30-03-2009 | Leicester Marriott
How Leicester Shire Promotions provided support, guidance and facilitation to ensure the successful and smooth opening of the major new Leicester Marriott Hotel in May 2006
The Leicester Marriott forms a stunning gateway into the vibrant and diverse city of Leicester. The hotel brings together the best in contemporary facilities with the Marriott's hallmark attention to detail and tireless strive for excellence. The 227 room, five storey hotel was the first to open in the city in 14 years and has been estimated to have bought a total investment of over £22 million to the city.
Historical perspective to new investment
Plans to develop a hotel on the site of Grove Park were in development as far back as 1997, initially with Swallow Hotels. When the hotel chain was taken over by the Marriott Group, the plans continued until the footings were in place in 2001. The events of 9/11 stalled work on the hotel until early 2005 when the work was reinstated. The £22 million hotel was completed in May 2006.
Leicester Shire Promotions started its engagement with the Marriott in March 2005. During this initial contact, key members of staff from the Leicester Shire Promotions' tourism team met with the hotel's senior management and marketing teams to offer help and guidance to ensure the successful and smooth positioning of the hotel into the destination.
Meeting the right people at the right time
It was important for the Leicester Marriott to engage with key industry organisations in Leicestershire to earn political support and backing for its arrival. Leicester Shire Promotions provided valuable guidance and facilitation to this effect.
"Leicester Shire Promotions was extremely helpful in putting us in contact with the real movers and shakers of the tourism industry in Leicester," explains Shaun Dalton, Sales and Marketing Director at the Leicester Marriott. "We were given information about forthcoming networking events and presentations; we were fully briefed on the political dimensions of the tourism industry in the city, and were introduced to many influential industry and political individuals. The organisation's help with networking during this initial stage of development was a huge relief, not least because many of us had never worked in the area and so did not have comprehensive list of contacts.
"One memorable example of Leicester Shire Promotions' invaluable assistance during the initial stages of our engagement with the tourism industry was during the Sports Tourism Conference at the Walkers Stadium in 2005. The event was attended by key local tourism influencers including council officers, members from the East Midlands Development Agency and staff from the key local attractors - many of whom we had never met before. My colleagues and I were introduced to nearly everyone in the room and it was ensured that we sat next to prominent industry influencers, many of whom have now become close associates."
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