Report on Conference Facilities, ICT And Equipment for a Hotel.

by bartanos (student)

AS and A Level Business Studies

The Seatown Hotel

Report on Conference Facilities, ICT

And Equipment

To: Rick and Sandeep

From: Tiarnan Fox

Date: 20-07-10

Terms of reference

This report has been written at the request of Rick and Sandeep to describe the conference facilities and equipment recommended for The Seatown Hotel’s new conference centre.

Report on Conference Facilities, ICT and Equipment

Introduction

This report will describe the conference facilities and equipment, including IT, that is currently available in hotel conference centres across the UK, based on recent research. This report will only concentrate on conference facilities, ICT and equipment and not on items of furniture and catering. Suggestions and recommendations will be provided as to what conference facilities and equipment The Seatown Hotel should provide. Recommendations will be justified, based on current internet research.

Findings

Recent research has indicated that the most commonly used facilities and equipment provided by hotel conference centres across the UK are:

LCD projector
Overhead Projector
Video projector
Whiteboard
Wireless connection
Wi-Fi
Modem points
Air-conditioning
Video conferencing

Projection stands
Remote control for projectors
Screens
Video equipment: VHS, DVD, teleconferencing Microphones
Radio
Computer/ Laptops
Auxiliary equipment: laser pointers, flip charts, slide trays
Lighting
Loudspeakers

LCD projector

An LCD projector is a type of for displaying videos, images or computer data on a screen or other flat surface. The Seatown Hotel could use this to train staff or to rent out to businesses using the conference centre at the hotel. An advantage of an LCD projector is that it enables a lot of people to see something from a distance. A disadvantage of an LCD projector is that the image quality may not be as good when projected. The Royal Station Hotel is an example of a hotel which has a LCD projector in their conference centre.

Overhead Projector

An overhead projector is a variant of a and is used to display images to an audience. The Seatown Hotel could possibly use this to display important information such as regulations for the hotel. An advantage of an overhead projector is that you have face to face contact with the audience. A disadvantage of an overhead projector is that continuous tone colour transparencies are costly. One hotel who uses an overhead projector is the Best Western Hotels Great Britain.

Video projector

A video projector takes a signal and projects the corresponding image on a using a lens system. The Seatown Hotel could use a video projector to show a video or a PowerPoint to staff on training days. A disadvantage of a video projector is that it is expensive and requires training to use it. An advantage of a video projector is that it encourages creativity. Clients would benefit from using a video projector because they will be able to present presentations on it. A hotel which uses a video projector is the Campanile hotel Glasgow

Whiteboard

A ...

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Video projector

Whiteboard

A whiteboard is a name for any glossy surface, most commonly coloured white, where non-permanent markings can be made. A whiteboard could be used to interact with people or to write up notes in a meeting. An advantage of a whiteboard is that they allow learners to participate in group discussions by freeing them from note taking. A disadvantage of using a whiteboard is that their surface can become damaged, necessitating expensive replacement. A hotel which uses a whiteboard is The Crowne Plaza London-Shoreditch Hotel.

Wireless Connection

Wireless network refers to any type of that is , and is commonly associated with a whose interconnections between nodes are implemented without the use of wires. Business clients could bring their laptops with them to the conference centre or use the computers provided by the hotel and avail of WIFI internet access. An advantage of wireless connection is that there are no wires lying around everywhere. A disadvantage of wireless connections is that other people can hack into your connection and this can pose a security risk. A hotel what has wireless connection is the Glasgow Marriott Hotel.

Modem Points

A wireless modem is a type of modem which connects to a wireless network instead of to the telephone system. The Seatown Hotel could use modems to stop too many wires leading to the telephone. An advantage of a modem is that it is not that expensive. A disadvantage of a modem is that there is limited availability. A hotel that has modem points in its conference centre is The Crowne Plaza London-Shoreditch hotel.

Air-Conditioning

Air conditioning is the cooling and dehumidification of indoor air for . The Seatown Hotel could use air-conditioning in their conference centre on hot days. They could turn on the air-conditioning when the room is too hot to make people more comfortable. An advantage of air-conditioning is that it has good air distribution. A disadvantage of air-conditioning is that it can be noisy. A hotel that uses air-conditioning is The Lowry Hotel.

Video Conferencing

A video conference is a set of interactive which allow two or more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously. The Seatown Hotel could use video conferencing so that customers using the conference centre could interact with businesses across the country. An advantage of video conferencing is that it saves money from travelling the whole way around the world when you can do it online. A disadvantage of video conferencing is that some candidates lose track of time when responding to questions which can look bad on the candidate.

The advantages for The Seatown Hotel of investing in these conference facilities and equipment are:

They would keep up to date with all the new technology.
They will make more profit from people using the conference centres for meetings, etc.
They will remain competitive with other hotels.
The conference centre will attract more people to the hotel, increasing its popularity and customer base.

The disadvantages for The Seatown Hotel of not investing in these conference facilities and equipment are:

They will not be competitive with other hotels and this might result in The Seatown Hotel losing customers and eventually going out of business.
People will go to another hotel that has better facilities for hosting their conferences.
The hotel might not be as well known as other better equipped conference centres.
The hotel’s reputation and good image may be affected.
The hotel’s turnover will decrease if they do not invest in these facilities.

A hotel that provides nearly all of the conference facilities listed above is the Best Western Hotel. This hotel has a well equipped conference centre and offers its clients:

Secretarial services
Screen
LCD projector
Over head projector
Slide projector
Whiteboard
Flip chart
Television
Audio
Video
Video conferencing
Fax
Photocopier
CCTV

This would attract a lot of customers and business clientele to the hotel as it mostly offers top of the range equipment and facilities which a state-of-the-art conference should provide. The conference facilities provided by this hotel could be used for training days, courses and meetings, and for a wide range of other events such as social gatherings.

A hotel that does not offer conference facilities and equipment is The Port Hotel Portrush. This could affect the hotel’s success because they will not be generating profit from a conference centre as other hotels would. It will also lose the hotel a lot of business clientele and customers because if a well-equipped conference centre is available at another hotel the customer is more likely to use it, rather than stay at a hotel with no conference centre which would mean that they would have to travel to the conference, which can be time-consuming and expensive.

Conclusion

Based on recent internet research, it is evident that the hotels who provided the best conference facilities and equipment were the ones that attracted the most business to the hotel and therefore were more profitable and successful than hotels with no conference facilities. If The Seatown Hotel wants to be as profitable and successful as other hotels they need to provide a well equipped conference centre with top of the range facilities and equipment to better meet their clients’ needs.

Recommendations

I recommend that The Seatown Hotel should invest in the following facilities and equipment to provide an excellent, hi-tech conference centre for its clients: