Think of the hospitality sector and words like welcoming, warm, and cordial spring to mind.
While those words resonate with revenue manager Emma Duncan, phrases including yield, occupancy and forecast are now more likely to be on the tip of her tongue.
Emma, who works with Thistle’s Aberdeen Altens and Inverness hotels, initially joined the chain as part of its meeting and events team, helping guests to stage occasions from weddings to corporate seminars.
But she soon realised that, beyond a career providing an incredible guest experience, the hotel industry offered opportunities to cultivate a brilliant brain for business.
Emma, who has a degree in tourism and hospitality from Robert Gordon University, found herself drawn to the challenge of revenue management – offering the right product at the right place at the right time and to the right people.
“I think people have a perception that working in hospitality is all about the front of house experience when there are just as many roles in the business side of hospitality. Setting rates and developing a strategy to achieve a forecast is an incredible and very enjoyable challenge,” explained Emma, 30.
“Working in hotels in Aberdeen and Inverness is like night and day because the core business is so different. Aberdeen has a huge corporate customer base, while Inverness is very focused on leisure.
“We can see that a change is coming for Aberdeen with the number of new hotels that are going to be opening in the coming months and years. My role is going to get even more interesting because of that challenge: with more rooms available in the city I am going to have to put a lot of thought and strategy into staying one step ahead.
“Although the market is very focused on leisure in Inverness, we are starting to see more opportunities emerging for corporate business. Demand for meetings and events is getting stronger because of the renewables sector, so it’s going to be very interesting for me to put the knowledge of what I have learned working in Aberdeen to the test.”
Emma’s talent for revenue management has not gone unnoticed. She was recently awarded a coveted scholarship by the Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland to study the topic at a more in-depth level, learning from some of the best in the business.
“It was a very intensive two-day course and by the end of it we all came away with tools to help us in the decision-making process. It’s given me the ability to look at different areas of the hotel to increase revenue, whether it is through rooms or meetings and events,” said Emma.
“It was a huge honour to be selected to take part in the course. There are only a few places awarded every year, so just to get one was a real achievement.”
“I would recommend anyone working within the industry to find out about the Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland and how they can support professional development. So many people from Thistle have benefited from their knowledge over the years, and have used what they have learned to further their careers.”