Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Hospitality and Venue Management - Edition
Hospitality and Venue Management - Edition
[Document title]
[Document subtitle]
Omer
[Date]
Table of Contents
Abstract..................................................................................................................................2
Event Design:...................................................................................................................4
Managing Pricing................................................................................................................11
Evaluation Strategy............................................................................................................12
Recommendations:..............................................................................................................14
References:...........................................................................................................................15
Abstract
The event management plan revolves around many important details and skills needed for an
event manager. The venue selected for this report is the Hilton York wedding venue. This report
discusses every detail of the event management plan, what needs to be done by the event
manager, and what is not necessary during carrying out such a wedding event at Hilton. Hilton
has been conducting weddings in small amounts but carrying out weddings extraordinarily. So
for an event manager, it is very important to look after all the details before carrying out an event
at such a reputable venue. Information about suppliers, vendors, wedding photographers, and all
the other important details should be understood by the event manager before the event in order
to decrease the chances of mishaps during or before/after the event. It also includes knowledge
about the relationship with stakeholders and supplier relationship management, both of which are
In order to run a successful business of a wedding venue or hotel, licensing policy is very
important in order to maintain rules and validity of place. Wedding venues have liquor-related
permits, adult entertainment permits, commercial or public event permits, etc. (Eugene). Hilton
York is licensed under the LICENSING ACT 2003 - NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR THE
management plan, it is important for an event manager to know about the licensing act and what
it says in order to keep the activities at a wedding under those limitations. However, any non-
obligation to the legislation will be heavily fined. The licensing act says that:
The hotel premises should be layout as described in the application of the notice.
The contractual obligations should be worked on before. Hilton York has different contracts
with beverage companies, catering companies, food companies, decor companies, and other
important companies needed for a wedding event. For an event manager, it is important to know
their obligations and let them know about the hotel’s obligations in order to eradicate any
For an event to become successful, venue staff and their roles in delivering the event should be
assigned on a prior basis. Hilton York has specific staff for specific events. For a wedding event,
there is a sales and marketing staff for attractive event bookings, operations staff for delivering
events, and food and beverages staff for handling the catering department. Hilton York has
positive staff reviews on the website TripAdvisor. The staff was very helpful and friendly and
the egg lady was great at making eggs (Olivia, 2021). Such reviews make a great repo for an
event. For a successful event management plan, the staff should be well cooperative and well-
structured in order to carry out their tasks. However, some catering services provide their own
waiters and staff to work in the food department. Hilton York has worked with a purple chili
catering company that has the best reviews from clients. There are different catering companies
Event Design:
Event designing is a creative and yet the most crucial part of the wedding. Event designing is a
process of creating all that a client and the event designer have in mind and bringing it out
altogether (Elle Education, 2018). Hilton York focuses very much on its event design because it
carries 80% of the importance of an event. They contact the best wedding event designers and
bring the budget and concept of their clients to find the perfect designer. The UK Wedding Event
is the partner of Hilton York hotel for managing and organizing their weddings with 30 and more
wedding suppliers (The UK Wedding Event, 2018). As an event manager, the negotiations can
be done in order to bring the best of what the client wants and what is in the trend and also the
resources available.
Hilton York has different packages which include a discounted price if services are taken
altogether. These services include arrival on the red carpet, sparkling wine at the arrival of
guests; candelabra table centers, silver cake stand, personalized menu, discounted per night stays
and a facility of a gym for bride and groom proceeding with free 6 months membership. Hilton
York has also other exhibitors who work with their weddings in order to make their event
successful. These are: “Walkies down the aisle with Petsy” is a wedding add-on service that
includes a walk with a pet down the aisle for the bride. If a bride would like this for her wedding,
the event manager can contact and book them in advance. Moreover, the famous photographer
“Divine captures” has also done many wedding photoshoots in Hilton so the event manager can
book them if the client doesn’t have a personal preference. Event managers can also find
different bakers and book them for the event like Sweetilicious bakes the best items in the UK.
Hilton’s target market or customers are divided into middle and elderly-aged professionals
who have high levels of earnings and belong to the upper class (Landman, 2019). This
demographic segmentation is for business people and business travelers. However, for wedding
venues, the target market should be engaged people aged from 30-60 because they will be the
most valuable clients for Hilton. Event management is planned according to the social class of
the client. So an event manager should plan things that a client can afford and desires for his
wedding. It also includes the employment status of the client. If a high-class client is coming to
Hilton for his wedding, the event manager will propose a package based on his budget and
interest. So event managers should keep an open eye and should hire marketing agencies in order
to promote their packages and venues to attract such people who would be nearly getting
married. Social media promotion can also be used by event managers to attract the audience and
To ensure the safety of the staff and guests, health and safety assessments are very important
to be incorporated into an event (Law, 2019). At Hilton York, there are certain assessments to be
looked after by an event manager. There are also health and safety legislations for Hilton York
wedding venues that event managers and companies should be aware of. For an event
management plan, it is important to understand the risk assessment, fire risk assessment, and
safety policy of Hilton York. The event management plan can also have a NEBOSH course
included in their risk assessment plan. NEBOSH is a UK-based managing risk assessment course
that helps employers to create a safe and healthy environment and also keep themselves ready to
carry out any risk assessment plan in the right way possible (NEBOSH). It also helps in
identifying what possible risks can take place during an event and what possible measurements
can be made on a prior basis in order to decrease the happening of that risk. Event managers
should also make their staff ready to provide first aid and food hygiene. Hilton York has also risk
assessment plans for situations like stage collapses, crowd crushes, natural disasters, etc.
Event managers should provide the customers with budget sheets for the Hilton York wedding
venue. In order to make a budget sheet, the event manager should make a list of estimated and
actual prices of all the things in the wedding. This profit and loss budget sheet has been made
based on the data collected from the official website of weeding at Hilton York. The capacity of
guests at the wedding venue of Hilton has been collected by the website of the venue scanner
which shows that the Hilton wedding venue has a capacity of 20-150 guests (Venue Scanner).
The expense list can add more items like food, room stays, etc. but it depends on the wedding
planning and clients that either they want room for stays or not. The table is made just to show
how the P&L budget sheet is made. The event manager should do a deep analysis about what he
can add and what the client desires to be added and whatnot. This is how the event manager can
conclude the profit he will get and can decrease the chances of loss.
Total income
No. of Estim Act Pr Estim
Act
guests ated ual ice atedual
price
pric
e
Adults 150 100 $9. $1492. $995
95 5
Children 50 30 $9. $497.5 $298
95 .5
Total $1990 $129
3.5
Total expense
Entertain
ment
DJ and $300 $27
Disco 5
Children $55 $50
room
Own band $55 $50
Decorati
ons
Flowers $5 $3
Table $5 $3
cloth
Candelabr $25 $20
as
Total $445 $40
1
Estimated Actual
Total income $1990 $1293.5
Total expense $445 $401
Total profit (or loss) $1545 $892.5
The venue manager is responsible for the event-specific venue structure which includes the
division of staff in their respective departments. The event manager is also responsible for the
training of those staff members. For example, if a client wishes to be catered by some specific
catering company but that catering company doesn’t fit into their budget, the manager should be
able to either negotiate with the catering suppliers or provide any alternate supplier. Making
customer service better is the most important step to running a business. Businesses lose $75b
globally only because of their poor customer services (Nolan, 2018). The event management
plan should also include whether the client wants the table, counter, or buffet system at their
wedding. There should be a catering manager who should have the skill to help clients in
choosing a menu, recruiting the staff with organizational skills, and ensuring health and safety
regulations of the food. Hilton York should have a catering manager with leadership skills who
can lead a team timely in heavy shifts to deliver the food in an event timely. Moreover, the event
manager should also mention proper budget management to the client and the supplier.
Before making an event management plan for a wedding, the event manager should know
about all the suppliers they have partnered with for their recent events. SRM increases the
performance of the event (Daniel). Hilton York has had many suppliers from the last few years.
For example, for external lighting, they have partnered with Sloanled (Hilton, 2022). They also
have exterior decorative supplier Avery Dennison. Supplier relationship management is very
beneficial for event managers. Event managers can have trust in expertise, budgeting, and
process effectiveness with suppliers who have already supplied them at previous events. Hilton
has an online application form for brands who want to become suppliers to Hilton. It has all the
policies of Hilton so that suppliers would know prior about their rules and regulations. For a
wedding venue, the event manager can show the work of their suppliers at Hilton and can ask the
client about the budget and what they think of their work. However, if not satisfied, the event
manager should hire other suppliers who are eligible with their previous suppliers in order to
Hilton has been using sustainable practices in their hotel and that’s why it’s easy for an event
manager to introduce such options to the client to adopt these. In the year 2019, Hilton York has
been using their award-winning light stay system to measure the environmental impacts on the
world. To make a wedding event at Hilton sustainable, the event manager should make use of all
the sustainable practices like reducing energy and carbon consumption by organic menu
selection, use of water dispensers, and reducing waste by introducing cleaning products like
reusable towels instead of tissues. Moreover, the thing which is wasted most at weddings is the
food. Event managers should make arrangements to stop food wastage by recycling it. In the
report, Hilton said that they are striving to reduce water and food waste by up to 50% by the year
2030 (ESG Report, 2020). For making a wedding event sustainable, the event manager should
ensure to use an ecofriendly menu, ecological cake, give suggestions to clients about a designer
who practices, eco-friendly wear, and use flowers from local shops in order to reduce the energy
Event managers should keep an open eye on the stakeholders and their effect on the event or
venue. In previous years, primary stakeholders like Covid have been affecting weddings at
Hilton very adversely. An event manager should plan a wedding keeping in mind how to balance
between stakeholders. For a Covid wedding at Hilton York, the event management plan should
include social distancing, allowing only limited people at the wedding venue, availability of hand
sanitizers, and reducing the time limit of the wedding in order to abide by the rules and keep a
balance. In order to balance between the stakeholders, an event manager should use a stakeholder
analysis.
By use of this analysis, event managers will be ahead of the game and will build a complete
understanding of how to carry out an event. Other stakeholders of Hilton include owners,
shareholders, employees, guests, and suppliers, etc. (Hilton, 2017). For example at a wedding
event at Hilton, if an important employee falls ill, the event manager should have planned ahead
of time an alternate employee for that job. This is how the balance is kept between the
stakeholders.
Managing Pricing
Event managers should use yield management in their event management plan. This type of
management says that in terms of high demand, high prices can be charged and in terms of low
demand low charges can be charged in order to attract customers. If event managers are
conducting good weddings at Hilton, their demand will increase and so they can charge more
because no matter what, customers will attract to them in any way. In this way, through yield
management, event managers can maximize the amount of money (Martijn, 2019). Moreover,
event managers at Hilton York can propose packages like early-bird discounts, first-come, first-
served basis and VIP packages, etc. This is done in an event management plan because people
usually get attracted to the discounted prices and strive to get them. This will increase the
number of customers and the profit earned. People in the UK usually prefer to get married in the
summers, from the month of May to October (Dine.co.UK, 2021). This is the time when
wedding event managers at Hilton York can increase the cost and ultimately increase their profit
There are many factors that contribute to the changing economic environment. In the past
year, the Covid has been one of the factors of decreasing the economy of every country. In order
to cope with that decrease, event managers come up with different strategies to overcome the
loss they are facing. If revenue is less than cost, wedding event managers at Hilton can use
substitute suppliers for their clients who are less costly, keeping in mind the reputation of their
venue. For example, due to Covid, the seating arrangements were changed which required more
tables and chairs at the venue. In this scenario, a substitute brand that might be less costly can be
Evaluation Strategy
In order to deliver an event with full responsibility, and evaluation strategy is important for an
event manager. All the steps discussed above should be planned on a prior basis. Planning a
wedding at Hilton York is a huge task because it requires many small and a lot of detail from
floor décor to arrangement of guests and to choosing table cloth for the table. Event managers
require a team of managers from different departments to look after their respective departments
with full responsibility. Prior meetings with the client should be done so that every little detail of
the wedding can be exchanged between the client and the event manager. Moreover, prior food
testing should be done in order to satisfy the client in every way possible. Being ready for the
emergency situation to ensure the safety of people is also a major step in event management
plans (Nielsen, 2019). As an event manager, one can compare their current situation and learn
Clean and well-maintained main entrance Yes, it is very clean and properly organized.
Venue closeness to the road The wedding venue is a bit far from the main
road
Outside of venue properly lit Yes
Signage hung at the main entrance Yes there are sign boards at the entrance
Nearby landmarks Wall Trail, Clifford tower and multangular
tower are nearby landmarks of Hilton York
Visible Smoking area Hilton York doesn’t have a specified smoking
area
Seating Areas A proper seating area is available at the
wedding venue
Service Road There are service roads inside hotel for the
ease of traveling
Notable Eyesores No notable eyesores are present at the
location
Outside Gardens A beautiful garden is available outside the
wedding venue
Hall/Reception well-maintained Yes
Own staff stationed at the reception Yes, staff is present at reception 24/7
Restaurant well-maintained Yes
Toilets well-maintained Toilets are very clean and maintained
Staff well-presented Yes which includes a dress code for them as
well
Attentive Staff Staff is responsive and attentive to all
customers
Cashpoint/desk The service at desk is very quick
Cloakroom They have bars for customers to put their stuff
in
Recommendations:
In order to carry out a successful wedding event at Hilton York, the event manager should
know all the required skills to do so. Following are some of the recommendations that an event
2. Creating a timeline for meeting with the clients and the suppliers/vendors.
3. Making a financial budgeting list for making an honest relationship with supplier and
client.
5. Choosing the particular details way before the actual event like food and catering.
References:
Dine.co.uk (2021). When Is The Best Month to Get Married? The Ultimate Date-Setting Guide.
Elle Education (2018). What is Event Design? | ELLE Education. [online] Available at:
https://elle.education/2020/04/what-is-event-design/#:~:text=Event%20design%20is
%20%E2%80%9Cthe%20process,and%20tie%20it%20all%20together%E2%80%9D.
[Accessed 19 Mar. 2022].
ESG Report (2020). HILTON 2020 ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, AND GOVERNANCE (ESG)
Available at:
https://cr.hilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Hilton_2018_Stakeholder_Engagement
.pdf.
Landman, P. (2019). Xotels. [online] Hotel Management Company - Hospitality Group - Xotels
Law, M. ed., (2019). Health and Safety for Events: What You Need to Know. [online] Billetto
NEBOSH (n.d.). NEBOSH HSE Award in Managing Risks and Risk Assessment at Work.
Nielsen, F. (2019). Guide to Evaluating Events: 10 Steps to Measure Your Success. [online]
Olivia, H. (2021). Great location and staff - Review of Hilton York, York, England - Tripadvisor.
[online] www.tripadvisor.com. Available at:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186346-d192668-r806712730-
Hilton_York-York_North_Yorkshire_England.html [Accessed 19 Mar. 2022].
The UK Wedding Event (2018). Hilton York Hotel | The UK Wedding Event. [online] The UK
Venue scanner (n.d.). Hire Hilton York Hotel | Exclusive Hire | VenueScanner. [online]