SAVVY COLLECTIVE MANCHESTER DISCUSSION

Last night, (Thursday 24^th September) hospitality professionals from across the region came together at El Gato Negro in Manchester for the latest SAVVY Collective Hospitality Industry Conversation.

The evening began with drinks, canapés and an opportunity for people from across hospitality, tourism and the wider visitor economy to connect.

But networking was only part of the reason for bringing the room together.

The purpose of the evening was to create an open conversation around some of the biggest issues facing hospitality right now, from visitor levies and rising operating pressures to education, skills and how the industry attracts its next generation.

SAVVY Collective founder Steven Hesketh opened the evening with an introduction to SAVVY, how the Collective has developed and the thinking behind bringing its different areas of hospitality management, consultancy, education, events and investment together.

Steven was then joined by Kumar Mishra from The Edwardian and Nick Brooks-Sykes, Director of Tourism at Marketing Manchester, to discuss some of the key issues facing the industry.

Some of the highlights from the conversation

Tourism levies and BIDs

The discussion looked at how cities fund their visitor economies and what future tourism levies could mean for hospitality businesses.

Some of the questions raised included:

• What happens to existing BID models if visitor levies are introduced?

• How should that money be spent?

• How much say should hospitality businesses have in where the funding goes?

• And could another charge create additional pressure for operators and visitors?

The clear feeling was that hospitality businesses need to be involved in these conversations before decisions are made.

Pressure on independent businesses

Another major talking point was the recent open letter from Manchester’s Barbakan Delicatessen & Bakery to Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

The challenges outlined in the letter — rising costs, tighter margins and the pressure facing independent businesses — were familiar to many in the room.

Kumar spoke positively about the importance of continuing to speak up, putting pressure on government and making sure decision-makers understand what is actually happening on the ground.

Nick also highlighted reasons for optimism, with hospitality and the visitor economy continuing to receive greater attention.

The message was simple: the industry has to keep talking.

Education and the next generation

The final part of the discussion focused on education and how hospitality attracts the next generation.

There was a clear feeling that businesses need to keep building relationships with schools and colleges, getting in front of young people earlier and showing them what a career in hospitality can actually offer.

Nick also highlighted the importance of changing the way the industry is talked about. Too often hospitality is defined by long hours, weekends and unsociable shifts rather than the huge range of careers and opportunities available within the sector.

If hospitality wants to attract young people, the industry has to play its part in changing that perception.

After the discussion, the evening moved back into networking, giving guests the chance to continue the conversations, make new connections and share their own experiences.

And that was ultimately the purpose of the evening: bringing people from across hospitality together, creating space for open conversation and making sure the issues affecting the industry continue to be talked about.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined SAVVY Collective at El Gato Negro and to Kumar Mishra and Nick Brooks-Sykes for joining Steven Hesketh for the discussion.

This is the first in a series of Hospitality Industry Conversations that SAVVY Collective will be hosting.

There is plenty more to discuss.

Watch this space.