The Belfry Hotel & Resort’s commercial director, Katie Niland, speaks to Conference News about the upcoming launch of the new event space, The Masters Suite, following its £80m+ development.
The launch of The Masters suite is nearing, how has the journey been so far?
From concept to completion, every step of this project has been driven by our ambition to create a truly world-class events space, and the energy across the resort is electric. The Masters Suite is everything we envisioned and more: a destination for unforgettable events, with style, scale and state-of-the-art facilities to match.
Has it exceeded your expectations (the timeline, being ahead of schedule, the process, the bookings)?
Absolutely. To be over a month ahead of schedule with a venue of this size is no small feat, indeed, it’s practically unheard of in the events industry. The fact that we are is a true testament to the exceptional collaboration between our fantastic team here at The Belfry and our construction partner, Vinci.
On the commercial side, to receive over £79m in enquiries before having opened the doors and, with high-profile clients like the Meetings Industry Association, Teams Europe, British Masters Hospitality and 59club set to host their flagship events at The Masters Suite, the response has surpassed all our expectations.
Enormous thanks go to our incredible marketing team and the phenomenal launch campaign they delivered. Bold, data-driven and highly targeted, the campaign spanned industries generating nearly 100 pieces of coverage in titles across the country and raising awareness of The Masters Suite with over six million people (almost 10% of the entire UK population!)
What has been the biggest surprise of the process?
The sheer volume of interest and pace at which bookings came in was a fantastic surprise. We anticipated excitement, but we didn’t anticipate just how immediate and enthusiastic that excitement would be, to already have £8.6m in confirmed business before The Masters Suite has even opened is unbelievably thrilling.
What has been really gratifying is the fact that this interest has come from both new clients, who are eager to experience what our flagship venue has to offer, and existing clients who already know and love what we can do and, as a result, want to come along on this journey with us!
Operationally, the seamless integration of the new bedrooms with the events space has been a real delight. Although we’d planned carefully, to see it take shape and work exactly as we’d hoped is so rewarding.
How will it be marketed towards specific sectors in the future?
The versatility of The Masters Suite is one of its greatest strengths, so we’ll be targeting a wide spectrum of sectors. I’m delighted to say we’re already seeing strong interest from corporates and agencies, and steadfast support from industry-leading associations including the Meetings Industry Association, beam, and Birmingham Hospitality Association.
We can’t wait to expand upon this and build relationships across sectors in everything from finance, tech and retail to real estate, energy and sport. The Masters Suite has so much potential which is enabling us to reach out to new markets including the incentive, European and international markets, to name just a few.
As ever, our marketing team will continue to deliver highly targeted, innovative and dynamic B2B campaigns that expertly engage audiences. Supported by strategic media partnerships, influencer collaborations, FAM trips and brand connections, they will skilfully demonstrate the full potential of The Masters Suite across sectors.
Are there any events that you are hoping to host at the space?
We’re always aiming high and would love to welcome everything from international summits to fashion launches – basically, if you have an event that demands scale, creativity and a premium experience, then The Masters Suite is the venue for you.
The Masters Suite opens up a new world of possibility, and we can’t wait to see it utilised for all kinds of high-impact events and dynamic experiences that truly leverage its potential.
If you had to predict, what trends do you expect to see?
We’re seeing an exciting shift in the market towards events that are more immersive, personalised and purposeful. Clients are prioritising experience-led formats; events that tell a story, surprise and delight, make delegates feel truly connected and we’re ready to lead that charge.
As we all know, sustainability is also a must, but this sustainability needs to be meaningful. Clients don’t want an inflated, over-the-top greenwashing of credentials, but rather an honest, unfiltered journey.
This is why we’re working towards achieving a BREEAM Excellence rating for The Masters Suite. We want to show clients not only that we walk-the-walk, and not just talk-the-talk, when it comes to sustainability, but that we’re open about exactly how we’re doing it, from zero waste to energy-efficient systems and eco-conscious catering.
Of course, hybrid capability remains important too, but it’s the creative, human connections that clients are investing in now more than ever.
