Agencies and corporates ‘Race to Lime’

July 19, 2011 - PRLog -- ‘Race to Lime’, the initiative by Lime Venue Portfolio has paid dividends during the first installment of its UK roll out.

The project, which seeks to engage Lime Venue Portfolio’s central reservations team and venues with as many corporate and agency customers as possible around the UK saw the team make over 311 appointments to meet existing and new clients.

‘Race to Lime’ consisted of three weeks of activity which targeted the country by regions: South West & Wales, South East & London and North West, Midlands & Scotland. During the three week period over 40,000 contacts ranging between agencies, corporate clients, local businesses, event bookers and PAs were approached through e-shots, telephone calls and visits, generating significant enquiries which helped them to beat budget target by 20 per cent. Branded “give-a-ways” in the form of Lime based mojito cocktail and cookies were left to build awareness and recall and highlight the uniqueness of the portfolio. A competition to win a number of horse racing days provided by Jockey Club Racecourses added an element of fun. The initiative also drove a 25 per cent uplift in visitors to the Lime Venue Portfolio website.

Spearheaded by Jo Austin, head of sales for the UK’s leading collection of unique and historic venues as well as sporting stadia, ‘Race to Lime’ - saw over 100 venues in the UK getting close and personal with their clients with the aim of targeting each opportunity in the market place, bidding competitively and ensuring the portfolio provides excellent value and service.

Jo Austin said: “It’s great to take the portfolio out to the clients to let them fully understand the diversity and scope of our properties. We have increased sales 21% on the same period last year and such demonstrable results highlight that the demand for unique and sporting venues is firmly on the agenda for meeting and event planners. With this customer focused activity we look forward to seeing a continued uplift in sales growth and an increase in Lime Venue Portfolio’s market share over the long term.”

Participating venues and Lime Venue Portfolio staff members commented on the activity:

Richard Kadri-Langford, Sales and Marketing Manager at Lime Venue Portfolio commented: “This activity was very important to us. We believe that only by understanding our customers can we deliver the service they want. The results were impressive and speak for themselves.”

Kerry Wright, Key Account Manager, Lime Venue Portfolio said: “Impact week gave me the opportunity to concentrate on getting a number of important appointments in the diary and talk to the customers I met about the fantastic variety of venues we have.”

Joanne Platt, Sales Manager, Imperial War Museum North added: “It was a really good week and gave us the focus to meet our customers and make sure we understood their need!”

Kate Coby, Sales Manager, Stationers’ Hall commented: “It was great to have the opportunity to get out and be as proactive as possible. The customers I met really enjoyed the Lime mojito’s and our special cookies, which made our visits to them all the more welcome.”

# # #

About Lime Venue Portfolio:

- Lime Venue Portfolio is the UK & Ireland’s leading portfolio of unique, sporting and cultural meetings and events venues
- Lime Venue Portfolio is a subsidiary of the Compass Group UK & Ireland, the world’s leading food and support services company with annual revenues of £14.5 billion in the year to 30 September 2010.
- Lime Venue Portfolio, Parkview, Oxford Road, Uxbridge, UB8 1UX
- www.limevenueportfolio.com
- Tel: 0845 6025619
- Twitter: @ahintoflimeVP
- Facebook: Lime Venue Portfolio