Making the most of the millennium experience

The millennium. What does M-Day mean to you? If you're a computer consultant, perhaps it means a £10,000-a-day fee for sorting out a plague of millennium bugs (hotel reservation experts please note, before you pack in the day shift: this fee is only a rumour). If you're a Government minister without portfolio, it means a job. If you're a ferris wheel operator it's an opportunity to spin the Big One. And if you're a hotelier or a restaurateur or an events caterer it means the chance of a lifetime.

Or does it? We are still hearing stories about catering operators of all descriptions closing down for the two weeks either side of M-Day. There are probably some very good reasons why this course of action is being considered - the expense of hiring staff on the night being one - but it seems absurd that anyone in the hospitality industry could even consider not cashing in on the biggest party for a hundred, maybe even a thousand, years.

Talking of parties, the millennium could well serve as a fillip for the economy which, despite the protestations of this column (Caterer, 6 August, page 19), may be in need of a boost by then. If trading can be persuaded to continue at the present pace for the next 18 months, there is no reason why the celebrations in London and the South-east, caused by the Millennium Experience at Greenwich, should not help sustain success for the rest of the country into the next century.

It's not all about making money, however. The approach of the millennium could provide exactly the kind of impetus that you need to focus on a few improvements in your operation. It is certainly a catalyst for change - and this is one reason why regular readers of Caterer & Hotelkeeper will notice the magazine's fresh new design this week.

The philosophy behind the changes in appearance are simple: in the busy working environment of today readers of a weekly business magazine need more help to reach the articles that are of particular relevance to their market sector.

The new contents page is designed with that purpose in mind, and the "signposts" at the top of each page aid the process.

The typefaces throughout the magazine are modern and clean, making reading much easier. The articles are shorter and to the point. And they cover more market sectors than before, including the pub scene and operations in the international arena.

So, if Caterer were to answer the question "what does the millennium mean?", the answer would be an emphatic "step forward". Let's hope the catering industry can cash in on the opportunity of M-Day as well.

Forbes Mutch

Editor

Caterer & Hotelkeeper