Northern Ireland’s Nightcap Event Group To Expand
Hospitality business Nightcap Event Group Ltd has launched a staffing solutions company called Nightcap Connect, which offers the hospitality sector access to part-time and temporary staff members for key events.
Details
Building on their core business of supplying bartending services to a variety of customers, founders Declan Holmes and Dean McFarland have launched Nightcap Connect, following the establishment of the staffing solutions company in 2018, to test the marketplace.
Nightcap Connect has secured contracts with a host of clients from Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector, working with leading event spaces and venues, including Titanic Belfast, Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall. In response to its success, Nightcap Connect has grown its workforce to a staff of 185 members. The planned expansion of the business over 2023 will see its staff numbers more than double by the end of the year, to 400 members.
The company was conceived by Holmes and McFarland in response to the challenges of engaging high volumes of skilled staff for one-off hospitality events.
Nightcap Connect is a flexible staffing solution, providing hospitality businesses with staff seven days a week and hired at hourly rates. It utilises a digital platform to connect staff members with businesses that require their services. Nightcap Connect offers training, competitive rates and flexibility, with the choice of when and where the employee or staff member wants to work.
Holmes and McFarland founded the Nightcap Event Group in 2013, providing hospitality support to a variety of private and business clients across Northern Ireland. Their newest venture, Nightcap Connect, will initially focus on working with hospitality businesses and major venues in the greater Belfast area, with plans to expand the business in the not-too-distant future.
Statements
Holmes said, “As Northern Ireland began bouncing back after the pandemic, it was clear that staffing was proving a real challenge for parts of the hospitality industry. With larger events, in particular, a lot of businesses were struggling to find waiting staff that might only be needed for an evening, or a few hours during the day. We knew that we could assist and could connect great people with opportunities to work in great businesses.”
McFarland continued, “The quality of staff is vital for both Nightcap Connect and for the businesses we serve. We attract talented people by offering good pay and flexible hours that allow for a greater work-life balance. We provide our team with the skills and experience to be part of a great, people-focused industry.
“We’ve been very fortunate with those we employ to date. Believe it or not, they are of all ages, from those who are still studying to more mature people, who may even have retired. They are supplementing their income, in addition to enjoying working with our extended team. We’ve worked hard to ensure we have the right business model, and now we are looking forward to the future and what 2023 has in store for Nightcap Connect.”
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