Hospitality, Leisure and Events Services

Tender description

This is a PIN Notice (Prior Information Notice) to advertise a forthcoming opportunity to manage / operate the weddings and events business at a prestigious and historic venue. Lot 1: Set in the heart of the spa town of Buxton in the beautiful Peak District, the Devonshire Dome is one of the most dramatic venues in the UK. Once a magnificent 18th-century stable block built to house the 5th Duke of Devonshire's horses and servants, this Grade II* listed building offers a breath-taking backdrop for weddings and celebrations. The Devonshire Dome is already a popular venue, attracting regular wedding business and proving popular for banqueting and corporate events. Suitable for banquets from 100 to 700 guests, the Dome can be configured to give a unique setting which is unrivalled in the region. The Dome also has professional catering kitchens available, these prove extremely popular with the Asian Market who prefer to bring their own catering. Arrangements are in place with local catering suppliers. The University now wishes to engage with suitable operators, preferably already active in the UK Wedding market, with a strong knowledge of the Asian Wedding sector. To date the venue has been operated by an in-house team, but due to the relocation of a number of Higher Education courses, there is now an opportunity to further optimise commercial usage of the venue. The University has increased its inventory of available dates and now wishes to pursue a growth strategy by increasing the profile and reach of the Dome and grow volume and yield over the next 5 years from April 2022. ________________________________________ More information Commercial Performance The venue has a typical turnover of circa £500k from hire fees which include weddings, conferences and banqueting. This was obviously affected in 2020/21 but enquiries and forward bookings are strong. There is significant potential for growth in the wedding sector. Experience in the wedding sector is essential as we wish to grow the business. Commercial models are open to discussion.