The Broadmoor

When it comes to ensuring a successful association event, choosing a golf and spa resort will drive attendance and help groups meet all of their meeting goals. That’s because these special venues offer amenities and activities that make association members want to attend an event, and it’s hard to beat the networking opportunities organically provided through golf and other diversions. Amenity-rich resorts also entice members to tack on a family vacation before or after a convention, which can further drive attendance.

Colorado

One of the country’s premier golf and spa resorts, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO, is where Common Ground Alliance (CGA) held its annual conference and expo last year for over 1,400 attendees. The group had previously alternated between the East and West Coasts but decided to take their event to the middle of the country this time.

“A new location brings new energy,” says Khrysanne M. Kerr, CGA vice president of marketing and outreach. “The Broadmoor offers great outdoor options, beautiful scenery and epic lodging. It was a great alternative to an urban setting. The meeting and conference space is thoughtful and separate from the resort, bringing the best of both worlds together.”

According to Kerr, the historic property was on her CEO’s radar for some time. “Our association requires a great deal of meeting space with little or no desire to go the convention center route,” she says. “We’re limited to who can house us. The Broadmoor has a surprisingly large amount of space inclusive of an exhibit hall that can accommodate vehicles and equipment. Exclusives are kept to a minimum, allowing clients the flexibility to partner with legacy resources to ensure event success. Price is always a determining factor, and the sales team worked hard to earn our business and develop a fair and reasonable contract. There is a lot to do in the area, and the area ‘does conventions’ well.”

Golf and spa were part of the core program. In fact, there was increased interest in golf because the conference coincided with the last day of one of the sport’s most legendary tournaments. “We had a 144-person scramble on the Sunday afternoon of the final round of The Masters,” Kerr says. “Hosting a tournament at that date and time would have been a nonstarter elsewhere. It was the first time we’ve ever sold out our golf tournament, and several attendees also played conference ‘hooky’ and golfed on their own.”

Kerr adds that The Broadmoor’s tournament director was attentive and flexible, and the resort team was unfazed by multiple club rentals and changes in pairings among the CGA attendees.  “Storage for goodie bags and signage was also volunteered before we asked for it, and our guests had a great time,” she says. “I received multiple texts while our guests played past the scenery and wildlife they encountered. Our scoring is unorthodox, plus we award first, eighth and 11th place. That was no problem for the Broadmoor staff; the results were emailed to me within the hour of completion. They know how to run a tournament!”

During the conference, the group also had a “Healthy Habits” education track that included a member of the resort’s fitness/spa team. Additionally, several spouses spent time in the spa, which Kerr calls “lovely.” She also notes that The Broadmoor Outfitters staff offers team-building and other activities. “Some attendees participated in the ropes course and repelling adventures, and one exhibitor hosted the falconry program on the exhibit floor,” she adds.

Kerr says her program’s success was The Broadmoor’s top priority, from the hotel president and general manager down to the bell staff. “Our contract was originally signed for 650 participants; we had 1,439,” she adds. “This property and sales team grew with us, offered creative suggestions and were invested in our entire program. To other planners she says: “Don’t believe that you aren’t a five-star organization, like I did. Take the meeting, meet the team and be transparent in what you need to be successful.”

Additionally, Kerr notes, The Broadmoor golf course is legendary. “Don’t underestimate the power of that. It’s a bucket-list course for many, and you can only play if you’re a guest of the hotel or a member. Exclusivity is a driver — pun intended!”

Florida

The PA Bankers Association has met at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort on Florida’s Gulf Coast multiple times. It’s a favorite destination for the group’s annual convention — which typically draws about 400 attendees along with guests and others — as the island and the resort meet the association’s high standards.

“Marco Island is a stunning destination,” says Cindy Wallett, who is senior vice president of the association, as well as president of the PA Bankers Services Corporation. “It’s a community that takes pride in its appearance, offers phenomenal restaurant choices, beautiful weather and wonderful beaches and golf opportunities.”

Additionally, she says, the Southwest Florida International Airport has multiple carriers offering direct flights to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. These are “airports utilized heavily by our Pennsylvania convention delegation,” Wallett adds. “[Southwest Florida International] also serves our 35-plus corporate sponsors, who fly to the convention from all over the country. The PA Bankers Association hosts its annual convention in multiple locations around the country and Bermuda, but Marco Island is at the top of our delegation’s priority list.” She says the increased attendance and evaluation satisfaction survey results are proof of that.

While the purpose of the program is education and professional development first and foremost, the convention also offers attendees opportunities to network with peers, as well as with vendors who provide products and services to the industry.

Wallett calls the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott brands excellent partners. “Our association identifies hospitality industry partners around a stringent and strategic priority of service levels and amenities,” Wallett says. “We’ve found that Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott brands throughout the United States consistently meet or exceed our expectations. We’ve returned to the JW Marriott Marco Island on multiple occasions because of the service standards brilliantly executed by [their] staff. While onsite and in post-event surveys, our attendees rave about the personalized service and often request to return to the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort.”

A golf outing is incorporated into every annual convention if offered at the host resort or a nearby club.

“Foursomes are designed with a mix of bankers and vendors to stimulate networking and peer discussion, and to open up sales opportunities for sponsors who serve the industry,” Wallett notes. “One advantage of a golf event at the JW Marriott Marco Island is the option of two top-tier championship golf courses: The Rookery and Hammock Bay Golf & Country Club. The golf pro and his team provide top-notch service. They help the association develop foursomes to evenly distribute handicap levels, facilitate the handling of clubs (including rentals) and oversee logistics of transportation, boxed lunches [and] food and beverages on the course, as well as scoring and awarding of prizes. They’ve even kept the pro shop open a bit after hours for utilization of gift cards won as prizes — above and beyond the call of duty! Lastly, the clubhouse offers a phenomenal menu and very pleasant atmosphere to serve as the 19th hole.”

Many attendees also made spa appointments, in advance of their arrival, via an electronic convention-confirmation kit. The association also invited a spa representative to set up a sign-up desk during registration, which allowed them to showcase their services. “Two massage chairs,” Wallett adds, “were placed at convention registration to provide massages, compliments of one of our sponsors, which was very well received by our attendees upon arrival.”

Wallett says the elevated service standards of the JW Marriott brand set it apart. “These are important to our association throughout program execution and on to the final invoice,” she adds. “Everything is delivered with excellence by the entire JW Marriott Marco Island team. Additionally, few destinations can offer the beauty, beaches, cuisine and golf opportunities Marco provides. Beyond the resort, the Everglades offer additional tour options that help create a well-rounded program for everyone.”

On the other side of the state, the Energy Infrastructure Council met last year at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa in Aventura, FL, drawing about 550 attendees. Geoff Ziebart, director, outreach and special projects with the council, says it’s a good fit for the group for several reasons, including location, transportation access, privacy and the scale of conference spaces. “The Turnberry property provided us access to two major airports, competitive and luxurious lodging, excellent on-property amenities (including golf, spa and pools), access to fine dining and shopping and top-end conference space.”

Golf was part of the program. “We created a golf tournament and named if after a retiring and widely popular investor-relations executive,” Ziebart says. “The tournament provided excellent social networking opportunities the day before our conference began, and helped us shore up lodging commitments because people had to arrive the night before to play golf the next morning. Sean Olson, director of golf at the resort, was extremely helpful. He provided guidance on the best format for our tournament, confirmed contiguous tee times convenient for our players and made the scoring process effortless.”

Ziebart has one caveat about golf at the conference, but notes they found a solution. “In past years, we covered greens fees for our registrants but had no-show issues that were costly and disruptive,” he says. “This year, we required players to pay greens fees in advance and also offered foursome sponsorship opportunities. These two strategies served to ensure that everyone showed up for their respective tee times, that the event wasn’t a loss leader for the association and ensured that people could sponsor activities even if they didn’t sponsor the overall conference. We’ll do it again!”

Although spa use was not a formal part of the event, Ziebart insists that his group’s experiences with the spa and spa team were outstanding. “It’s a great facility, easily accessible and has a wide range of offerings,” he says.

Additionally, he says, the resort encourages attendees to extend their stay for a family vacation before or after the conference. “Tidal Cove is an elegant and fun waterpark ideal for family fun,” Ziebart adds. “The park is tastefully removed from conference and hotel-room areas but is a great marketing opportunity for groups looking to build a little personal time into their schedule.”

His tip for planners considering the resort is to provide guests with plenty of information about airline and train options. “South Florida can be daunting for outsiders, but Turnberry is ideally located close to two international airports and only five minutes by car from Aventura’s brand-new Brightline train station.”

California

Newport Beach, CA, is another inviting destination for meetings and events.

“[It’s] beautiful, the visitor authority is fantastic to work with and the VEA Newport Beach, a Marriott Resort & Spa, is amazing,” says Julie Ostrovsky, deputy executive director of the Nevada Justice Association. “Most of our attendees at our events are from Nevada. It’s an easy, affordable flight or quick drive. The VEA is a lovely hotel, the renovation was well done and made the venue a popular spot. We sited this location years ago and took a pass. Now, it’s so popular that … we booked two more meetings. We’ve never booked a location for multiple meetings before, and we have been doing this for 48 years. The location of the VEA Newport Beach is attractive because of all the amenities onsite, as well as the mall across the street. This makes the shopping, dining and entertainment a bonus and incentive to registrants.”

The group met last year at the resort to host the “Embrace Your Inner Badass” meeting for 150 female trial lawyers. Additional iterations of the meeting were also held there this year. Ostrovsky says the hotel’s appeal is its location, the hotel itself and the spa. “The fact that it’s a Marriott is a bonus. Everyone likes their points,” she notes.

Attendees came in early to golf, although it wasn’t a formal part of the meeting. “The spa,” Ostrovsky adds, “is fantastic [and] made booking 75 treatments in two-and-a-half days easy. The spa is clean, gorgeous and the therapists were outstanding. I had only positive feedback about our participants’ experiences at the VEA Spa. We also offered yoga one morning before classes, and the location was indoor/outdoor and beyond beautiful. Doing yoga looking out at the golf course and water — what could be better?”

Says Ostrovsky: “Book more space than you think you’ll need. Everyone will want to be in Newport Beach, and you’ll sell out faster than expected … The view of the course … is lovely, [and] now everyone wants to be on [it]!” | AC&F |