If there's something this industry does well, it's to throw a party. Well it should do, of course, that's its speciality. But rarely has it thrown a party as one single group. Next February, though, some of the biggest rivals in the business will be suppressing their competitive tendencies to lay on one of the largest-scale events this industry has ever seen.
BallArena is the brainchild of Tammy Mariaux and Penny Steiner, consultants from hospitality network organisation Arena. Mariaux was frustrated by the fragmented state of the industry and, as Arena tasks itself with "bringing the industry together", she wondered what she could do to aid that process while also sending out a message to education that a career in this industry is one to be proud of. She is hoping to create the "biggest team-building exercise ever achieved" and make a "huge amount" of money for industry charities Hospitality Action and Springboard UK.
On Tuesday 24 February 2004, during the week of the largest industry-specific show, Hotelympia, her hopes will become reality when the BallArena dinner and ball is staged at ExCel in London's Docklands.
When the event was launched earlier this year, Andrew Merrett, corporate affairs director for Aramark, described the initiative as "an industry totally united and working as one team".
"Suppliers, hotel companies, caterers, in fact just about every sector of the hospitality industry, are working together to achieve this event. Also, rather than doing it in a competitive way, we are working in a collaborative way.
"For example, one of the ways that Aramark is helping is by providing a number of chefs. They will be working alongside Sodexho and Compass chefs to produce an excellent meal for the guests, rather than one company producing a starter, a main course and so on."
Back of house, one kitchen will be operated by three different caterers (Aramark, Compass Group and Sodexho), with each course being overseen by one of four leading chefs - Sodexho's newly appointed Anton Edelmann; Peter Gordon, chef-proprietor of Catey Newcomer the Providores in London; Chris Galvin, who recently joined Chris Corbin and Jeremy King's soon-to-open Wolseley Café and Restaurant in London; and North-west-based chef and restaurateur Paul Heathcote. Canapeum will supply the canapés, while the UBF Food Solutions team will prepare petits fours.
"Four great chefs, a lovely menu, a great evening," says Peter Hazzard, executive director of food services at Sodexho, who is masterminding the food element of the project.
Similarly, front of house will be managed by seven different organisations - the Four Seasons Hotel London; Hilton UK; the House of Commons; the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park hotel, London; P&O Ferries; the Dorchester, London; and the Savoy, London - which will be responsible for serving as many as 1,300 guests.
To tie in with education, college students will be invited to shadow the brigade and form part of the front-of-house team. To buoy everyone up for the night ahead, staff retention company Learnpurple will run a team motivation session at the beginning of the evening.
In addition to those already signed up, other operators and suppliers are being encouraged to offer their goods and services free of charge - ExCel is providing its 3,000sq m of space gratis. "The question is, what are we going to do with an airport hangar?" says Mariaux.
While she doesn't want to give away too much detail, Mariaux does concede that the site will be split into "zones of entertainment". She explains: "When guests arrive at ExCel, they will be given Champagne in the lobby while they are checked in, as if they're going on a flight. They will then be taken into the next zone, where they will have dinner and experience some of the entertainment (no comedian, no awards, no auction of promises). Then, at the end of the evening, people will be led into a breakout zone for dancing - we've got two live bands, Bjorn Again and Love Train."
Over the past year-and-a-half Mariaux and Steiner have been busily approaching partners - companies that could lend support in the form of people, equipment, produce or drinks. "For everything that is donated," says Mariaux, "we will see an increase in turnover or a decrease in cost and, ultimately, an increase in our charity donation." However, she is determined that, apart from the odd badged waiter's jacket, the event will be a logo-free zone.
To become a partner, companies must buy a table. At the moment, there are 100 partners, so 1,000 tickets have been sold or pledged. Tickets cost £1,500 for a table of 10, although single tickets (at £175 per head) are available, too. However, these prices are set to rise in November to £1,750 for 10.
Sodexho's Hazzard believes that BallArena will be a unique event for the industry. "I think it's a great opportunity to showcase the industry, with us all working together for one goal," he says. "As important, if not more important, is the fact that it supports two great charities, and everybody should get behind those. Lots of people go to Hotelympia, and the chance to use that vehicle to support Hospitality Action and Springboard UK appeals to me. I implore everybody to get behind it for that reason."
But how does he feel about being shoulder-to-shoulder with Compass Group and Aramark? "As far as the big three are concerned," he says, "we should be big enough and ugly enough to work together. This is not direct competition, we're not fighting over a contract, it's a team event."
For Mariaux and Steiner, it's an exciting time. "It's a massively scary project," confides Mariaux. "We've got to build the kitchens, put in carpets, tables, lighting, electricity, heating. The more the industry gets on board, the more we can donate. But it's going to be fantastic, and seeing it come together on the day will be amazing. When that day arrives we will have worked on the event for two years."
The steering committee
A steering committee was pulled together at the end of last year to run the project. Each member of the group has his or her own area of expertise. For example, Lionel Benjamin, food and beverage director of operations at the Savoy, will oversee front of house, while Charles Boyd, managing director of Chester Boyd, which hosted the Cateys in 2000, will oversee logistics.
Claire Finch, exhibition director of Fresh RM, organiser of Hotelympia, is supporting BallArena and was instrumental in the ExCel exhibition centre supplying the hall next to Hotelympia in which the event will be held. "This is an immensely exciting venture to be a part of," she says. "There is so much talk in our industry of attracting and retaining good people, and being a supporter of BallArena is one way of communicating that hospitality is a great career choice. It is also another opportunity for Fresh RM to work with Hospitality Action and with Springboard, which operate the Hotelympia student programme on our behalf."
She adds: "On a personal level, and as someone relatively new to this industry, I am really enjoying working with my fellow committee members. It is a challenging project, and the passion around the table can be quite forceful on occasions. But it is precisely that passion and commitment from fellow members - such as Peter Hazzard, Lionel Benjamin and Charles Boyd, and the impressive line-up of chefs - that will ensure this event is a spectacular showcase for the industry."
Ballarena in a nutshell
When: Tuesday 24 February 2004
Where: ExCel Exhibition Centre, Docklands, London, alongside Hotelympia 2004
For: up to 1,500 people
Time: 6.30pm to 2am
Prices: £1,500 per table of 10, or £175 per person
Website: www.ballarena.co.uk
Booking office: Arena, 17 Seymour Road, Hampton Hill, Middlesex TW12 1DD. Telephone: 020 8395 6065. E-mail: penny@arena.org.uk