Hospitality Matters

When it comes to the matter of hospitality it is easy to imagine high-level corporate management, huge price tags, power dressing and a sprinkle of cap-doffing for good measure. Well, OK, there are times and places where this may be the case, but here I can explain to you that hospitality matters to a wide range of people for a wide range of reasons and there are plenty of options to suit a wide range of budgets.

Happy Clients

It is a great way of showing your appreciation for continued business with your customers and/or suppliers by offering some carefully chosen corporate hospitality. Taking your clients to a sporting event or offering them tickets to a West End show is a thoughtful way of saying thank you. But what do you want from the experience as well?

1.      Do you want to be in attendance?

2.      How many persons will be present?

3.      How will your day be structured?

4.      Do you want to do some subtle “up-selling” with a captive audience?

5.      Do you simply want to provide a thank you gift?

If you are present at the hospitality event with your clients then it is a perfect way to catch up away from the office, but consider carefully your hospitality package. Loud sporting events in crowded environments may not be the right place for you. If you invite a lot of people then you may not have time to talk with them all personally, so do you need a team of colleagues to play host? Are you planning a full day out? Consider the balance between activities and relaxation/networking time.

For thank you gifts then consult with your customers on their ideal trip out so you can select that memorable concert or day out to the flower show.

Hospitality is a well-established way of reinforcing your existing business relationships. But the important point to note here is “existing” clients. Your company will have key policies that you can consult pertaining to the Bribery Act 2010, to ensure that you make the right choices when deciding on whom to spend your hospitality budget.

Happy staff

There are many reasons that you could consider hospitality with us. Yes, it may be important business networking, but have you considered incentivising staff? You could use it for team building or simply to reward hard work and boost staff morale.

Staff turnover can be extremely costly in terms of recruitment and training amongst other things and business needs to ensure it looks after its most valuable assets. Happy staff are generally more productive and willing to go the extra mile and it is great to have that reputation of being a good employer. Balance the cost of an annual hospitality budget against the likely costs of job advertising, recruitment, training and loss of productivity during that transition period. Is it worth it? Probably yes.

When planning hospitality for employees there are a few things that matter:

1.      Who is going?

2.      What part of the day/week?

3.      How far is it from home?

4.      What is its purpose?

Are just employees invited on your ventures? Do you want to invite family members? Could you consider tickets to events for couples, or perhaps provide family days to involve children. With more emphasis being placed on the importance of family in employees’ welfare, then honouring them with a day out is a perfect way of showing your appreciation.

 Are you planning this event for an evening or weekend? It could be that you are asking employees to be away from home for some time. Do they have family commitments to consider? Will you need to consider providing accommodation if a long way from home? Does that impact on our budget?

Finally, do consider the purpose of the hospitality you offer. You could simply offer thank yous, but there are a variety of team building options, where you not only give your employees a fun day out, but you teach them some valuable skills along the way. 

So, make sure you research your options with your staff to ensure you can get the best available packages to suit the majority of needs.

Happy Friends and Family

Why should hospitality just be about business? There are a great number of packages that would make wonderful gifts for birthdays and other special anniversaries. A champagne package at a gig of your partner’s favourite band, tickets to Wimbledon for Grandma, a day at the races with drinks and lunch for your parents… there are a variety of special days out that are wonderful presents. Hospitality is about making memories. What special memories you could create for you and your loved ones.

Happy Wallet

We know that budgets are varied and we are able to help you to tailor a package to suit you, your clients, your loved ones and your wallet. There are packages that cost just around £100 - £200 and there are those that are much more. Motorsports and large sporting events like Wimbledon can be very expensive days out. What is included makes a huge difference. Some packages include some bubbly on arrival and special seats at a concert, some packages involve four-course luxury dining and private parking at sporting events…. Make sure you discuss with all parties what the budget is and then work from there.

Booking - Happy Experience

Sheer Edge will support you every step of the way. We work with you from defining all the crucial details of what you are looking to achieve to placing the tickets in your hand; we speak directly to the venues, events or the preferred agents (some venues only select a couple of agencies to operate on their behalf).

We only work directly with genuine operators and would strongly urge you to avoid working with agencies who are not speaking with or have direct links. Working with non-authorised third parties comes with its risks and problems; it is genuinely more hassle and not worth risking your credibility if it goes wrong!

With Sheer Edge, you are in safe hands and we genuinely care about giving you a favourable experience of booking your hospitality choices. It is our raison d'etre after all.

Happy You

It is a great feeling to have been able to provide your staff or friends with a great day out and a bank of fantastic memories. Knowing that you have a happy productive team reaps its own rewards, from recognition further up the organisation, to pride and satisfaction in your work and that of those around you. Knowing that hospitality matters makes for a happy you!

Jo Ferreday is the Managing Director of Sheer Edge and co-founder of Inspiring Dining. With nearly two decades of experience in the corporate hospitality and events industry, she is committed to providing excellent customer experience through her services. Finding the perfect venue and creating a unique experience is her priority.