James Hallam to support ABTA’s Cyber Security and Fraud in Travel Seminar – Key James Hallam partners and clients receive a discount to attend
Click here to find out more
James Hallam to support ABTA’s Cyber Security and Fraud in Travel Seminar – Key James Hallam partners and clients receive a discount to attend
Click here to find out more
As British Airways has found to its cost, an infestation of bedbugs can ground its aircraft but more importantly if left unresolved, it can inflict serious reputational damage.
Airlines, like hotels are at particular risk and whilst it is impossible to eliminate these risks completely, it is possible through careful and swift management, to contain and minimise any outbreak and limit any financial and reputational damage.
As specialist insurance brokers to the Hospitality & Leisure, we at James Hallam understand how your business works but unlike other brokers our ‘risk management’ programme is proactive, continuous and collaborative.
Working with our clients we are continually raising standards and equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to recognise the risks and associated costs with not acting decisively when managing a crisis.
Had British Airways taken the appropriate steps when the incidents first appeared, including deep forensic cleaning, the risk subsequent outbreaks would have been minimised and the media feeding frenzy avoided.
By working with James Hallam and signing up to the Gauntlet Package to achieve best practice, we keep premiums competitive and thankfully incidents rare. If a crisis were to occur, our strong and proactive leadership to implement a resilience strategy quickly, is why James Hallam is the Broker of Choice.
For more information about James Hallam Hospitality & Leisure or our Gauntlet Insurance Package, please call David Noble on 020 7977 7856 or email david.noble@jameshallam.co.uk.
Arnold Fisher became James Hallam Travel and Tour at The ABTA Travel Convention which took place in the Azores. The Next Chapter was felt to be an appropriate theme for the re-launch of an already established brand.
The official re-launch took place at the Cyber Security and Protection of Data seminar, where Vito Sepe Senior Account Director presented details of their new Cyber and Crime product.
For those who have businesses in the hospitality or leisure industry, the amount of laundry that is generated can be staggering. Whether you have a restaurant, gym, hotel, organise events or another type of hospitality, there are many considerations that you should be making when it comes to laundry; where to store it when it is both soiled and clean, who will clean it and how, as well as quality control and many other factors.
Preventing laundry fires
One thing that many managers or owners often overlook is reducing the possibility of laundry fires. We are finding that laundry fires are becoming increasingly commonplace in the leisure and hospitality industry and can cause up to thousands of pounds in damages to both property and assets as well as the potential for injury or even death of staff and guests.
This is why the possibility of laundry fires cannot be overlooked. Businesses need to be aware of how to reduce the risk of one occurring in their establishment.
What causes a laundry fire?
Laundry fires are most often caused by the reaction of chemicals and oil with heat. When heat rises through a pile of laundry, it can react with oils or other substances on other pieces of laundry such as aprons, tea towels, table cloths or napkins and cause spontaneous combustion. This means that restaurants and hotels are at greater risk of laundry fires than many other businesses.
How to prevent laundry fires
Whilst it is virtually impossible to completely take out the risk of a laundry fire in an establishment which uses linen, there are several steps that can be taken to help to reduce the risk:
The steps that you can take to reduce the chance of laundry fires are straightforward and logical but are often overlooked. By being aware of potential issues, hospitality managers or establishment owners can reduce the risks of a laundry fire.
Our experience in the hospitality industry is a valuable resource when we are helping businesses to secure the right insurance for them. If you work in the leisure or hospitality industry and are looking for more information about the prevention of laundry fires or help with your insurance policies, why not get in touch with us today for more information about how we can help you.
A major outbreak of gastroenteritis has laid low some of the world’s best athletes participating in this year’s IAAF championship held in London.
Regrettably, this outbreak has already resulted in some of the athletes missing out on what could be have been the pinnacle of their careers with potentially far reaching consequences that will last long after the competition closes.
Whist the precise source remains a mystery, the hospitality sector is bracing itself for the inevitable backlash.
During a busy service, it’s not always easy for chefs or servers to drop their responsibilities and find soap and water and wash their hands, yet these simple procedures can dramatically reduce the chances of an outbreak of the norovirus or gastroenteritis.
Gastroenteritis and the Norovirus- sometimes referred to as the vomiting bug is more common than you might think with almost one million Brits affected every year. This year outbreaks have risen to their highest level since 2011 with Wahaca’s closure of fourteen of its restaurants being the most high-profile casualty.
As specialists brokers within the Hospitality sector, we at James Hallam are acutely aware of the financial and reputational consequences of such an outbreak and the potential health implications for any sufferers.
As Hospitality & Insurance specialist brokers we know the dangers, and unlike other polices on the market our Gauntlet package contains as standard, cover for loss of income and public liability for the Norovirus ,Gastroenteritis and Legionella.
Whilst we at James Hallam mitigate against a worst-case scenario we work tirelessly with our clients to minimise the risks. Our philosophy is to work with our clients to build an understanding of risk, by advising our clients on best practice and by ensuring its implementation we keep premiums low and thankfully incidents rare.
In a crisis, you need strong and proactive leadership to implement a resilience strategy that
is based on tried and tested protocols- that’s why James Hallam is the Broker of Choice for the Hospitality Industry.
For more information about James Hallam Hospitality & Leisure and how we can help you avoid becoming just another media statistic please call David Noble on 020 7977 7856 / 07818 036566 david.noble@jameshallam.co.uk
James Hallam Hospitality and Leisure is a trading name of James Hallam Limited who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
When ABTA, the UK’s largest travel association, had its webserver attacked, it hit the headlines. No wonder – it had the potential to directly affect 43,000 people, disclosing their email addresses and in a much smaller number of cases some personal data and financial accounts.
ABTA had outsourced the management of its website to a professional UK specialist agency and they in turn used a well-known third-party server space provider – which is where the vulnerability was identified. How do you protect yourself when you believe you have outsourced to experts the job of getting these things right and to prevent such issues in the first place?
It wasn’t just the fact ABTA had been compromised that rocked the industry, it was how: In this age of digital inter-connectivity no one organisation or entity is an island.
Our reliance on third party service providers, regardless of our own security protocols means we are all susceptible to being innocent victims of third party cyber-crime.
Unfortunately, the EU General Data Protection Regulations or GDPR which comes in to effect from May 2018 makes no distinction or allowances for how a breach occurs. A breach is a breach and according to GDPR regulations and you are potentially liable for some eye-watering fines of up to £15.8m for businesses who fail to comply.
Ignorance is no defence and GDPR regulations are far reaching with businesses having to show exactly how they are keeping in line with the law, and a requirement that data breaches are reported within 72 hours.
ABTA’s experience whilst regrettable was not in the event too damaging because it was handled very well. ABTA’s decision to invest in a comprehensive cyber insurance policy from specialist travel brokers Arnold Fisher was completely vindicated, with the hack being quickly contained and the necessary remedial actions and costs quickly resolved.
Last year, Google’s Gmail was hit by disguised malware on smartphones while the US Navy had a data breach involving over 130,000 personnel, believed to be from a laptop owned by a Hewlett Packard Enterprise employee working on a naval contract so don’t be complacent!
Arnold Fisher, the specialist travel broking division of James Hallam, advises on the very latest in third party cyber insurance. Established for over forty years with more than 400 UK travel business clients, they are at the forefront of incident security.
Vito Sepe, Senior Account Director at Arnold Fisher, believes “complacency about third party security is like going on holiday, leaving every window and door wide open and a note on the front door saying you’ll be back in two weeks!”
If you’re in any doubt about the consequences of a breach or how you can mitigate against an attack then give Arnold Fisher a call. An attack calls for immediate action and you’ll need all the technical, financial, legal and public relations support to minimise the damage.
Support includes: –
Travel agencies keep a lot of private data including email addresses, credit card numbers and passport details, so they are increasingly the focus of third party hackers. The average cost of a cyber breach is as much as £1.15m for large businesses and £115k for SMEs. Recently:
For the business fraternity, thinking ahead and knowing what to do if the worst happens is key to cyber survival.
“We work closely with leading travel companies,” says Vito Sepe, “and create tailored plans to cover a range of cyber scenarios. There is no room for complacency, everyone should be sure their risk management register is up to date. Traditionally, travel companies have always focused on safety and that should apply online too.”
For more information, call 01923 298 410 or visit www.jameshallam.co.uk/travel
Established for over 40 years, Arnold Fisher is the specialist travel broking division of James Hallam, providing insurance to over 400 UK travel businesses. Endorsed by ABTA and AITO, they are a dedicated insurance broker with close partnerships with Advantage, ABTOI and ITT. Clients include sole traders, small independents and large corporates with over 1,000 employees.
James Hallam Meridien House, 71 Clarendon Road, Watford, Herts WD17 1DS
01923 298 410 www.jameshallam.co.uk/travel LinkedIn: James Hallam Limited
James Hallam will once again be sponsoring the Independent Hotel Show, which takes place on 17th and 18th October 2017 at Olympia in London.
Inspiring and informative, the Independent Hotel Show is the UK’s largest and best-established business event in support of the luxury, boutique and independent hotel sector.
A firm fixture in the calendar of independent hoteliers and industry professionals alike, the show presents a curated collection of over 300 innovative product and service providers together with expert insight from our Seminar Programme and multiple networking opportunities.
Come and meet the team in the Guest Lounge or why not attend one of the seminars that we will be hosting during the show?
David Noble, Director of Hospitality and Leisure at James Hallam said,
James Hallam are delighted to renew our sponsorship of the 2017 Independent Hotel Show. The show is the event of choice for the hotel industry so as its broker of choice it is the perfect event for us to support.