Over 60 industry professionals attended Clarity’s second virtual Knowledge Exchange event in September, focused on delivering hotel insights to support the upcoming RFP season.
As a continuation of their popular Knowledge Exchange calendar of events, which have previously covered trending topics like sustainability and rail, this was the first event to specialise in accommodation.
Dozens of Contract, Finance and Travel Managers attended, ranging from public sector and charity to utility and infrastructure backgrounds. Customers were given a hotel supplier’s perspective and market overview from guest speaker, Carrie Herrie, Senior Global Account Director from Leonardo. They then heard from Clarity’s Suzanne Barnes (Head of Commercial Strategy), providing a TMC perspective on market and RFP expectations for 2025, and Lone Konradsen (Clarity’s Head of Customer Insights), who gave a more in-depth customer-centric insight around rate caps and meal allowances from a programme and policy perspective.
Clarity’s Account Manager, Lindsay Cook, led the event as part of her additional involvement in Clarity’s Knowledge Exchange Events and Communications Team. Lindsay explained why it was important to set customer expectations for 2025 hotel programmes: “As many of our customers are in the RFP season for their 2025 hotel programmes, we wanted to support and provide a holistic view across our supplier and customer base, setting the scene in the challenges both are seeing from an inflation perspective and market conditions. By hearing from the supplier and internal speakers, it enables them to set expectations ahead of time and prepare with tips on hotel negotiation so they can be realistic about balancing the supplier value and cost effectiveness targets, whilst ensuring guest safety, wellbeing and sustainability targets are met.”
Travel & Procurement Manager Janine Whitehouse, from Legal and General, shared her feedback: “Thank you for an insightful enjoyable session. I appreciated the interesting and relevant content covering a deeper dive into RFP specifics and encompassing rate expectations, as well as the industry pressures and challenges to programme and policy around food and beverage allowances.”
The team are already busy with their next Knowledge Exchange events, focused on Environmental, Social and Governance in October, an annual round-up during Clarity’s Customer Conference in November and the first virtual hotel spotlight is planned for 2025.
“As we are nearing the end of our first full year of the Knowledge Exchange series with an even balance of both virtual and face-to-face collaborate events, we have seen an exceptional NPS of +67. We’ve received such positive customer comments, benefitting from the customer-focused insights, alongside the knowledge gained from relevant content, expert subject-matter guest speakers, and the networking opportunities with their fellow peers, which has brought further support sharing best practice ideas within their own organisations,” Lindsay continued.
“We are excited to bring even more to our calendar of events in 2025, delivering insightful, results-driven content and insights to all our valued customers.”
