With July to September being the peak time for Christmas party bookings, we spoke to NEC Group’s Managing Director for Conventions Andy Gibb to find out more about how him and his team have approached ICC Birmingham’s Christmas parties.
“During the first few months as the NEC Group’s new Managing Director for Conventions, I spent a lot of time getting to know the people, our customers and learning all about the range of events that we host. It wasn’t long until Christmas became top of the agenda with Summer and early Autumn being the critical sales window.
I always believe we should tailor our offering to the clients needs, and we have always offered a range of options at The ICC from larger joiner parties to more intimate private events.
However, after speaking to our newly expanded sales team, it became clear that there is a group of companies and organisations who want a sizeable private event, with the option to make speeches and presentations, but didn’t know how to go about organising it or what it would cost.
Firstly, the team revisited the approach taken over the past few years. We evaluated what worked well, and what didn’t work so well. For example, in previous years we offered a wide range of options this gave plenty of choice (but potentially too much), and it was a confusing customer journey for those looking to book a Christmas party with us.
Next, research. We looked at consumer spending habits, plus hospitality and internal engagement trends.
It’s no secret that since the pandemic, consumer spending habits have changed, purse strings are tighter and there is a greater focus on value for money. So, we knew that our offer would need to give customers a sense of value.
We also looked at the importance of a Christmas party for employees. Is it still the event of the year? Well, we found out that employees are seven times more likely to be engaged at work if they like their rewards, and work drinks are ranked the second (after annual leave) as the most beloved perk, so yes, there is still value in the yearly Christmas party for employees and employers.
After the prework was done, we decided our approach would be to offer an all inclusive Christmas party. ICC Birmingham has been providing Christmas parties for the last thirty years, so the team are more than capable of creating a Christmas wonderland that takes the hassle out of planning a party that offers a perfect solution for medium to large size businesses.
All inclusive for us means everything from the décor, and the menu, to the staff, the entertainment, and even the welcome drink! And because we have the space, we can build the set once, leave it in situ, and offer significant savings to our clients.
At ICC Birmingham, our location plays to our advantage. We’re a city-centre location which is easily accessible via public transport plus over 6000 hotel rooms in the region through our local hotel partners.
Through this approach, we’re aiming to beat all our FY23 sales by 43% and we are already on track to achieve that.
Find out more: https://www.theicc.co.uk/banqueting/private-christmas-parties/
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Author: Adam Parry
Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.
