Soaring Communications

Posts Tagged ‘Harrogate International Centre’

Communications and PR specialist, Soaring Worldwide has recently been selected by the Harrogate International Centre to take on the management and planning of its PR activities and reputation management.

The PR campaign is aimed at raising the profile of HIC across the business events industry using both traditional PR and social media marketing techniques.

Soaring Worldwide has extensive knowledge of the business events industry and will be helping HIC focus on its core market. HIC is about to undertake a multi-million pound development of its facilities, adding two new flexible event spaces.

HIC, brand manager, Lynne Farrow: “We have chosen to work with Soaring Worldwide to benefit from their extensive industry knowledge and understanding of our market.  HIC is growing rapidly and the launch of the new event spaces will mark a new phase in our expansion plans.  It is the perfect time to start raising our profile and we were keen to work with a team that combines expertise with a love of the destination and venue.”

Soaring Worldwide’s, managing director, Adam Baggs: “Working with HIC is already proving to be an incredibly rewarding experience.  Both HIC and Harrogate have so much to offer and we are truly excited at the prospect and challenge of increasing their profile across a range of media and markets.”

Following the devastating fire at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate last month the whole of Harrogate, including Harrogate International Centre and Destination Harrogate (an association of the town’s 12 leading hotels) pulled together to ensure valuable event business remained in the town.

Harrogate International Centre’s, deputy director, Simon Kent, said: “After such a tragic fire, it was imperative for Harrogate to pull together as a community and for all pre-booked and planned events to go ahead. Event business is exceptionally important to Harrogate and our immediate focus was to ensure business as usual.”

Harrogate International Centre, along with Destination Harrogate venues was able to accommodate several of the events planned for the Majestic at no extra charge to the organisers, whilst both staff and customer accommodation was sourced across the rest of the town.  Additional infrastructure was also put in place to ensure logistical needs and transfers were all met.

The Toymaster Exhibition operations director, Ian Edmunds said: “[HIC] helped turn the disastrous event of the 5^th May at the Majestic into the resounding success that was Toymaster’s May Show…  I fully understand and appreciate the difficulties and challenges our event must have presented you all with having booked it on the Monday and needing the carpet laid on the Friday, not the normal time scale I would expect anyone to adhere to.  To say you were all a pleasure to deal with is a total understatement.”

Harrogate International Centre’s Simon Kent concludes:  “Clearly our primary intention was to maintain the current business for Harrogate and ensure the additional revenue streams were maintained for our suppliers, partners and third parties across the town.  However, to have such a resounding endorsement and subsequent confirmation that Toymaster will continue to support Harrogate really is the icing on the cake.”

Harrogate International Centre has made two new strategic appointments to strengthen its sales and marketing capability.

Alison Griffin returns as head of sales and marketing on a short term contract and Paul Ashton, formerly with G-Mex (now Manchester Central), is to take up duties as sales manager.

Alison Griffin returns to a role that will see her overseeing all aspects of the venue’s sales and marketing activity, including the launch of two new event spaces which are due to be built over the course of the next year.

Paul Ashton, a seasoned sales professional with considerable industry knowledge and experience, takes up his post in July and his initial focus will be to increase proactive sales in HIC’s core markets to match the venue’s unique portfolio of conference, meetings, exhibition and event spaces.

Harrogate International Centre director, Stuart Quin: “Alison and Paul join at a crucial time for HIC, we are undergoing extensive reviews of our management structure, as we direct our sales and marketing focus to create a greater solution oriented approach to sales and event management.”

“We look forward to the impact Alison and Paul will have on both the team and the future of our business.  Like many other venues, HIC has faced broader industry challenges such as smaller budgets, shorter events and lower delegate numbers during the last year.  Instead of sitting back, our sales team has worked more closely than ever with clients helping them to develop their events through new products and services.”

“Alison has a visible track record in raising the marketing profile of HIC and returns to provide strong management direction and motivation to both marketing and sales teams.  It is really good to welcome Paul Ashton to HIC. His wealth of experience gained in Manchester and elsewhere, and his knowledge of organisers and large UK and international events, should prove instrumental in delivering an increased number of events to Harrogate.”