Fast, accurate, and human. That’s how our meetings and events team at Crowne Plaza Newcastle operates. Every year, we respond to over 1,000 event enquiries, and our average reply time is just 48 minutes. For an industry where planners often wait hours, sometimes days, for accurate answers, it’s a couple of stats we’re really proud of.
But how do we do it? And why event planners should be confident that speed and accuracy are never a compromise.
We really believe that everything starts and finishes with people. Every person in our meetings and events department, from coordinators to sales managers, is trained to understand what matters most to planners. They know availability, layout, and budget are the first questions that need answering, so they’re empowered to respond quickly and confidently.
According to Cvent’s 2024 Planner Sourcing Report, 68% of planners say venue responsiveness directly influences booking decisions. Meanwhile, EventMB’s Venue Experience Study (2023) found that more than half of organisers abandon a venue search if they don’t hear back within 24 hours.
We don’t need to promise speed; it starts with a basic desire to be of assistance and to be helpful. We’ve found this approach incredibly rewarding and it actually sits at the centre of many of our longest relationships with planners. It’s an approach that comes from empathy and understanding; before long, those response times start dropping.
Our teams train continuously, not just on hospitality but on the specifics of our venue. They know every meeting room configuration, every AV option, and every food and beverage package. That’s why our responses aren’t just fast, they’re accurate to the decimal point.
Research backs this up: Meeting Professionals International (MPI) found that “accuracy of initial information” is one of the top three factors determining planner satisfaction (MPI Meetings Outlook, 2024). A quick answer that’s wrong only causes more work later. That’s why we’ve built a culture where getting it right comes before getting it out.
We’re really proud of our tech here at the Crown Plaza Newcastle. We’re developing it in a way that really delivers from booking to end-of-event feedback, and that empowers us, as a team, even more.
It means we use smart enquiry-management tools, integrated CRM systems, and templates that pull in up-to-date pricing and availability. But those tools only work because our people keep them accurate. Technology gives us structure; humans give it speed.
Skift’s Meetings report (2024) on venue tech adoption noted that “the fastest-responding venues aren’t always the most automated, they’re the most empowered.” We like to think that we’re a part of that.
Our 48-minute super stat isn’t achieved in isolation. Sales, operations, and front-of-house all talk, constantly. When a request comes in, everyone who needs to know, knows. Our shared systems mean no double-handling and no waiting for someone else to confirm details.
It may be the Geordie spirit, but we like to chat, we’re always talking, which means we’re always getting information, it remains relevant, up to date, and at our fingertips.
According to The Meetings Industry Association’s (mia) 2024 Insights Report, venues with cross-department communication policies see 35% faster enquiry responses on average.
Perhaps most importantly, we understand what it feels like to be on the other side. When you’re managing multiple venues, budgets, and client expectations, every unanswered email adds stress. Many planners have told us that slow responses don’t just frustrate them, they anger them.
That’s why we’ve built our service model around empathy as much as efficiency. Our goal is simple: to make planners’ jobs easier, and to give them the confidence that when they contact Crowne Plaza Newcastle, they’ll have what they need, fast, clear, and correct.
It might sound like a small thing, having a 48-minute average response time, but in the fast-paced world of events, it’s the start of something bigger. It builds confidence, opens conversations, and keeps projects moving.
We’re super proud that our turnaround time is so consistent, but prouder still that it’s achieved by people who get it. People who know that great events start long before the doors open, they start with that very first, fast, accurate reply.
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