Imagine tasting the flavours of Italy, sampling beer from Germany, and being led to dinner by Scottish pipers, while experiencing the best of Brussels, all within 48 hours. That’s exactly what a group of 40 event buyers from the UK, Europe and the US experienced at the recent annual Rocco Forte Hotels Meetings & Events Showcase.
As the chosen setting for many Forte family celebrations over the years, the Hotel Amigo Brussels provided the perfect backdrop for this exclusive event while giving planners the opportunity to discover or reacquaint themselves with the culturally rich and vibrant city.
So much more than a familiarisation trip, the annual meetings and events showcase brings together key clients with the Rocco Forte team, including Sir Rocco and Charles Forte, the senior sales team, brand and marketing, and representatives from each of the properties. It’s an opportunity to listen and learn from one another and help the group ensure it meets the needs of the ever-evolving events sector.
In addition to immersive experiences, the agenda included think tank sessions on marketing, ESG and group strategy. “This isn’t about us preaching or selling, it’s about us listening and building our meetings and events strategy on the back of what clients are sharing with us. We have transformed the way we are set up as a groups division based on feedback we received at previous showcases,” says Charla Forinton, Director of Global Sales – Groups.
For example, as a result of client feedback from previous Showcase events, Rocco Forte Hotels have split the proactive sales team from the event operations team. Now, the same team are not trying to take and convert enquiries as well as plan and arrange all the events. Rocco Forte Hotels also overhauled the group and event proposal process to make it more concise and introduced new Winter Group Promotions based on feedback from agents during the last showcase.
Clients certainly appreciate the team taking the time to not just listen to their feedback but also act on it. “It feels like they really value our opinion,” says Penny Noble, Founder & CEO of Noble Events, based in the UK and Dubai. “It was interesting to spend time with agency leaders from different markets so we could all learn from each other, and the fact that Sir Rocco and Charles attended the sessions too was fantastic.”
Having face time with the family was a highlight for many of the buyers that attended. “Spending time with Sir Rocco and Charles made this trip unique. They really care about their clients and the direction they are going, and I was very appreciative of it. I don’t think I have ever got more face time with the owner of a hotel brand than Rocco Forte,” says Kathryn Covello, Program Director at US-based Art Horizons International.
Olaf Thiel, Managing Director at German agency GPM LiveMarketing agrees: “The dinner with Sir Rocco was a personal highlight. This was a completely new experience for me, and he was really interested and open-minded to listen to our point of view. It made me feel that when I book Rocco Forte for my groups in future, I know there is an awareness of client needs and someone at the head of the brand who is really listening.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Rocco Forte event without some incredible experiences, amazing F&B, and those extra special touches, which included creating a playlist of music from the last 25 years for guests to listen to while enjoying Champagne in their rooms. The group was also treated to a private dinner at fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh's exhibition at Espace Vanderborght.
New for the 2023 showcase, the speed-dating style sales meetings between the buyers and hotels were replaced with more experiential opportunities, linked to F&B, that enabled the hotels to give a flavour of what they have to offer in a relaxed and memorable way. This included a cream tea by Brown’s Hotel and a bespoke whisky-based cocktail reception and Scottish pipers by The Balmoral. There was a ravioli tasting with Creative Director of Food, Fulvio Pierangelini, with different raviolis to represent the different regions of Italy where Rocco Forte has hotels, and a drinks reception with bratwurst and beer to showcase the German properties.
“I liked the experiential approach because it didn’t feel like I was being given the hard sell. Each property was given the opportunity to represent themselves in an innovative and different way, which was genius and far more memorable,” says Noble. Thiel adds: “It was also great to get out and see Brussels. I have never been before, and it really surprised me and changed my perception of the city. I never realised how lovely Brussels is.”