BUSINESS TOURISM AWARD
Enter your business name here
This award acknowledges the huge importance of the meetings, conferences and exhibitions sector of the tourism industry. Special attention will be paid to innovative products or business tourism products reaching new market segments as well as upgrading and/or creation of new facilities.
1. Who Can Enter?
Any organisation in the business tourism industry, for example, exhibition/convention centres, hotels and conference and banqueting venues.Accommodation entries do not need to be accredited by VisitBritain or the AA under the harmonised accommodation schemes, but do need to have committed to the Welcome to Yorkshire Y Quality Charter as required by the Welcome to Yorkshire membership scheme. All applicants must be members of Welcome to Yorkshire.
If you have participated in the harmonised accommodation schemes, copies of your rating award certificate will need to be supplied as part of your entry.
Name
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Name of Property/Business ...... …………………………………..……………………
Date the business was established………………………………………
Address ...... ……………...... …………………………………
Telephone ...... ………………………………………………
Email ...... ………………………………………………………….
Website ...... ………………………………………...…………
Star Rating...... Award Rating...... (If applicable)
Participation in other Standard Schemes (e.g. Green Tourism Business Scheme)
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The answers to the following questions form the basis of your submission to the White Rose Awards 2013. Supporting documentation is helpful to illustrate your answers and may include visitor feedback, extract from promotional material, sample leaflet, quality images etc. IMPORTANT – please restrict your supporting documentation to 6 carefully selected pieces and include them in separate plastic inserts at the back of your application form.
2. Commitment to Excellence
Judges will be looking for a high standard of facilities including equipment and catering, plus general information on how these facilities are designed to meet the needs of your customers. They will also be looking for evidence of exceptional customer service.
Customers should experience a professional level of service in advance of and during the execution/delivery of their stay/programme. The judges will be looking for evidence of procedures in place which guarantee the smooth running of registrations, arrivals and confirmations and the conference/event itself.
Catering (if applicable) – Is a major part of the delegate experience and the use of fresh, seasonal, local and homemade produce and inclusion of regional specialities should be evident in your application.
1. Please state the number of years you have been in business at this location?
Are you part of a business chain?
2. Please provide evidence of the full range of services offered to your customers, including capacity.
Answer: (strictly max 250 words, any words above this limit will not be considered)
3. Describeyour food and drink offer and include any changes you may have made to ensure that your customers have a good level of understanding of your menu choices. Provide a copy of your menus (where applicable)
Answer: (strictly max 150 words, any words above this limit will not be considered)
4.Briefly describe how you ensure a consistently high level of customer service, including enquiries, arrivals, the conference/event, health and safety and complaints, i.e on call IT staff, one person as a point of contact etc.
Answer: (strictly max 200 words, any words above this limit will not be considered)
5. List any specific physical improvements that you have made within the last two years
that have improved the product/service that you offer. What impact did this have on your
business? For example, increase in business levels, customer satisfaction etc
Answer: (strictly max 250 words, any words above this limit will not be considered)
3. Investment in Staff Training and Development
Staff should have completed customer servicetraining courses or the establishment should have participated in awards for good practice. Please identify in your answer any schemes or awards for either the establishment or individuals. The judges will be looking for examples of how the training has been put into practice and how it has improved services to customers. Investment in training must have taken place within the last three years. Investment is defined as investment of money and/or time.
1.What investment has been made in staff training and development? This investment must have been made within the lastthree years. How has this improved the experience of your customers? Give an example of the impact the changes have had on your business.
Answer: (strictly max 200 words, any words above this limit will not be considered)
4. Creative and Effective Marketing
The judges will be looking for marketing initiatives and fresh ideas which have increased your business and how you measured the success eg awards, media coverage, audience evaluation etc. Promotional information and websites should be of a professional standard with detailed, accurate, clear and up-to-date information.
1.Explain briefly how you attract new and/or repeat business including any effective marketing campaigns that youhave been involved in.
Answer: (strictly max 150 words, any words above this limit will not be considered)
2. With the aid of supporting material, provide evidence of how these marketing initiatives
have been successful and how that success has been measured. How does your
business distinguish itself from others in terms of the products and services offered.
Answer: (strictly max 350 words, any words above this limit will not be considered)
Judging Process
Please read thoroughly
Your entry will be judged on the clarity and relevance of your answers to the questions in this application form. We only require 6 relevant pieces of supporting documentation to support and enhance your answers. Please bear in mind, the judges have approximately 200 applications to read through and to assist them it is imperative that you do the following :
- Use a lightweight plastic A4 ring binder file (not a lever arch file).
- Put your 6 pieces of supporting documentation after the individual pages of the application form in separate plastic file inserts.
- Make your application easy to read. Place the individual pages of the application form and supporting documentation into separate plastic inserts as this prevents the judges from having to remove information when they assess your entry. The Judges will also look at your website and social media to help to get a feel for your business.
- Remember – write your answers with the same PASSION you feel for your business!
Please note : the judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome of the final awards decision.
If you have any WRA queries, please call Kim on 0773 828 3739