Hotels need to improve the quality of the food they serve at corporate meetings, along with standard of bedrooms and business support services they provide, such as photocopying or faxing, a study has concluded.
The annual UK Conference Market Survey by the Meetings Industry Association found London, Manchester and Birmingham remain the most popular destinations for corporate meetings.
But issues where businesses were unimpressed included food, parking, staff knowledge and understanding and value for money, it warned.
What's more, just half of association organisers and 39% of corporate organisers were regularly asked for feedback, giving the impression that venues did not seem particularly interested in ensuring they are meeting client needs, it added.
The volume of events held showed little change on last year, with the number of corporate meetings up by just 1%.
Wednesday, Thursday and Tuesday were the most popular days to hold meetings, with autumn and spring the most popular times of the year.
This meant venues needed to be increasingly creative with special rates and added value to attract companies, it suggested.
City centre hotels accounted for 84% of corporate events, and 52% of meetings organised by associations. Out-of-town hotels were less popular as venues with both groups.
by Nic Paton
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