Top Ten Tips for running Hotel Alpha

Are you thinking of running an Alpha course in a hotel?
To help you on your way, here are some very practical tips that we gleaned from running the Hotel Alpha project.

1. Pray
Be looking for God to open doors of opportunity, and pray all the way through the planning and Alpha course.

2. Work together and get the right team
Consider working jointly with other churches in your area.  It can help spread the workload and cost. 
Make sure you have the best Alpha leaders you can possibly find, and don’t forget to train the team. 
Get a decent administrator to co-ordinate the practical details and who is prepared to liaise with the hotel.

3. Choose the right venue
Ask yourself questions as to the suitability (Maybe visit as a restaurant guest):
Will people actually want to come here?
What reputation does the venue have?
Does it have the right ambiance? 
Is there private room space available or will you need to work within a shared area?
Is it the right venue for the type of person we are trying to invite – Would it work for just for young professionals, or is it more geared towards seniors?
Are the staff polite?
Is the food good? 
Are they punctual?
Is the décor shabby or chic?

4. Build relationship with the management and staff
You are a customer, but it is great to be friendly and as helpful as possible. 
Get a “people person” from your team to make the initial contact with the hotel as you may need to win them over to the idea of running Alpha in their hotel. 
It is good to have your course administrator there too as they can follow through from this meeting.

5. Ask permission to invite staff
If the senior manager is happy, staff could be invited to the Alpha Course. 
You could suggest placing Alpha posters in staff rest areas along with guest invitations and brochures.  He may give you permission to talk to staff – but often they are very busy, and this needs to be born in mind.

6. Get financial clarity
Work out a price per head with the hotel, there’s always a deal to be done! 
Find out what is included and what isn’t – one course or two? Coffee? Drinks?
Most hotels will charge you for each person that you book for, even if they don’t turn up on the night. 
For the launch and course it may be possible that each church involved sponsors a table.  Alternatively church members may want to cover the cost of a friend attending.  Avoid charging the guests, but asking for donations on the course itself may go some way to helping with costs.

7. Work with the hotel on the food, format, equipment and timing
Be as clear as possible with the event manager on the structure and timing of the evening.
Check on how the room is laid out, and what equipment is available for video projection etc.  It is always worth arriving early, as your instructions may not have been passed on.
When the hotel is busy the time the food arrives may vary considerably.

8. Be aware of hotel busy periods
Hotels will want to maximise opportunities like Valentines Night, Burns Suppers, Christmas Parties, and Weddings.  Check that this will not interrupt your plans.
Consider holding your Alpha day or weekend at a non-hotel venue.  Many hotels are booked up to two years in advance for Weddings at weekends.  So advance planning is a must.

9. Don’t assume anything
Do your utmost to make sure that the Hotel and local churches know how your Hotel Alpha is going to work.

10. Any Questions?
Get in touch with Kieran Dunne at Alpha Scotland
0141 332 0051
kieran.dunne@alpha.org

If you are interested in seeing how the Hotel Alpha project went, why not watch our four minute DVD.