HOSPA Professional Development highlights career impact of Revenue Management programme

HOSPA Professional Development has highlighted how its Revenue Management programme is helping hospitality professionals build greater commercial understanding and apply it to their own businesses.

Designed to build knowledge across areas including pricing, forecasting, demand and wider commercial decision-making, the programme supports professionals looking to strengthen their understanding of revenue management and its role across hotel operations.

One professional to have progressed through the programme is Joel Graham, Head of Sales & Marketing at the five-star Goldsborough Hall in North Yorkshire, who has completed all three Revenue Management courses alongside the elective module for meetings and events.

Joel initially enrolled while working in sales, keen to better understand the commercial side of the business. Since then, his role has expanded significantly, with him now overseeing sales & marketing, reservations and revenue.

Joel said:

Revenue management was an area I was becoming increasingly involved with, so I wanted to understand the thinking behind the decisions being made rather than just looking at the end result.

Coming from a sales background, the courses helped me develop a stronger commercial skill set. They gave me more confidence when looking at performance and making decisions based on the wider picture rather than just sales targets.

As Joel progressed through the programme, he became increasingly confident working with revenue data and using it to inform decisions at Goldsborough Hall.

With a commercial mix spanning bedrooms, weddings and events, the learning has encouraged him to look more closely at the overall value of each opportunity and how it fits with wider demand.

“I’m much more analytical in my approach,” he explained. “I look at booking pace, historical performance and market conditions when considering pricing, rather than relying solely on what we have charged previously.

“It has also made me much more proactive. I’m better at spotting opportunities early and making adjustments rather than waiting to see what happens.”

Jane Pendlebury, CEO of HOSPA, said:

Joel’s journey demonstrates exactly what we want our Professional Development programmes to achieve – giving hospitality professionals knowledge they can take back into their businesses and use with confidence.

Revenue management is increasingly connected to the wider commercial operation of a hotel, and Joel is a great example of how developing that understanding can support career progression while helping people make more informed decisions in their roles.

Reflecting on the programme, Joel said its biggest impact has been the broader perspective it has given him.

“The programme has given me a much better appreciation of the commercial decisions that sit behind the day-to-day operation,” he said. “I’d definitely recommend HOSPA to anyone looking to develop their career in hospitality. It gives you knowledge that you can genuinely use in your role, although I’m still not sure I’ll ever become good friends with spreadsheets!”

For more information about HOSPA’s Professional Development programmes or to enrol, visit www.hospa.org.