On the 9th of September 2021, SilverDoor hosted its annual Partner Engagement Day.
With over 120 industry professionals in attendance, our peers within the serviced apartment sector were finally able to reunite, share ideas and catch up at long last.
The event was filled with insightful talks, expert discussions and fascinating conversations about all things business travel, with our hosts tackling the difficult questions - helping to align our collective priorities as we move into the post-pandemic travel landscape.
One of the many takeaways from the event was that the industry is poised for a healthy recovery and that the continued cooperation and transparency among our property partners will play a significant role in the widespread resumption of corporate mobility.
First on the stage was SilverDoor CEO, Stuart Winstone, who gave a warm welcome to the attendees before providing update on SilverDoor's plans and projects. This included the exciting news that SilverDoor’s parent group, the Habicus Group, has recently acquired long-standing staple of the industry, The Apartment Service.
The Rise of Serviced Apartments in Business Travel Programmes
SilverDoor's Vice President of Business Development, Pauline Houston expertly outlined the ways in which Serviced Apartments have influenced the travel programmes of many major corporations, and how the effects of the pandemic have led many to look to serviced accommodation for their travel needs. Pauline also highlighted some of the ways that SilverDoor, as an agent, is working to refine and enhance the booking process via intuitive and intelligent technology solutions.
Reimagining Travel and Mobility – Lessons from the Pandemic
Our Chief Customer Officer, Martin Klima, hosted a client panel comprised of industry powerhouses Harshad Maroo (Weichert Relocation), Gillian Kennedy (TUI Group) and Richard Eades (BP). The panel discussed and explained topics including the major challenges faced over the past 18 months, the value of compliance standards in legitimising the sector, the changes in client travel patterns and trends and what the short and long term future holds for business travel.
A particular highlight was the discussion surrounding sustainability, prompting insightful audience questions at the end of the session and giving food for thought moving forward.
Duty of Care – Has the Serviced Apartment Industry Grown Up?
Our Quality Assurance & Compliance Officer, Toby Roberts, was then joined by an exceptionally knowledgeable client panel comprised of Deborah Heather (Quality in Tourism), Stephen Lowy (The Residence), and Lee Whiteing (Global Secure Accreditation) who detailed how the priorities of end clients have been refined such that property operators must make a concerted effort to comply with health and safety standards.
e-Distribution
The inimitable Ghislaine Oliver (hotelinfo) then capped off the evening by highlighting the importance of constantly revising our digital routines, and challenged the audience to consider every element of their property offering, especially as we enter a post-pandemic world where traveller priorities have shifted toward safety, transparency and intuitiveness.
To cap off a wonderful event, SilverDoor's Group head of Partner Relationships, Alex Neale, eloquently and succinctly wrapped up the days main talking points and highlighted a few personal takeaways.
We are hugely grateful to all of those partners who attended the event, and cannot wait to share and receive knowledge at the next SilverDoor event!
