Hotel and Catering

What Hotel and Catering does

Hotel and Catering, trading as Empact Training (legally Empact Management & Training Services), is a privately held Scottish hospitality and tourism training and consultancy firm founded in 1986 by Keith Emery and headquartered in Darvel, Ayrshire. The firm delivers professional services exclusively to the hotel and catering sectors, with a stated focus on smaller privately owned businesses across Scotland, and is led by a 45-person team. Its product portfolio is broad and service-led, spanning Training Needs Analysis, Standard Operating Procedures development, peripatetic on-job training, High Impact Training sessions, bespoke training materials, management coaching and mentoring, Train the Trainer programmes, and mystery guest evaluations, alongside discrete training courses in service excellence, sales and marketing, financial management, and small tourism business start-up.

The underlying technology is essentially human-delivered professional services rather than a platform; no proprietary software, API, or digital delivery channel is referenced, and all content is delivered in-person at client premises or through workshops and seminars. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with materials, workbooks, and equipment included; the firm characterises itself as mid-market on price, emphasising value against Service, Quality, and Price benchmarks.

Commercially, Empact operates a sales-led, consultative go-to-market: prospects initiate contact directly via phone (Keith Emery) or email, with top-of-funnel leads generated through referral relationships with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Visit Scotland, People 1st, Institute of Hospitality, BII, Tourism Society, Springboard, and HIT Scotland. Institutional credibility rests on founder Keith Emery's 38 years of industry experience, HCIMA Accredited Training Consultant status (since 2000), and his appointment as trainer for Scottish Enterprise and HIE's 'One Hundred Thousand Welcomes' tourism initiative in 2006.

Name

Hotel and Catering

Legal name

Empact

Website

https://empact-training.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Empact Training is a Scottish hospitality and tourism training and consultancy firm, founded in 1986, serving smaller privately owned hotels and catering businesses across Scotland with Training Needs Analysis, SOP development, on-site training, management development, and mystery guest services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Darvel

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Training and Consultancy Services: Empact generates revenue through professional training and consultancy services delivered to hospitality businesses in Scotland. Services include Training Needs Analysis, bespoke training materials development, on-site training sessions, Train the Trainer programmes, and mystery guest evaluations. Pricing is quote-based with no public pricing disclosed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Empact is a Scottish hospitality and tourism training and consultancy firm that delivers customized instructor-led training and business improvement services to smaller privately owned hotels, bed & breakfasts, and tourism operators across Scotland. Its core offering spans Training Needs Analysis, Standard Operating Procedures development, peripatetic on-job training, High Impact Training sessions, bespoke training materials, management coaching, Train the Trainer programmes, and mystery guest evaluations, supported by a structured catalogue of seminars in service excellence, sales and marketing, and financial management.

Product overview

Empact is a professional hospitality and tourism training company specializing in Business Improvement, People Development and Service Excellence. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of training and consultancy services including Training Needs Analysis (TNA) development, Standard Operating Procedures creation, peripatetic on-job training, High Impact Training (HIT) sessions, bespoke training materials design, management development coaching, Train the Trainer programmes, and mystery guest evaluation services. Their training programmes span service excellence (Leading Service Excellence and Delivering Service Excellence), sales and marketing skills, financial management, and specialized offerings for small businesses including Bed & Breakfast seminars and tourism start-up training. The core offering combines on-job practical training with off-job workshops and seminars, supported by legislative compliance training delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Training Needs Analysis (TNA)
• Standard Operating Procedures Development
• Peripatetic Training Service
• High Impact Training (HIT) Sessions
• Bespoke Training Materials
• Management Development Programme
• Train the Trainer Programme
• Mystery Guest Visits
• Leading Service Excellence Programme
• Delivering Service Excellence Programme
• Sales and Marketing Training
• Ex SELL ence Selling Skills for Front Line Staff
• One Hundred Thousand Welcomes Training
• Dealing with (Awkward) Customers Training
• Financial Management Training
• Bed & Breakfast Seminars
• Small Tourism Business Start-Up Seminar
• Marketing for Small Tourism Businesses

Quantifiable outcome

• Success measured by increased client success

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Scottish EnterprisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScottish Enterprise is a key strategic partner referenced on the Empact website. They appointed Keith Emery as a trainer for their Tourism Initiative 'One Hundred Thousand Welcomes' in 2006. Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise work together on national tourism initiatives.
• Highlands & Islands EnterprisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHighlands & Islands Enterprise appointed Keith Emery as a trainer for the joint Tourism Initiative 'One Hundred Thousand Welcomes' with Scottish Enterprise in 2006. Supports tourism development in Scotland's Highlands and Islands regions.
• People 1stminorOthersPeople 1st is a hospitality industry body referenced as a useful link. Industry partner providing resources and support for hospitality workforce development in Scotland.
• Visit ScotlandminorOthersVisit Scotland is referenced as a useful link for tourism information. Scotland's national tourism organization providing industry resources and promotion.
• Institute of HospitalityminorOthersInstitute of Hospitality is referenced as a professional association useful link. Professional membership body for hospitality managers and professionals.
• British Institute of Innkeeping (BII)minorOthersBritish Institute of Innkeeping is referenced as a useful link. Keith Emery holds full membership of BII. Professional body for licensed hospitality operators.
• Tourism SocietyminorOthersTourism Society is referenced as a useful link. Keith Emery holds full membership. Professional society for tourism industry professionals.
• SpringboardminorOthersSpringboard is referenced as a useful link. UK charity providing careers support, training and opportunities in hospitality and tourism.
• 100k Welcomes ProgrammeminorOthers100k Welcomes Programme is referenced as a useful link. Scottish Enterprise and Highlands & Islands Enterprise tourism initiative that Keith Emery was appointed to train for.
• HCIMA (Hotel and Catering International Management Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKeith Emery was appointed an Accredited Training Consultant with HCIMA in July 2000 for delivery of the service quality excellence 'HOSPITALITY ASSURED' Award. HCIMA is now known as the Institute of Hospitality.
• Pride and PassionminorOthersPride and Passion is referenced as a useful link. Hospitality industry organization providing training and support resources.
• Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland (HIT Scotland)minorOthersHIT Scotland is referenced as a useful link. Charity supporting hospitality industry through education, training and professional development in Scotland.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Hotel Solutions: UK hospitality consultancy offering training, operational reviews, and mystery guest evaluations to hotels — directly comparable services (especially mystery guest and operational training) to Empact's portfolio.
• Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland (HIT Scotland): Scottish charity supporting hospitality through education, training, and professional development — overlaps with Empact's Scottish focus on training and people development for hospitality professionals.
• White Hart Associates: UK hospitality industry consultancy providing training, operational support, and business improvement services to hotels and leisure operators — comparable boutique consultancy model to Empact.
• Springboard UK & Ireland: UK charity focused on careers, training, and education across hospitality, leisure, and tourism — directly comparable to Empact's hospitality training and people-development mission for industry entrants and operators.
• People 1st (now part of UKHospitality): UK sector skills organization for hospitality and tourism that delivers workforce development, training standards, and skills programmes — directly comparable to Empact's workforce training focus in hospitality.
• Institute of Hospitality: UK professional membership body for hospitality managers that provides accredited training, qualifications, and continuous professional development — directly comparable as a UK hospitality training and accreditation provider.

Broad incumbents

• Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL): Global leader in hospitality management education and executive training — comparable in hospitality training category but at vastly larger scale, with degree programmes and corporate executive education.
• Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration: US-based premier hospitality school offering executive education and professional development for industry leaders — comparable in hospitality executive training category but operating as a large academic institution rather than a boutique consultancy.

Others

• British Institute of Innkeeping (BII): UK professional body for licensed hospitality operators providing training resources and membership support — thematically related as a UK hospitality training and industry body, though primarily a trade association rather than a consultancy.

Regional players

• American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI): US-based hospitality training, certification, and educational content provider — comparable in hospitality training scope but operates in a different geography (North America) and at much greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hotel-and-catering

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hotel and Catering