INTRODUCTION
The South West (SW) Wedding Awards is the biggest event conducted each year throughout the Plymouth, United Kingdom (UK). The event caters number of wedding photographers, event management firms, wedding beauticians, and every contributor adding the value to an event. Our organization, Bell-Pickle Hospitality, is contracted for providing food and beverage services for the gala event. It is an opportunity for our company to serve the best audience with excellence and establish a goodwill. Our audience in the Plymouth gala event includes the wedding specialists, wedding organizers, and related wedding service providers. Since the purpose of this gala event is to distribute awards for the best wedding services in different disciplines, it is essential for Bell-Pickle Hospitality to avoid potential errors in order to serve the audience with precision and effectiveness.
The purpose of this proposal report is to offer the best hospitality package including the food, beverages, decoration, and a feasible venue. The past event organizers have selected Guildhall and the Crown Fort Hotel for conducting the gala event. However, Bell-Pickle Hospitality has selected Crowne Plaza due to its reputation, accommodation, services, and infrastructure. Further, this report will discuss the viability of the proposal, analysis of competition, service blueprint or event manifesto, cost and expenditure, legislative compliances, supply chain practices and ethical considerations, and future recommendations systematically.
Idea or Service Declaration
Current Menu
OBJECTIVES OF IDEA/SERVICE AND VIABILITY
Specific, Measurable, Realistic, and Time-Bound (SMART)
Our objective is to serve a large-scale event having at least 2,500 guests present at the venue with minimal cost and maximum efficiency. The Crowne Plaza is selected strictly since the venue has a competency record of catering events on such a scale. The Crowne Plaza has a conference arena developed on more than 3,000 square meters with an adaptable and ready-to-use services. Moreover, the venue has a large area offered in both settings, indoor and outdoor, designed particularly for the awards nights and related events. We aim to organize the Table Buffet due to its familiarity with the event. The dinner tables are round having the capacity of accommodating ten guests simultaneously. Such a design and occupancy is suitable for promoting interaction and socialization among the guests. The aspect of socialization is important for increasing the joy and comfort of guests (CP, 2016). It is the most feasible venue for conducting The South West (SW) Wedding Awards in Plymouth UK.
Viability or Feasibility of the Event
Bell-Pickle Hospitality gave attention to all the possible details in order to increase the feasibility and comfort of the event. Our selection of foods and beverages, and the location are evidence for the claims. Discussing the feasibility of accommodation, the venue has an ample amount of space for catering more than 2,500 guests excluding the staff. Moreover, the 3,000 square meters conference area is sufficient for conducting the award ceremony, which is the core purpose and attraction for the event in Plymouth UK. Further, the Crowne Plaza has reputed in-house cuisines and bars, which would immediately assist in case of mismanagements and shortages of foods and beverages. The core objective is to maintain the flow of the gala event along with the comfort assurance, which are evident from the services and infrastructure of the location.
ANALYSIS OF COMPETITION & EXISTING TRENDS
Buffets R Us – Catering for all Occasions
The competitor is in the hospitality industry for more than 20 years having a specialization in catering. The company provides services for both domestic events such as engagements, weddings, and funerals. Moreover, the company also entertains the corporate events throughout the Plymouth district with a competitive and attractive pricing. The food menu offered by Buffets R Us tends to tailor the taste for complying with routine diets of the guests. Additionally, the entity owns a licensed bar and range of waiters adding the value to an event (BRU, 2016).
Devon Catering – Delicious Creative Food
Devon Catering also has a noticeable years of experience in the discipline of hospitality services. The entity is known for providing innovative and home-cooked style foods to the clients. Over the years, Devon Catering has been recommended by the clients for weddings and party venues throughout the SW. The company has an established reputation and a strong word-of-mouth due to service excellence and diversified public relation (PR) activities. The cliental portfolio of Devon Catering includes various corporations and reputed families in Plymouth district. For Devon Catering, their supply chain network is among the strongest competencies. The company has developed a loyal trading relationship with the local farmers in order to acquire quality and fresh produces. As result, it is easy for Devon Catering to adopt and facilitate the dynamic requirements of the client (DC, 2016).
Greenfare – Fresh, Creative, Fun
Greenfare is another entity with a moderate scale of client and serving history. Greenfare offers their services for different events such as weddings, celebrations, family gatherings, and various formal occasions. The entity does not entertain the corporate client until today. The themes offered by Greenfare are mainly casual, which are preferred by most of their clients. However, Greenfare tends to listen, record, and incorporate each detail communicated by clients during face-to-face meetings (Greenfare, 2016). The service entity is an emerging competition.
Flying B.E.D Catering
The Flying B.E.D Catering are specialists in providing a diversified hospitality service. They are specialized in planning an event from the scratch entertaining food, decorations, serving styles, etc. The entity has an established goodwill in the SW district and serve various corporate clients. Moreover, they have a reputable image for planning a wedding or charity events throughout the Plymouth (B.E.D, 2016).
Existing Trends and Bell-Pickle Hospitality Selection
The gala events are primarily known for the selected themes, menus, and event drive. Discussing the existing trends of themes, Strutzin (2015) specified three selections ideal for such an event. First, the Masquerade is considered as an esteemed theme for guests. This theme is primarily for the red carpet events offering a formal atmosphere to the guests. It has live music, stylish ornamentation, and ballroom dancing that increase the indulgence of an event. Second, the Oscar Theme is also popular due to its glamorous and prestigious appearance. It has props, arts, and décor inspired with Hollywood. The stage has rich colors with dim lighting, adding focus and interest of audience. Lastly, the Grand Gala theme provides a sophisticated atmosphere to the guests with a core focus on dinner tables. It offers rich and solid colors decorated with customized centerpieces. The core competency of this theme is the room for creativity and experimentation.
In this regard, Bell-Pickle Hospitality selects Formal Black and White theme for the event. The theme will provide a formal appearance of the entire event, which would comply with the dress code. Moreover, the dim lights, tidy tablecloths, black and white confetti, and flowers will style the atmosphere perfectly. This theme incorporates the elegance of Masquerade, glamor of Oscar, and solid color attention of Grand Gala simultaneously. Moreover, the selected theme is economical for the company as compared to the existing trends.
In context to the food, the events tend to offer range of foods to the guests. Primarily, formal cuisines such as Italian and Japanese are served at the tables as a three-course meal. However, a core focus is given to the routine diets of guests while preparation. The focus modifies the use of oil, spices, and related diet fluctuating ingredients present in the food. The starters usually includes canapés and welcome drinks such as non-alcoholic juices or tea and coffee. Moreover, the existing trend includes a combination of vegetables and meat in the main course. The deserts are served as the final course of the meal with an herbal tea for digestion. As stated by HubPages (2013), presentation, variety, and audience indulgence are compulsory aspects of a gala dinner.
Bell-Pickle Hospitality has a wide range of menu for addressing the core needs and existing trends of the guests. We offer foods and beverages from different origination considering the dietary requirements of the guests. Our proposed option to the SW Wedding Awards is as follows:
The total amount quoted for the food and beverage to the management of SW Wedding Awards is £142 per head (£355,000 for foods and beverages only). While proposing the menu above, we wanted to ensure the taste, fine dining, and formal atmosphere throughout the event. Each course offer a diverse combination of taste and edible items to the guests, which increase their selection and joy simultaneously.
SERVICE BLUEPRINT
Figure 1: Bell-Pickle Hospitality Service Blueprint
DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED COST
LEGISLATION, ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS & BEST PRACTICES
Bell-Pickle Hospitality promotes the legal and ethical working environment in the hospitality industry. We understand the critical aspects of quality and health involved while serving the audience. Hence, our organization has acquired Food Premises Approval from England and Wales separately in order to work in a legit manner. Further, we are under a mutually agreed contract with Mark Smith Photography and Crowne Plaza individually in order to avoid conflicts during the settlements. Lastly, the Bell-Pickle Hospitality has gained quality assurance certification namely “ISO 9001 England”. The certification confirms that our ingredients, preparation processes, and facility are meeting the international safety standards without any compromise.
In context to the ethical considerations, our organization has contracted the local farmers supplying raw materials and related items of best quality. We avoided corporate adversities such as discrimination, undocumented settlements, and child labor. We kept our processes and regulations transparent with the local suppliers and developed a mutually agreed terms for creating a win-win situation. Our suppliers are guaranteed with the best and competitive rates for the raw materials in order to value their overall efforts.
Other ethical considerations for promoting best practices are:
We providing equal career opportunities to women
We hire handicap resources to mitigate discrimination
We training our staff adequately and routinely
We engage the staff while generating ideas for maximum work engagement
Provide safe and healthy work environment
1% of the annual sales is distributed equally among the suppliers/farmers for encouraging agriculture and green environment
Usage of hybrid vehicles for reducing carbon emissions from the environment
Interacting with the customers directly on social media for promoting freedom-of-speech
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The South West (SW) Wedding Awards is the prominent event conducted each year to award and acknowledge the efforts of different wedding service providers. The Bell-Pickle Hospitality is providing the event management services with a core focus on catering. While selecting the desired menu and themes, we evaluated the competition in the industry along with the existing trends. It came into our keen notification that the competition is immense since the industry has valuable players to offer in Plymouth. Moreover, the existing trends for such events require a large venue along with a formal theme such as Oscar or Grand Gala.
Nonetheless, we opted for the Formal Black and White in order to maintain the aroma of formal atmosphere. In order to occupy the guest, we selected Crowne Plaza due to its reputation and developed infrastructure. Lastly, our proposed menu has a combination of foods and beverages from distinct origins, which will increase the selection of the audience during dinner.
Recommending the company, the Bell-Pickle Hospitality should control the cost of raw materials and staff in future events. The service providers are new in the market and needs a penetration strategy for establishing a strong cliental base. Further, it is important for the company to increase the PR activities through charitable events. Such practice would increase the market presence and operational sustainability for the company, which are strong competencies to acquire. Lastly, it is important for the company to increase the range of menu by hiring specialists in later stages. The recommended activities are important for compliance in order to survive the competition and increase the cliental base in future.
Bibliography
B.E.D, (2016). Welcome To Flying B.E.D Catering. [Online] Flying B.E.D Catering. Available at: http://www.cateringinplymouth.co.uk/ [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017].
BRU, (2016). Welcome to Buffets R Us. [Online] Buffets R Us. Available at: http://buffetsrus.co.uk/ [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017].
CP, (2016). Meetings. [Online] Crowne Plaza Resorts. Available at: http://www.cpcolchester.co.uk/meetings/big-events/ [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017].
DC, (2016). Our Story. [Online] Devon Catering. Available at: http://www.devoncatering.com/our-story [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017].
Greenfare, (2016). About Us. [Online] Greenfare Catering. Available at: http://www.greenfarecatering.co.uk/about.html [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017].
HubPages, (2013). 6 Yummy Ideas for a Gala Dinner Menu. [Online] HubPages. Available at: http://hubpages.com/holidays/what-to-serve-at-a-gala-dinner [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017].
Mark Smith, (2016). Mark Smith Photography. [Online] Mark Smith Photography. Available at: http://www.marksmithphotography.co.uk/ [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017].
Strutzin, J. (2015). 15 Creative Theme Ideas for Gala Dinner Events. [Online] Holidappy. Available at: https://holidappy.com/party-planning/theme-ideas-for-a-gala-dinner-event [Accessed 2 Jan. 2017].
