Innovation helps in keeping the customer satisfied

Food and entertainment are key to the conference experience. Anna Dove finds out how venues are coming up with new ideas

ENJOYING a five-course meal blindfolded is perhaps not what we would usually associate with attending a conference. But when it comes to providing high quality corporate hospitality, Scotland’s premier meeting venues will go the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction.

Whether it’s an exclusive dinner for 50 or a reception for 1,000 delegates, hotels and venues across the country are looking at new ways to create a flawless conference experience.

“A truly memorable experience is often high on the agenda for clients who are seeking an exciting and inspiring memory to take away with them,” explains Tristan Nesbitt, general manager at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa in Edinburgh.

To stay on top of the latest trends in conferences and exhibitions, the Sheraton Grand has come up with unique offerings tailored for corporate events. Members of staff from the hotel’s award-winning One Spa offer “FIT Breaks”, which see delegates energised and revived in a meeting break ahead of the next session.

Clients are increasingly requesting innovative dining experiences with good food and drink top of the conference planning agenda. Daring to be different, the Sheraton Grand offers the ultimate sensory dining experience, where delegates are blindfolded to allow them to focus on the tastes and textures of dishes.

Multi-sensory, interactive events are currently hot on the agenda,” says Nesbitt. “The hotel’s Sensory Dining experience was designed with this in mind.

“Clients are paying more attention to the food delivery side of an event and are looking for sustainable, healthy, well balanced, good quality cuisine.

“We take food very seriously and aim to bring a restaurant edge to banqueting – for example we are known to serve perfectly poached eggs to 500 guests in one sitting.

“We have also spearheaded our ‘theatre in banqueting’ concept where the chefs showcase creatively visual touches such as blowtorching desserts in front of the guests.”

Fantastic food and drink are also at the forefront of corporate events at the Doubletree by Hilton Edinburgh City Centre.

“Our top requests include customised menus, preferred supplier lists, and branded and personalised merchandise,” says Ronald Little, the hotel’s general manager. “We create personalised notebooks with messages for guests and personalised chocolate bars.

“The conference and events team aim to make every event a memorable success and work extremely hard to ensure every little detail is perfect.

“The conference centre offers a variety of meeting room sizes for any event and our penthouse will definitely add the wow factor with amazing views of Edinburgh Castle and the city skyline.”

Not every delegate wants to dine in. In Ayrshire, the Trump Turnberry events team receives inquiries about dining out in the area. “We are often asked about outside dining options by our clients and as we are located very close to Culzean Castle and Cloncaird Castle, we are able to facilitate special evenings at each of these unique locations,” says Stephen Walker, director of sales and marketing at Trump Turnberry. “Clients love the idea of hosting a dinner in a castle as it creates a truly memorable experience for their guests.”

Turnberry welcomes returning clients year on year, with BMW visiting annually for its UK Dealers Cup Final. Ailsa is one of the most iconic golf courses, and it provides a tough test to the finalists of BMW’S Ukwide tournament.

“We are known to serve perfectly poached eggs to 500 guests in one sitting” Tristan Nesbitt, Sheraton Grand

Situated in the heart of rural Perthshire, Gleneagles Hotel also sees corporate guests return again and again.

Stuart Smith, director of leisure and events at Gleneagles, believes being able to provide all conference and meetings services on site, from chefs to florists, is what makes the five-star venue stand out. .

The key to keeping the customer satisfied, says Walker, is “not only listening to and delivering guests’ needs, but also anticipating them and going that extra mile”.

Smith agrees: “Even from the first conversations with the organiser, we need to understand

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