Answer :

Introduction:

Banquet industry is in UK is growing in the fastest rate with an enlarging number of banquet halls. This is very influential for the neighboring countries also. The popularity is also remarkable as this industry can help a number of people assisting with a variety of jobs in it. This occupies a large sector in the UK business industry and efficient in attaining a maximum value of the entire economy with help of this business. Therefore, this study has been developed to draw out contemporary range, scope, size, target, and other influential factors related to this industry. 

Task A:

a) Scope and size of the banquet industry in UK:

This industry is occupied with a different role in its corpse. This industry provides the services that inclines tourism, financial growth along with publicity and helps in a great way to provide opportunities in employment. Therefore, the range of this industry is vivid. This industry is enlarging day by day. The contemporary advancement in the society has made a remarkable hike in manner of celebration and types of the facilities it provides. As pointed by Cloonan (2016), a single hall is decorated in such a way that it can entertain people with marriage ceremony celebration or a little birthday party too. The duration of every event may take an average time of 1.6 days. This industry has arranges over 1.7 million jobs for people at different level. The range of the industry has extended in rapid motion within the last five tears and has doubled the economic value in this period. Thus, it proves the long lasting celebration events may also take place in the halls. Different can be of different patterns like interview, lecture, forum or meeting. On the other way, these halls are generated with creation of highly valued events and moreover it entertains the development of high quality events in celebrating with liberal manner. 

The contemporary movement of the tourism and Information Technology services had helped this industry grow in enlarged volume. However, it confronts the external impacts like political, legal or economic barriers in integrating their business. This industry provides food services with different style like family service, banquet service. Therefore, it requires a huge number of people that can ensure the proposed accommodations offered by the specific organization. At a time this association provides food, soothing atmosphere, enlightening accommodation and sitting and relaxing arrangements (Lin et al. 2015). This needs the involvement of different people of different educational qualities and degrees as well. Thus, there is a varied scope for people to have types of jobs in this industry. However, it has specification in every particular field regarding the service quality and criteria of service. The enlarging scope of the industry is also prospectus in serving the economy of UK with eventual benefit and financial profitability.

b) Different influence that shaped the industry:

There are different factors that influence the banquet industry in the UK, that are as follows:

Table 1: PESTLE analysis of conference and banquet industry of UK

(Source: Bha.org.uk, 2016)

c) Quality and performance review techniques that are utilized within the industry:

The quality as well as performance of any event mainly utilised to assess the improvement of any on-going events (Günal and Pidd, 2010). For securing best practices in the conference and banquet industry, performance and quality can be evaluated by following techniques:

Review of the budget:

Performance of any event can be reviewed by facilitating overview on the budget based on the allocation of the financial resources in different sub-eventsunder the main events. This is because even distribution of the budget always helps any organisationto achieve more performance and quality. 

Review of the food and drink:

The quality and performance of any events can be evaluated by reviewing thearrangements of the food and drink. This is because; any event can be more successful if the eventOrganiser Companyarrangingthefood and drink menu with more cleverness. This is because there are some guests who have some dietary restriction so menu can be set by considering all of the factors.

Review of the dress code:

In order to provide a venue more professional looks, it is highly important to arrange dress code for the employees according to the event profile. Therefore, performance can be judged based on the arrangement and follow of the dress code.

Venue appraisal:

It can review by appraising the venue based on the exterior and interior design, arrangements of venue and overall hygiene’s in the venue.

Review of entertainment:

In order to achieve an effective quality and performance, it is highly important for any event organiser to carefully evaluate that the entertainment in the venue is satisfying the expectation of the guests or not.

Review regarding the table plan and transport:

Along with that, performance and quality can be judged based on the effective allocation of the table among the guests (Lamm and Trommsdorff, 2012). It is also necessary to arrange some transport facilities for disable person, so quality can also be judged based on this.

d) Factors that can influence the organization of any off-site event:

The industry is engaged in handling a multiple operations at a time thus it is quite obvious to confront hassles during off-site events. This may be accompanied with equipment hire, transport or space realization. Further the issues related to staff utilization, requirement of entertainment and HACCP that is Hazard Analysis Critical Point may interrupt the on-going process. 

Staff Utilization: As this industry is very large and specious, it evokes a huge number of staffs being appointed at different stages of the on-going event. Thus utilization of staffs is an important factor and specialization of the particular organization that it manages. This procedure undermines the selection of events and the staffs in accordance with the requirement and demand of the situation. Moreover the handling of staff occupies a major cost of the organization that it includes basic salary, operational incentives, or the training in need. The sustainable development of this industry has made it capable to arrange different types of events in the halls. As remarked by Ghezzi and Ayoun (2013), this industry helps in utilizing the event-booking software. Further it helps in application of sales technique in an effective manner. However, managing the employees needs an intense view on the imposition of duties.

The concerned organization needs to be skilled enough in delivering the essence of every situation. Special training on different skills and job roles may help employees gaining basic concepts of the job. It can serve customers having benefit in specific situation. Absence of the service man in a specific event can create problem for the customers. In this situation if the cook is trained about the doing of the waiter, it may serve organization being escaped of the inconveniences. Further, the teaching on technique and etiquettes on attending people and serving them with presentable manners may also help organization getting additional benefit. To escape out of the inconveniences in the off-site event staffs needed to be trained and arranged by implicit teaching on diverse subjects so that they can deal efficiently in multipurpose situations (Cebulla, 2016). However, these arrangements can differ based on the particular size and scope of specific organization. Moreover, the type of event can also be differently organized by the organization in regard with the employees’ requirement and their type.

e) Key menu planning issues:

As opined by Balintfy et al. (2011), menu is the document regarding the central management that mainly controls and direct the operation regardingthe foodservices. Menu of any event must be made based on different laws and regulations such as Sale of goods act 1979, Food labelling regulations 1996 etcetera. It is seen that menu must be generated based upon the size and time of the events. If it is seen that planned menu is too much complex then it is mandatory to allocate the service time accordingly, otherwise problem can be generated due to serve the entire menu with effectiveness. Along with that, it isalso mandatory to allocate the menu based upon the staff available to attend the event (Spiteri and Nepalz, 2013). If the staff number became less thanthe capability to serve the menu then some problem can be generated there. Moreover, issues can be created due to the ineffective planning regarding the spaces available to serve the food. If it is seen that less space is available to serve the entire menu then a complexity may be arises due to the serving the entire menu with effectiveness. Moreover, issues can also be generated if menu is created by not following the amount allocated for the menu.

Task B:

a)Key operational and strategic issues that are involved in management of any event:

In order to describe this section, Ariana Banqueting hall is selected. There are several key strategic and operational issues such as:

Pricing and packaging:

Some banquets organisation incurs some secret costs to their clients which ultimately creates some arguments with the clients and destroy the brand image of the company (Silverset al. 2015). Therefore, Ariana Banqueting hall must not provide some hidden costs and in order to create extensive feeling of clients, it is highly important for them to maintain an effective packaging system of the food.

Discount initiatives:

There are so many banquet and conference organisations that provide discounts to their customers, but sacrifice the quality of the services(McWilliams et al. 2012). Therefore, in order to arrange venue at Ariana Banqueting hall, it is important to look after the quality that they provide their customers

Issues regarding cancellation of booking:

It is seen that issues can be created due to the cancellation of the booking automatically if payment do not provided before the expected date of arranging events(McWilliams et al. 2012). For cancellation of the booking by the clients, clients have to pay some deduction charges which may some losses. If clients cancel the booking 8 weeks prior then they have to pay 50% of their room charges (Otto, 2013). If client cancel the booking 4 weeks prior then they have to pay 75% of the accommodation charges and in case of cancellation 2 weeks prior then 100% of the room charges.

Licensing laws:

Licensing law regarding the alcohol is very strict in the UK according to the Licensing act 2003, therefore, before arranging the event in the Ariana Banqueting hall, the client must see that any food or beverages section do not provide alcohol to the client (Van de Ven, 2011). The client must tell their guest that they must consume alcohol at their own risks; otherwise legal issues can be generated.

Health, hygiene and safety related law:

In order to arrange the events, health and safety related law must be followed, therefore, it is highly important to Ariana Banqueting hall to strictly follow the health and safety act 1974, and protect their staff from any safety related problem (McWilliamset al. 2012). It is also mandatory for Ariana Banqueting hall to make enough arrangement regarding fire safety and explosions. As services of Ariana Banqueting hall involve the food and safety, therefore, it is important to follow hygiene related law, otherwise the service users may be suffered due to food poisoning.

b) Suitability of the range of food production system and styles along with the food and beverages service styles for any event:

Cook chill system:

As stated by Greathouse and Gregoire (2011), cook chill system is one of the food productionsystems that are used to provide more level of flexibility regarding the food services. This technique consist several stages such as cooking of the food, after that rapid chilling followed by storage at the control temperature so that it can stored up to five days. Here blast chilling process can be utilised for the cooling of cooked food. This process requires a carefuldocumentation and monitoring the total food preparation processsuch as chopping, cleaning, slicing, mixing etcetera (Oh et al. 2012). During serving the food, the food must be processed in 70 degree centigrade temperature for 2 minutes. This food processing system is effective for the Ariana Banqueting hall because all of theguests are ready to eat so that it will not be effective to prepare fresh food and serve them hot because it is very time consuming process. Moreover, as Ariana Banqueting hall is arranging a business meeting so that there is lack of chances that guests will intake a full course meal so that it will be effective forthem to utilise this process.

Assembly kitchen:

Assembly kitchen food production system can be effective for the Ariana Banqueting hall because it do not require preparation of food. In this process food is mainly purchased in already cooked states (Ilbery and Kneafsey, 2014). However, it is not very effective food production system because this system takes away the tastes of the food. However, Ariana Banqueting hall is arranging a business meeting so that only frozen desserts, sandwiches, salads and different types of pies will be served there. Therefore, this food production system can provide extra smoothness of the event arrangements because it reduces the labour costs, amount of food wastes might be reduced in this process and maintenance costs is negligible here.

Buffet service:

This type of services allows the customers to gather their intended food and drinks by themselves (van der Sluis et al. 2013). Therefore, this system can help the Ariana Banqueting hall to reduce the labour costs and helps the guests to select the food they mostly like. Therefore, by servingcustomer by this process, Ariana Banqueting hall can fasten the food serving process and reduce the number of confusion among the guests regarding the food and drinks.

c) Ergonomic consideration of any event:

Ergonomic can be defined as the applied sciences that arrange or design things in that way so that human interact different things in most safe and efficient ways. Therefore, ergonomics is responsible to design everythingrelated to the event arrangementsuch as place, food, arrangements of tables, transports etcetera. Any event must be arranged in that way so that it can be customer focused (Khan et al. 2012). Therefore, ergonomic consideration of the event arranged in Ariana Banqueting hall is as follows:

Seating arrangements in the Ariana Banqueting hall must be ensured that the seating arrangements in the venue must be comfortable for the users. Comfortable seating arrangements are mainly mandatory in the conference where seating for several hours is highly important.

In the event, it is important for theAriana Banqueting hall to provide access for the multi computer and internet to all of the guests involved in the conference so that they can fulfil all of the requirements.

Along with that, it is also important for the Ariana Banqueting hall to provide an effective and easy to use projector that can help people to see all of the presentation clearly. Along with that, events must be arranged by providing facilities to control the climates. The climate control facilities in the Ariana Banqueting hall must provide facilities to control temperature to different customers. 

Seating plan must be generated in the Ariana Banqueting hall by considering the type, style of the events and the layout of the room.

Ariana Banqueting hall must provide some facilities regarding the movable wall so they can make several rooms to facilitate maximum utilisation of the room. Along with that, they must provide facilities to some customers to adjust the sound system in the organisation premises.

Moreover, Ariana Banqueting hall must provide some trained staff to the customers so that they can get knowledge to control different equipment and facilities in the organisation.

Conclusion:

The overall analysis has pointed out the vast range of the banquet industry in UK. This detailed about the specific need of the industry and stated about the changes and modifications that it needs in specific situation. However, the trend and demand of people are changing. Therefore, this industry needs to be improvised in accordance with the advancement that the contemporary society follows. This is a great source of economy in UK that is the reason that this industry should have proper care and practice by the concerned people. With significant take care and development this industry can be sustained for a long period and influence UK with beneficial impacts.