05/2018

One of the world’s leading catering organisations has the recipe for success, following the creation of three new appointments.

Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events has consolidated its position as a leader in the field with a number of new roles which will help drive the business forward.

Tom Beauchamp, who has worked for the company for five years, has become Development Chef UK and Ireland for Sports and Leisure, working on a range of strategies.

This includes looking at the offerings at all the venues run by Sodexo, along with ways of further developing their chefs

"My new role has been amazing so far," said Tom.

“And although my title is development chef, this isn’t just about developing our food offering, it’s also about introducing practices which will help our huge team of chefs to grow and innovate so that we are always offering something new and exciting to our customers."

Tom still remains involved in major events and will also be running the food operation at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show.

Also in a new role is Ben Dutson, who has taken up the position of Regional Executive Chef, which will include overseeing the food operation at Ascot Racecourse, Bateaux London and Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre.

At the same time, Ben will be responsible for culinary innovation and delivery of Sodexo’s major events business which represents some of the most prestigious dates on the British events calendar, including Royal Ascot, RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Henley Royal Regatta, The Open and Hampton Court Flower Show.

Joining the company is Ian Page as Head Chef for Major Events, who has a wealth of experience working in hospitality for major events as well as private companies.

Natasha Carr Marketing Manager for Sodexo prestige Venues & Events said:

“All of these chefs not only have impeccable credentials but bring with a vast amount of knowledge and experience to the business

“They are aware of the need to offer the highest standards, incorporate the latest trends and anticipate the next and to concentrate on important issues like seasonality and provenance in everything we do.

“We are delighted to have such a strong team in these very important roles.”

Wyboston Lakes Resort is to rename its main venues as The Woodlands Event Centre and The Willows Training Centre.

The Woodlands Event Centre is currently known as the Wyboston Lakes Executive Centre and The Willows Training Centre is the Wyboston Lakes Training Centre. Both new names will be supported by the overall Wyboston Lakes Resort brand.

The changes will take place in September when the first phase of a £3m investment in a major transformation of The Woodlands Event Centre is due for completion

All rooms at The Woodlands Event Centre will be re-configured and renamed as part of this redevelopment.  The theme of natural wood will run strongly throughout the whole of the building.  There will be a new Italian inspired Olive Restaurant along with Cedar Courtyard and Bar and the meeting rooms will all be named after differing woods. The newly created Rosewood Suite will be capable of accommodating over 300 delegates. One of the other new features will be the Yew technology theatre which will benefit from the latest in in-room tech and provide tiered seating to allow presenters to interact with their audience.

Louisa Watson, Director of Marketing at Wyboston Lakes Resort explains: “Re-naming both venues will create a separate distinctive identity for each and enable us to position each venue in its relevant market more effectively. We will continue to use the Wyboston Lakes Resort in all marketing and promotional activities as our brand name is well known and a major asset, particularly in the meeting and events industry.”

For more information about Wyboston Lakes Resort, please visit www.wybostonlakes.co.uk

Workers in the meetings industry have revealed a heavy dependency on digital devices, claiming they would feel disconnected if they were denied access to them for just one day.

A survey* carried out by The Meetings Show found that 73% of meetings professionals would feel anxious if they didn't have access to their smartphone or another digital device for 24 hours, while 79% fear that not having a smartphone or laptop when out of the office for travel or meetings would have a negative impact on their job.

Smartphone addiction starts early in the day for meetings professionals with 73% confessing to checking their phones before getting out of bed in the morning.

A similar number find it equally difficult to switch off at the end of the working day and at weekends, with 68% saying they check work emails outside of work hours.

Even holidays don’t offer a chance to switch off it seems, with 45% admitting they respond to work emails when away. In fact, only 5% of respondents said they switched their phones off completely every day with 88% claiming the phone was only ever turned off if there was no battery or they were on a flight.

However, it appears that much of the pressure to respond to emails is self-imposed. When asked if they felt there was an expectation from colleagues or clients to respond to emails outside of core working hours, just 39% said yes.

Thankfully, meetings appear to be a useful barrier to digital device usage, with 71% of respondents saying it was unacceptable to use a phone or laptop to send emails during a meeting and a further 93% claiming taking a call in a meeting to be bad etiquette.

David Chapple, group event director of The Meetings Show, said: "Digital devices are embedded in our working lives and enable us to be connected when in and out of the office. While these devices can help us be efficient and respond to clients and colleagues immediately from wherever we may be, it is concerning that our survey has revealed that so few of us can switch off outside of working hours and on holiday. We all need downtime and that means less time looking at our phones. Time away from work and our digital devices is not only healthy but is also said to make us more productive."

Visitors to The Meetings Show looking to switch off from work and de-stress should attend the session ‘Wellness in the Meetings Industry’ on Wednesday 27 June at 11.10am, where Helen Moon and James Hitchen from Eventwell will share tips on how to create an atmosphere of support and wellness and advise meeting professionals on how to identify stress points early on.

‘The Changing Landscape of the Workplace’, looking at how flexible working patterns and the shift in working from home affects face-to-face meetings and how we communicate, may also be of interest to those struggling to recognise when work should end and home-life should begin. The session takes place at 1.50pm on Thursday 28 June. 

The Meetings Show is the UK’s biggest dedicated event for meeting planners and returns to London Olympia on 27 and 28 June. For the full programme of educational sessions and to register to attend visit www.themeetingsshow.com/.