Source: HOSPA
  • Awards also presented to the highest achieving learners at each Level of HOSPA's 2017 Professional Development Programmes in Financial and Revenue Management
  • The association also recognised two organisations for their commitment to education in the fields of Revenue Management and Financial Management

The 2017 'Overall Learners of the Year' for HOSPA's hospitality-focused Professional Development Programmes in Financial Management and Revenue Management were announced yesterday (25 January 2018) at the Hilton on Park Lane, London. The two outstanding learners were presented with specially engraved glass trophies and complimentary day delegate spaces for HOSPACE2018, at the HOSPA Annual Learner Awards Ceremony – a stand-alone celebration, sponsored by MRK Associates and Corecruitment and dedicated to the achievements of HOSPA learners.

The recipients in question, who gained the highest combined course work and examination results for 2017 in their respective Professional Development Programmes, were:

For Financial Management: Monika Hyde, Management Accounts Assistant, Quay Hotel & Spa, Conwy, Wales

For Revenue Management: David Clancy, General Manager, Leonardo Edinburgh Capital Hotel, Edinburgh

The Association also recognised learner Sam Jennings,

Key Market Revenue Manager – South West, Whitbread – Premier, with an "Outstanding Achievement Award" for having achieved the highest grades for Levels 1, 2 & 3 in his Revenue Management studies during 2016-17. Head of HOSPA Professional Development Debra Adams explained: "We wanted to honour Sam for achieving the highest combined course work and examination results over a two-year period in all three Levels of the HOSPA Professional Development Programme in Revenue Management. Sam was the September 2016 highest scorer in Level 1: 'Introduction to Revenue Management' and in March 2017 achieved the highest grades in Level 2 'Operational Revenue Management' and completed the programme in September 2017 by gaining the highest grade in Level 3: 'Strategic Revenue Management'."

The programmes, delivered by the Hospitality Professionals Association (HOSPA) in association with arena4finance Ltd, provide the skills and knowledge for those hospitality professionals seeking to excel in their careers in hospitality finance or revenue management.

With both introductory and advanced levels available, the modules have been specifically written for the hospitality sector by specialist educators and industry-leaders and reflect the need for learners to be continuing in full-time work whilst studying.

The Financial Management programme is studied in three separate stages over 18 months. The Revenue Management programme is offered in three separate levels, each taking five months to complete.

Monica Hyde and David Clancy were both presented with a glass trophy and a complimentary delegate space at HOSPA's prestigious annual HOSPACE2018 Conference and Exhibition, to be held on 1st November 2018 at the Royal Lancaster London Hotel. The awards were presented by Debra Adams, Head of Professional Development at HOSPA and Harry Murray, newly-elected President of HOSPA and Chairman of Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa.

Monica and David were amongst twelve learners who each received certificates and prizes for achieving the highest combined course work and examination scores during their studies in Financial Management and Revenue Management with HOSPA on courses completed in February 2017 and August 2017.

The twelve 2017 HOSPA Professional Development Learner Award Winners, who each received a certificate and cash prizes, were as follows:

Financial Management prize winners, completed in March 2017 were:

Stage 1 – Introduction to Financial Accounting: Monika Hyde, Management Accounts Assistant, Quay Hotel & Spa, Deganwy, Wales

Stage 2 – Operational Management Accounting: Natalia Zaremba, Assistant Financial Controller, Renaissance Hotel, Paris

Stage 3 – Strategic Management Accounting: Matthew Bennett, Financial Controller, The Derbyshire Hotel, Alfreton, Derbyshire

Financial Management prize winners, completed in September 2017 were:

Stage 1 – Introduction to Financial Accounting: Emalyn Gretton, formerly Accounts Assistant, Jurys Inns; now at DS Smith Packaging Services Ltd., Bristol
Stage 2 – Operational Management Accounting: Monika Hyde, Management Accounts Assistant, Quay Hotel & Spa, Deganwy, Wales

Stage 3 – Strategic Management Accounting: Ketan Bhakta, Cluster Accounts Manager, Jurys Inns, Birmingham

Revenue Management prize winners, completed in March 2017 were:

Level 1: Introduction to Revenue Management: David Clancy, General Manager, Leonardo Edinburgh Capital Hotel, Edinburgh

Level 2: Operational Revenue Management: Sam Jennings, Key Market Revenue Manager – South West, Whitbread – Premier Inns, Luton, Bedfordshire

Level 3: Strategic Revenue Management: Diane Little, Assistant Cluster Rooms Revenue Manager, Principal Hotels, Edinburgh

Revenue Management prize winners, completed in September 2017 were:

Level 1: Introduction to Revenue Management: Miriam Waldmeyer, Revenue Centre Manager, Royal Lancaster London Hotel, London

Level 2: Operational Revenue Management: Henry Rouse, Revenue Manager, Hoseasons, Lowestoft, Suffolk

Level 3: Strategic Revenue Management: Sam Jennings, Key Market Revenue Manager – South West, Whitbread – Premier Inn, Luton, Bedfordshire

Commenting on the awards, HOSPA Chief Executive Jane Pendlebury said: "Huge congratulations to our two outstanding learners and all our prize-winning highest achievers, who have each demonstrated outstanding commitment to their careers, combining study with demanding full-time roles in the hotel and restaurant industry. We are extremely proud of them. We are delighted to have returned to the Hilton on Park Lane for this stand-alone event which has enabled us to centre on the professional development of the next generation of revenue managers and financial managers. Importantly, the event also has enabled our learners to network with industry leaders. We would also like to thank our sponsors, MRK Associates, for their continued support and also welcome new trophy sponsors Corecruitment."

The association also recognised two organisations for their outstanding commitment to education in the fields of Revenue Management and Financial Management. Glass trophies were each awarded to:

  • Commitment to Education in Financial Management:
    The Carden Park Hotel, collected by Wendy Carman, Director of Finance
  • Commitment to Education in Revenue Management: Principal Hotel Company, collected by Amy Jageneau, Revenue Director De Vere, Principal Hotel Company

Wendy Carman, Director of Finance at Carden Park Hotel, said: "When we were looking for a Finance Learning Programme we knew instantly that HOSPA was the right fit for Carden Park Hotel. It is an industry recognised programme that not only ensures our employees are gaining the right qualifications and knowledge but one that #teamcarden are also enthusiastic about completing.

"The nature of hotel accounting is very different to many industries and we wanted an exciting Finance Learning Programme that reflected this. At Carden Park our ethos is to 'grow our own', we ensure that our team has the opportunity to develop within their roles and HOSPA has been a big part of this for our finance and food and beverage teams. The team turnover is very low for which we can partially attribute to them feeling valued and being able to progress by completing appropriate training. The support from HOSPA throughout our learning journey has been fantastic and we will certainly be continuing to grow our team with their programme."

Alan Corlett, Group Commercial Revenue Director for Principal Hotel Company, commented: "The Principal Hotel Company owns and operates over 30 landmark buildings across the length and breadth of the U.K, comprising of PRINCIPAL in city centres and De Vere, modern country estate hotels with mansion houses at their heart.

A £250 million investment programme is currently underway, which will see many of the group's properties refurbished and repositioned, including The Principal London, the former Hotel Russell, which will open in Bloomsbury this April following a £75 million restoration.

By enrolling members of our revenue and finance teams on HOSPA's accredited courses, we're ensuring that we give our colleagues the opportunities to progress within our business by achieving a credible, industry qualification. Working with HOSPA also ensures that our teams are kept fully up-to-date with industry trends and developments, future proofing our business for years to come."

Prior to the Awards Ceremony itself, the afternoon's proceedings started with a Panel Debate, chaired by Professor Peter Jones MBE, Chairman of the HOSPA Professional Development Committee and involving expert participants: Martin Christian-Kent from People 1st, Hugo McNestry from Trothco Ltd, Harry Murray, President of HOSPA and Chairman of Lucknam Park Hotel and Ally Northfield, Head of the HOSPA Revenue Management Community and Director, Revenue by Design, discussing the education needs and recruitment of hospitality finance and revenue managers.

Sponsoring the event for the second year in succession was MRK Associates Ltd. MRK Associates is the only recruitment business in the UK with a dedicated Revenue/Yield Management and Pricing division. Consisting of specialist consultants, this market has seen huge growth recently across numerous industry sectors but none more than in Hotels. The types of vacancies in which MRK Associates specialise:

  • Revenue Analyst, (Cluster) Revenue Manager, Director/ Head of Revenue
  • Pricing Analyst, Manager and Director
  • Yield Analyst, Manager and Director
  • Data Analyst and BI

In a skill-short marketplace where experienced individuals are at a premium, MRK has proved successful in sourcing the right talent and opening the market up for them. They partner with the only sector specific job board in the world: www.revenuemanagementjobs.com

HOSPA also welcomed sponsor Corecruitment for the first time. COREcruitment is a leading international recruitment consultancy with a friendly team of market specialists covering multiple markets across the service industry. Established in 2005 it has rapidly earned an enviable international reputation for its professionalism and high-quality service delivery founded on its three core principles; integrity, efficiency and transparency.

Corecruitment's expertise covers a wide spectrum of the service industry and all its consultants have significant international/sector experience in their specialist fields. Specialist areas include:

  • Head Office Recruitment
  • Marketing, Finance and IT
  • Retail Recruitment
  • Human Resources
  • Facilities Management, Property and Estate Recruitment
  • Executive Recruitment
  • Sport and Leisure Recruitment
  • Events and Hospitality Recruitment
  • Bars, Restaurants and Club Recruitment
  • Catering and Events Recruitment
  • Hotels
  • Chef Recruitment

The HOSPA Professional Development Programme in Financial Management is the entry route to Associate membership of HOSPA for finance personnel in the industry. The programme provides career development for hospitality accounting professionals wishing to gain additional skills and the knowledge required to manage hospitality finance divisions, or gain an understanding of the accounting function of a hospitality unit. The three-stage 'blended learning' programme, studied over three 5-month periods, provides the flexibility for accounts professionals to fit their learning around their busy working day. Successful completion will significantly enhance their careers and help their employers meet even more effectively today's ever changing management challenges.

The HOSPA Professional Development Programme in Revenue Management was developed by leading educators in revenue management in the hospitality sector, in conjunction with leading industry experts. The course is designed to provide aspiring and current revenue professionals with the skills and knowledge required to manage their divisions, as well as to provide non-revenue managers with a detailed knowledge of the function within a hospitality property. A grant from the Savoy Educational Trust has enabled HOSPA to update and reposition its current Revenue Management Programme and has allowed the individual units, within the online programme's three levels, to be studied in a modular format. This, in turn, is making the course more flexible – providing greater accessibility to a wider audience. A further development to strengthen HOSPA's commitment to this important function in the hospitality sector has been the release in November 2017 of the 2nd edition Revenue Management ebook which provides an invaluable introduction to the world of Revenue Management and how it can be used in the hospitality industry.

The deadline date for enrolment for the next intake is 1 March 2018 – for both the Financial Management and Revenue Management programmes. Both courses are available at three levels – Introductory, Operational and Strategic – each at a cost of £820 (ex VAT). For further information, visit: www.hospa.org/education; or email: [email protected] .

About HOSPA

HOSPA - the Hospitality Professionals Association - is a not-for-profit educational organisation, formed to bring together professionals involved in all things commercial within the hospitality industry in the UK. HOSPA is recognised as the UK's authoritative voice in the hospitality industry on financial management, technical accounting issues, as well as the leading arena for debate on investments, hospitality technology developments, revenue management and marketing. HOSPA's Professional Development Programmes provide rigorous and relevant education for all those seeking to further their careers in these important functions. It will also be launching its new course in Asset Management in September 2020. A regular programme of workshops and seminars provides the perfect opportunity for members to continue to develop their knowledge and network with colleagues. HOSPA is on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @HOSPATweets. For more information, visit: www.hospa.org

Liz Bowen
PicPr
+44 1386 882474
HOSPA