Sponsors

NFU Mutual

Our network of specialist local Agents work extensively with the hospitality and retail industries - everything from local coffee shops to a chain of restaurants or food stores and urban chic hotels.

We understand that your business could be impacted by a number of issues - cyber attacks, damage to your property, the loss of a major supplier or customer, the loss of a key person through illness, or an outbreak of food poisoning. But you’re not alone. Your NFU Mutual Agent can help you plan for the unexpected and get you back on your feet should things go wrong.

The right insurance starts with the right conversation. Contact our local Agent today by visiting  nfumutual/branches.

Clockwork Marketing

Specialists in the tourism industry, Clockwork Marketing works with independent hotels, restaurants and tourism businesses. They have an impressive portfolio of national and international clients; each is unique, but they all have one thing in common: they want to grow. With 25 years’ experience, the team understand the industry intricately, and apply a common sense approach to marketing, strategy and technology.

Clockwork help hospitality businesses save costs and achieve growth by ensuring that their marketing is effective and their strategy is geared for success. Many of the businesses they work with get in touch because they’ve found themselves:

Playing ‘Marketing Roulette’: Taking chances, unsure what works and to what extent; Suffering ‘Marketing Paralysis’: Not doing any meaningful marketing because they don’t know where to start; or Lacking something: They want to be market leaders and need a strategy to stand out. Over the years, Clockwork Marketing has grown considerably; today, they are a talented team of 22 marketers, strategists, designers and developers. Their services include responsive website design, SEO, social media management, email marketing, marketing management, branding, design services, OTA strategy, direct mail, copywriting, content management, online gift voucher software and business transformation consultancy – all under one roof!

Visit Exmoor

Visit Exmoor works on behalf of businesses and partners to promote the Greater Exmoor area to visitors. It is the guardian of the Exmoor brand and works to promote an area including the Quantock Hills, West Somerset and Exmoor National Park. As the largest tourism industry body in the area, Visit Exmoor believes passionately in the delivery of high quality visitor experiences, and so is thrilled to be a sponsor. Visit Exmoor is a key player in helping to shape the work of the Hinkley Tourism Action Partnership and ensuring that the area benefits from the development of Hinkley Point C.

Pear Communications

Pear is the leading tourism, arts & events print distributor across the South West of England. Years of hard work, dedication and investment have resulted in their unrivalled networks to ensure their clients leaflets, brochures and posters reach their target markets.

As a result of Pear’s dedication, they work in close partnership with both Visit Bristol and Visit Somerset among other DMOs in the South West.

Pear have invested heavily in key gateway sites, including major Motorway Services which house both their new Digital Screen and Print Stands. In an ever-changing industry, Pear continually evolve to support the market.

Purecomms

PureComms is a multi-award winning Telecoms and IT provider operating across the south west and nationally.  With offices in Cornwall (St Austell) and Bristol, we provide a range of Telecoms and IT services to SME’s through to corporate clients, including Bristol Airport, Inns of Devon and Cornwall, Bonhams, Britannia Windows, JJ Fox and Redrock.  Products and services we offer include telephone systems (including hosted VoIP), mobiles, bill analysis, cabling, network infrastructure and IT services.

Our success has been built on developing trust and close working relationships, as well as our speed of responsiveness for our clients, who depend on robust and reliable connectivity systems.

Age UK Somerset

Age UK Somerset is the largest charity working with and for older people in Somerset and North Somerset.  We are an independent local charity responsible for raising all our own funds which are only spent in the area.   With our local population increasing in age (in our area - Somerset and North Somerset -  1 in 4 of the population will be 65+ within 3 years. Nationally this doesn’t happen for another 20 years), our role to promote the wellbeing and independence of older people and add value to later life, is more important now than ever.

With the wide variety of services we offer (including information & advice, 100s of exercise sessions, a befriending service to reduce loneliness, toe nail cutting, benefit claims assistance, projects to get and keep people out of hospital), we put the needs of older people at the heart of what we do.  We are delighted to sponsor this award to find tourism businesses that are taking the same approach.

Visit Somerset

Visit Somerset is the official destination management organisation for the county. We work on behalf of members and partners to support the development of tourism and promote the traditional county of Somerset to domestic and international visitors. We are delighted to be a sponsor for these awards which reward and focus on quality since this is crucial in attracting and retaining customers. As sponsors we are representing the Hinkley Tourism Action Partnership; a public/private partnership working to ensure that the tourism industry is in the best shape to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the development of Hinkley Point C.

Visit Bath

Visit Bath is the destination marketing organisation responsible for promoting the UNESCO designated World Heritage site of the city of Bath, as well as the surrounding areas, towns and villages to domestic and inbound overseas visitors. VisitBath works closely with the public and private sectors to deliver an annual programme of marketing initiatives at home and abroad. The company also manages the city’s Visitor Information Centre (one of the busiest centres in the country) and runs events including the popular Bath Christmas Market and the Great Bath Feast.

Porter Dodson

Porter Dodson is a Top 200 UK law firm with locations across Somerset and Dorset. We are all about delivering great advice when and where it is most convenient to our clients, whether they are an individual or a company with an international dimension.

The firm has a strategy designed to deliver steady, sustainable but ambitious growth. It focuses on building on two fundamental strengths – our clients and our people.

Our clients say we are getting this right as 96% of clients would recommend us because of our overall service. As a Firm, we were recently awarded the Gold standard by Investors in People – putting us in the top 3% of employers assessed.

At Porter Dodson we work with our clients to understand their needs, support them effectively and deliver the best possible legal outcome. Our strapline is “All about you”, reflecting our focus on clients, employees and professional contacts alike.

Clarks Village

Located in the heart of Somerset, Clarks Village opened in 1993 and was the first shopping outlet centre in the UK. Set within beautiful, award-winning landscaped gardens, this unique shopping experience offers discounts of up to 60% off RRP at over 90 high street and designer brands, including Wonderbra, Hobbs, Joules, Ben Sherman, Osprey London, Molton Brown, Hamleys, Lindt and the largest Clarks Factory Outlet store in Europe.

With impressive green credentials itself, Clarks Village won the Green Apple award for environment and waste management, for its commitment to a programme of consistent environmental improvement. The Village also has more than 100 solar panels installed and a dedicated recycling programme in place, making it one of the greenest shopping centres in the UK.

What's On Somerset

Somerset. We love it. We live in it. We write about it. We entreat people to savour this remarkable county, the land of the summer people.

In our tenth anniversary year, What’s on Somerset is delighted to be associated with the Bristol, Bath and Somerset Tourism Awards. Talent and hard work deserves recognition and accolations.

Source Trade Show

The Source is the South West’s biggest and best trade show for anyone with a serious interest in speciality foods, quality drinks, profitable catering and inspired hospitality. Taking place on Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th of February 2019, at Westpoint, Exeter, it’s the only show you need to visit, as everything a food business could possibly require is here, all under one roof - from the mainstream to the specialist, from raw ingredients to high quality food service products, furniture to EPoS, kitchen design to business services. Inspiration, advice and culinary innovation will once again be on display in the In-toto Demonstration Kitchen, and the successful and growing Westcountry Tourism Conference will be running alongside Source, with two ½ day events bringing together leading tourism businesses and industry experts.

This must-attend show is jam packed with great stuff - inspiring fresh ideas, exciting new products, game-changing innovations, thought provoking demonstrations and invaluable expert insights.  It also offers wonderful opportunities to get face-to-face with people who can help move your business forward.  Equally important, where food and drink is concerned, it enables you to taste, smell, touch and get a really close look at what’s available.  If you have an appetite for success you absolutely have to experience this event for yourself!

Ignyte Ltd

Ignyte Ltd is a sales agency offering telephone and face-to-face sales by a team of experienced salespeople across a range of business sectors and profiles.

The team pride themselves on their professional yet conversational approach to the sales process, understanding the client’s needs and objectives while ensuring that they are aware of the return on investment and opportunity for their business. Customer service is a key driver to the team and we always ensure that our customers are given the correct tools to make an informed decision.

Bath Ales

Bath Ales is the brewer of a distinctive range of premium, authentic and inventive beers for the discerning drinker. From its west country base, Bath Ales brews a range of consistently superior and well-crafted beers. Founded in 1995, Bath Ales’ new chapter began in July 2016, when it was acquired by St Austell Brewery – one of only 28 independent, family-owned brewers in the country.St Austell Brewery, established in 1851 – and one of Cornwall’s oldest businesses – committed to investing in a new brewery at Bath Ales which opened its doors in May 2018. Fronted by flagship ale Gem, the four-vessel brew house (Hare Brewery) has the capacity to produce more than 50,000 brewers’ barrels of beer –over 14.5 million pints! With 12 new fermenting vessels in place, the south west’s most sophisticated and technologically advanced brewery has doubled the available brewing capacity at Bath Ales. Bath Ales beers are available in supermarkets nationwide and in pubs across the country. An exciting schedule of new beers have launched alongside the brewery opening, including an IPA – Lansdown – and premium English lager, Sulis – both now available in Tesco stores nationwide.

Taurus Energy

You are wasting money on power; most businesses waste 20p in every pound spent. Energy prices keep rising and are a big part of any business' annual spend. In 2018 alone we have saved over 50 businesses 10-15% off their energy bills by installing our proprietary equipment at no charge to the owner. We guarantee we will save you money and if you don’t we will remove our equipment at no cost; although no one has asked us to do this yet. Click here for more info and to see if you qualify for a free install.

@EnergyTaurus

Source for Business

Your Business. Our Priority.

From retailers to hoteliers, to farmers and manufacturers, we’re here for all businesses. Our aim is to help you save water and money and to operate more efficiently without any fuss or disruption; after all you’ve got your own business to run.

We will ensure your bill is accurate and on-time and our friendly team are on hand to provide support.

We’ve helped customers save over £3m from their bills through innovative solutions. We’d like to help you save too.

Providing water and wastewater customer services to business across Great Britain.

Christie & Co

Christie & Co are the leading advisors in the sale, acquisition and valuation of all categories of hotel and leisure businesses and have provided advice to clients within our specialist sectors for over 80 years. In 2017, the South West team won the coveted EGi Overall Top Agent award in the Hotels and Leisure sector for the region. This industry accolade is awarded to the advisor that sells the most leisure related business and it is the eighth year in a row we have won it in the South West, illustrating our pedigree and knowledge of these markets.

Our coverage extends to 15 offices throughout the UK, 14 mainland European offices and an Asia desk which offers our clients exposure to this huge market and its increasing appetite for the UK leisure sectors.

We offer unrivalled local and national expertise to both private and corporate operators alike. In each of our offices, we employ a team of experts, with both sector-specific experience and local knowledge.

Vickery Holman

As one of the most established and well respected firms of Surveyors, Vickery Holman deliver property consultancy services across the South West. With offices in Truro, Plymouth, Exeter and Bristol they deliver local expertise within the region to their regional and national clients. Regulated by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors their local experts offer a full range of services and specialise within the leisure industry to provide:-

• Valuation for secured lending, accounting and tax purposes;
• Business rates consultancy for hotels, holiday parks and self-catering complexes;
• Service charge administration and management for commercial property and holiday parks;
• Building surveying services including surveys for purchase, project management and planned maintenance and new developments.
  www.vickeryholman.com

Great Western Railway

Great Western Railway (GWR) provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services. We help over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year - across South Wales, the Westcountry, the Cotswolds, and large parts of Southern England. 

We’re currently seeing the biggest investment in the network since Brunel so we can offer more trains, more seats, and shorter, more frequent journeys and continue the network’s heritage of helping connect more businesses to new and prosperous markets. Through a series of initiatives we aim to be a good neighbour to the communities we serve and are committed to making a positive social impact in those regions. Learn how we're Building a Greater West at GWR.com. GWR is a FirstGroup company.

Welcome to Excellence

Welcome to Excellence is the the leading provider of customer service skills training in the UK.

Why do you need customer service training? In today’s competitive markets, customer service determines the winners and losers.

As the leading deliverer of customer service training in the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors, Welcome to Excellence is also now seen as the way forward by retail businesses, transport providers, local authorities, universities and many other organisations for which quality customer service is critical.  Options include the highly rated 'Welcome Host Gold', 'Welcome All' and 'Exceeding Visitor Expectations' courses, available in-house or through open courses, plus a range of more sector-specific courses.

If entering the Awards, always refer to these and other courses booked by your staff.

Visit Bristol

Destination Bristol is the destination management partnership for Bristol & South Gloucestershire, a joint venture between Bristol City Council and Business West. The organisation works with over 600 major businesses and strategic partners with the aim of increasing business competitiveness within the city, supporting employment and growth within the visitor economy, and raising the profile of the Bristol city region as a world-class place.

Brewer & Bunney

A specialist laundry equipment supply company working within the tourism industry across the whole of the South West, providing complete on premise laundry solutions to Hotels, Spas, Caravan and Camping Sites and Leisure Parks. 

Brewer & Bunney’s offer includes a free laundry audit with a cost benefit analysis, full scale drawings, supply of laundry equipment and laundry detergents which include a fully managed auto dosing system, installation and commissioning, extended warranties and after sales service with spare parts supply. The complete package can be combined within a fixed term Rental contract with absolutely no capital outlay.

Quality in Tourism

Quality in Tourism has been relaunched as an independent accreditation service, offering grading, mystery shopping and specialist tourism and hospitality expertise.

Our experienced team have worked in various tourism and hospitality roles, giving them a true empathy and understanding of the issues within the industry. From mystery customer visits and website reviews to RevPar and marketing analysis, we work with our members to offer practical help and assistance, with the aim of driving additional sales and increasing profit.

Our assessor team can star rate your property without the prescriptive standards of other schemes, recognising your quality and its appeal to customers, without insisting on outdated physical measures irrelevant to your customers. Our entry level scheme gives assurances to your customers, it is appropriately named Safe Clean & Legal TM. We offer special accolades to help you promote your properties to customers looking for your particular offerings.

Our experience, expertise and insight into the industry allows us to respond to current trends and assist members to deliver what the customer actually wants.

Bristol Airport

The West Country is blessed with fantastic tourist attractions, from beautiful natural landscape to culture, history and entertainment. Bristol Airport provides a convenient gateway for visitors, and the good news is that those flying directly into the region are likely to stay longer and spend more, benefiting the local economy. Creating a positive first impression for visitors is at the heart of our brand and a key consideration in the designs of current terminal developments. The West’s world-class tourism offer is also a key factor in attracting new routes and airlines to Bristol Airport. For all these reasons, we are delighted to sponsor these awards and wish all entrants the best of luck.

Purple Cloud

Purple Cloud Consultancy has considerable experience of delivering high quality training and offers a range of fun, innovative and inspirational training workshops.

• As the South West delivery partner for the highly successful Welcome to Excellence programme we offer a range of flexible customer service workshops that can be tailored to any business, destination or sector
• Providing the biggest opportunity for personal development in the South West through the ‘Art of Being Brilliant’ seminars, we offer the opportunity to boost happiness, performance and business by creating a positive environment
• Working with some of the South West’s top trainers we are able to offer a range of bespoke courses covering topics such as Leadership & Management, Team Building, Communication, Performance Management and Business and Personal Skills Development
• Offering a range of customer research packages to provide valuable insight into how to manage customer expectations, through the use of mystery shopping, staff surveys and customer feedback

Hoseasons

Established in 1944, Hoseasons is one of the UK’s leading self-catering accommodation specialists, with more than 28,000 places to stay in coastal and countryside settings throughout Britain and Europe. From lodges and parks, to boats, cottages and apartments, the company offers the widest available range of self-catering holidays in the UK. Part of the Wyndham Vacation Rentals family of brands, Hoseasons accommodates more than 1.4 million holidaymakers and more than 73,000 pets every year. www.hoseasons.co.uk; www.Facebook.com/Hoseasons; @hoseasons