HIC Talk

Angus Houston, the new director of Harrogate International Centre, takes charge of one of the UK’s most iconic venues today.

Meeting his new colleagues Angus said: “It felt great to finally arrive and start getting to know my new team.  With the completion of the new halls due to later this year it is a truly exciting time for the venue and I am thoroughly looking forward to growing the business and increasing the venue’s success.”

During the course of the next month, Angus will be working with teams across the whole of HIC, providing him with the time and focus to totally understand the venue, business and above all the people that make it such a popular venue with association, exhibition and corporate bookers.

Angus Houston was appointed as the new director of HIC in December 2010 and he joins from the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, where he was the executive director. Angus has worked in the leisure, hospitality and sporting sectors throughout his career, which includes successfully running several large venues.

Irene talks about her role and a typical day at the Harrogate International Centre.

I am a sales and account executive at HIC specialising in corporate and agency sectors. My role puts me on the front line promoting our venue to prospective clients, and as I really believe in the product, it’s really enjoyable.

My daily work focuses on dealing with enquiries from potential clients interested in booking HIC for their event. First thing I check my e-mails and ensure that they are responded to. The event industry in the UK is fiercely competitive and it requires a perfect set of communication and marketing skills to convince new prospects. My role is all about following up leads and showcasing HIC through words. I also have to ensure that our relationships with existing clients are well maintained.  A key part of this has included the use of LinkedIn – social media has become an integral part of HIC’s marketing strategy, providing a great way to communicate with clients all over the world.

However, I am not just selling but effectively working on a chain of actions that eventually brings a client to HIC.  The approach to each client is different. There is a bit of sales, marketing, PR and reputation building going into every conversation.  Events are all about people, interaction and exchanging pleasantries, and I like to incorporate these elements into my dealings with clients. I like to think that we are not selling a product but striving to provide a memorable experience.

I love my job, I love meeting people, and every day is a new day. I feel proud to serve as an ambassador for both HIC and Harrogate.  And this passion is a part of my whole life: on a personal front, I enjoy aerobics, latin and ball room dancing. I like to spend my weekend with friends, and enjoy going for walk in the beautiful Harrogate countryside. It’s great to know the place you live and promote. It’s also makes the job more interesting.

Using Visit Britain’s definition of economic impact for events, Harrogate International Centre has achieved more than £92 million for the economy during the first six months of their 2010/2011 financial year.

HIC’s head of sales and marketing, Alison Griffin: “As the BVEP Manifesto and Britain for Events reports have highlighted, our industry has a substantial impact on local economies, bringing in far more than just the spend at venues and on-site.  This figure represents just six months of work at HIC and clearly highlights our importance to Harrogate, the surrounding areas and to UK’s economy as a whole.”

During the period April 2010 to September 2010, HIC held 38 major events plus a plethora of smaller meetings and seminars.  Just the major events were used to calculate the economic impact so the true figure is likely to be higher than the headline £92 million.  July 2010 was the month with the highest economic impact – £31.7 million.

However, one immeasurable area these figures only hint at is the impact HIC is having on the knowledge economy, where HIC plays a huge role.  As one of the UK’s largest venues, millions of people are educated each year through attendance at HIC events, adding to the UK and Global knowledge pool.

Alison continues: “These figures truly highlight the importance of events to our economy, there are hundreds of venues around the UK, clearly most are smaller with less events than HIC but still – each one brings something to the economy, injecting vitally needed funds at a time when dramatic cuts are being made in a whole range of sectors.”

“HIC is clearly one of Harrogate’s biggest economic drivers, impacting on everything from tourism and event providers to local shops and infrastructure.  We are closely supported through all our work by the efforts of the town and residents, who ensure we remain a fashionable and friendly place to hold events.”

“HIC’s place at the heart of Britain’s knowledge economy can also be extrapolated from these figures.  With so many events and so much education taking place within the Centre we are continually helping to improve and disseminate knowledge at a time when the most valuable commodities are information and understanding.”