EP Perspective June 2017

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: ETC. VENUES
Specialised Accountants
& Business Advisors to
the Hotel Industry
From detailed reporting to a fully
outsourced finance function, Ecovis
harnesses expert industry knowledge,
experience and leading technology to
deliver information and advice you can act
on.
right company to come along and add to his vision of making the
building come alive. Our objective of making this a top London space
matched this ambition.” Alastair explains. Their plan is to establish
the new site as a key competitor in the Westminster market and follow
this by positioning themselves as a brand that can provide prestigious
events at any time or day. It is clear where Alastair wants to drive
the company.
During this time of change the core philosophy of customised
event solutions has never wavered. Alastair and the team want to
transform their spaces
for what clients actually
want and County Hall
supports this approach.
“The millennial
generation no longer
wants to journey out to
the country and spend a few days away from home, especially if
there’s poor public transport and limited Wi-Fi. There has been
a structural shift where attendees want a quicker experience. At
the same time the event planners role is changing. Fundamentally
it is the same job but they are under increasing pressure to find
something different and our role is to go beyond their expectations.
With social media before, during and after events, the feedback
is instantaneous.”
“THEY DON’T WANT TO SIT AND LISTEN
TO A SPEAKER ALL DAY. WE MUST HELP AN
EVENT COME TO LIFE.
It has also been important for etc.venues to try and match the
delegate expectation of an experience. “They don’t want to sit
and listen to a speaker all day. We must help an event come to life.
Whether that’s networking on arrival, live twitter feeds or throwable
microphone pods. The ratio of conference space to breakout space
has changed. County Hall’s 20 rooms can match this desire and with
smaller spaces it can feel more personal.”
Expansion is set to continue and their first venue in Manchester
opens soon. However Alastair in a bold move is increasingly looking
further afield. “London
is world leading in this
market but we keep
a close eye on what is
taking place in New
York and Paris. I believe
that younger millennial
delegates are seeking different spaces for their training, meetings and
events. These new trends bring further opportunity for collaboration.”
Alastair’s 20 year corporate background now blends with his last 10
years as an entrepreneurial disruptor. He and his team are carving a
niche in the market where they are a contradiction to what is expected
of an established player. They are simply business people who seek
to utilise the best of both corporate and entrepreneurial skillsets to
delivers some of the sector’s best growth and performance.
Outsourcing the finance function was a completely new concept for the business,
Ecovis bought a new dynamic to the team which strengthened internal controls. I was
particularlly impressed with the effort made by the team in engaging with the business
in various locations, rather than working remotely. Ecovis showed commitment at all
levels and their support went beyond the accounting and finance.
Head of Finance, International Hotel Group
Robert McCann
Hospitality Partner
0207 495 2244
robert.mccann@ecovis.co.uk
www.ecovis.co.uk
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