Renaissance develops event management team

Once the sales process is complete, the team will assume control of the booking and assist planners with all aspects of organising the event.

The need to create an onsite event management team was due to a lack of specific event management skills amongst the sales team, according to director of sales and marketing, Vladimir Dabbah.

“In the past the sales person used to get the business, do the contract, get it signed and then be on the floor at the event,” he told MIME.

“At the end of the day – and I’m a sales person myself – we’re not event people. We will do our best, but we would not be good at the operational side of the business.

“The closer you get to an event the more you realise you have to do, the more details you receive such as arrivals, departures, eating requirements, themed coffee breaks, events outside of the hotel and every event is unique, so now we have a dedicated team for those [event] operations.”

The creation of a certified meetings events team is part of a larger focus on the whole of the Renaissance meetings and events package.

Renovation of all the meetings rooms, ballroom and pre-function areas began in May and are expected to be complete by September 15.

“We are changing everything from the floor to the ceiling including fixtures and fittings,” said Dabbah.

“We are also upgrading our technology and getting rid of the traditional equipment and bringing in flat screens as well as all the latest audio-visual equipment.”

The renovations and the creation of specific roles within the events sector are part of a move to generate more meetings relate business at the hotel, according to Dabbah.

“Once we complete the renovation we should be putting meetings packages together,” he said.

“We should be looking to getting 20% of our business out of meetings. We are not increasing the capacity, but we want to attract higher profile events because of the brand new business rooms.”