Hotel Football, Old Trafford

Since opening in 2015, Hotel Football has been welcoming everyone from football superfans and curious foodies to corporate travellers. It’s easy to see why. Unmatched views of the Old Trafford stadium, unique football-themed rooms and award-winning service have made this hotel one of Manchester’s most talked-about properties.

What sets Hotel Football apart is not only its unrivalled location and outstanding service but also its well-thought-out facilities. Event spaces that serve as hospitality areas on Manchester United matchdays and a rooftop football pitch create guest experiences of a new calibre. One could say the founders, Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Philip Neville, the group of stellar players known as the Class of 92, scored a golden goal with this hotel project.
 

“Hotel Football is a little different from your typical four-star hotel. Of course, we can offer the standard full-day meeting but if guests want to pick and mix special experiences like a private stadium tour, we can do that as well.”

Jess Southworth, Director of Sales, Hotel Football Old Trafford

Facing pandemic challenges with optimism

Like all other businesses in the hostility and events industry, Hotel Football was hit hard by COVID-19. Despite that, Jess Southworth, Director of Sales at the property, and her team found ways to band together and offer their support to others. “For us, it was all about learning about the community we have around us,” Jess says. 

After the hotel’s initial closure, it reopened to provide complimentary housing for NHS staff. During this time, the hotel employees received full pay while staying home, but they were able to come in as volunteers to provide for the healthcare professionals. “Although it was a turbulent time, this made it feel like we were giving something back. That created a sense of community which sums up 2020 for me.”

Despite the past two years’ many challenges, Jess and her team came through with the learning that nothing is insurmountable. “One of the biggest lessons for me was that we’re resilient and barriers shouldn’t stop us from doing what we’re meant to do. We wanted to keep bringing people together, so we introduced virtual and hybrid events with the help of Cvent.”

“A fellow MICE professional I met at Cvent CONNECT Europe put it perfectly: virtual events are a functional alternative. But they’re not nearly as inspirational as in-person events.”

Jess Southworth, Director of Sales, Hotel Football Old Trafford

Staying relevant with the right technology and support

Jess first implemented Cvent at Hotel Football when she joined the property in 2016. For Hotel Football, Cvent provided a way for them to stay at the forefront of their planners’ minds, even when closed. “For us, the Cvent Supplier Network made a huge difference. The role of the event professional has really evolved since the beginning of the pandemic, and we’ve evolved with them.”

“With all the access to reports you can see where your buyers are to improve our targeted marketing. We can see where our social presence reaches in relation to our enquiries. Cvent allows you access to these tools and its up to you how you utilise them.”

Jess Southworth, Director of Sales, Hotel Football Old Trafford

For Jess and her team, using the Cvent Supplier Network and its reporting helped them show clients that they understood their new needs and were there to support them. “CSN is such a great platform and a great network. There are so many ways to stay relevant and connected, and we don’t take that for granted.” This personalised guidance helped Hotel Football keep its presence on the Cvent platform relevant and show planners how safety guidelines were put into practice. Combined with the Cvent Supplier Network’s broad reach, this has grown the property’s exposure during all phases of the recovery period. 

“Cvent has definitely been beneficial for us as an independent property. The multi-diamond rating increases buyer confidence in our property and encourages more planners to reach out with RFPs.”

Jess Southworth, Director of Sales, Hotel Football Old Trafford

The hotel also came to appreciate not only the various tools and software but also the personal service. “The Cvent Supplier Network as a whole has been great, but our account manager has been brilliant,” Jess says. Especially during the pandemic, this support meant a lot to her: “Never once did we lose contact. Our account manager checked on me constantly. She’d recommend ways to improve our profile and remind me to change our pictures to show what we’ve done to adapt the venue.”

The benefits: more leads, more business

According to Jess, the Cvent Supplier Network has had a huge impact on the way they source and win clients. “The Cvent Supplier Network makes a big difference to Hotel Football. Before using Cvent, RFPs we would receive were from people we knew or people that had visited the property. Now we receive RFPs from people we’d never heard from before.” And since implementing Cvent Marketing Solutions, they have achieved:

• An 1066% increase in RFP volume vs the previous year.
• A market share increase of 4%.
• A total of increase of 467% for new planners & organisations viewed and enquired with the property.
• A total of 116 RFPs for Hotel Football sourced through Cvent, totalling £436k in Value.
• A total of 3942 room nights tendered.

CSN and Diamond Ads has also helped them better understand their customers and their journeys. “Being able to show my general manager – sit here, look at the customer journey; look at Manchester; look at what hotel pops up. If I’m honest, Hotel Football doesn’t seem like the most corporate venue. However, over the years, using this diamond listing and being able to have a prime spot on the site, you can understand how the customer comes to select us.”