1. Diane Stallabrass Conference & Hospitality Sales Royal Agricultural College

2. Introduction What you should expect to know at the end of the presentation How we plan to overcome these Size doesn’t matter Marketing the Venue Business Split Internal v External Challenges we face

3. “Small is beautiful!”

7. Spring

8. Summer

9. Autumn

10. Winter

11. From Sunrise to Sunset

12. Welcome to the Royal Agricultural College Situated in 25 acres of parkland Established in 1845 A seat of learning but also a Conference & Hospitality Centre

13. So what do we offer? A range of 30+ meeting rooms A dedicated business suite A new build programme

14. Porters and Technical Support Flexible Space Modern Audio Visual Technology

15. Function Rooms Full Professional Catering Free on Site Parking

16. Residential Accommodation

17. Types of Rooms

18. Grounds & Gardens

19. Dedicated Sales Team Focus on Flexibility and Personal Service “Thank you so much for your help with organising the Exeter Clergy Conference. Feedback about the venue has been overwhelmingly positive and so many have commented on how friendly and helpful the staff were”. The Revd Canon Andrew Godsall, Diocese of Exeter Conference – September 2012

20. A Defined Sales and Marketing Strategy How do we do it? Clear and Measurable Targets Sustained Advertising and Promotional Campaigns On Line Presence Through the Web Use of Social Media (Twitter / Linked-in) Referrals Upselling

21. Where do our clients come from? Venuemasters Website – our own and membership of others Response to Mailshots Networking Events & Local Business Exhibitions Profile Raising Referrals

22. Awards www.excellence.co.uk www.investorsinpeople.co.uk www.customerfirst.org www.thecotswoldchef.com

23. Business Split

24. Internal v External  55%Internal  20%Repeat  15%New Direct Business  5%Referrals  5%Web

25. Current Challenges Global economic downturn and cut backs in public services spend Cut price rates from hotels New and alternative venues springing up On-going conflict between academic and external interests New building works as part of refurbishment programme which can cause disruption on site Maintaining our profile

26. How to Overcome them? Maintain service levels On-going training and achieving National Awards status Educate academics Sell our skills through shared services Good news stories

27. Any Questions?