These are designed to offer lessees a chance to share best practice and meet major suppliers to pick up practical advice on building business.
Nine have taken place across the UK to date and a further 27 are planned in the next six months, with meetings in July set for Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Gateshead, Leeds, the Midlands, the M8 corridor, London and Bristol.
Chris Jowsey, Star Pubs & Bars trading director, said: “Supplier management is one of the key benefits we can offer our lessees. Using our buying skills and our own category management experience, we can partner with experts in every area of a pub’s business to provide lessees with first class expertise in different specialist areas. Using our leverage, we are also able to negotiate quality products and services for lessees at prices they would be unable to match.
“From Star Pubs & Bars’ perspective we are keen to encourage two way communications with lessees. The business building meetings are a vehicle through which lessees can provide feedback on new initiatives and suppliers.
“It’s important for people who run their own businesses to get out and see what other operators are doing and to learn from experts how to improve their offer. We’re holding meetings locally to reduce travel time for lessees and to help them build up local networks.”
One lessee that attended a meeting, Mandy Fyfe of the Duke of Cambridge in Mapperley, Nottingham said: “We found the day very useful. It made us think about things we could be doing in our pubs to grow sales. We particularly liked the promotional ideas, getting staff and customers to taste new products and creating an employee of the month award for the person achieving the best results with product promotions."