9:59am Monday 24th August 2009
By Ron Godfrey
THERE’S an amazing future ahead for York’s icons of the past.
York Museums Trust is bracing itself for improving its profits even further for the next financial year, as a result of crucial investment in The Hospitium, in the York’s Museum Gardens.
Now the trust, under whose auspices the Hospitium, The Tempest Anderson Hall, York Art Gallery and York Castle Museum are operated, is pitching for the Tourism And Hospitality Business Of The Year title in The Press Business Awards 2009.
In the latest financial year, the Trust’s £142,000 turnover generated £36,000, but sales are likely to increase yet again as the first fruits are seen of an investment of nearly £500,000 which this year has brought the conference and wedding facilities of the Tudor Hospitium into the 21st century.
Already business development manager Rebecca Mason reports that where last year there were 25 weddings at the Hospitium, this year there have been 72 and bookings have been taken right up to next July and August. There has also been a new surge in conference bookings both at The Hospitium and the Tempest Anderson Hall starting from next month.
York Venues – the conference, weddings and events arm of the trust – is now better geared up at its base at St Mary’s Lodge, Marygate, York, to help customers.
The moment clients make contact they are helped by a dedicated conference team with site visits to establish detailed needs. And when the event takes place staff are on hand to ensure it runs smoothly.
The thoroughness of the process is the reason why repeat business and referrals amount to 30 per cent of revenue.
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