Bedfordshire's Wyboston Lakes Resort has made an outstanding start to 2023 following a year of record results in 2022.
The Resort already has contracted bookings for more than 50 per cent of its 2023 budget, and that is greater than it achieved in the whole of 2018. Bookings and prospects for 2024 and 2025 are also very strong. Exceptionally high levels of repeat business and guest satisfaction are contributing significantly to this.
In 2022, its trail blazing Woodlands Event Centre and Willows Training Centre generated their best conference and training performances with sales up 49% on 2019 and up 79 per cent on 2018. Profit was also well ahead of the 2019 total. This is despite the slow start to 2022 when Covid lockdown regulations were still restricting and impacting on hospitality, events and travel.
Its Landing Pad brand encompassing flexible office space performed well, with serviced office occupancy at more than 95% and Branded Space revenues increasing well. These are expected to grow strongly again in 2023.
Reflecting on the key factors driving this success, Richard Smith, Sales Director said, “We have a clear strategy, and this has clearly paid off. We simplified our targeting, focussing on core sales lines where the team can be best in class at delivering and we have stopped selling services that negatively impact on the team’s welfare.
“We also aligned our targeting well with the strengths of our freshly refurbished facilities which have been transformed over the last five years with an investment of close to £10m. Extensive refurbishment of our venues before and especially during the pandemic has paid off.”
Wyboston Venue Management, the new management consultancy arm, got off to a good start and was commissioned by several major brands in the industry for substantial consultancy projects. Further growth is expected in 2023.
Managing Director, Steve Jones, remarked, “Looking at 2023 and beyond is an exciting prospect. We have further plans for our facilities and plan to extend the support we have been offering others via our consultancy and management contract business ‘Wyboston Venue Management’; and, as always, it’s inspiring to see what new levels our team can reach, as a collective and as individuals.”