Progressive entrepreneurs, operators and brand teams have been conducting research trips (sometimes covertly and sometimes not) for years, so that’s not news. The process is a fundamental reference point for development investment, market mapping and competitor analysis, which as a result can highlight your operational advantages or competitive weaknesses. These trips can be both a sobering and an enlightening journey of discovery, but they are always an invaluable health check on just how relevant you really are to your target consumer, and how close, or not, you are to delivering an elevated guest experience. More often, they are conducted within the UK and focus on metropolitan cities, which does provide marginal benefits depending on your style of operation. But equally, it does continue to provide a stimulus for continual brand iteration, or the quest for the “holy grail” of optimised operational delivery and service standards. Operational teams can inevitably focus on “known knowns”, whose sample point of reference might be a well-trodden path that represents neither challenge nor innovation. A study tour, on the flip side of the coin, is a treasure trove of “unknown knowns”. The alchemy is a cocktail of inspiring operations, and key insight from influential operators and industry disruptors, coupled with an innate knowledge of the chosen destination, which is always an international location. I have recently returned from hosting such a tour in Las Vegas, where over the course of three days, the group of 30 attendees gained access to more than 45 different operations across every sub-sector of the hospitality landscape. In three food halls alone, we were presented to 36 different vendors, all with a compelling back story. We also visited three very different nightclubs to look and review production and content; and “day clubs” to experience high volume, high energy atmosphere and optimised guest spend per head through elevated delivery styles. The group were delivered a masterclass on the casino model of old to the current day, covering brands that operate under licence, joint venture and owner-operated models. There were also a good number of speakeasies, some with superb entertainment behind improbable exteriors; a doughnut stand, a barber shop, a fast food joint, a fire exit and a “secret pizza” operation with no signage doing incredible sales with very long lines daily. There was also the awe-inspiring sportsbooks (sports bars to you and me), on a scale that has to be seen to be believed. Add in vibe restaurants, a supper club in the most decadent environment, bars, a brewpub, experiential venues on another level of imagination, rooftop bars and the biggest buffet in the world. Not only was the itinerary ambitious, it was inspiring – no matter what corner of the hospitality sector you operate within. The insights we were shared were invaluable, and the access to both front and back of house during peak trading was unprecedented, and I’m sure at times somewhat overwhelming for the attendees. It is well documented that the hospitality sector is a strong community. That community comes together on a global scale on a study tour, and our colleagues in Las Vegas welcomed us with open arms. International travel can be inspiring. Add in the recipe of the most desirable operations with incredible insights from industry titans, and you have the incredible alchemy of a study tour. I have been delivering international incentive programmes and study tours for more than two decades, and I always return to the UK inspired by the experience and ready to implement the fruits of my labour. |
