Horizons: Innovation in the Tourism and Hospitality sectors
Are you ...
- a leader or senior manager in tourism or hospitality sector with responsibility to drive innovation in the business?
- determined to recover and grow following the challenges of Brexit and the pandemic?
- looking to create a new, or adapt an existing, service, product or business model?
- a small or medium-sized business based in West Sussex?
If the answer is yes, then this completely free programme could be for you!
It's widely acknowledge that businesses in the tourism and hospitality sectors have been some of the hardest hit following the challenges of the pandemic and Brexit.
West Sussex County Council has prioritised funding for small and medium-sized (no more than 249 employees) businesses to receive specific innovation support to recover and boost growth.
This new programme, developed by RISE in partnership with Experience West Sussex and the Institute of Hospitality, has been designed to help you kickstart new ideas, products, services, processes or pivot existing business models, to help you adapt, innovate and grow.
The Horizons programme consists of bespoke masterclasses and workshops in the following areas:
+ New technologies for enhancing business operations and visitor experiences
+ Understanding your customer journey from ‘look to book’
+ The value of data analytics
+ Enhancing your customer offer
+ Sustainability and Net Zero support
+ Diversity and inclusivity to attract new staff and customers
Participants will problem solve challenges with peers through two additional, expert facilitated Action Learning Set sessions.
The programme culminates with an opportunity to further explore new business ideas and opportunities through a research and development project, working with subject experts from the university of Brighton or Sussex, to the value of up to £5000, at no cost to the business.
THE PROGRAMME
New technologies to enhance visitor experience
Thursday 26 May, 10-1pm, Worthing Museum
Delivered by Dr Karina Rodriguez Echavarra
This masterclass will explore what we mean by the terms 'immersive' and ‘augmented’ experiences in relation to the tourism and hospitality industries, and the range of possibilities to enhance the visitor experience.
The session will develop your understanding of the current use of digital technologies through a range of examples covering virtual reality, VR, augmented reality AR and Mixed Reality looking at how visual and sound technologies are adding new dimensions and sensorial layers to visitor and customer experience.
New technologies to enhance business operations
Thursday 9 June, 10-12pm, Aldingbourne Country Centre
Delivered by Dr Rageshree Sinha
This masterclass will explore how some of the latest Internet of Things (IoT) and User Experience (UX) technologies are changing how visitors and customers interact, engage with, and use businesses in the sector through innovations that make the customer experience easier and more convenient.
Becoming a more sustainable business
Thursday 30 June, 9:30-11am - Online (Zoom)
Delivered by Dr Ryan Woodard
This masterclass will unpack the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, drawing on how considering these can improve your business operations, efficiency and enhance your brand. It will also explore the challenges and practical actions you can take towards embedding sustainability in your business, including managing waste and resources.
Action Learning Sets
Action learning is a specific process where individuals get together with a facilitator to share business and organisational challenges and get the benefit of pooled advice and expertise from peers.
The Horizons programme will include two Action Learning Sets to support participants with the challenges and ideas arising from the sessions..
To get the maximum value from this unique opportunity businesses will need to undertake a minimum of 12 hours of support – this could be made up of masterclasses, workshops, action learning and 1-2-1 support from our Innovation Advisors.
If you have any questions about the RISE project or the Horizon programme, you can get in touch with the team at rise@brighton.ac.uk, or visit rise-innovation.uk for more information.
The RISE project was established to provide an open door for Sussex-based small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to access support from two of their main local research and innovation-led universities, the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex.
The RISE programme is receiving up to £603,514 of funding from the European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020 in England. Grant Reference: 04R21P04430
The West Sussex Councils are providing partnership funding to support the delivery of RISE, and through this, to provide help and support to SMEs in West Sussex.
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