HILTON has launched a new meetings product for the UK conference market, as part of the integration of the Stakis brand in the UK following its £1.3bn buyout last March.
The new Hilton Meetings brand replaces Hilton’s Meetings 2000 and the Stakis’ Assured Meetings products, which are number one and two respectively in the market place.
It will be introduced in 74 hotels at the end of March, and will be in all Hilton’s 77 UK properties by the end of August.
Hilton Meetings brand manager Rachel Wright said it was important to bring the two products together, to offer consistent standards in all Hilton properties.
She said: “That means not only offering the same styles and technology in each of the meeting rooms, but making sure the service standards are the same.”
Some £6m has been spent over the past few months to refurbish and standardise the meetings rooms in both the Hilton and former Stakis hotels, and all Hilton conference and meetings staff have been trained at national roadshows.
“We wanted to emphasise to staff that they must deliver the product consistently. Clients need to know that the service they get in one hotel will be repeated at another.”
Wright has targeted a 32% increase in conference business over the 12 months following the launch of Hilton Meetings.
Director of sales, meetings and incentives Andrew Harvey said Hilton is now paying agents 10% commission for bookings, up from an average 8%, to bring it into line with what Stakis had been paying.
“It underlines our commitment to the market,” he said.
“We will also be holding four roadshows for agents in July, so they can visit the hotels and see the product for themselves.”
Hilton Meetings will be rolled out to 36 Hilton hotels in Europe from April.