Hospitality
Hospitality firms raise a glass to the return of in-person events A year ago, the country was preparing to enter yet another lockdown as coronavirus cases soared. A COVID vaccine had not yet been found and many businesses were closed, with no certainty on when they’d be allowed to open again.
customers, most people would acknowledge that in-person events can bring additional benefits. A shake of the hand and a welcoming smile can go such a long way to building and maintaining strong, productive relationships.
ow, however, the picture has changed. Despite rising numbers of cases, COVID vaccines have proved effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths. Lockdowns, hopefully, are a thing of the past, businesses are open once more and people can meet others faceto-face again. That has been a real boost to the events and hospitality industries, which were hit harder than most during the pandemic.
“As our Southwark Business Resilience Awards showed, the local business community has adapted incredibly well to the pandemic to survive and, in some cases, thrive. Many businesses have recorded notable achievements in the last couple of years despite all of the challenges that COVID-19 has brought to their door. This resilience and agility, and ability to respond to unexpected events, are fantastic qualities that you need in business but hopefully the worst is behind us and we can look forward to a much healthier 2022.”
N
As society starts to reopen again, events that were held online last year are now being hosted inperson. It has been encouraging recently to see so many business leaders – many of whom are making a huge positive
difference to the borough of Southwark’s economy – gather at local events to network with each other, explore new trading opportunities and celebrate each other’s achievements. Music concerts, weddings and informal greets in bars and restaurants have all been held in recent weeks as society begins to return to some sort of normality again. This is particularly encouraging for the hospitality industry, which has faced a unique set of challenges in the pandemic – notably, a chronic shortage of staff. This shortage is highlighted more starkly at this time of year, with the festive season traditionally the busiest time for bars and restaurants.
10 Southwark BUSINESS TODAY
Southwark Chamber of Commerce has forged strong links with the local hospitality industry and has previously hosted several events to showcase the benefits of working in this sector, which makes a significant contribution to the local economy. Sarah Moore-Williams, chair of the Chamber and dean of London South Bank University (LSBU) Business School, says: “It’s fantastic to see businesses come together to meet faceto-face after so long. For the best part of two years, we’ve all had to adapt to a new way of working – with many events and meetings held online via Zoom or Teams. While this has enabled many businesses to maintain staff morale and keep in touch with
Face-to-face events will be a common feature of corporate life in 2022 as organisations come together to discuss key issues and challenges. LSBU Business School’s Professional Lecture Series, which offers engaging
