognised time and again for the attention to detail that they deliver along with a great customer experience. Winning Ireland’s Best City Hotel 2017, Best Hotel Bar 2017, Best Cork Hotel 2017, Better Buildings Award for Arts Tourism and Accommodation 2017, 4* Boutique Hotel of the Year Cork 2018, Business Hotel of the Year 2018 and finalist for Best Breakfast and Best Outdoor Space 2018.

Shortly after joining the Montenotte Hotel, Brian took up the role of Chair for the IHI Munster District.

4

The IHI Hospitality Management Awards Nominations open, Wednesday 17th of July.

Recognising the commitment and professionalism of individuals working in all sectors of the tourism and hospitality industry.

IHI Hospitality Employee of the Year IHI Hospitality Graduate of the Year IHI Young Hospitality Manager of the Year IHI Environmental & Facilities Manager of the Year IHI Revenue Manager of the Year IHI Finance Manager of the Year IHI HR & Training Manager of the Year IHI Sales & Marketing Manager of the Year IHI Food & Beverage Manager of the Year IHI Catering Manager of the Year IHI Executive Head Chef of the Year IHI Hotel Deputy General Manager of the Year IHI Hotel General Manager of the Year For more information https://www.ihi.ie/

4

Be Progressive - Be Entertained - Be Recognised - Be Ready

IHI HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT AWARDS

Previous winners...

Alan Deller – Hotel General Manager of the Year “Winning the 2018 Award for “General Manager of the Year” at the IHI Awards has given me a huge amount of recognition within the Hospitality Industry. It has also recognized the significant amount of work myself and my team have completed over the past number of years in Clayton Leopardstown to reposition the business within the 4 star market. The award for GM of the Year in 2018 underpins all this hard work. It has also given me personally a lot of recognition with my parent company – Dalata Hotel Group”

Isabella Breslin – Revenue Manager of the Year I was honored to have been considered for and ultimately win the Revenue Manager of the year award at the 2018 awards night. The achievement of receiving the award was a humbling and exciting experience, and now I look forward to the next step in my career.

The success of the night was a testament to the hard work and ongoing commitment of the IHI.

Keara O Brien – Graduate of the year Winning Graduate of the Year 2018 was the most defining moment of my career to date. It made all the long years of studying while working full time worth it. I was sincerely honored and thankful to win such a prestigious award from the Irish Hospitality Institute. I am so humbly grateful for the recognition, because I am very sure that every other nominee for this award was as deserving. Thank you.

Lorraine Gavigan Winning the award has been both a humbling privilege and an honour. It has validated my career choice. The confidence shown in my by select industry professionals, has provided me with a springboard for furthering my career. I will wear the award with pride.

6

IHI HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT AWARDS

Thank you to our 2019 IHI Hospitality Management Awards Sponsors

Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

Please contact Tina Maree for more details.

P: 01 6624790 E: tina.maree@ihi.ie

7

3

5 3

INDUSTRY NEWS FIRST LOOK: MALT WHISKEY DISTILLING BEGINS AT ROE & CO DISTILLERY HAS OPENED A VISITORS A WORLD-CLASS IMMERSIVE IRISH WHISKEY DISTILLERY AND EXPERIENCE REVIVES THE ICONIC ST. JAMES’S GATE GUINNESS POWER STATION IN DUBLIN 8

On 10th June: The malt whiskey spirit flowed through the spirit safe at the Roe & Co Irish Whiskey distillery ahead of opening the doors on James’s Street in Dublin on 21st June, when guests were welcomed into the visitor experience. Inspired by one of the biggest names in Irish Whiskey in the 19th century, George Roe, the iconic Guinness Power Station has been regenerated into a new visitor experience and urban distillery.

Located in the heart of Dublin’s whiskey district, visitors will be treated to one of the most immersive experiences in whiskey distilling. The fully immersive 75-minute tour will allow guests to observe the operational distillery, hear the hum of production, and witness the copper pot stills from an impressive elevated glass walkway. Fun and flavour are at the centre of every aspect of the Roe & Co visitor experience, which will transport guests on a journey of taste and discovery.

A visit to the fully live, working distillery will also involve guests clocking in and clocking out as they commence a ‘shift’ at the Power Station with a time card, a nostalgic nod at the building’s past as an operational power station.

The experience concludes with guests able to clock off work with one of Roe & Co’s World Class cocktails in the showstopping Power House Bar.

Gráinne Wafer, Global Brand Director Roe & Co at Diageo said: “Our master blender, Caroline Martin began the journey of reimagining Irish whiskey, but we didn’t stop the reinvention there. We have launched a state-of-the-art distillery and experience like no other, led by our extremely talented distiller, Lora Hemy. This boutique experience, which has a maximum of 16 guests per tour, will ensure visitors can get up close and personal with our remarkable distillery and whiskey, focusing on the five pillars of flavour.”

The launch of the premium Roe & Co Irish whiskey, distillery and experience has been led by a talented female team in Diageo comprising distillers, blenders, marketeers, bartenders and commercial specialists, including: · Gráinne Wafer, Global Brand Director for the whiskey; · Caroline Martin, Diageo’s Master Blender; · Lora Hemy, Roe & Co’s Head Distiller; · Fiona Sheridan, Roe & Co’s Assistant Distiller; · Tanya Clarke, General Manager Reserve & Incubation Brands; · Hayley Milner, Marketing Manager, Roe & Co Irish Whiskey; · Shannon Green, Project Engineer.

Speaking at a lunch to officially open the distillery, Diageo CEO, Ivan Menezes said: “I am proud to be standing here today in one of the most iconic buildings of the Dublin skyline, which has been reimagined and regenerated into this world-class distillery and experience for Roe & Co. I am proud that we are here because of Diageo’s most valuable assets, its employees. We encourage them to be the best they can, to achieve great things, to be inclusive and diverse. We have focussed on gender and today you see the progress we’ve made, because we are here now in this Roe & Co Irish whiskey distillery and experience because of the amazing team of talented women. You should be so proud Gráinne, Lora, Fiona, Caroline, Tanya, Shannon and Hayley.”

9

INDUSTRY NEWS At the start of this decade, there were four working Irish whiskey distilleries, now with the opening of the Roe & Co Distillery, there will be 27. The distillery will distil 14,000 litres of whiskey in every run, with an annual maximum capacity of approximately 500,000 litres of alcohol.

Gráinne Wafer added: The distillery will provide direct employment for 18 people and will complement what is already the country’s most popular tourism offering, The Guinness Storehouse. This €25m investment into the Roe & Co Distillery further demonstrates Diageo’s commitment to the growing vibrancy of The Liberties, one of the City’s most dynamic districts and the heart of brewing and distilling.”

The new home for Roe & Co has already garnered global attention, following the Lonely Planet announcement in October, which named the distillery one of the 10 best new openings in the world for 2019.

The distillery building has been regenerated with modern urban décor and an industrial feel. This is reflected throughout all design elements, from staff uniforms to a specially commissioned tiki print featured on bar ware. The contemporary tiki illustration reflects key elements of the Roe & Co story, from St Patrick’s Tower and the pear tree which has stood in the grounds of the former George Roe Distillery since the 17th century, to the iconic chimneys of Dublin’s skyline.

ABOUT ROE & CO IRISH WHISKEY DISTILLERY AND EXPERIENCE

Guests to the distillery will clock in and clock out as they commence a ‘shift’ at the Power Station with a time card, a nostalgic nod at the building’s past. Tour groups will trace the rise and fall of Irish whiskey at the new Roe & Co Distillery and celebrate its current revival which is evident in the country today.

The Roe & Co blend was crafted by Master Blender, Caroline Martin, who chose an intense, fruity malt whiskey and smooth grain whiskies that have been slowly matured in first fill Bourbon casks. The new distillery boasts three unique copper stills and can run both triple distillation and double distillation, under the talented eye of Head Distiller Lora Hemy and her team.

Visitors will be treated to an exploration of the Roe & Co working distillery, located in the former Guinness Power Station in the heart of Dublin’s buzzing Liberties district. Fun and flavour are at the centre of every aspect of the Roe & Co visitor experience, which will transport guests on a journey of taste and discovery. Guests will enjoy a fully immersive 75-minute tour and get the chance to observe the operational live distillery, hear the hum of production and witness the copper pot stills and mash tun from an impressive elevated glass walkway.

During the intimate tour visitors will learn about the history of George Roe, who ran his distillery until the 1920’s and helped build the golden era of Irish whiskey in the 19th century, putting it on the global map. Visitors will explore the unique process that makes Roe & Co a whiskey like no other in Room 106, named after the number of blends it took to perfect the Roe & Co blend. Take a deep dive into taste in the Flavours workshop where guests will explore the five pillars of flavour; sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami, and uncover their ideal taste profile when it comes to whiskey cocktails. Finally, relax with one of Roe & Co’s World Class cocktails in the showstopping Power House Bar, designed by Drinksology, the creative minds behind some of the World’s 50 Best Bars.

The Roe & Co Distillery sits within a landscaped garden that is home to a wide variety of Irish wildflowers and home-grown ingredients. These will be used to create the seasonal cocktail serves on offer at The Power House Bar, created by world class bartenders.

Tours cost €25 per guest, which includes three whiskey tasters, a blending class, a tasting workshop and complimentary cocktail in the Power House Bar. Tours run from 11am-5pm daily, seven days a week.

10

3

INDUSTRY NEWS

This month, we released a report: The Direct Booker and Their Device Habits. For this report, we’ve gathered around 5 million user sessions’ worth of data from Google Analytics and our Booking Engine to give an up-to-date picture of the current direct booker and their device habits!

Some key takeaways: Women made up 70% of site visitors compared to 30% men. This indicates women might be doing the better research!

The young love a browse - guests between 25 & 44 yrs make up 52% of the visitors to hotel websites.

The really young (students) represent just 3%, indicating their minimal disposable income.

While more women are busy doing the research, men convert 1.5 times more often than women... although they contribute less revenue and transactions overall. 25-44 yr olds make up around 54% of transactions and revenue.

When it comes to browsing, mobile leads the way with 62% of traffic - naturally enough! The average person uses their phone for around 4 hours a day. 29% of traffic comes from desktop. Only 9% of traffic comes from tablet.

When it comes to booking, mobile continues to grow because your customers are feeling more and more secure booking on their phones. 45% currently book on mobile. As technology becomes more sophisticated it’s crucial your hotel invests in responsive, mobile-friendly website design. 45% book from desktop. Just 10% book from tablet... another reason not to focus too much on this device.

The bigger the buy, the bigger the fear! For many, the 'big' buys are still done on desktop, and typically, it's older people who purchase on desktop over mobile.

For more and to read the report in entirety, visit https://www.netaffinity.com/device-trends-2019.html

Sara Antoszewicz has just joined the exciting, ever-growing team in Net Affinity as an eCommerce Executive! With a Masters Degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management, Sara has several years’ experience working in the hospitality industry, most recently as a Senior Revenue Specialist with Profitroom, a provider of booking technology, design and marketing services in the Polish market. Great to see the team continuing to grow and flourish!

12

INDUSTRY NEWS

The origins of the Garofoli winery date from the end of the 19th Century, from 1871, when Antonio Garofoli had already began the production and sale of local wines.

The history of Garofoli is a story of people and of family that has been identified with winemaking for five generations. The same philosophy has always guided them: a constant updating of production techniques while respecting traditional and historic winemaking methods; attention to the evolution of the market and its requirements along with loyalty to the values of the special characteristics of the territory.

Garofoli produces its wine in two locations. The winery at Serra de Conti, located in the classic production zone of Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi wine, vinifies the Verdicchio grapes using the most modern techniques. The grapes used in the production of Rosso Conero are vinified in the winery at Castelfidardo, located in the production zone.

LE PICCOLE BOLLICINE This lively, young and refreshing wine is characterized by a light color with greenish reflections; its proper acidity and sense of freshness encapsulated in the aroma make this wine a perfect companion for a summer aperitif.

Type of wine naturally bubbly white.

Soil medium consistency.

Grapes Trebbiano, Verdicchio, Passerina.

Processing delicate destalking of the grapes, soft pressing and fermentation at controlled temperature, then a second fermentation in sealed vats at low temperature.

Color clean straw yellow with greenish reflections.

Bouquet fruity fresh and light.

Flavor fresh and captivating with a balanced acidity.

Consumption to be drunk young, within the year following the vintage.

Food matches pleasant as an aperitif or Mediterranean cuisine . Ideal companion for fish and sea food.

Serving temperature 8째 - 10째 C (50째 to 54째 F)

13

INDUSTRY NEWS

Intelligent Revenue System With the highly competitive nature of this industry we are in, it is so important that each property is getting the most from their ADR and Occupancy. Depending on what your strategy is for the year ahead, one of these areas might be more important to grow than the other but, in both cases, it is of utmost importance to understand what the market is doing and how you are placed in your set.

A Revenue Management Tool can help you do this in a much more efficient and precise manner. Whether you are a hotel of 200 bedrooms or a guest house of 20 bedrooms the basis of the information required is the same; 1. What is the market pricing itself at?

2. Are there events taking place in my region that are affecting these rates?

3. Am I above or below the market/competitive set rate?

4. Am I on track to meet my forecasted occupancy with my current rates?

5. Am I on track to meet budget with my current occupancy and rates?

These are all questions that need to be answered on a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly and yearly basis. With the help of an Intelligent Revenue System, all this information can be yours at the click of a button. There is no longer the need to pull multiple reports in order to manually correlate the above information – the system will do it for you. With this information on hand you are then free to deep dive into what the information is showing you and how you can use this to drive your rates and occupancy to a maximum level.

Contact the Sales team on sales@ihotelligence.com or 01-2811960 for more information.

14

INDUSTRY NEWS TRIPLE AWARD WINNING SANDYMOUNT HOTEL IS CROWNED EUROPE’S LEADING GREEN HOTEL Europe’s ‘Green’ leader puts Ireland firmly on the international map of sustainable hotel practices Madeira, 8th June 2019: Sandymount Hotel, Dublin’s largest family run hotel, has yet again been awarded ‘Europe’s Leading Green Hotel’, scooping the award for a third year running at the prestigious World Travel Awards. Triple award winning Sandymount Hotel, famed for its sustainable hotel practices, beat stiff competition from some of the world’s most renowned hotels including ICE Hotel in Sweden, Vila Vita Parc in Portugal, Eagles Palace in Greece and Angel’s Marmaris, Turkey, to put Ireland firmly on the international map, setting award-winning standards for environmental friendly hotels worldwide.

Renowned as the "Oscars" of the travel industry, the World Travel Awards recognise leaders across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. A special World Travel Awards 2019 red-carpet event took place at the picturesque Belmond Reid’s Palace in Madeira. In attendance were father and son duo, John and Gerard Loughran, Family Directors at Sandymount Hotel, to celebrate their prestigious win: “The team at Sandymount Hotel are delighted to scoop the award for ‘Europe’s Leading Green Hotel’ for a third year running.

We’ve come a long way since we first became more environmentally aware and year on year, we have progressed our sustainable approaches to ensure that we are consistently improving and minimising any negative effect our procedures and systems have on the environment. Our dedicated in-house ‘green’ team has been tremendous, researching and instilling new measures to offer our best environmentally friendly practices, in line with our overall guest offerings and experiences. In an age where the environment has truly become an emotive topic, green travel is on the rise with travellers inspired to choose eco-friendly travel options as they think more about conservation and sustainability. We are honoured to play our part in protecting the Earth, whilst also offering an exceptional hospitality experience. We would also like to congratulate our friends at EPIC for their fantastic ‘Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction’ win. A great night for the Irish hospitality and tourism industry as we celebrated our success on an international stage.”

In 2013, Sandymount Hotel took an eco-friendly and sustainable approach to achieve a greener, cleaner hotel by reducing both energy and water consumption. Fast forward to 2019 and the ‘green’ award winning Sandymount Hotel is the European front-runner.

• As part of the waste prevention system, the Loughran family and green team members have reduced, re-used and recycled.

95% of the hotel’s waste is now recycled • The hotel uses biodegradable compostable coffee cups and lids. When catering for large conferences and events and with busy guests looking to grab a coffee on the go, it’s important to the hotel that these are 100% compostable • And…only 100% compostable eco-friendly straws are used in the Line Out Bar • The hotel collects and recycles soap and toiletries discarded in the hotel every day and through the global ‘Clean the World’ recycling programme, these items are distributed, preventing millions of hygiene-related diseases worldwide • Did you know? A tap dripping at 1 drip per second wastes up to 25 litres in one day! Modifications were made throughout the hotel including the installation of aerator shower heads, taps and urinals are sensor activated, rainwater is harvested on roof for use in the garden - reducing water consumption by 20% • Through its sustainable approach, 23% of the electricity used by the hotel comes from renewable sources, whilst the hotel now uses 22% LESS electricity than it did in 2013, largely due to a switch to 100% energy efficient lightbulbs, bedroom electrics are controlled by key cards, hand dryers in public areas are operated by sensor • The hotel uses rechargeable batteries and ‘recycle’ abandoned books in our free Wee library • The hotel's purchasing policy is to buy local where possible and choose suppliers who will take back their packaging for reuse • The hotel’s head chef regularly reviews his menus to avoid food waste and takes care not to order, prepare or serve more than is required. Plus, the kitchen’s vacuum packer and cooking oil filter help cut out unnecessary waste • There are recycling bins on all corridors to encourage guests to separate waste • The hotel established a paid partnership with Camara Education to take away old computers, delete the contents of the hard drive and then send them to schools and youth centres in Africa • Similarly, the hotel works with eco-mattresses on a paid basis to remove all old mattresses to recycle the various components • The hotel offers rewards and incentives to guests who help the hotel to take a ‘greener’ approach i.e. housekeeping opt-out

16

INDUSTRY NEWS

Excel Recruitment: Industry Experts in Overseas Chef Recruitment and Work Permits Brian Nixon, Adrian Cummins and Shane McLave

It’s a continuous loop: hospitality businesses cry out for chefs, everyone points to different causes and solutions, nothing really happens and businesses remain in desperate need.

While there are many proposed long-term action plans from governments, industry experts and think groups about how to solve the chef crisis going forward, none of these will put chefs in the kitchens of under-pressure businesses now. Last year, I was delighted to be asked to head to South Korea with the Restaurants Association of Ireland on a specialist chef recruitment drive. The trip turned out to be hugely successful and we recruited fantastic chefs for our own temporary chef team who, over the past year have worked across Dublin for many of our clients. They have settled in nicely to life in Ireland and feedback from our clients regarding their work ethic and skill level has been fantastic. Needless to say, when the opportunity arose again, I jumped at the chance.

We again attended the World Job+ Recruitment Fair to meet and interview chefs who are interested in coming to Ireland on the Chef Work Permit scheme and since returning, we have already placed nearly all the chefs we met in Korea with clients nationwide but we have a few really great candidates left and are in the process of matching them with potential employers.

If you are struggling to hire chefs or retain them for long periods and want to find out about how Excel Recruitment can help you through the work permit process please do not hesitate to contact me for more details at shane@excelrecruitment.com To read more about Shane’s Korean recruitment drive, please visit https://www.excelrecruitment.ie/about/blog/

18

INDUSTRY NEWS

Guestline joins the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Alliance Partner Network Guestline becomes a member of the Preferred Hotels & Resorts Strategic Alliance Partner Programme to provide cloud-based PMS solutions for the brand’s Irish & European portfolio of independent hotels

Guestline is proud to announce that it has joined forces with Preferred Hotels & Resorts – the world’s largest independent hotel brand with 750 hotels, resorts, and residences across 85 countries – as the newest addition to its Alliance Partner program.

Michael Osgood, Vice President, Alliance Partners at Preferred Hotels & Resorts said "Each year, hundreds of companies approach us to endorse them and support their efforts. We chose Guestline to be our partner in Europe as they are an industry leader in Property Management and Guest Management Solutions. We take pride in only becoming advocates for companies that provide the best quality service to their customers and believe that Guestline’s principals and dedication towards customer service support and innovative hospitality solutions align with our brand standards and values exactly the type of alliance we wanted to foster. Guestline understands the challenges hoteliers face and works with them individually to provide a better guest experience, improved operations, and higher margins. This level of service is exactly what we look to our Alliance Partners to provide.”

Peter Fitzgerald, Director of Market Development at Guestline commented, “We’re delighted to partner with Preferred Hotels & Resorts, as we share the same company ethos and diligence towards the customers we serve, developed over many, many years of contributing to a superior guest experience at our customers’ properties.

Together, we represent a true Guest Management Solution. We are already enjoying working with Preferred’s member hotels, focusing on their individuality and looking to deliver efficiencies and drive revenue in cooperation with the Preferred team and their overall growth strategy.”

Clio O’Gara, Country Manager Ireland at Guestline, commented, “It’s been 18 months since Guestline entered the Irish market and we are now delivering the brand’s Rezlynx PMS (property management system) to over 80 properties across the country - that’s 5,920 rooms and 190,743 online bookings generated. This new partnership with Preferred Hotels and Resorts is a significant recognition of why Guestline is the global PMS market leader and we look forward to expanding our Irish client base as the elite groups chosen PMS solution.”

Preferred Hotels & Resorts represents more than 200 hotels across the European region (Irish hotels include The Europe, The K Club, Dromoland Castle and The Fitzwilliam to name a few), with demand continuing to grow.

Earlier this year, new data released by Guestline reported that the company is thriving on an international level, currently growing revenues across 25 countries, with offices in Ireland, the UK, Germany, The Netherlands and Thailand. In 2018, the company signed up over 350 new hotels, representing 27,000 rooms are also currently processing 3 Billion GBP a year in revenue for their customers and have facilitated 6.3 Million bookings for their clients each year.

Guestline’s property management solutions cover all aspects of running a hotel, from managing bookings and payments to streamlining the organisation of events. Every aspect of the customer journey and hotel operations is covered- from guest acquisition and pre-stay communication to on-site and post-stay engagement.

19

INDUSTRY NEWS INDUSTRY NEWS

Automate your cash office to drive a new breed of cash efficiencies across hospitality operations

If you ever wandered into the back office of hotels such as Pembroke Hotel Kilkenny or the stunning Adare Manor, you’ll see an automated self-service cash office that is driving a new breed of cash efficiencies across hospitality operations.

In the hospitality industry, cash is accepted at every point of INDUSTRY NEWS transaction: the front desk, the bar, the restaurant and the spa, therefore, it is vital to have a cash process in place in order to streamline operations and to make the system as seamless, secure and efficient as possible.

Convenient, anonymous and easily transferable are just some of the reasons why cash still reigns as the most common payment method worldwide. Whilst cash trends are consistently changing, volumes of cash in circulation continues to rise with ECB statistics (2017) showing that the share of cash transactions at the point of sale in Ireland is at 79% and 49% in value terms. As a result, hospitality operators are increasingly looking for new ways to innovate around cash handling and achieve cost and time savings. Whilst, at the same time, freeing up staff from administration tasks so they can concentrate on delivering the hotel’s overall customer experience offering.

Premium Cash Solutions (PCS), supply, install, maintain and advise on a wide range of cash handling solutions to the hospitality, retail, leisure, forecourt and convenience store sectors. PCS is the exclusive agent for Gunnebo secure cash management products and is the driving force in Ireland behind the rollout of the SafeCash product, a full selfservice cash recycling solution that combines depositing and dispensing capabilities in one convenient secure solution. SafeCash allows staff to quickly and securely fill, replenish and reconcile tills resulting in less administration.

Ideal for hotels, venues, supermarkets, cinemas, big retail outlets and more.

Alan Condron, Director, Premium Cash Solutions talks about the benefits that the self-service solution brings to the hospitality industry and the need to eliminate unnecessary administrative tasks in your cash process:

“You likely already know how much time is wasted at the end of each shift and at the end of the night counting and recounting the day’s cash takings. It’s one of the most time-consuming administrative tasks in your cash process.

What’s more, manually counting each note and coin can lead to innocent calculation errors. Our SafeCash solution is a secure and complete self-service cash management solution in one terminal for both notes and coins. Staff can deposit and withdraw notes and coins and get change at their convenience, simplifying the cash-management cycle for cash-in and cash-out transactions and maximise cash flow. It also provides a quick and easy reconciliation of cash takings to individual tills. Specifically designed to address and eliminate the many concerns associated with managing large volumes of cash, some of which are lost time due to reconciliation tasks, shrinkage, and high costs and are often at the expense of customer service with staff away from the floor for long periods of time counting and depositing cash. Our cash recycling solutions are proven to help businesses reduce the time spent on daily cash management by almost 80% and we are proud of our success stories to-date with clients like Pembroke Hotel, Adare Manor, McDonalds and Omniplex Cinemas, who are all benefiting immensely from the introduction of the SafeCash solution.”

Here, Paul Broderick, General Manager of Pembroke Hotel, Kilkenny talks about how Retail Station adds real value to the hotel’s operations https://premiumcashsolutions.com/customer-testimonial-pembroke-hotel/ 20

INDUSTRY EVENTS

The Third National Forum on Food Waste will take place in Dublin on 10 July 2019.

The Forum will bring together delegates from businesses along the food supply chain to hear about how measuring food waste can provide insights on the issues and challenges in relation to food loss and waste in Ireland, presenting key findings from a new study on commercial food waste in Ireland. Â Also presenting national and international perspectives on food waste, including updates on upcoming EU legislation to measure and report on food waste in the supply chain.

The Forum will also explore opportunities for working collaboratively to reduce food waste, contributing to climate action and focus efforts towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. Â Who should attend?

Delegates from businesses along the food supply chain, including food producers and growers, the food and drinks processing industry, wholesale and retail, restaurants and food services.

To register please click on the following Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/forum-onfood-waste-2019-registration-63759308809

21

EDUCATION & TRAINING

Institutes of Technology receive an increased funding allocation of €1.9M for Hospitality and Culinary Arts education through Springboard+

A Consortium of Institutes of Technology (IoTs) collaborated on the recent national application to Springboard+ to maximise funding of ongoing training and education for the Hospitality sector. Given the severe shortage of chefs at all levels, professional front line staff in food and beverage and accommodation, and the need for upskilling and professional development of middle and senior managers, the consortium sought support for their application from the key industry Adrian Cummins, RAI; Tina Maree, IHI; Dr Ciarán Ó agencies – the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF), the Restaurants hAnnracháin, LYIT and Project Lead; Michael Vaughan, IHF. Association of Ireland (RAI) and the Irish Hospitality Institute (IHI).

The Consortium, led out by Dr Ciarán Ó hAnnracháin of Letterkenny IT, Killybegs Campus, submitted proposals in Culinary Skills and Food and Beverage Operations that are designed for newly recruited front line staff training, while a BA (add-on) in Culinary Arts was proposed in collaboration with Athlone IT to upskill chefs in employment. The three programmes will provide funded training spaces for 250 additional participants at operational and management education levels.

Programmes will be offered on one or two days per week over an academic year, and will facilitate recruitment of new staff off the live register or of homemakers wishing to return to work, as well as giving opportunities for staff within the industry to engage in college learning to upskill or re-skill.

The programmes will be offered through a network of IoTs to include Athlone, Cork, Dundalk, Galway, Letterkenny (Killybegs), Tralee and Waterford. Courses are fully funded for participants coming from the live register and homemakers. Courses at Level 6 (Culinary Skills and Food & Beverage Operations) are also free to those in the workplace, while participants in employment on the BA in Culinary Arts (add-on) (Level 7) will pay a contribution of 10% of the cost of the programme.

Tina Maree, National Executive Officer of the Irish Hospitality Institute, commended the advances made by the IoT Sector in the development of flexible educational programmes, providing students with the opportunity to learn, upskill and work. This initiative can only be a positive development in attracting people to work within the Hospitality Sector.

The Hospitality and Tourism Careers Oversight Group endorsed the proposals at their May Meeting in Dublin. Fáilte Ireland convenes the Hospitality and Tourism Careers Oversight Group to facilitate collaboration between all stakeholder groups, and continues the work of the Careers Oversight Group that was established on recommendation from the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs to oversee education and training developments for the sector.

Speaking at the meeting, Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the RAI, welcomed the proposals and the commitment of the IoT network in their work on training and education for the sector. He encourages all IHF and RAI members to take advantage of the training opportunities on offer across the country.

Applications to the programmes will be through the Springboard portal www.springboardcourses.ie, and courses will commence in September 2019.

22

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Career Opportunities with WeddingDates Sales Manager Role Overview An exciting opportunity has arisen for a self-motivated, driven and highly organised Sales and Account Manager to join the growing team at WeddingDates Ireland Ltd. This is an ideal role for a candidate looking to move from a hospitality background into a more proactive sales role. This job will primarily focus on targeting new sales in Ireland and the as well as account management of existing and new clients in Ireland and the UK. Duties Include: Sales Devising a 12-month sales strategy to ensure monthly targets are met Researching, sourcing and pitching to new prospects and negotiating contracts with new venues in Ireland Cold calling as appropriate to ensure a robust pipeline of opportunities is in place Developing new revenue streams for WeddingDates Upselling additional marketing promotions to existing clients Compiling, tracking and analysing sales figures Account Management Working closely with and building relationships with clients in order for them to receive the full benefits of WeddingDates Identifying client needs for promotions of wedding events, offers, availability etc.

Liaising with clients to create bespoke marketing plans to coincide with their marketing strategy Cross-selling and delivering online marketing services to the existing customer base in Ireland and the UK Supporting clients in any issues they might have Renewals Responsible for all annual contract renewals for our Irish Venue clients.

Compiling, tracking and analysing renewals figures on a monthly basis Company Support Supporting the Customer Service Manager in their role of securing subscription renewals.

Working closely with the Social Media Executive and Content Executive on all aspects of the Social Media and email marketing strategy for clients.

Work with technical staff and other internal colleagues to meet customer needs.

Understanding the company’s goal and purpose so that you will continually enhance the company’s performance.

Attending monthly KPI meetings with the CEO and monthly comms meetings with the team.

Representing the Company Travelling nationwide visiting existing clients and pitching to potential new clients.

Presenting at and attending client wedding events and networking events on request.

Staying up to date with Wedding and Social Media trends and implementing a strong social media presence for the company.

Required: Proven track record of success of the sales cycle from plan to close.

Previous customer selling (in a sales driven environment) and account management experience.

Marketing qualification is desirable but not necessary.

Hotel experience very beneficial.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills.

A keen interest in the wedding industry.

Familiarity with & active on social media such as Linkedin, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook Clean diving licence and own car.

Fluent English speaker.

Remuneration: OTE €45,000 - €50,000 + expenses Start Date: 15th July 2019 Location: Based in the WeddingDates Head Office, Airport East Business Park, Ballygarvan, Cork.

Interested candidates should email their CV and Cover Letter to careers@weddingdates.co.uk

23

IHI EVENTS On June 21st, the IHI hosted A Mid-Summer's Eve BBQ at the fabulous Ice Bar in the Intercontinental Hotel, Dublin . The rain stayed away and we even had a bit of sunshine. Thank you to all who attended and to our sponsors, Classic Drinks and Stafford Lynch.

Jessica Joyce and Adam Kirwan

President Oonagh Cremins FIHI and Gerard Dennehy

Damian Corr, Detta Melia FIFI and Frank Corr

Sara Antoszewic and Danielle Jordan

Joe Higgins MIHI and Russell Hadley MIHI

Micheline Corr and Daniel Murphy

Mary Cotter FIHI and Elaine O'Connor

President Oonagh Cremins FIHI and Ciara Hanley

Noreen D'arcy Noel Cafferkey MIHI and Dee Prendergast

Ivan King MIHI and Heather Lynch

24

Do you have any feedback for us?

If so, please email us at info@ihi.ie We look forward to hearing from you.