A summary: September to December 2017
It has been a busy and successful year at EP with many groundbreaking campaigns launched, sold-out events hosted and thought provoking content communicated. Here's a summary for the last four months of the year.
October's
Insights & Action magazine included a range of different insights and expertise from top consultants across hospitality. The vision behind the magazine has already been to create a platform for thought leadership and knowledge share. We believe this is being achieved due to the fascinating contributions from a wide range of consultants and respected operators. There is much to discuss on the market and the industry.
Read here.
In another showcase of the sector doing
'Social Good' hotels in Frankfurt were there to support when 60,000 people were evacuated to defuse a massive World War II bomb. For those spending time on the edge of the evacuation zone, hotels provided much needed support.
Impostor Syndrome Are high performing individuals holding themselves back because they feel like they are impostors? The Impostor Syndrome describes high achieving individuals who feel unable to internalise their accomplishments, have a persistent fear of being exposed as a "fraud" and remain convinced that they do not deserve the success they have achieved despite all the evidence of their competence. Do we see this in hospitality?
EP asked is culture more important than strategy?Is it fair to ask whether principle, conviction and courage are losing their importance in the controlled arenas of corporate life? If they are, the danger is that good people will not follow. There is absolutely no reason why corporates cannot possess great principles and real conviction. Great companies show leadership in different ways but conviction and principles need to sit at the heart.Perhaps employees walk away from a lack of conviction and culture?
The Leadership LectureIn September EP brought together over 120 guests for a fascinating insight into leadership. This included over 25 CEO's and Chairman which illustrated just how big a issue this is. Three illustrious characters, that have been driving forces in different fields over the past two decades, kindly shared their thoughts, lessons and experiences on leadership during the evening lecture:
David Morgan-Hewitt, Managing Director of The Goring
Simon Halliday, Chairman of European Professional Club Rugby
Bob Cotton, former CEO of the British Hospitality Association (BHA)The evening was sponsored by Antony Woodcock, founder of gig and Park Plaza London Riverbank General Manager Rob Flinter.
Researchers found 30 words that have fallen out of everyday English language. One of the best:
Sillytonian: A silly or gullible person.
The Misconception of Cyber SecurityEP held a stimulating breakfast session on the importance of cyber security at The Royal Institution of Great Britain. Sponsored by IndiCater, security experts Anquan argued the greatest challenge today is awareness and training and companies need to be proactive in telling their staff what to be aware of.
EP asked if hospitality suffers from the golem effect?The golem effect is when low expectations are placed upon individuals which in turn leads to poorer performances. The counterpart is the pygmalion effect - higher expectations and positive affirmations lead to an increase in performance. Do we see this in hospitality?Many in the industry know the name
Marc Verstringhe. However few know the story of his childhood years during World War II and the German Occupation, and the particular perspective that this has left with him, nurturing his passions and living each day to the full.“The Church bells were ringing and flags were flying, and there was singing and dancing in the street - it was a day that I will never forget. Twenty-three years later the Tank Commander, Ted, sent my wife Carole and I a present on our wedding day – amazing.”
Read the story here.The Dubai Government makes a strong argument for the future of the city and for investmentDubai and the UK has a historic and flourishing friendship and in September EP brought a community together for an event which focused on the avenues and prospects for this bilateral engagement. Dubai FDI in conjunction with Senator Advisory Services outlined the vision for the future of Dubai and the key influences, trends and opportunities that are at play over breakfast at The Ritz.
EP launched
www.epinnovates.com - an exciting new website promoting industry entrepreneurs and innovation. This platform provides constant and valuable interactions between Entrepreneurs and the Hospitality Industry. It can be hard to truly innovate. Inventing the future is never easy. Innovation can sometimes come from within a business but for many they do need support.
REINVENTION - Bringing sport and hospitality together. Placing talent back in the forefrontIn October EP hosted an event at New Zealand House with a number of major former sporting stars from the worlds of rugby, cycling and football. Players from all parts of the world talked of the challenges that they have faced in adapting to life after sport.
Effective storytelling doesn't need slidesAre we relying too much on the technology safety blanket?Should we ban PowerPoint presentations so we have to plan thoroughly what we want to argue and how we present this to the room?
Cooking TogetherEP and New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NTZE) brought a community together at
Aveqia for a fun filled and delicious interactive cooking experience showcasing the best produce New Zealand has to offer.
View the video from the unique New Zealand experience here.AlixPartners Food Service Report 2017This week AlixPartners, in collaboration with EP, launched the Foodservice Growth Report 2017. Now in it's fifth year the report has grown in status and recognition and the event has become a known and welcome calendar event. The report is available for
download here.
Hospitality Insights Conference - A Day of Knowledge ShareEP held the first ever Hospitality Insights Conference in November. Over 200 people attended the full day event held at Nomura International in London with guests flying in from across Europe.Over 26 speakers took to the stage for keynote's, open discussions and short statements. Content ranged from consultants providing their thoughts on mergers and acquisitions to an open debate on the commercial model and whether it's actually broken. Questions were raised on where the emerging talent will come from for the hospitality sector and also why the delivered-in model is such an important topic and on the cusp of real change.
'Gritsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Anti-Slip Machiney' and
'David Plowie'The new names for Doncaster Council's gritting vehicles following a twitter poll.
HOSPITALITY ILLUSTRATED
EP published Hospitality Illustrated in November - a brand new hardback book of a decade of beautiful photography. This stunning new hardback publication includes many of the Hospitality Industry’s unforgettable characters – including Ken McCulloch, Anton Mosimann, Fay Maschler, Terance Conran, Robin Hutson, Sarah Willingham Harry Murray, Gary Rhodes, Alastair Storey, Albert Roux and Ufi Ibrahim.Hospitality Illustrated is £30.00 per copy plus P&P.A great present for friends and colleagues.
Buy from Amazon here.The Lonely RoadRecent research by AXA Insurance found that those working for themselves have a better work-life balance and a more improved well-being than those working for someone else. It will be interesting to monitor how many people will leave companies to set up their own shop. Whilst it often depends on the person, if the stress is apparently lower, this may encourage the move? What will this mean for the future?
The Sport & Business MarriageIn December EP announced a Reinvention board. Every great initiative needs great guidance and support and EP are proud to have put together a sport, hospitality and business community who have pledged their support and guidance to help create the positive change business needs.We all agree that people lie at the heart of all business in any industry and especially when one looks at the current political and social climate, we believe that it is time to get back to some good old-fashioned values that really do place care, people, teams and culture at the heart of everything. It is evident that there is a substantial social and cultural problem that currently exists, people are getting hurt and this is quite simply indefensible - we need a substantial social change.Business success and reinvention is all about positive cultures and positive people.
Here's to another full year of exciting events and strong communications.For more on EP contact;
Ben.Butler@epmagazine.co.uk