TRINITY MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2022 - ENGLISH

TRINITY

MAGAZINE Autumn 2022

Market conditions and key commodity updates

Helping our members to reduce and control costs

Ideas to reduce your carbon footprint

Scan to learn more. If you have any questions, please contact your Trinity Purchasing Relationship Manager.

Available in Ireland and the UK

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IN THIS ISSUE

UK & Ireland update

Continental Europe update

Market Conditions

Key commodity updates

Client case study: Agence Creho

WEBINAR: Innovations in payments to enhance customer experience for the hospitality industry

Supporting important causes

Helping our members to reduce and control costs

Find more savings to improve the financial health of your business

Client case study: Curragh Lawn Nursing Home

Sustainable hospitality: 6 ideas to reduce your carbon footprint

Sustainable business & keeping your waste bill under control? Sort smartly!

Benefits of adding e-bikes to your hospitality business

Trinity Purchasing Events

Expanding multilingual support for Pi users in Europe

Charity Golf Day Raises Over €17,000

Welspun textiles for hospitality businesses

Trinity Purchasing trialing new “clinics” format to achieve greater savings for members

How a great nights sleep doesn’t need to cost the earth

Contents supporting

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Meet our ... eProcurement Coordinator

Relationship Manager Belgium Vice President of Finance Assistant Accountant

Financial Controller

Credit Controller for Continental Europe

Editor: Emily Cunningham Marketing Executive, Avendra Group Europe

Proofreader: Chris Bown www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbown

Designer: Nick Goodyear www.thenickwickpapers.com

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UK & IRELAND UPDATE

Written by Alan Cruite General Manager Trinity Purchasing

We’re going through curious times. While many in the hospitality sector are trading well, they are doing so against a backdrop of continuously increasing input prices and worries of a potential recession. There are increasing concerns that consumers are cutting back on discretionary spending, as cost of living increases hit household budgets.

In Ireland, the hospitality sector is seeing the return of international visitors, while Irish consumers are rediscovering the attractions of air travel, despite some disruption at airports. With an unprecedented number of refugees arriving in the country, several hotels in and around Dublin are now housing the involuntary arrivals, leading to greater pressure on the remaining stock. And shortages of staff persist, across many business sectors, pushing businesses of all sizes to look for ways to improve efficiency.

With the pandemic now appearing to be in the rear-view mirror, many in hospitality are now working up their festive season offers. After two years of restrictions and cancellations, this year’s Christmas season promises to be a substantial period of celebration.

As ever at Trinity, we continue to work for our clients to ensure they are paying no more than they need to, for their essential business supplies. The challenge to ensure competitiveness continues, with

our teams needing to be ever more creative in sourcing reliable supplies while mitigating inevitable price rises. And the turmoil in the market means our services and system Pi are more than ever in demand.

As ever at Trinity, we continue to work for our clients to ensure they are paying no more than they need to, for their essential business supplies.

Company progress

CONTINENTAL EUROPE UPDATE

Written by Paula Daenen General Manager Trinity Purchasing

The last few months have for all of us been a period of substantial uncertainty - just when we thought we were heading back to normal after the pandemic. Rising prices, supply chain issues and staff shortages have now been joined by the shock impacts of the Ukrainian war - leaving us all challenged to navigate into the unknown.

Despite this - or perhaps because of it - the Trinity team continues to be in demand as trusted partners, helping to minimise the disruptive effects to businesses across hospitality. We continue to do our best for clients, even if - in some cases - we are required to carry out weekly price checking, and face the threat of further inflationary rises across many product lines.

In mainland European markets, the impact of covid-19 restrictions finally started to ease from April. That easing meant consumers were finally free to start travelling more easily once more, and hoteliers were able to get back to business. Occupancy has been improving, while international arrivals are growing, if not yet back to the levels experienced in 2019, the last full year that international travel operated normally.

In the Netherlands, the supply chain has been further challenged by a reaction to government proposals to reduce carbon emissions from the country’s farming sector. The announcements caused a strong reaction from farmers, who responded by blocking roads,

distribution centres and supermarkets in protest. The media is now talking of a “summer of discontent”.

Against this backdrop, we continue to be as flexible and creative as possible, to help our clients navigate through these unprecedented times!

We continue to be as flexible and creative as possible, to help our clients navigate through these unprecedented times!

Sharing expertise

MARKET CONDITIONS

Written by

Graham Coles Procurement Director Avendra Group Europe

Olivier Bertrand Procurement Director Trinity Purchasing Continental Europe

The following aims to provide you with information about what’s happening in the marketplace right now and the key factors impacting supply and availability of certain products. Note: This information was compiled July 2022

Global Market. The Ukraine conflict continues to impact the global supply chain, influencing the movement of goods, the cost of those goods and, looking forward, the harvest and supply of the next season of crops.

Sanctions on Russia and its main exports have meant the supply of fish, fertiliser and fuel have been severely impacted since the start of the year with increases at every level. Increases for fuel and fertiliser have already largely been passed onto the customer. In very real terms we have seen huge price rises on the cost of fuel and fertiliser to farms against this time last year. This has become so extreme that many farmers are assessing whether they should use fertiliser at all this year, or instead accept the lower yields.

Russia and Ukraine are major producers and exporters of grain, wheat and other cereals that form the building blocks of many basic goods, as well as animal feed for farms. While we have seen price increases across the whole range of cereal grains, there has been some stabilisation of prices of goods coming out of the region due to improved export channels. There are growing concerns on what sort of yield can be expected from next year’s crop due to uncertainty around the success of planting for next season. This

amount of uncertainty has an impact on the market with the expectation that things will continue to decline until the conflict can be resolved and markets can readjust accordingly.

Inflation. In the UK, CPI now stands at 10.1% (the highest rate since 1982), with analysts forecasting this to rise further by the end of the year. CPI in Ireland is at a similar level at 9.1%. Fuel is one of the main metrics by which to track the cost of living, with pricing reaching record heights in recent months.

Inflation rates in Continental Europe are between 7% and 12%.

Consumer confidence continues to fall, with the current level of surety even lower than at the start of the pandemic or the 2008 financial crash, and as we see more reports and predictions of a recession the public are particularly worried about personal savings and job security. The economy contracted in April and May, and we can see signs that consumer spending will start to decrease negatively thus impacting leisure and hospitality markets.

Inflation mitigation is a focus for many businesses right now as we see cost increases across the whole supply chain. Reducing costs or passing these increases on to customers

without losing them has become crucial to a successful business. Often the easiest method involves product swaps, most notably with food products, and we will focus on these later in the report.

Portion control, if applicable, is a great way to ensure that operators can control costs. Additionally, reducing the amount of stock that is being held reduces the amount of capital sitting in the backroom as well as potentially cutting down on potential wastage.

Utilising supplier promotions is a great way of reducing costs and maximising margins. By working closely with the whole supply chain, you can select products which are on offer and at the most competitive prices.

Labour. Employment improved during April and May, but reports show an increasing number of workers are moving between jobs as they search for roles to better support them and their families during the highest period of inflation and costs of living. For the first time we are now seeing a surplus of job vacancies. It has been reported that there are now more vacancies than there are available workers, and part time workers are accounting for a larger percentage of the workforce than ever before.

Much of the hotel sector is struggling to fully occupy rooms due to staff shortages in housekeeping. Farms are unable to get a full yield from their harvest because of a lack of manual labour, and airports have had to cancel flights because of a lack of staff and

crew. The issues around travel and airports are being compounded by an increase in demand for an abroad holiday as people seek a vacation after two years of lockdowns and before these ‘luxuries’ of holidays become even more expensive.

Energy & Fuel. The price and supply of energy has been well documented in the news over the past few months following an increase to the energy cap in April. We are all seeing higher energy bills now both domestically and commercially and the hope that these will decrease is unlikely. The price to suppliers has increased following shortages of natural gas and high demand during the winter period. The supply of gas from continental Europe has been disrupted since the Ukraine conflict began and the amount in storage has not been replenished whilst usage remains high. This is causing a shortfall and increased prices on the wholesale market which are being passed down to the consumer.

We are seeing these increases reflected in the long-term view; against last quarter natural gas has only risen by 8% but that followed on from the energy cap rise in February which meant prices in March had increased by 200%. We expect to see a similar pattern if the energy cap is raised once again in October.

We have also seen the introduction of fuel surcharges from some suppliers. This has been introduced to help cover the rising costs of Petrol and Diesel in the transportation of goods as the fuels have risen significantly.

Another impact of rising fuel costs is an unwillingness to travel. With the school holidays approaching it’s an important time for the hospitality sector, but if people are looking to make shorter journeys as fuel prices keep increasing, we may see a decrease in the level of spending, particularly in regions reliant on tourism.

Three F’s. We have touched on it before, but the market conditions largely reflect the situation surrounding three main core products: Feed,

Fertiliser and Fuel. These commodities form the building blocks of a significant part of the market with all three going into the production of foodstuffs as well as widely being used in the production of non-food products and goods too. Farms have seen huge increases across all types of produce whether it be fruit, vegetables or livestock.

There has been a reduction of herds across all types of livestock. Feed costs are too high to keep the same quantities of pigs, sheep and chickens as before, whilst cattle farms are keeping the livestock for longer rather than sending them to slaughter as increased milk prices mean this is more profitable.

Rising fertiliser costs have cut so deeply into the profits for traditional crops that farmers are debating whether to stop using them and accept the lower yields to ensure enough of a margin to continue operating.

Without an improvement to these building blocks of the supply chain, we will continue to see rising costs.

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Sharing expertise

KEY COMMODITY

UPDATES

Written by

Graham Coles Procurement Director Avendra Group Europe

Olivier Bertrand Procurement Director Trinity Purchasing Continental Europe

We look at key commodity price trends and provide recommendations on ways to mitigate price increases, guiding you to what’s best right now. We hope you find this update helpful. Note: This information was compiled July 2022

Meat. With increases to basic necessities like feed and fuel, farmers have not been able to keep the same size herds they’ve had over the last decade and so there has been a general reduction in the sizes of herds across the country. This has a direct impact on the amount of supply, which has already hit the market and will continue to do so over the next few months. Additionally, the number of animals being sent out to slaughter has been decreased because farmers are keeping older dairy producing animals on the farm for longer. This is compounding the issues and has caused the price of Beef to increase, a price which was already at its highest level for more than a decade.

The Pork market has seen some of the biggest increases this year. Supply has been badly affected by the reductions in herd sizes seen since last year’s processing issues. Increases

in feed and fuel, much like cattle, has meant profit margins have been tighter leading to costs being passed down through the supply chain. In recent weeks we have also tracked the spread of African swine flu across continental Europe, most recently reported in the main pork producing regions in Germany.

The market for Lamb has seen some volatility over the last 3 months with increases throughout April, May and the start of June when it began to stabilise and then decrease as we entered slaughter season. meaning that lamb would be a good seasonal substitute for beef or pork should those two markets continue to rise.

After experiencing months of increases, Chicken prices have been at the highest price we have seen since well before the pandemic. Over the last 12 months avian flu has been causing supply issues across most of Europe and the UK. The quantity of healthy birds being sent to production facilities has been adversely affected by a cull of many birds across the continent and the virus being found in the UK. Supplier prices are reflecting the months and months of price increases and shortages we have experienced but there is some hope that the market will stabilise for all of us.

Fish. The market for fish continues to be volatile. Supplies of Cod and Haddock are highly dependent on Russian production. Sanctions placed on Russia, and countries limiting trade with them, has created supply uncertainty which is reflected in prices. The pricing for both commodities is so volatile and unpredictable, it’s difficult to predict what pricing will be seen in the months ahead. Fish cakes and other similar products can be made with substitute white fish; Pollock or Halibut for example both keep costs down and rely on more locally sourced fish.

Salmon pricing is still higher than at this time last year. These trends

UK/Ireland Outlook

Food & beverage Q-o-Q change Y-o-Y change

Chicken  0%  +21%

Beef  +5%   +11%

Lamb  +11%  +23%

Pork  +29%  +19%

Cod  -7%  +8%

Salmon  -12%  +42%

Tuna  +15%  +28%

Milk  +18%  +76%

Butter  +4%  +86%

Cheddar Mild  +5%  +61%

Cheddar   +5%  +57%

Eggs  -2%  +44%

Potato  -17%  -42%

Tomato  +20%  +20%

Sugar  +8%  +40%

Coffee Arabica  -3%  +57%

Coffee Robusta  +2%  +33%

Sunflower Oil  -21%  +57%

Rapeseed Oil  -11%  +48%

Non-food

Paper  +13%  +60%

Cardboard  +17%   +27%

Aluminium  +317%  +150%

PET – Plastic  +2%  +37%

LDPE – Plastic  +4%  +5%

HDPE – Plastic  +8%  +9%

PLA – Plastic   -15%  -44%

Polystyrene  +23%  +38%

Electricity  +41%  +216%

Gas  +9%  +212%

Shipping

China – UK  -13%  - 4%

Brazil – UK  +33%  +134%

US – UK   +14%  +21%

Vietnam – UK   -14%  -9%

Source: Mintec Analytics

are largely due to health issues of salmon farms around the globe. Norway has had to harvest much of its stock early due to these issues. This results in a good supply, but yield is decreased because the average size of the fish is lower.

Following a decrease on the prices of Tuna over the winter months, it has been steadily increasing since February and now sits at its highest price since before the pandemic. Tuna has been particularly affected by the rising sea temperatures with catch rates dropping by as much as -18% against last year in some regions.

Dairy. Milk pricing has been volatile since the start of the year with a retraction during April but steadily rising costs since then. As a result, prices are up. These increases are largely attributed to the high demand and low supply. As previously mentioned, the costs of keeping cattle have increased and so despite cows being kept for longer in dairy herds, production is down overall causing prices to stay high.

The farmgate prices for milk have had to increase to cover these costs with feed and fuel to heat sheds and transport cattle the biggest contributors to these costs. Demand has been high because producers have been trying to capitalise on the high prices for dairy products by producing more by-products such as butter and cream.

Butter has been steadily rising throughout the year with monthly increases. The steady increases are tied to strong demand and the lower yield in milk and milk fats. Normal increases were seen over the Easter period as people did a lot more home baking, but the demand is continuing from the foodservice sector and hospitality.

Fruit & Vegetables. Fertiliser cost and availability has been an issue for farmers. Nitrogen-based fertiliser production has reduced due to the lack of natural gas making it less accessible and more expensive. This has negatively impacted the crop yield as well as the price, with Tomatoes being particularly affected

throughout April and May as they are a nitrogen rich crop, with a high demand the prices over the last 6 months increased.

Potatoes have been a victim of fertiliser and planting costs, with a notable reduction in planting area of 5% against last year. It is expected that 2022 will produce the lowest yield for years and could push pricing upwards. The main issue of a low yield is that it won’t meet demand for a product which is hugely popular and crucial to many restaurant menus.

As previously mentioned, many farmers are making the tough decision between expensive fertiliser and lower yields, both of which impact their profit margin. With these rising costs being passed onto the consumer, we've seen monthly increases on Broccoli, Peppers and Cauliflower. The latest challenges facing farmers have been the weather, with high temperatures and low rainfall during a large part of the season across Europe.

The good news is that some of the favourite fruit for the UK is coming into season. Availability and pricing have become more favourable with quarterly reductions on Apples, Raspberries and Strawberries. Moving forward we expect these prices to continue trending downwards as they fully come into season and supply is strong.

Focussing on salads, lighter main options and fruit-based desserts is a great way to give your customers a seasonal menu full of fresh light foods whilst also keeping costs low on proteins and fish.

Edible Oils. The market for Oils such as Rapeseed, Vegetable and Palm Oil has been incredibly volatile since the start of the year. This is not exclusively down to the Ukraine conflict. Whilst this has had a major effect on the prices and supply of sunflower oil, it’s actually in a better position right now than predicted 3 months ago. The number of sunflower seeds that Ukraine has managed to export exceeded expectations and with neighbouring countries supporting the production process, supply has

Continental Europe Outlook

Food & beverage Q-o-Q change Y-o-Y change

Chicken  +17%  +28%

Beef  +8%   +23%

Lamb  +2%  +8%

Pork  +11%

Alaska Pollock  +3%  +21%

Cod Atlantic  -6%  +35%

Haddock  -49%  +8%

Salmon  +6%  +58%

Milk  +4%  +12%

Butter  +18%  +76%

Eggs (BE)  -15%  +88%

Wheat  +32%  +81%

Coffee Arabica  +66%

Coffee Robusta  +47%

Non-food

Electricity index Europe  +177%  +451%

Natural gas Europe  +64%  +369%

Source: Mintec Analytics

improved and relieved some of the pricing pressure on rapeseed oil.

Sunflower oil is down against last month and has a price improvement on the previous quarter whilst Rapeseed oil is down on last month and on the quarter. The latter was being used as a direct replacement when stocks were short on sunflower oil, so we are now starting to see some recovery in this market.

Palm Oil is often in the news, usually in relation to environmental concerns, but more recently there have been fears over whether there is enough supply in the market. In the previous quarter Indonesia, responsible for 60% of the global palm oil supply, announced they would be imposing an export ban on the commodity after seeing huge increases in demand as regional festivities took place. This sent the market into a shock buy and the prices increased through March, April and May, only settling down after the export ban was lifted and shipments

began rolling out once again. The market is waiting tentatively to see how much planting in the Ukraine region can be done as this will have a direct impact on the yield expected for next year and thus future pricing. There is still so much uncertainty in the market, so predicting how this will unfold is particularly challenging.

Dry Stores. Any Wheat-based products are seeing consistent rises as the supply of goods is tight and prices are expensive. We have already touched on the issues around grain coming out of the Ukraine region and this includes wheat that forms the building blocks of a lot of baking and the creation of basic goods such as Bread. Wheat has increased this quarter and it is more than +50% up on last year. The main exporter of wheat and grain is Russia and with the sanctions and trade disputes that are occurring with Russia it is difficult to predict when this situation will improve. This is having a direct impact on foods like Pasta, Bread and Cereals.

Whilst it has seen increases. Pasta is a great way of creating filling meals at lower cost.

Sugar has been steadily increasing since February. This is a casualty of high transport and fuel costs and farmers redirecting some of their attention to other more profitable crops. Brazil is the main exporter of sugar and had spent the first part of the year focussing on ethanol production to capitalise on profitable fuel markets. This has resulted in a +40% increase against last year. This trend is expected to continue, however, the market has been slightly buoyed by recent news of strong yields in the region due to good growing weather. We may see some stabilisation of pricing as a result.

Coffee is remaining strong and although we have seen some price increases, they have remained reliable. It is expected that these trends will last, which is being attributed to the large quantities of stock that are currently available.

Brazil and Honduras can cover for a drop in production in Columbia. Despite some adverse weather

conditions, it’s predicted that the total amount of coffee produced this year will exceed demand, thus keeping prices at a stable level.

Packaging. The Plastic Packaging Tax came into force in the UK from April 1st, and there was some initial confusion regarding the implementation. Many suppliers did not initially pass these costs through the supply chain until they were fully understood and so now, we are seeing these costs come through in full.

The costs and prices of Paper and Cardboard packing materials is affecting companies nationwide and globally. The costs and therefore prices of paper and paper-based packaging has skyrocketed since the pandemic. Due to the increased demand for paper and cardboard packaging and increased levels of home deliveries, this has meant less available paper and cardboard as well as less of it being successfully recycled. The costs for virgin paper have been steadily rising due to production and fuel costs and now sit +13% higher than the previous quarter and +60% higher than last year.

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HOW AGENCE CREHO’S PORTFOLIO OF FRENCH HOTELS INCREASE PROFITABILITY THROUGH A STRATEGIC PROCUREMENT PARTNERSHIP

Written by Damien Gourribon Director Agence Creho

To help its portfolio of hotels return to profitable operations following the pandemic, French hotel and revenue management company Agence Creho partnered with Trinity Purchasing.

“We began by looking the savings we could gain through the partnership on items for breakfast, then in-room equipment, and as broad as laundry equipment,” says Agence Creho Director, Damien Gourribon. “What we can see, with six months behind us, is a 12% saving overall – without compromising on quality.”

Agency Creho’s consultative approach

Agence Creho’s consultancy provides independent hotel owners and operators with a range of services, from managing their sales process and website through advising on room rates, and now improving buying, too. It supports around 60 properties, many in Paris, and has plans to grow across France and further into other adjacent countries.

“We like to say that, to make profits, we have to satisfy three groups – the staff, the customers and the owner,” says Damien.

Creho manages every step for some of its hotel clients, from taking pictures and designing a web presence, to handling all elements of digital marketing. He divides the company’s services into three: revenue

management, operational management, and a cost management function, launched in partnership with Trinity.

Procurement partners bring further savings

Trinity provides a savings analysis, evaluating current supplier partnerships and purchasing needs, to estimate potential annual cost

Client case study

Come see Trinity Purchasing and our partner, Agence Creho, this year at the Equiphotel Fair in Paris - Porte de Versailles from November 6 to 10, 2022!

Visit us and find out how:

■ Trinity’s purchasing services can reduce your costs instantly across all purchasing categories

■ Agence Crého can support you with hotel management and revenue management

■ The latest product and services innovations from our supplier partners can enhance your service offering

We will be delighted to meet you, learn about your needs and discuss how we can support you!

Visit

Stand K12

savings. Trinity’s purchasing power and negotiated contracts allow Agence Creho’s hotel properties to save money across a variety of categories and further improve their bottom line.

And with Trinity’s hospitality expertise, the group is able to further deliver on driving down costs for their hotel properties.

“We’re increasing the turnover and RevPar, on average +30%, compared to the previous year,” says Damien. “And our partnership with Trinity Purchasing means we further increase profitability.”

Agence Creho is offering Trinity members in France a 10% discounted revenue management and digital marketing service.

For further information on how Trinity can help your business, contact your Relationship Manager or email news@trinitypurchasing.com

“What we can see, with six months behind us, is a 12% saving overall –without compromising on quality.”

WEBINAR: INNOVATIONS IN PAYMENTS TO ENHANCE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE FOR THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

The right payment system allows hospitality businesses to lean into recovery. It helps businesses to manage their staffing crises by allowing them to do more with less. It allows them to rebuild relationships with their customers, to understand those customers better and to provide them with the services they need at the right price points. It also enables them to manage hygiene and sustainability factors and give clear reporting for stakeholders.

Because payment is at the heart of the Hospitality business it is key for all hoteliers to get the latest trends on payment innovation to be at the forefront of the industry and offer an enhanced customer journey to their guests in both online and face to face worlds.

We invite you to join our next Hospitality Live session hand in hand with Trinity Purchasing, during which we will delve into how new

innovations in payment systems better respond to new hospitality challenges and meet hospitality players’ expectations on how to boost hotel occupancy with an improved customer experience.

During the session we will talk about different payment innovations such as: unattended payment, virtual

assistants through augmented reality, group payments, automated payment through chatbots and many other innovative solutions.

We will also learn from first-hand hoteliers’ experiences thanks to the collaboration of Joachim Meersseman, owner of Hotel Castillion who will be joining the session.

Kimberley Hoevers KAM Hospitality Worldline

Kristel Cauterman Assistant Procurement Manager Benelux, Trinity Purchasing

Joachim Meersseman Owner Hotel Castillion

WL HOSPITALITY SUITE, OUR DEDICATED OFFER FOR THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

WL Hospitality Suite is our dedicated offer for the hospitality industry and is managed entirely by Worldline. It is a full service offering designed to cover all payment needs, easily integrated into a hospitality group’s infrastructure and hotel management system (PMS). It can drive real efficiency in a business and improve guest satisfaction. Users get one single point of contact for a seamless integration, so they can focus on what matters: serving guests.

Ready for integration WL Hospitality Suite can be incorporated into a property management system (PMS) via a one-time, simple integration. It has a uniform payment interface across all regions in Europe, without

any adjustments to the hotel’s infrastructure. It has been designed to provide one solution to connect all sales channels and create an omnichannel experience for guests. With tokenisation, it is possible to identify customers on all channels and reward their loyalty, thanks to one single identifier.

WL Hospitality Suite covers all hotel use cases, from pre-authorisation to top-ups or subsequent billing for no-shows. From booking to checkout, Worldline processes all payments securely, efficiently and quickly, helping serve travellers and guests from across the globe, by supporting a wide range of payment brands and innovative payment methods, including dynamic currency conversion.

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SUPPORTING IMPORTANT CAUSES:

DONATING TO THE CHILDREN’S CANCER CHARITY, KINDERKANKERFONDS VZW

Written by

Paula Daenen General Manager Trinity Purchasing

When the Trinity team learned that Senior Relationship Manager, Tony Dierckens’ son Jules had been diagnosed with cancer, they wanted to find a way to help.

Bracelets for a cause

Tony’s daughter, Estelle, decided all by herself to make and sell colourful beaded bracelets to support her brother Jules, donating all the funds she receives to a local charity, Kinderkankerfonds VZW in Belgium.

Kinderkankerfonds’ mission is to provide a better quality of life for children with cancer and their families. They provide support for the financial, physical, and mental wellbeing of children and their families, as well as support scientific research in the fight against childhood cancer.

“We focus our resources on what we can do to make it easier for families and their children,” says Boris Vergucht, Communication Officer at Kinderkankerfonds.

Tony recognises the importance of his daughter’s efforts to support this important cause.

Tony Dierckens Senior Relationship Manager Trinity Purchasing

Boris Vergucht Communication Officer Kinderkankerfonds VZW

“Despite being confronted with a severely sick brother and all the other worries that come along with it, Estelle didn't want to sit on the sidelines,” says Tony. “Her contribution, not only for Jules, but also for all children with lifethreatening illnesses makes me very proud as a father.”

Trinity team provides support

The Trinity team has been so touched by the family’s story, that they asked Estelle to make 30 bracelets, one for each Trinity team member. The company has also provided additional donations of €350 to the Children’s Cancer Charity and some

members of the team have also personally contributed.

“Tony is part of our team, and we are one big family,” says Paula Daenen, General Manager. “We are trying to support Tony in every little way we can through this very hard time. We were so moved by Estelle and her passion to help her brother and other children receiving treatments to be able to have fun with their family and friends. We contributed as this has touched our hearts and it really means a lot to us.”

Estelle’s contribution

Recently, Estelle calculated that she raised €916 in total, including the contributions from Trinity and the team.

Kinderkankerfonds is grateful for the support from Tony’s family and Estelle’s bracelets for their cause.

“It means a lot to us that the family has taken the initiative to support our organisation,” says Boris. “Without these types of actions, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do every year – from providing children’s healthcare at home to funding scientific research in order to find new treatments, to supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of patients.”

Estelle will continue making new bracelets, collecting money to make another donation to the Kinderkankerfonds VZW charity in 2023.

Letter from Estelle to the Trinity team

Hello, I am Estelle,

I am 10 years old and have been making jewellery and selling it for a while.

I got the idea from movies from kids my age who run small companies. I had told my dad that I wanted to do the same and he was not convinced but agreed.

You will probably not believe me but [at the time of writing this] I already gained €93,30. However, the money is not for me but for the children’s cancer charity.

The children’s cancer charity makes sure that my brother and other sick children enjoy nice things in the hospital (Clini clowns, balloons, musicians and more) and can even go on nice camping trips.

They also make it possible that brothers and sisters of sick children can do nice activities. My parents had the idea to support the children’s cancer charity. So now I can say I have a small company of my own. And now you know everything about me. Bye!

If you would like to learn more about the Kinderkankerfonds VZW charity and how you could support it, please visit their website https://kinderkankerfonds.be

Hotels require a reliable source of energy for a variety of different applications, such as central heating, cooking, hot water, swimming pools and air conditioning. LPG is just that – a reliable choice that delivers an energy supply for all your needs, with less risk of power cuts, even in the remotest of areas.

Chefs and hotel professionals choose LPG from Tervas for its:

Speed It provides immediate heat on ignition, without the need for any warm up period

Control It produces heat that responds instantly and changes in setting and distributes the heat more broadly across the base of cooking implements

Cleanliness It burns efficiently with no black smoke. It leaves no marks on cooking implements, making washing easier after cooking.

Sharing expertise

HELPING OUR MEMBERS TO REDUCE AND CONTROL COSTS

Written by

Graham Coles Procurement Director Avendra Group Europe

After the covid-19 pandemic, most people had hoped for a return to normal - and expected that it would feel distinctly like prepandemic times. While this has, unfortunately, not been the case, Graham and Olivier share how the Trinity team supports its members to help them overcome their current/new challenges.

New challenges

While businesses in hospitality and catering have seen their customers return, they have been faced with a raft of fresh challenges, as they run their operations. Supply chains remain fragile, many face staff shortages, and conflict in Ukraine has exacerbated issues of inflation and energy price hikes. Most recently, the heatwave across Europe has affected crops, adding to issues of product availability and price.

Sourcing alternatives

At Trinity, the team helps its members face these challenges head on by helping members mitigate cost increases in a time of rising prices. The Trinity team is learning about each member's challenges and needs and shares alternative ways to help them reduce their purchasing costs without losing on quality or customer experience.

Olivier Bertrand Procurement Director Trinity Purchasing Continental Europe

“We’re helping our members think smarter to reduce their input costs,” adds Graham Coles, Procurement Director, Avendra Group. “We work hard for our members, on product substitution, for example.”

The Trinity team actively engages with suppliers to negotiate proposed price increases and, where it

makes sense, works closely with suppliers to identify “good, better, and best” options they can in turn communicate to members.

Supplier partnerships

The procurement team at Trinity ensures a strong supply chain through supplier partner relationships.

At Trinity, the team helps its members face these challenges head on by helping members mitigate cost increases in a time of rising prices.

“Prices are rising for everyone due to inflation, and it’s easy to go where the cheapest pricing is,” says Olivier. “However, with the unpredictable state of the current supply chain, it’s not just about pricing, and a company with cheaper pricing today may not have the same pricing tomorrow in such a volatile market.”

“Having strategic supplier relationships is critical,” he says. “Our long-term relationships with supplier partners help ensure our members are prioritised for soughtafter products. And during the covid period, we started to introduce some additional contracted supplier options in certain categories where necessary to secure supply.”

Sustainable choices

There’s also a renewed focus on sustainability to not only reduce an organisation’s carbon footprint, but also to further cut down on costs.

“Our members are now reviewing their current systems for energy efficiency and food waste to help them reduce costs,” says Graham. “And they are now more receptive to menu engineering, perhaps moving to a more plant-based offering or one that flexes according to which proteins provide best value on the market week to week.”

To help members, the Trinity team sources solutions in key sustainability focus areas such as energy and water consumption, as well as waste reduction and management.

Digital tools

Technology helps operators to streamline their processes and free up their resources. As the saying goes, time equals money!

Trinity’s in-house e-procurement system Pi helps operators place online orders with multiple suppliers, manage supplier invoices, record supplier deliveries, and more – taking care of otherwise time-consuming tasks.

We are here to help

If you need support with any issues or challenges you are currently facing, please contact your Relationship Manager or reach out on news@ trinitypurchasing.com

“Our long-term relationships with supplier partners help ensure our members are prioritised for sought-after products.”

Our services

FIND MORE SAVINGS TO IMPROVE THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF YOUR BUSINESS

NOT JUST FOOD

We are not just about food – we can deliver substantial savings across both food and non-food categories. In some cases, you can even make savings with existing suppliers. It's that easy!

If a category does not fall under your responsibilities, we would encourage you to pass our details to your colleagues, so we can help your business to be in better financial health.

IMMEDIATE REAL SAVINGS

Trinity has over 1000 members across 11 countries with 400 national and international suppliers. Our price files are based on our collective members’ spend, ensuring our clients get the very best pricing in the marketplace.

We benchmark for you and look at how your current pricing could be improved to give you some immediate savings. Our benchmarks are quick and transparent and can provide our clients with an instant saving report.

TRUSTED PARTNER

Trinity’s Relationship Managers follow a stringent benchmarking process to give you a truly fair, impartial price review - taking into consideration the product size, quality and volume you buy.

CURRAGH LAWN NURSING HOME SHARES HOW TRINITY PURCHASING HELPS CUT COSTS DURING CHALLENGING TIMES

Written by Colman Ryan Owner, Curragh Lawn Nursing Home

In Ireland, the Trinity Purchasing team has helped Curragh Lawn Nursing Home, part of the CéileCare network of family owned and operated nursing homes, reduce costs during this challenging time for care home operators.

“The initial onboarding process was great,” says Colman Ryan, owner of care home Curragh Lawn Nursing Home. “Trinity just asked me for our invoices - and a week or so later, we settled on some initial key focus areas. The cost savings estimate they came back with was quite a stark comparison. I’d done very little work, and spent no money, but there were a lot of glaring savings for us.”

Care home challenges

Care home operators are facing a particularly tough time – with inflation pushing up supply costs, they’re unable to increase prices to recover margins. As a result, a renewed focus on finding ways to cut costs – without sacrificing on quality of service or care – helps to reduce those pressures.

Colman shares that the challenges his operation is currently facing is typical of many Irish care homes. “We’re a private business, but we operate under the government’s Fair Deal scheme, which provides

state support for residents,” he says.

“But with inflationary challenges and wage pressures, we don’t have the ability to easily increase our incomewe can’t react.”

Strategic procurement partnership

The CéileCare network of Nursing Homes went to market, looking for a procurement partner that could help. “We’re very much a hands-on in the business, so we don’t have the luxury of time to focus on procurement,” he says. “When we were introduced to

On top of this, the ability to lock in energy prices has prevented the worry of imminent increases, which Colman describes as “an achievement in itself in the current market”.

Trinity, the timing couldn’t have been better. It was quite clear they had what we required ready to go.”

Savings benefits

Harnessing Trinity’s buying power has, for example, cut €300 per month off the care home’s dairy bill – “And it’s the exact same product, from the same supplier we’ve historically purchased from,” says Colman.

On top of this, the ability to lock in energy prices has prevented the worry of imminent increases, which Colman describes as “an achievement in itself in the current market”.

Maintaining quality, local supply

With Curragh Lawn Nursing Home operating as a family business, connections with quality local food suppliers are key.

“One of my key concerns was not to reduce quality simply to save money,” says Colman. “So far, I’ve been really pleased that Trinity has respected the desire to maintain those local relationships.”

Gaining efficiencies with the Pi system

The next step for the care home will be migrating their ordering process onto Trinity’s cloudbased eProcurement system, Pi. Pi helps operators place online orders with multiple suppliers, manage supplier invoices, and more – taking care of otherwise time-consuming tasks.

This system will provide further efficiency gains for the busy operation, as it prepares to open additional beds in a new extension.

Available to all Trinity clients

Staff profiles

MEET OUR ePROCUREMENT COORDINATOR

Outline your career path within Trinity to date. I’ve been part of the Trinity team since November 2016. I started as a Relationship Manager and in 2018, became Senior Relationship Manager for Belgium. In 2020, I went part-time as an Administrative Assistant and from November 2020 I currently work as an e-Procurement Coordinator, setting up hospitality operators on the Pi system in Continental Europe.

What do you enjoy most about your role? Rolling out the Pi system in Continental Europe and helping hospitality operators understand how it will benefit them and save them time.

What has been the highlight of your career within Trinity so far? I really enjoyed my role as a Senior Relationship Manager for Belgium, being able to set up and manage a successful team. I am currently appreciating the project of setting up and rolling out the eProcurement system to our members in Continental Europe.

Why are you proud to work for Trinity? It’s been great to experience the growth of Trinity throughout my 6 years of work at the company. Trinity also has shown good-will toward employees, providing flexibility according to working/personal situations.

Sum up your personality in five words or less. Enthusiastic, empathetic, openminded, flexible, loyal.

Early Bird or Night owl? Early bird.

Dog or Cat person? Normally a cat person, however I am biased toward my dog ‘Negro.’

Favourite ice-cream flavour? Definitely Ferrero Rocher.

Staff profiles

MEET OUR RELATIONSHIP MANAGER BELGIUM

What is your role within Trinity? As a Relationship Manager I mainly work closely with hotel groups who have properties all over Belgium, as well as smaller-scale, family hotels to help provide advice on further ways they can realise the value of the partnership. I show them areas of opportunity and further ways to reduce costs, whenever possible.

Outline your career path within Trinity to date. I started in 2013 as the first Relationship Manager in Belgium. Shortly after, the team in Belgium grew very quickly! I have a hotel and restaurant background, which helps me to better understand the needs of our customers.

What do you enjoy most about your role? I love assisting existing members, making new contacts within the hotel industry and expanding my network. I also appreciate the value that having such a broad network of suppliers can provide to our members.

What has been the highlight of your career within Trinity so far? The growth of Trinity Purchasing in Belgium – and the value that our members are receiving from the partnership.

Why are you proud to work for Trinity? I am proud of the service model and the growth we have achieved so far and will continue to achieve.

Sum up your personality in five words or less Helpful, flexible, jovial, reliable, loyal.

Early Bird or Night owl? Early bird, leaving early while the sun is still rising is great.

Dog or Cat person? Dog.

Favourite ice-cream flavour? Yogurt ice cream with forest fruits.

Céline Snauwaert

eProcurement Coordinator

Anneleen Martens

Relationship Manager

environmental

by switching to

Just

can decrease up to

of

Scan to learn more. If you have any questions, please contact your Trinity Purchasing Relationship Manager.

AMBIUS VERTICAL GREEN

Green stimulates our senses. We provide a real Urban Jungle atmosphere with vertical greenery and interior planting.

Would you like advice on how we can make your workplace healthier and greener? Call +32 475 530959, mail to johan.mertens@ambius.com or news@trinitypurchasing.com, or go to ambius.be for more information.

Delivery in Benelux and Germany (only Nordrhein Westfalen).

Available to all Trinity clients (excluding Germany)

DISCOVER OUR HOSPITALITY SOLUTIONS

Our experts will study your project with our network of partner installers, to help you save energy.

HEATING

CONDITIONING

For more information, contact : news@trinitypurchasing.com

in France

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The experts in workplace experience

Sharing expertise

SUSTAINABLE HOSPITALITY:

6 IDEAS TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT

Written by

Graham Coles Procurement Director Avendra Group Europe

Olivier Bertrand Procurement Director Trinity Purchasing Continental Europe

T

he hospitality industry collectively plays an important role in creating a more sustainable future. The food system is estimated to be responsible for a third of greenhouse gas emissions, with the tourism sector accounting for around 8% (hotels around 1%). Therefore, it’s important to regularly review your businesses current environmental impact and identify opportunities for operational improvements.

If you are just starting your sustainability journey, or are simply looking for ways to do better, here are some ideas to help your hospitality business reduce its carbon footprint.

Local produce

There are many aspects to food sustainability, but why not start with where the food you buy comes from? Planning your menu around what is available locally and is in season will reduce transport and your carbon footprint. Trinity can assist with our contracted options – and if you have specific needs or ideas, your Relationship Manager will help assess additional opportunities.

It is now broadly accepted that a meat-free diet tends to have a lower carbon footprint. So be sure to offer some plant-based alternatives on your menu – as many meat eaters are more frequently ordering plant-based options in their effort to help the planet!

Waste and plastic reduction

There are plenty of ways to reduce packaging and plastics across your business. If you’re offering or selling water to drink, rather than plastic bottles - use branded glass bottles or jugs or use water dispensing solutions through Trinity’s supplier partner BRITA. This is not only a greener solution, but it feels more luxurious too. In the kitchen, try to buy larger containers where possible

without any impact on waste. In bathrooms move away from miniature shampoos - many large chains today are using refillable, wall-mounted dispensers. Find these from suppliers such as Groupe GM, Guest Supply and Bunzl.

In the chemicals category, you can reduce plastic and transportation impacts by looking into concentrated product solutions from our supplier partner Ecolab.

Energy conservation

A quick energy audit from our supplier partner PEM will often uncover some easy wins, including parts of your premises still not converted to LED lighting; lights left on; heating set too high; and defective seals on fridge doors. With energy costs rising, revisit modest investments that previously looked not worth the return - they may well be more worthwhile now. From thermostatic valves from our supplier partner VanMarcke, to key card light switches in rooms and new, more efficient electrical equipment from suppliers including True Refrigeration, Meiko or Electrolux, the payback is likely to have halved, compared with a year ago.

Promoting sustainable transportation

There are plenty of ways you can reduce your carbon footprint and encourage greener transportation. Consolidating your purchases to a smaller number of suppliers and reducing the frequency of your delivery drops will reduce trips from suppliers. Consider greening your own company’s vehicles and install EV chargers from our supplier partner DKV to encourage your staff and your guests to drive green. And if you’re in an urban environment, you can encourage non-car travel by providing e-bikes from Trinity’s supplier partner Cesano.

Minimising water waste

A review of water use within your property could easily uncover ways to cut back on consumption by staff,

as they carry out their daily tasks. Persuading guests to cut down may be harder, but you can use several tactics. When swapping shower taps, look for new models from Grohe via Van Marcke that use technology to reduce water use. As an interim measure you could fit restrictors to outlets, to reduce flow rates. And it’s always worth gently encouraging guests to make sustainable decisions, such as reusing towels and considering the water saved by a shorter shower.

Sustainable supply chains

Questions are being asked of all businesses about their sustainability initiatives. So, no matter where you are in the supply chain, it’s worthwhile asking your suppliers what they are doing - and learning best practices from their responses.

Trinity is helping members to reduce their carbon footprint by looking across the broad range of critical commodities that the group regularly sources – from paper and chemical usage to food/agriculture and plastic use. By identifying those commodities that have the most impact on our environment, we can work on an alternative, and suggest more sustainable options.

Further support

There are a number of recognised sustainability initiatives across the hospitality sector globally, some of which you may wish to tap into. These include:

Green Key EcoRating Programme

A graduated rating system designed to recognise hotels and lodging facilities for their commitment to improving environmental and fiscal performance

Sustainable Hospitality Alliance

Building a collective effort, with the support of major global hotel brands

Energy & Environment Alliance

A self-help group working on adapting BREEAM to measure hospitality business sustainability

The World Travel & Tourism Council recently developed a list of “Hotel Sustainability

Basics” in March 2022 – an initiative which provides globally recognised basic sustainability indicators for hotels

It doesn’t matter where you start – it matters that you take the first step. And we are here to help. We have teamed up with leading suppliers that have products and solutions that will help you reduce your carbon footprint.

If you need support on your sustainability journey –please contact us at news@trinitypurchasing.com

Earth and Sun

Refillable and traceable eco-friendly dispenser. A clean, safe, fast & easy solution with reduced environment impact.

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS & KEEPING YOUR WASTE BILL UNDER CONTROL?

SORT SMARTLY!

The costs of residual waste have risen dramatically. As a facility manager, how do you keep your waste bill under control? And how can you sort smarter? Renewi, a leading European wasteto-product company, provides explanation and tips.

Stricter regulations

With VLAREMA 8, published in August 2021, Flanders has chosen to make a bold step towards a circular economy. The Flemish regulations on the sustainable management of material cycles and waste products include a number of comprehensive reforms, which also impose obligations on the waste business.

Dries De Pauw (Director of Marketing & Sales at Renewi), said: "We are obliged to inform waste producers about the legislation. We examine the twenty-four waste flows with our customers, which results in the 'VLAREMA certificate'. OVAM also imposes a monitoring function on us in the sense that we check roll containers with residual waste for recyclable materials. We then have to identify these in the central OVAM register."

Tips for the hospitality manager

Within the catering industry it is important that (cleaning) staff are well informed. Dries De Pauw said: "Communication is crucial. We often

see that people are insufficiently aware of the legislation. Also, ensure you provide suitable material for better sorting at the source. This is very feasible within the hotel and catering industry, if you start with the classic package of residual waste, paper/ cardboard and PMD and swill (food waste). Use the right containers in

different volumes. Opaque bags are a no-go. Know that in a production environment, it is also possible to outsource the entire waste management. This is carried out via a container park on site, which is staffed by people with knowledge of the matter and which results in more efficient management.”

Contact your Relationship Manger for more information.

Together we can do sustainable business, with a view to a better future for generations to come! Small acts, big impact! www.renewi.com

BENEFITS OF ADDING E-BIKES TO YOUR HOSPITALITY BUSINESS

Written by Eugene Beckers Director Cesano

An electric bike (e-bike for short) is a motorised bicycle with an integrated electric motor that is used to provide propulsion. This means that less power, or in some cases even no power at all, is required to move forward. The support works based on power from a battery, the capacity of which determines the time and distance that can be covered with the bicycle before the battery has to be recharged. E-bikes can also be called pedelecs, which means that the power is activated by pedalling instead of by throttle.

The bicycle market

In 2019, the global e-Bike market was estimated at $14,4bn with growth prospects at a CAGR of 10.3% from 2020 to 2025, to generate $25.9 billion revenue by 2025

In the Netherlands, Europe’s largest adopter of bicycles, 17 million inhabitants together have 23 million bicycles, and more than a quarter of all daily trips are made by bike. In 2021,

for the first time, more new electric bikes were sold than 'regular' bikes. Of the new bicycles sold in 2021, 52% were e-Bikes.

This trend is seen across Europe – in 2020, some 500,000 new bicycles were sold in Belgium, 50% of which were electric.

Reduce environmental impact

To support the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty

on climate change created in 2015, businesses around the world are doing their part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

E-bikes are a sustainable mode of transport with considerably less environmental impact than other forms of transport. According to research by Mirjan Bouwman of the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, an e-Bike uses only about 10 per cent of the energy needed to power a car, is 13 times

Sources: Statista, https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/e-bike-market; www.government.nl/topics/bicycles; www.iamexpat.nl/lifestyle/lifestyle-news

more energy efficient than a typical four-door sedan and six times more efficient than rail transport.

Providing e-bikes for guests to explore the area around your hotel will help your business reduce its environmental impact and attract guests looking for a more sustainable stay.

Travel economically and efficiently

The e-Bike is the next evolutionary step in cycling, allowing for longer rides and greater distances without the cost of hiring a car. And with fuel prices at record highs, providing your guests with a more economical solution can make them look favourably upon their stay.

Cycle tourism

Both technological progress and growing environmental awareness, improved bicycle infrastructure and changing mobility rules in favour of bicycle-users mean that the bicycle market, and especially the pedelec market, is booming. The growing popularity of e-Bikes means that more and more customers are using the availability of e-Bikes as one of their selection criteria when choosing a hotel.

Cesano Group e-Bike solutions

Cesano Group provides a total e-bike solution for the hospitality and hotel market: e-Bikes including insurance, maintenance and repairs, roadside assistance and financing. Cesano can also advise hotel managers on their choice of e-Bikes and the corresponding rental models.

Cesano Group takes the burden away from hospitality operators – who simply

promote and rent out the e-Bikes as much as possible, and Cesano Group does the rest. Any repairs and bikecare activities are done by Cesano Group. The rental income is then divided between the hotel and Cesano Group according to prior agreements. The profitability resulting from renting out e-Bikes can generate additional income in the years to come, and provide a sustainable and fun option for guests without imposing an additional burden on your hotel staff.

If you are interested in learning more about Cesano Group’s e-bike solutions, please contact your Relationship Manager or news@trinitypurchasing.com

TRINITY PURCHASING EVENTS

Written by

Dieter Schoofs Relationship Manager Belgium

Earlier this year, as Europe re-opened and covid restrictions eased, we were delighted to re-introduce our in-person Trinity Purchasing Events for hotel, restaurant, and leisure operators. The Trinity team organises these events to provide a relaxed and friendly environment that will help members discover new solutions, taste and sample new products, as well as network with their peers and industry experts all in one place!

The most recent Trinity Purchasing Events were held in Belgium and the Netherlands. Regional Relationship Manager for the Netherlands and Germany, Sanne Vogelaar, says: “We’ve just hosted the first large event of its kind in the Netherlands, and it went well. Over 40 suppliers were in attendance, displaying their products and services, covering a variety of various categories.”

“The feedback from operators was positive,” she says. “They love the format of the event as in just one morning they can cover a lot of ground – networking with suppliers, discovering new products, and learning more about the latest trends and promotions.”

Sanne Vogelaar Relationship Manager Netherlands & Germany

Supplier showcase

“We ask that our suppliers bring something new to display at each of the events that we host,” says Dieter Schoofs, Relationship Manager Belgium. “That way those who attend are always up to date with the latest and most relevant products in the market.”

“The events also feature out-of-thebox demonstrations of products and services so attendees can not only see the products, but test them too,” says Dieter. “For example, our new supplier Cesano Group brought their

sustainable rental eBikes. Attendees could try them out and ride them outside the event venue. Another supplier, Van Marcke, brought a shower truck – so operators could physically test and see how the shower worked there and then.”

Reginald Lycke, Communiatie for Stayen says, “The Trinity Event in Belgium was a great opportunity to learn about the latest products and concepts available through Trinity's suppliers. Definitely an added value that inspired me to try out new products and ideas to improve our current offering."

Check out the latest product trends, innovations and solutions for hospitality operators

Event themes

Some of the Trinity Purchasing Events are themed around current market trends – encouraging suppliers to showcase different solutions that will help operators to maximise on these trends.

“One of our recent Belgium events was breakfast-themed,” says Dieter. “Breakfast is one of the most important topics within a hotel. We have seen a lot of changes in breakfast buffet trends, especially post-covid. So, we asked suppliers to bring their latest products to provide operators with new ideas.”

Some of the breakfast trends that suppliers showcased included portion packs, locally produced or sourced products, as well as healthy options as these topics are growing increasingly important to the consumer. Hoteliers are now looking to include more smoothies, as well as granola, juices, and multi-vitamin yogurts in their offerings.

Networking opportunity

“It’s extremely valuable for operators to be able to speak directly with a number of industry experts in one

room. And if they have any questions, they can receive an answer there and then as well as pick up tips for their business,” says Sanne.

“Importantly, they can also network and connect with other hoteliers,” she says. “And speak about their day-to-day challenges and discuss their solutions.”

Pi demo

Attendees can also discover the power of Pi, Trinity’s in-house eProcurement system which offers a full Purchase-to-Pay (P2P) solution.

One of Trinity’s experts provides a demo of the system and explains how Pi can save operators a vast amount of time and resources! This timesaving technology can streamline the way operators work – which is now more critical than ever.

Trinity Purchasing Events coming to a region near you this year!

Building on the success of the events in Belgium and the Netherlands, we’ll be hosting more regional events in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and France this year. So stay tuned for more details!

Keep an eye on your email inbox for an invitation to the next Trinity Purchasing Event!

If you would like to learn more about these events, please contact your Relationship Manager or news@trinitypurchasing.com

Award-winning, cloud-based purchase-to-pay solution.

Pi is fully configurable and has been designed to meet your requirements, from basic supplier ordering and electronic invoice management to a fully integrated business management tool covering menu management, inventory control and much more.

Supplier Ordering The powerful online ordering system allows users to place orders with multiple suppliers through one single web portal.

Record Supplier Deliveries Deliveries can be recorded in the system in seconds, using the supplier order as a template.

Invoice Management The heart of the purchase-to-pay process. Supplier invoices are processed automatically as soon as they arrive digitally, directly from suppliers.

Purchase Coding The system vastly reduces unnecessary administration as it enables ‘purchase coding’ rules to be configured.

Management Reporting You can view real-time granular detail management information in a series of dynamic customisable tables, graphs and charts.

Let’s talk … Want to find out more about how the Pi system can help your organisation, reduce administration and drive efficiencies?

Email us on news@trinitypurchasing.com

Sharing expertise

EXPANDING MULTILINGUAL SUPPORT FOR Pi USERS IN EUROPE

Written by Sarah Mitchem eProcurement Support Advisor, Avendra Group Europe

As more and more hospitality operators are looking to streamline the way they work to generate operational efficiencies, there has been an increased demand for our system Pi!

The Trinity Purchasing team has been busy rolling out the Pi system across continental Europe and Ireland to help hospitality operators do more with less.

To provide the most effective level of customer care for all Pi users, and to support Trinity’s Relationship Management team – we are now expanding our dedicated multilingual Pi support team.

How

can

Meet Sarah!

One of our newest team members is Sarah Mitchem, who is fluent in French. Based in the UK, she joined as an eProcurement Support Advisor.

Sarah is now providing support for Pi users across continental Europe, the UK and Ireland in both English and French where needed.

“I studied French at university, and lived for a year in France, so it is great to use my language skills and assist Trinity Purchasing members in their native language,” says Sarah. “I support members with a wide range of queries – ranging from assisting them with logging in and adding new users to the system to providing them with support for any queries related to our Pi modules.”

Pi is a cloud-based P2P system designed to provide hospitality operators with total visibility across their operation. Trinity Purchasing members can benefit from supplier ordering - placing orders with multiple suppliers through one single web portal – as well as recording supplier deliveries, invoice management and more!

Sarah also provides backend support for Pi, including new supplier set-up, price additions, updating catalogues and running tests to ensure everything operates smoothly.

Letizia Mirandola, Regional Relationship Manager for France, Italy and Spain says, “Sarah brings both the language skills and the system knowledge, so that she can fully assist members and suppliers with their needs in their local language. Once we know a member wants to be onboarded onto the Pi system, we can pass their details along to Sarah and she will complete their implementation. All of this has been a great help, freeing up time for our team.”

Contact

on news@trinitypurchasing.com

Relationship Manager

reach out to

how

can help

Available to all Trinity clients

Free-up your team! Gain control over your supplier ordering process

Top benefits that clients love

✔ Place orders with multiple suppliers through one single web site

✔ No more phone ordering – saving a huge amount of time

✔ Total control over the products that can be ordered

✔ Powerful order approval and order notification system

✔ Fully automated tracking of the status of all your orders

✔ Cut-off time alerts and order countdown notification

✔ View suppliers’ delivery schedules, minimum order values and contact details

✔ Create bespoke ordering lists and share them with your team

Training and support

Cherry Pi is available as part of the Pi systemcomplimentary to all Trinity Purchasing clients

✔ There is no additional charge for implementation or configuration

✔ No charge or limit on number of users

✔ No charge for online-training, help or support

Free-up valuable time and resources

You will no longer have to log in to separate supplier websites to place orders. With Cherry Pi you can send orders to multiple suppliers from the same web portal – saving lots of time and stress remembering all those passwords and logging in/out of different websites.

What’s more, Cherry Pi has been modelled on supermarket shopping websites, so it is very intuitive and extremely easy to use. You and your staff will love it!

Placing orders takes just a few minutes!

The product search is a thing of beauty! Without needing to know the supplier simply start typing and all available matching products are displayed. Once you select the item, the system automatically identifies which supplier that product is sourced from and then creates an order for that related supplier.

Buy the right products at the right price

Cherry Pi gives you total control - you can select the suppliers and products which can be ordered. For example, only approved products where the price has been already negotiated and agreed will be visible.

Intelligent approval process

When an order is placed it can be forwarded to a budget holder within your business for approval prior to being sent to the supplier.

Once an order has been created, a purchase order number is automatically generated. This can be overridden if required or it can be made mandatory, so that no orders are sent unless the PO number has been provided. Furthermore, your team can view a monthly spend report with the click of the button.

Track your order

Once your order has been sent to the supplier, the system automatically updates the status so you can be confident that the supplier has received and is processing your order. The system also features a supplier order cut-off notification, which shows a countdown of the time you have left to place an order for the next available delivery date.

Pi can do a whole lot more for your organisation

Pi has been designed and developed to offer Trinity clients a full P2P (Purchase-to-Pay) management via one central online platform. You can order with multiple suppliers, bookin the delivered order, approve the invoice and request credit notes when required. Additionally data can be exported to an account finance package to make the supplier payment.

Contact us on news@trinitypurchasing.com to find out more

Staff profiles

SPOTLIGHT ON THE FINANCE TEAM

MEET OUR VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE

Outline your career path within Trinity to date. I joined the Trinity business back in August 2020 as Vice President of Finance which was an interesting time to join to say the least as we were at the peak of the covid pandemic!

Before joining Trinity, I was a Finance Director in the Aramark business (parent company of Trinity) working in their Global Offshore business which provides catering and managed services on oil rigs and platforms in the UK, Scandinavia, North America and the Middle East, and previous to that have held a number of other senior Finance roles within the Aramark business dating back to 2007.

What do you enjoy most about your role? The variety of the role and working with an outstanding team. Within the Trinity business no two days are ever the same as the challenges that come with managing the finances across 6 different countries are diverse which means you’re always experiencing something new and interesting.

However, the main enjoyment for me in work comes from the interactions that you have with team members and from seeing their development. I’m extremely fortunate to have a brilliant team in the Trinity finance function who consistently deliver great results, provide first class support to the business, and are an absolute pleasure to work with.

What has been the highlight of your career within Trinity so far? Helping to navigate the business through the unprecedented challenges that the covid pandemic posed to the business. The past two years have been difficult for most businesses, and Trinity is no different. During that time everyone in the business worked tirelessly and made sacrifices.

Therefore, although these were unquestionably difficult times, I look back at them as a highlight as they exemplified the spirit and togetherness of the team which has helped to put us in a position today where we are excited and optimistic about our future.

Why are you proud to work for Trinity? Trinity as a business has a fantastic team of knowledgeable and fully committed staff, all of whom share a common passion to deliver new and innovative solutions for our clients and customers across the countries in which we operate. I take pride in working with such a great team in an environment where these core values resonate so well with my own.

Sum up your personality in five words or less. Humble, Trustworthy, Loyal, Fair, Considerate.

Early Bird or Night owl? These days I’m happiest on an evening with a cup of tea and a Netflix binge rather than being out on the town so I’m definitely more of an early bird than a night owl. Although I’m still not averse to the odd late night.

Dog or Cat person? In my household we have both cats and dogs so it wouldn’t be fair for me to show a preference. On an evening when I’m walking our dog you can often find our cats following on behind which gets a few second glances from passers-by!

Favourite ice-cream flavour? I’m more of an ice lolly than icecream guy. However, I tried a flavour on my recent holiday which was good. I think it was called Toffee Crunch.

Matthew Carroll

Vice President of Finance

Staff profiles

MEET OUR ASSISTANT ACCOUNTANT

Outline your career path within Trinity to date. I started with Trinity in June 2021, so I have been with the company for just over a year now as an Assistant Accountant. I have built many new connections within the business and progressed a lot professionally while also continuing to study for my accounting qualifications.

What do you enjoy most about your role? Working with a great team and being able to take on new tasks and challenges every day, which has helped me gain more experience, and grow professionally and as an individual.

What has been the highlight of your career within Trinity so far? The new network that I have formed with colleagues and suppliers from different countries.

Why are you proud to work for Trinity? I’m proud to work with a dedicated, enthusiastic team who strive for success and are always looking to grow.

Sum up your personality in five words or less. Motivated, Social, Enthusiastic, Sporty, Approachable.

Early Bird or Night owl? Night Owl –Early mornings are not for me!

Dog or Cat person? Dog.

Favourite ice-cream flavour? Chocolate.

MEET OUR FINANCIAL CONTROLLER

What is your role within Trinity? I’m the Financial Controller for Trinity Purchasing.

Getting to know my new colleagues in Trinity and discovering the passion everyone has for the business has been my highlight so far.

James Pickles Financial Controller

Outline your career path within Trinity to date. I joined the Trinity business in February 2021 and previous to that held a variety of finance roles within Aramark. During my time at Aramark, I have gained my Membership with the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants as well as over 10 years of experience in the hospitality sector.

What do you enjoy most about your role? I enjoy the variety that the role offers and the opportunity to partner with the teams on the ground across the various Trinity countries.

What has been the highlight of your career within Trinity so far?

Why are you proud to work for Trinity? Trinity is poised for growth and I’m proud to be part of the team as we move forward.

Sum up your personality in five words or less. Friendly, Dependable, Honest, Determined, Motivated.

Early Bird or Night owl? Night Owl. Dog or Cat person? My instinct is to say cat person, but I like both cats and dogs.

Favourite ice-cream flavour? Rum & Raisin or Rocky Road.

Kieran Sanderson

Assistant Accountant

Staff profiles

MEET OUR CREDIT CONTROLLER FOR CONTINENTAL EUROPE

What is your role within Trinity? I’m the Credit Controller for Continental Europe.

Outline your career path within Trinity to date. Since 2019 started with Trinity Purchasing as Credit Controller, I am responsible to process the purchase invoices & prepare the sales invoices / credit notes to our members & suppliers for all our entities in Continental Europe. I am equally responsible to collect the statistics in time from our suppliers.

What do you enjoy most about your role? I like to collect the outstanding balances in a professional manner within the agreed period. And this

Available in Belgium and France

while keeping a good contact with the customers / suppliers.

What has been the highlight of your career within Trinity so far? Attending our successful yearly Trinity Events & Team Building to meet our suppliers/members & colleagues in real life.

Why are you proud to work for Trinity? Being part of the Trinity Family & being part of this development and growth makes me very proud.

Sum up your personality in five words or less Social, Empathetic, Talker, Detailed.

Joery Verstrepen Credit Controller

Early Bird or Night owl? I am a night owl.

Dog or Cat person? I am a cat person.

Favourite ice-cream flavour? Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

You have a lighting project, but lack of time and want some support and advice? As a professional, you can call upon Lightlab

In addition to wholesale, Lightlab is the name under which Rexel is present on the market to develop a global lighting concept. Be sides the sale of light fixtures and lamps in the 38 Rexel agencies, 59 specialists are true experts in their field, able to illuminate every space in an optimal way thanks to their excellent technical and creative skills. They will support you from the start of your project, and will be glad to welcome together with the installer in one of the 12 Lightlab concept to dicuss and carry out a lighting study You will receive a 3D visu alization or a study on either Dialux or Relux software Since Lightlab is not linked to a specific brand tirely designed according to your taste and budget. Its speciali and lighting cont

Lightlab is active on the residential, industrial and tertiary mar and became the essential link between manufacturers, archi installers and builders in the field of lighting.

More info: www.rexel.be/expertise/lightlab

Lightlab: a lighting concept based on the same scale as your project

CHARITY GOLF DAY RAISES OVER €17,000

Written by Alan Cruite General Manager Trinity Purchasing

Trinity endeavours to provide support to charities, and so we were happy to co-host an Annual Charity Golf Day with PREM Group at Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort, Co. Wicklow in May.

Beyond the Moon

The event raised over €14,000 between the players and sponsors and the money will be donated to Beyond the Moon Charity. Beyond the Moon offers happiness, relaxation, and pleasure to families with sick children by allowing them to enjoy a cost-free all-inclusive vacation far away from the hospital. Their slogan is: "Beyond the Moon gives hope, energy and joy."

The CEO of the PREM Group, Jim Murphy, recently spoke to one of the families and their son, Joey, who learned they will all be going on vacation to Disneyland Paris due to this support.

“They were so excited and appreciative,” says Jim. “Joey has

been in hospital for operations recently and this news is going to give him a huge lift. Listening to their story certainly puts our own personal problems into perspective; we don’t know how lucky we are.”

Irish Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal

In addition, players could enter a raffle on the day for prizes. Raffle contributions totalling €3,880 went toward the Irish Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal, helping to support Red Cross teams on the ground now in Ukraine to repair vital infrastructure, support health facilities, and help families with life-saving food and hygiene items.

Thank you to players and sponsors

Alan Cruite, General Manager for Ireland, says, “We were happy to help provide support for such worthwhile causes, and hearing about Joey’s story is so touching. We’d all like to give a big thank you to players and sponsors for participating in the day, and we look forward to seeing some of you again next year.”

Pictured from left: Joseph Lenfestey (Principal and Owner of Lenfestey & Co), Alan Cruite (General Manager Trinity Purchasing Ireland), Jim Murphy (CEO PREM Group), Antoinette Lenfestey

WELSPUN TEXTILES FOR HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES

Welspun, a global leader in hospitality textiles for over 35 years, is partnering with Trinity Purchasing to bring members best pricing on quality textile products.

Along with a complete range of bed and bath linen, Welspun is also set to become a fully integrated flooring solutions provider with a products portfolio of carpet tiles, rugs and artificial turf. With a focus on Hospitality, Welspun has developed products made to exceed guest satisfaction. Welspun brings to members farm-to-shelf capabilities, a global distribution network and state of the art manufacturing facilities located in India.

Developing innovative solutions for hospitality customers

Welspun has been an Avendra supplier partner since 2017, supplying a range of products to a variety of brands such as Marriott and Hyatt.

Welspun has also worked on design developments for customers, from concept to the final product, and has developed brand-mandated programs for luxury Marriott brands including St Regis, W Hotels, The Luxury Collection.

Extending this partnership to Trinity’s European members, Welspun will focus on bringing innovative solutions in terms of design and quality –through both our standard product ranges, as well as developing private label programs.

Sustainable best practices

Welspun has aligned with global best practices to enable a sustainable circular approach across its operations, focusing on pre-and-post

consumer waste. The sustainability journey begins right at the source, through sustainable fabrics farming projects. Welspun’s manufacturing facilities include various initiatives for water stewardship and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Recognizing the importance of fresh water for local communities, 100% of water needs at its Anjar plant are met through recycled wastewater. Welspun has further invested in Industry 4.0 technologies to make its products smarter, its processes more efficient, and reduce the company’s overall carbon footprint.

Welspun has emerged as a beacon of supply-chain transparency through its patented Wel-Trak™ 2.0 blockchain traceability solution – designed to help the stakeholders track raw

materials throughout the supply chain back to its origin.

Supporting women in the workplace

Welspun has a strong focus on women empowerment and has undertaken significant initiatives to promote inclusive growth. Welspun supports women from all spheres of life to grow and excel through initiatives covering education, skill building, managerial training, and more. Nearly 30 percent of its large 20,000+ workforce now comprise of women.

Welspun also founded the label, Spun, which empowers women through the production of crafted, sustainably produced textile products from sustainably sourced cotton and fabric waste.

If you’re interested in Welspun’s textile solutions, contact your Relationship Manager or email news@trinitypurchasing.com

Watch this video to learn more about Welspun’s textile facility: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3qTOwtYi8s

Sharing expertise

TRINITY PURCHASING TRIALING NEW “CLINICS” FORMAT TO ACHIEVE GREATER SAVINGS FOR MEMBERS

Written by

Brian Williams Relationship Manager Ireland

Anneleen Martens Relationship Manager Belgium

B

rian Williams, Relationship Manager in Ireland and Anneleen Martens, Relationship Manager in Belgium, are two of the Trinity team members currently in the process of trialing a new service solution called ‘Trinity Clinics’ to gain a better understanding of clients' immediate needs and provide them with solutions and support.

Following the pandemic, many hospitality staff are now working at such a pace that they might simply work around a problem, feeling they don’t have the time to solve it. It is also sometimes the case that the same issue might be affecting different teams, who have not had an opportunity to discuss it together. “What we’ve found is that sometimes heads of department are simply too busy to even send an email,” said Brian.

New service solution

The ‘Trinity Clinics’ solution enables Trinity’s Relationship Managers to meet with a number of key stakeholders at their location on the same day to learn about their challenges and discuss their needs. Many hospitality operators including hotels are experiencing not only price increases, and supply chain issues but also significant staff churn. The

goal is to learn about their primary needs and come up with solutions to resolve their pain points as soon as possible!

Seeing multiple stakeholders on the same day helps more people in the organisation to understand the services and benefits Trinity Purchasing can provide. They learn more about the latest products and innovations, the most recent hospitality trends, product availability and local supply, sustainable sourcing

solutions, as well as areas where they could generate more savings through Trinity’s supplier partners.

“We’ll have a short catch-up about new suppliers, if there’s any issues or challenges that we can help them with, or if they are looking for new products,” says Anneleen. “It’s great to connect with not only the General Manager at the property but also other staff team members, as the hospitality industry experience a high level of staff changes.”

Providing support through Clinics

Anneleen’s process is to schedule a meeting with the General Manager of a property, immerse herself by working at the client’s location for half of the day and catch up with key stakeholders as needed. After the clinic, she provides a follow-up report.

Brian similarly invites operational team heads to see him on the day of the clinic, so he can have 1-2-1 meetings with each of them. “Like a medical clinic where you visit for a health check-up – we come directly to you for a business check-up to see how we can help you.”

Positive feedback from clients

So far, these approaches have worked really well, and the Trinity teams have received positive feedback.

Karen Dollery, General Manager, Viking Hotel Waterford says, “Having this time to sit and talk to Brian has been great – I’ve been able to discuss our current challenges and in doing this Brian has helped come up with solutions, and he recommends new products and services, as well as helping me achieve more savings in the process.”

Brian, Trinity Purchasing says, “One of the things Covid has taught me is there’s nothing like face-to-face conversations for building relationships and generating greater savings for clients.”

“It’s great to connect with not only the General Manager at the property but also other staff team members, as the hospitality industry experience a high level of staff changes.”

Currently, this Clinics service is being trialed by clients with large-scale operational teams. So watch the space!

Our goal is to continue to expand our service to provide members with the best solutions to help their business grow and prosper.

If you need support or help, please contact your Relationship Manager or news@trinitypurchasing.com – we are here to help you thrive!

Available to all Trinity clients

NEW BRAND, SAME SERVICE, MAXIMUM QUALITY

thyssenkrupp Elevator is now TK Elevator.

Trust in TK Elevator, for the maintenance & service and modernisation of your elevators, whatever its brand. We have the solution your building needs.

To find out more about the benefits of the TKE & Trinity purchasing discount rates, contact your Trinity Purchasing Relationship Manager or email news@trinitypurchasing.com

in Ireland

www.tkelevator.com

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I s l a n d C r o s s , L i t t l e I s l a n d , C o r k T 4 5 T Y 3 1

Available to all Trinity clients

HOW A GREAT NIGHTS SLEEP DOESN’T NEED TO COST THE EARTH

Written by Liane Atwood Business Development Executive, Silentnight Group

As the sector continues to recover from a difficult period, key issues like sustainability remain a prominent focus and hoteliers are setting their sights on ambitious targets, but where to begin?

“Sustainability remains a huge focus within hospitality and guests are more engaged and informed than ever”

says Sales Director of Hospitality at Silentnight David Lawrenson,

“we see ourselves as not only sharing our customers sustainability ambitions but as a key partner in helping achieve them”.

As a carbon neutral company, the environment is at the forefront of everything we do here at Silentnight.

Whether that be through our range of sustainable product options, removing and recycling our packaging, or by providing a mattress recycling service for old beds, we’re committed to providing sleep solutions for the hospitality industry whilst being mindful of the impact on the environment.

emissions.

By assessing processes throughout the business and investing in new technology Silentnight has managed to reduce carbon emissions by 49% over 4 years and use recycled manufacturing materials to prevent 230 tonnes of waste going to landfill. The company has also reduced fuel consumption by 500,000 litres, cutting CO2 by a further 1 million kilos, by updating transport and delivery management technology.

Our manufacturing site, located in the heart of Lancashire produces over 800,000 mattresses every year, including our Eco Comfort range which incorporates recycled plastic fibres. We use the equivalent of 105 million recycled plastic bottles each year in our comfort layers, which creates a soft breathable mattress and a refreshing night’s sleep whilst helping to save the planet.

We are proud of our carbon neutral status and actively reducing our

Silentnight is also the first and only sleep brand to sign up to the climate pledge, taking action alongside 300 other businesses globally to reach the goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2040 as well as being the first sleep brand to publish measurable indicators of business resilience and ethical business practice through our ESG policy and impact report.

Working with suppliers to provide greener solutions can be a simple first step towards improving the sustainability of any business, which is why we’re so proud of our specially designed hospitality range which surpasses industry standards for comfort, cleanliness, durability and sustainability.

Our range of hospitality mattresses includes Silentnight; the UK’s most trusted sleep brand, Rest Assured; with over 100 years of exquisite bed making experience and Serta; a global brand leader in the hospitality industry.

With the Eco Comfort range waste single use plastic is collected, washed and turned into high performance Eco Comfort fibres with each mattress containing the equivalent of 150 plastic bottles.

In addition to recycled materials the Rest Assured hotel range uses British wool, which is biodegradable, from a renewable source and creates a luxurious, resilient mattress. The natural wool fibres are also breathable and help to regulate temperature no matter the season, providing guests with a refreshing and restful night’s sleep.

By sleeping on a mattress which is made with breathable materials, air will be able to circulate through and create a cool and dry environment which will provide a more comfortable sleeping experience for your guests, which also comes with cleanliness benefits for the hotelier too.

“In nature there is no waste as everything is recycled. We’re taking another industry’s waste product and converting it into new comfort fibres, therefore adding value by making new consumer goods.”

The science behind our work is also as vital as the night’s sleep we give your guests which is why we test our products in our unique SATRA accredited lab - the only one of its kind in the UK, to ensure they meet quality, safety and fire standards. It doesn’t stop there – we also use our lab to look at the factors and science surrounding sleep itself, and we even have our own sleep researcher!

The breathability test in our on-site laboratory tells us that both Eco and Natural products are by far the most breathable and therefore a great option for hospitality. Our hospitality mattresses also combine our SmartShield™ technology to eradicate any bed bugs and dust mites.

Working with our mattress recycling partners, we can also assist with sustainably removing old beds from businesses when we are delivering new ones to recycle. None of the mattress components are simply reused - all of the mattresses we collect are manually deconstructed and then recycled, reused or repurposed by other industries. None of the mattress components in our mattresses are sent to landfill.

ESG Strategy Director at Silentnight Angela Moran explains...

If you’d like more information on how Silentnight Group can help your business then please contact news@ trinitypurchasing.com

What is YourMobileKey?

YourMobileKey is the cloud-based solution developed by Hotek. It is possible to upgrade new and existing locks with a Cloud Low Energy Controller, in order to connect the lock to the YourMobileKey Cloud environment through a gateway.

With Hotek's 25 years of experience within the hospitality market, YourMobileKey has embarked on the road of IoT - the Internet of Things.

With this we bring an existing or new lock online and it can be used with the YourMobileKey webapp. In addition, the lock can be managed remotely and in real time via the cloud, for example by controlling doors (grant and revoke access instantly), see all the mobile openings and managing battery statuses.

This "The Internet of Things" development was deliberately chosen instead of Bluetooth.

But why?

- First of all, this way we can open the lock via the smartphone without having to download an app.

- We are not dependent on standards and developments within smartphone world, because we are only dependent on the internetbrowser of the smartphone and we control the technology involved, which enhances security.

- No direct data connection is needed between the smartphone and the lock. So it cannot be disrupted, manipulated or hacked.

YourMobileKey also scores better in terms of applicability, future-proofing and dependency:

- Applicability: YourMobileKey can be used on any smartphone, regardless of operating system, type of smartphone, age and regardless of future developments: an internet browser is always present on a smartphone. There is no dependence on any particular technology or version.

- Dependency: YourMobileKey does not use an open protocol, of which all information and data is publicly available. We use our own protocols and a 256 AES encryption to guarantee the security of the system. This also means that there is no dependence on adjustments/developments in the area of Bluetooth.

- Upgrades: YourMobileKey is fully upgradeable via the cloud. No hardware adjustments are required.

Speed: YourMobileKey opens within a second, no need for the smartphone to connect to the lock.

- Combined technology: YourMobileKey uses IoT technology, which can also be used for countless other purposes such as controlling the curtains or operating the lights. With Bluetooth, this is limited to just opening the door.

Finally, the web app used for the mobile key can be fully personalised with the hotel's house style, logos, photos and information. Small or large changes in the web app are immediately visible without having to place the app in a store again.

to all Trinity clients