The Luxury Hospitality Conference is to take place on September 15 2022 – a full day will be dedicated to the experience, value, knowledge and evolution of the luxury sector.

The event is organized by TEAMWORK Hospitality in collaboration with HOTELMYPASSION.

Research shows 70% of investors are strongly interested in the luxury market, despite the turbulence of recent years. The luxury hotel sector has been the main driver of M&A activities until 2019, recording a total of 115 deals globally. In 2019, 3.3 billion euros were invested in hotel assets in Italy, with a marked preference for luxury assets, representing 42% of the total, meaning a value of 1.25 billion euros. The Luxury Hospitality Conference was created with the aim to better understand what lies behind these data and in which directions the sector is evolving.

Never as in recent years the concept of luxury changed in the wishes, expectations and choices of guests and never as in the last two years there has been the need to analyze the market to highlight its dynamics, identify the needs of the new generations of travellers and study the trends, new sentiments and perspectives of the world of luxury.

45 keynote speakers will present topics including technology, the guest experience, the web,quality of service, and marketing and management. New interpretations of the luxury concept, case histories, strategies, distinctive factors, segmentation and a psychological approach to the world of luxury in hospitality will be discussed.

Internationally renowned architects will illustrate their most recent creations and offer food for thought on challenging issues related to the design and use of spaces for

The 8 panels scheduled will make a valuable contribution to understanding the market. The panel “Luxury: The flywheel for the recovery of tourism made in Italy” is linked to the close relevance and context that most directly affects Italy and will open the conference program, following the welcome address by Teamwork President Mauro Santinato.

For more information on the Luxury Hospitality Conference: www.luxuryhospitalityconference.it and www.teamworkhospitality.com   Participate in the event by registering here:   REGISTER HERE

Bristan Group, parent company of the Bristan and Heritage Bathrooms brands, is transforming its customer service experience with the rollout of new Visual Remote Assistant (VRA) technology.

Bristan say VRA will revolutionise the Group’s service capabilities.  It operates by creating a secure link for the customer to download onto their phone while on a live call with the company’s contact centre.  The technology allows the operator to access a live stream or live images of the customer’s bathroom, enabling them to provide instant product identification and service advice.  The operator can then annotate the live stream or image to facilitate rapid in-call problem resolution, uploading web links for further advice if required.

Bristan Group believes it will be the first in the industry to introduce VRA in this way. The rollout is part of a wider drive to continue to lead the way in its customer service offer and follows investment in the last 12 months into expanding and developing the contact centre and field service teams. 

Steve Forbes, Chief HR and Customer Service Officer, said: “The introduction of VRA is a brilliantly simple way to further support our customers and demonstrate our commitment to our Customer First promise.

“We are continuously seeking to enhance the way we interact with our customers throughout their purchase journey.  Over the last year we have seen a substantial reduction in our call waiting times and a significant increase in our Net Promoter Score. 

VRA is a huge step forward in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of query resolution and we’re delighted to be leading the industry in doing so.”

Visual Remote Assistant works without the need to download an app. Contact centre teams send an SMS link to the customer and, by clicking on the link, the customer’s camera is enabled. The technology is based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Computer Vision technologies.

For further information about Bristan Group, visit www.thebristangroup.com

The Unified Water Label Association, (UWLA) has urged governments in Europe to implement widespread incentive programmes to promote water efficiency via the use of the Unified Water Label, following disappointing talks on climate change in Bonn last week.

Widely reported as “disappointing” the U.N. talks in Bonn followed on from COP26 in Glasgow last November, and the feeling is that there much work to be done before the next crucial climate summit, COP27 conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt in November.

UWLA MD Yvonne Orgill says, “It is incredibly disappointing that these negotiations failed to make concrete advances on efforts to tackle global warming.

“We must find a way of working together and healing divisions between nations if we are to avoid the climate emergency becoming a catastrophe. 

“The UWLA is working with governments as they can influence upgrades to existing buildings by introducing incentive programmes to promote water efficiency via the use of the Unified Water Label.

We are also promoting the message of unity, calling on members and organisations across Europe to drive home our message and focus on improving consumer knowledge on water efficiency to make an informed choice.  When consumers are able to select products that display the label they can make choices that will reduce energy and save money.

“We have a fantastic range of products available that carry the Unified Water Label. It is used extensively by over 10,500 architects on new building projects and supported by a database of products across 14 categories – over 13,500 individual products at this time. 

“The time for talking is over, we have to work together to take action and facilitate change.”

You can find out more about the Unified Water Label here

Online building products merchant CMO Group PLC has increased the breadth of its portfolio with the acquisition of clickbasin.co.uk.

CMO says its growth and acquisition strategy supports its ambition to be able to supply every building product needed by the homeowner or tradesperson to build and fit out a home. This latest acquisition provides an entry into the UK’s sanitaryware market and perfectly complements CMO’s recent acquisition of specialist online plumbers’ merchant, JTM Plumbing, which was completed in October 2021.

Preston-based clickbasin.co.uk was founded in 2010 and operates an online-only model, offering a range comprising 320 SKUs including bathroom vanity units, bathroom cabinets, wall-hung basins, bathroom mirrors and other accessories such as taps and waste sets. Together with JTM Plumbing, the business will, in time, be marketed under the brand PlumbingSuperstore.co.uk.

Dean Murray, CEO of CMO said: ““Our strategic goal is to provide our customers with everything they need to build or maintain a home, through a simple, convenient and supported shopping experience. Our acquisition announcement of clickbasin.co.uk more than fits that model, taking our plumbing vertical into a new product area.

“Clickbasin and JTM Plumbing will combine to form the soon-to-be-launched plumbingsuperstore.co.uk, providing a platform on which to further penetrate the £800m online plumbing and heating market and use the power of our business model to provide leading choice and value to our customers.”

CMO’s further expansion into the bathrooms and plumbing market will complement the company’s already broad portfolio of online ‘superstores’ selling roofing, windows, doors, insulation, drainage, and tiles, and take the company’s overall offering to more than 100,000 products. Popular with both DIY customers and professional tradespeople alike, the websites showcase the company’s extensive product catalogue and offer a wealth of technical help and guidance along with full support from an experienced team of customer service advisors. 

CMO reports the acquisition follows another successful year ending 2021 as results show revenue up by 46 per cent to £76.3m and adjusted EBITDA up by 42 per cent to £3.7m, year-on-year. CMO also says it has expanded its market share by 11 per cent, as sales continue to increase across all of the company’s eight online superstores which include Door Superstore, Roofing Superstore, Drainage Superstore, Insulation Superstore and CMO Trade.

For more information visit www.cmogroup.com. You can also follow CMOStores.com on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for all the latest information.

Home renovation activity and spend have reached the highest rates reported since 2018, according to the annual Houzz & Home survey of more than 3,200 UK respondents from leading home renovation and design platform Houzz.

More than half of homeowners renovated their homes in 2021 (53 per cent), up from 49 per cent in 2020. Homeowners recorded a 20 per cent jump in median renovation spend at £18,000 from £15,000 in 2020. This growth can be attributed to homeowners with higher budget projects (the top 10 per cent of spend) increasing their investment from £100,000 in 2020 to £128,000 in 2021.

Demand grows for home professionals

Homeowners sought help from professionals for their renovations in 2021 (92 per cent) more often than in the year prior (88 per cent). Homeowners relied most heavily on the expertise of speciality service providers such as electricians (58 per cent) and plumbers (53 per cent) for their projects. That said, builders (34 per cent) and architects (23 per cent) were the most hired professionals in construction and design-related services, and saw a significant jump in 2021 compared with 2020 (30 and 18 per cent, respectively). With recent homebuyers tackling more projects than their peers, it’s no surprise that they’re also the most likely to hire professional help (99 per cent), compared with short-term and long-term homeowners (96 and 89 per cent, respectively). 

Continued activity is forecast

Home renovation activity continues into 2022, with nearly half of the surveyed homeowners planning to renovate (49 per cent) and more than half planning to decorate (55 per cent) this year. Homeowners’ planned spend sits at a record high, increasing to £10,000 for 2022 versus £7,000 for 2019, a 43 per cent jump. Homeowners with higher-budget renovations (the top 10 per cent of spend) are planning to spend £100,000 on projects in 2022 compared with £75,000 in 2021.

“Homeowners are clearly committed to investing in their homes despite heightened product and material costs driven by supply chain disruptions and are exploring diverse funding sources. This is especially pronounced among recent homebuyers, who rely heavily on cash from previous home sales to fund their projects and spend significantly more than the national median,” said Marine Sargsyan, Houzz staff economist. 

New homebuyers drive growth

Recent homebuyers*, who accounted for 14 per cent of renovating homeowners in 2021, spent nearly double the national median (£30,000), surpassing short-term** and long-term*** homeowners (£25,000 and £13,000, respectively). Short-term homebuyers with higher budget projects (the top 10 per cent of spend) invested £170,000 compared to £130,000 by recent homeowners and £100,000 invested by long-term homeowners. This is likely attributed to the larger scope projects they undertake, averaging three to four rooms, as well as home systems, such as electrical and plumbing.

Cash from savings remains the most significant source for funding renovation projects (86 per cent), however, homeowners financing renovation projects with credit cards gained six percentage points (18 per cent). Savings and credit cards hold their ground as the leading forms of payment regardless of homeownership tenure. As expected, recent homebuyers and short-term homeowners were more likely to rely on cash from previous home sales (52 and 32 per cent, respectively), whereas long-term homeowners were more likely to use cash from refinancing in 2021 (eight per cent).

Switching up interiors
Investments in interior rooms remained the priority for three in four renovating homeowners in 2021 (75 per cent). Kitchens are both the most popular interior room to be upgraded and the room that commanded the highest spend at £12,000. Kitchens saw an increase in spend of 20 per cent compared with 2019 (£10,000). Interior rooms that saw the most dramatic increase in popularity from the previous year included an entrance or boot room (26 per cent), dining rooms (25 per cent), utility rooms (20 per cent) and home offices (18 per cent).

Securing the grounds
There has been an increase in home security upgrades among renovating homeowners in the past year. In fact, outdoor lighting (37 per cent), alarms or detectors (29 per cent) and outdoor security cameras (21 per cent) were among the most frequently purchased technology upgrades. Purchases of outdoor security cameras have risen by four percentage points since 2019. Home security system upgrades were most popular among recent homebuyers, followed by short-term homeowners and long-term homeowners (25, 22 and 16 per cent, respectively).

* Recent homebuyers are those who have not yet moved into their home or moved in less than a year ago. 

** Short-term owners refer to homeowners who moved into their home between one and five years ago.

*** Long-term owners refer to homeowners who moved into their home six or more years ago.

The Houzz & Home Survey

The annual Houzz & Home survey is the largest survey of residential renovation, building and decorating activity published. The survey covers a wide range of renovation projects in 2021, from interior renovations and additions to home systems, exterior upgrades and outdoor projects. Data gathered includes historical and planned spends, professional involvement, motivations and challenges behind building, renovation and decorating projects, as well as planned activities for 2022. The 2022 study includes more than 3,200 respondents in the UK alone, providing insights into the home improvement activity of the millions of users of the Houzz site and mobile apps. 

The Houzz & Home Survey was sent to registered users of Houzz and fielded March through April 2022.

Iconic British bathroom brand, Thomas Crapper, has joined Virtual Worlds. Its familiar traditionally-styled WCs, cisterns and sanitaryware are now catalogued to include in designs created with Virtual Worlds’ market-leading software.

A lot has changed in bathroom design since Thomas Crapper was founded in 1861 and, by incorporating new technologies and embracing change, the brand has enjoyed continued success throughout the decades.

A forward-thinking approach shifts the brand up another gear, as its products can be easily incorporated into 3D and 4D designs by Virtual Worlds’ retailers. The market for classic and traditionally styled bathrooms remains as strong as ever and, by working with Virtual Worlds, Thomas Crapper can ensure its 21^st Century customers can continue to embrace this great British look in a very modern way.

“Virtual Worlds software puts a whole new perspective on bathroom design,” commented Paul Dwyer, Managing Director at Thomas Crapper. “With our products available on the Virtual Worlds catalogue, our customers can easily integrate Thomas Crapper products into their new bathrooms, mixing and matching the various product options until they arrive at their dream space.”

Virtual Worlds’ Managing Director, Nathan MacLean, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Thomas Crapper on board as we continue to increase our manufacturer portfolio.  Our design technology plays an important part in the retail dynamic of the KBB world, providing an immersive planning experience and having this household name on our system seems like the perfect way to blend traditional bathroom styling with a very modern method of design.”

For more information on Virtual Worlds, call 01908 663 848 or visit www.virtualworlds.co.uk