For planners and attendees alike, Florida is a glittering jewel with delightful destinations and amazing amusements. With numerous options for activities from sunny beaches to natural wonders to tantalizing theme parks, it’s no wonder the ‘Sunshine State’ remains a top spot for hosting any type of event.

ORLANDO IS A POPULAR CHOICE

No discussion of Orlando is complete without mentioning the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). It offers more than 7 million sf of meeting and exhibition space, making it the second-largest convention center in the U.S. A $605 million expansion includes work on the Convention Way Grand Concourse and the Multipurpose Venue. When the work is complete, the South Building will have 675,141 sf of exhibit space and a grand total of 1.15 million sf of space. The Convention Way Grand Concourse expansion includes an additional 60,000 sf of meeting space and an 80,000-sf ballroom. The expansion, expected to wrap up in late 2023, will bring total exhibit space at the OCCC to 2.3 million sf.

“We wanted somewhere with great value, abundant meeting and evening event spaces, and warm enough for outside activities.” Angela C. York

While the OCCC has its appeal, for Angela C. York, senior manager of events and special projects for law firm Thompson Coburn LLP, the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate was the ideal venue.

“We wanted somewhere with great value, abundant meeting and evening event spaces, and warm enough for outside activities.” York says. She understood that in late fall, only a few places can fit the bill. She plans a retreat for partners every few years and chose Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate “because of the championship golf courses, layout and location of the meeting space, and their amazing spa.” For four days last fall, some 230 partners, chiefs and departmental directors descended on this Orlando resort for a series of programs, activities and events.

Rather than convening all the partners each morning, York offered them breakfast vouchers, coordinated by the hotel’s conference services manager. “They were able to have breakfast when and where they wanted, and it was billed back to our master bill. The best part was that they could either enjoy the full buffet at Trevi’s or simply grab and go from Morsel’s.” Lunches were catered and held at the spa, the golf course or in a hospitality suite.

“Each evening event was kept on property, which is not normally the case for this program — indeed, some of the partners initially expressed disappointment that they would stay on property each night. A lot of planning and details went into each dinner, York says, crediting once again the conference services manager with creating “three amazing, yet very different evening events. She made the planning unbelievably easy. She is extraordinarily creative and has a vision like no other.” By the end of the program, York says, she knew she had a success on her hands — everyone was pleased with the decision to hold evening activities on-site. “Some of the comments and feedback that we received: ‘the food on Saturday night was simply amazing,’ ‘The options at dinner last night were incredible,’ ‘The presentation at each food station was over the top’ and my favorite was ‘This was the best retreat ever!’”

The attendees were also thrilled with the planned activities: golf tournaments, a tennis match, spa treatments, reserved cabanas at the pool, helicopter tours and eco-fishing tours, all available at or departing directly from the resort. “There are so many incredibly different meeting and event spaces that over multiple days, many in our group didn’t even see half of the property. We were able to create three totally different evening events that were unbelievably memorable experiences for our attendees,” York says.

Since her visit, many changes are afoot. Planned for this year are: New carpeting, woodwork, furniture and artwork in the lobby, and meeting rooms, as well as decor, furniture and fixtures upgrades to all guest rooms. David’s Club, the sports bar and steakhouse, whose four signature steaks feature 30-day, wet-aged prime Angus beef, will get new wall coverings, carpets, refinished wood flooring, new leather seating, new tables, and new flat-screen TVs.

Attendees who stay at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort have access to the Disney World theme parks, two of which are within walking distance, as well as complimentary transportation throughout the Disney resort, extra hours at the theme parks, and priority golf reservations. At the same time, they need never encounter a single Disney character if that’s their preference. Planners can take advantage of the Disney meeting and event production team, and make use of meeting and convention theme park tickets. The beauty of the set-up is clear: it’s practically impossible to know when one has actually left the property at all. For example, attendees can head to the latest themed dining space at Epcot, Space 220, which when open will mimic the physical sensation of dining on the space station. While space food has come a long way from those early freeze-dried, Meals-Ready-to-Eat, the menu at this restaurant will veer more toward contemporary American.

Without ever leaving the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, groups have at their disposal more than 333,000 sf of meeting space as well as the Mandara Spa and 18 restaurants and lounges. Last year, the Swan debuted sandwiches-and-coffee venue, Java, and Chill, the alcoholic and nonalcoholic frozen drink counter. At the Dolphin, a new 1,600-sf meeting room called The Caribbean Room is geared toward breakouts and small meetings. Shula’s Steak House got a complete refresh of the space and menu: An expanded bar and lounge featuring a three-sided, wraparound bar, as well as new menu items, such as a 22-ounce dry aged, rib-eye steak. A new 14 story tower, The Cove at the Walt Disney World Swan Resort, should be ready next year. It will have more than  22,000 sf of meeting space, 349 guest rooms, a 16,800-sf elevated deck with pool, a 90-seat restaurant and a rooftop reception space with views of the nightly Walt Disney World fireworks.

Rosen Shingle Creek, a 255-acre Orlando resort, recently spruced up its rooms and 524,000 sf of meeting space to add more lively colors and patterns to the decor and carpeting. Event space includes three presidential suites and 30 hospitality suites. The resort property also puts at attendees’ disposal a 13,000-sf spa, an 18-hole golf course with three new holes and a few redesigned ones, along with a 2,000-sf golf pavilion offering lunch space for groups, four outdoor swimming pools, two lighted tennis courts, a basketball court, a sand volleyball court, a nature trail, a video arcade and charging stations for electric vehicles.

In an illustration of the many possibilities of the Rosen Shingle Creek resort, a year ago, some 5,000 people attended the Dentsply Sirona World convention, held over the course of three days. Continuing education seminars, the latest news in innovative dental supplies, more than 100 breakout sessions and a keynote address by author Doris Kearns Goodwin were on the docket, and many non-dentists were among the attendees treated to a private concert from Katy Perry and a comedy show from Jim Gaffigan. Activities included a Fun Run along the golf course, with attendees dressing in medieval costumes and then — running in those costumes. Later, perhaps these same costume-loving attendees donned lederhosen for an Oktoberfest hoedown complete with a Bavarian band. Free transportation was available daily to and from Universal Orlando Resort and to SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica, had attendees chosen to use it.

MIAMI FLOURISHES

Lyana Blokhina, CEO of event planning company LBright Events, knew she wanted to bring her group of 20 top executives from a Florida-based corporate technology company to Miami. The group planned to do product testing for two days — and to test out beach chairs. What she didn’t know was where exactly to bring them. “Miami is a great meetings destination, with great weather year-round and many options to choose from for hotels, restaurants and team-building activities. The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau is always very helpful in assisting meeting planners with their sourcing,” she says. At their suggestion, she tried the Palms Hotel & Spa resort for the first time and says she was “very pleased with the result. They offered a very competitive rate, and the sales manager was very easy to communicate with.” The site inspection was the deal clincher for her.

“Most attendees flew in from the East Coast and truly appreciated warm weather,” Blokhina says. “Friendly staff at the hotel made a great first impression, followed by a delicious dinner served in the outdoor tiki hut.” Apart from The Tiki Bar, another place to eat on the property is Essensia Restaurant, which offers a seasonal three-course prix-fixe menu and prides itself on serving sustainably sourced and locally grown food: Line Caught Swordfish, Sustainable Caribbean Snapper and Foraged Mushroom Risotto, for example, are three menu offerings. “I would strongly recommend the property for a meeting or an incentive group,” Blokhina says. “The hotel has a lot of different options for various programs. It has a great location right on the beach, yet it’s easily accessible to shopping, the airport and activities available in Miami.”

The attendees particularly enjoyed the beach and the pool, as well as “great meeting space, light and comfortable rooms and great F&B,” she says. “All the food and beverage functions were held at the hotel, including reception and welcome dinner. It was very easy to plan and offered a variety of outlets.”

A Miami mainstay since its opening in 1926, The Miami Biltmore Hotel and Resort is an elegant venue that also happens to be designated a National Historic Landmark. The 271-room resort, which sits on more than 150 acres, includes 174 suites and features iconic, Mediterranean architecture.

It offers a restored Donald Ross 18-hole, par-71 championship golf course, tennis courts, a European Spa, modern fitness center, and claims to have the largest hotel pool on the U.S. East Coast.

The Miami Biltmore also boasts 75,000 sf of function space, which includes the crown jewel of the property’s event space, the Conference Center of the Americas (CCA). The CCA, which is in a separate building on the grounds, offers 40,000 sf of function space, eight main meeting rooms, six breakout rooms, a 6,200-sf ballroom with a 46-foot ceiling, two high-tech, tiered amphitheaters that seat groups of 60-90 and 90-130, and a private executive boardroom. The resort proudly proclaims that in 1994, Pres. Bill Clinton hosted 34 heads of state at the Summit of the Americas held at the CCA.

The property also offers:

•  33 meeting spaces, including 12 in the hotel and 14 in the CCA.
• 11,280 sf of outdoor
• banquet space.
• 36,000 sf of banquet space for functions accommodating up to 1,000 attendees.
• High speed internet available throughout the property.

Finally, it’s just minutes from downtown Coral Gables’ renowned restaurants, boutiques, businesses, and the famed Miracle Mile.

FORT LAUDERDALE/HOLLYWOOD BECKONS

The local CVB was equally helpful for a planner who wanted to book  during the annual South Beach Food & Wine Festival. “Since we hold our program in high season and typically during one of the city’s major events, we find that we need to book the hotel at least two to three years in advance to ensure we get a few properties to choose from,” says Sandra Edstrom, CMP, FLMI, client relations and events manager, corporate marketing for an Orlando-based company. She finds the services of the local CVB to be invaluable. Specifically, “Miami has so many options to hold meetings and events that the best way for me to narrow down my options is to call the AVP, convention sales to assist with the RFP process. I have been working with her for roughly eight years, and she understands my program and what types of properties work best for us. Partnering with the local CVB is a huge time saver for me.”

Every February, Edstrom plans a symposium, a client appreciation event with an educational component, for about 75 attendees from the Midwest, Northeast and Canada. “Miami is such an attractive destination for our clients, offering a welcome change from the cold and snowy weather they have experienced for months,” she says. For February, after consulting with the local CVB, she settled on Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort up-beach from the high season hubbub of Miami. “This boutique hotel is quintessential South Florida, with a tropical vibe that I am excited to have our clients experience,“ she says. “It checked all of the boxes for us: It’s an easy destination to get to, it’s located on the beach, offers meeting space that can accommodate a U-shape configuration for our sessions, and has several outdoor meal function space options to choose from.”

Located a mere 15-minute drive from the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the 349-room, 17-story Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort offers 30,000 sf of event space right on the beach. JWB Prime Steak and Seafood is the most upscale of the resort’s multiple Jimmy Buffett-inspired eateries, with a raw bar that offers items including a Seafood Tower of oysters, clams, red king crab, shrimp, ceviche and lobster, and a dinner menu that boasts a 32-ounce Tomahawk steak, and a catch of the day that has literally been speared by fishermen trained in that technique. The 5 o’clock Somewhere Bar & Grill not only offers attendees a fire pit and nightly sunset rituals, but it’s also doubles as a water taxi stop along the Intracoastal Waterway. Attendees can make their way to various spots along the beach to Fort Lauderdale if they have a mind to.

On-site activities include a FlowRider surfing simulator, paddle boarding and snorkeling. Edstrom plans to offer her group a two-hour catamaran tour arranged by the hotel DMC as well as a round of golf. Two nearby courses are The Club at Emerald Hills and the Hollywood Beach Golf Club.

About 20 minutes inland from Hollywood Beach is a spectacular resort, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, one of Florida’s two Seminole Hard Rock hotels. Only months ago, the resort finished a $1.5 billion expansion that adds to the existing 465 room, 12-story Hard Rock Hotel. One of the most photographed elements of this new version of the resort is the 450-foot tall, 638-room, shaped-exactly-like-a-guitar hotel, complete with LED strings that light up at night. A daily sunset light show synchronizes with the beats of any selected music. Inside the musical marvel are the traditional Italian restaurant Cipresso, with a copious wine list where Italian grapes are the star, and the 24-hour eatery Rise Kitchen & Deli, which offers sandwiches, salads, burgers and a juice bar. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, attendees get a clear view of the adjacent and quite new 13.5-acre pool lagoon. Some of the suites in the seven-story, 168-room Oasis Tower offer swim-up rooms from and to this lagoon.

The lagoon brings the total number of on-site pools to six, with 18 acres of water property-wide, separated into three waterfront areas that mimic the natural world. Two white sand beaches, waterfalls, palm trees, a rock mountain, a 182-foot water slide, poolside cabanas equipped with TVs, refrigerators, phones and ceiling fans, and what the resort describes as a “water expanse, nearly as long as three football fields,” where attendees can canoe and paddle board, are just a few of the many sensational locations planners can choose from when imagining a reception or dining event.

The 44,000-sf DAER South Florida complex, consisting of DAER Nightclub, DAER Dayclub and rooftop bar, is also new. DAER Nightclub has more than 18,000 sf of indoor space that can transform into an indoor-outdoor venue, with views of the pool lagoon and a giant LED centerpiece; the Dayclub offers a dipping pool, daybeds, 13 private cabanas and DJ entertainment.

Even more that’s new: 120,000 sf of designated meeting space, including a carpeted exhibition hall, ballrooms and atriums, that can accommodate as many as 5,000 attendees. Of course, these are only the spaces specifically tagged for meetings. Pretty much the entire resort cries out to be the backdrop for some sort of gathering or event, including areas in the 42,000-sf Rock Spa and Salon and the new Hard Rock Live entertainment arena which holds 7,000 people.

Perhaps the most dazzling element of the reimagined space is the lobby, although ‘lobby’ is a decidedly a low-achieving word to describe the space. It is called The Oculus —  a shock-and-awe show of dancing water and lights in a kind of holographic projection as ongoing event. It was designed with the potential to produce numerous types of projections, offering planners many possibilities for discussions about how to ‘wow’ attendees with branding. A lobby bar of the same name offers the possibility to add to the general disorientation with top-shelf beverages.

The Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood, also reimagined, now has an open kitchen and more seating. It’s the model for all future Hard Rock Cafes. Among the resort’s many dining offerings are Abiaka, an open-kitchen restaurant where the chefs grill seafood and meat over live orangewood and white oak charcoal fire grills and in coal ovens; Fresh Harvest, where the buffet includes every style of food, much of it cooked to order; and Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, yet another open kitchen with an on-site butcher shop, a dry-aging room with pink Himalayan salt walls and a 400-label wine room. If indeed there remain any edibles in South Florida that cannot be had on this property, that unlikely eventuality promises to be short-lived.

TAMPA IS TEMPTING

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa, the second of the state’s Seminole Hard Rock hotels, has also seen an expansion to the tune of $700 million. As in Hollywood, so too does this expansion include a new tower. The East Tower Rooms & Suites added more than 500 guest rooms to bring the resort total room capacity to about 800. Three new pools have been added, including an expanded pool and deck area for special events, and a 26,000-sf Rock Spa & Salon, sister to Hollywood’s and complete with its own hammam ritual room, is also new. The resort now also has a 200 seat Cipresso, where attendees can enjoy a menu that includes handmade pasta and pizza with the dough of one of the signature pizzas fermented for two days, fresh limoncello and craft cocktails. The restaurant also has a 16-seat private dining room for intimate group outings. Also of recent vintage is artisanal coffee and pastries outpost Constant Grind; the Pool Bar & Grill, where gelato is made on-site and some specialty drinks are served in a pouch, the better to enjoy poolside, and a new wine-tasting room and shop, The Cellar. The finishing touches have just been added to a new, 1,500-seat Hard Rock Event Center, complete with a 17,000-sf ballroom as part of a total of 30,000 sf of space, which still awaits the first planner’s review. Still awaiting updates are the Hard Rock Cafe, which will be remodeled in line with Hollywood’s, and the Rise Kitchen & Bakery, which will be redesigned and relocated on the resort.

Also on Florida’s Gulf Coast, sits Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa. The 287-room hotel offers 20,000 sf of flexible indoor function space, including the 4,000-sf Aqualea Ballroom, 6,500 sf of private, outdoor function space overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, and the 4,000-sf Sky Terrace on the roof with adjoining suites, and the pool deck terrace high on the eighth floor.

As for dining, the resort offers five options: SHOR American Seafood Grill, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner; Swim Bar & Grill, for sandwiches and appetizers; Off SHOR; SHOR To Go and Market. There is also Sandava Spa, a Hyatt StayFit Gym open 24 hours and poolside cabanas.

Drive a few hours north along the Gulf Coast and discover the South Walton area consisting of 16 beach neighborhoods. Each offers sun-splashed venues — from little-known boutique hotels to big-name resorts — and small-town amenities to satisfy any taste. Some of the brand names include: Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard, Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, Embassy Suites Destin-Miramar Beach and Hyatt Place Sandestin at Grand Boulevard.

JACKSONVILLE RATED A FAVORITE

Last fall, Mandie Adler, executive assistant of medical device company Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Medtronic, brought a group of 91 attendees at the senior director level and above, including vice presidents, to the Marriott Jacksonville. “The majority of the company leadership was in attendance,” she says. The occasion? A five-day strategy meeting for 2020. A local subsidiary of Medtronic holds small quarterly meetings at the hotel, but this was Adler’s foray, she says, noting that it was on the recommendation of other Medtronic teams that she chose the venue. The location was also a big selling point. The group “used restaurants for casual meals or get-togethers, and had catered team dinners. Any changes were made fast and efficiently,” she says, citing Marriott Jacksonville’s “excellent hospitality. Everyone was super accommodating. Planning was flawless and efficient; I would use this hotel every time and would change nothing. Our ops team goes quarterly and will continue to.”

Co-existing in and near Jacksonville are the hippest of microbreweries and fish shacks, each offering attendees a sense of the unique flavor of the area. Given that, attendees will be forgiven for wanting to go off property for experiential visits. The executives did in fact engage in a favored local pastime, the brewery tour. Visit Jacksonville’s Jax Ale Trail Brewery Passport gives attendees the option to hit up 19 local breweries and collect swag based on how often the passport is stamped. Elsewhere in town, attendees can scout out the signature food venues of Jacksonville, called ‘fish camps.’ These seafood shacks, some only reachable by boat, showcase the local day’s catch such as Mayport shrimp, crawfish and, for the more enterprising attendees, alligator sausage.

Adler’s group was there in time to see some of the fruits of the first part of the hotel’s multimillion-dollar renovation plans. All guest rooms were upgraded with a new palate and more comfortable bedding and linens. A Concierge Lounge was added serving complimentary food including an American breakfast, and late-night snacks, bar service and a general quiet space for working or one-on-ones. The lounge is reserved for attendees in Concierge-Level rooms. Next to be renovated will be, essentially, every other part of the hotel. The lobby lounge, bar and restaurant, together with the Lobby Bar and Bistro 202 will compose the new branded ‘Greatroom’ and will be redesigned and the menu refocused on Florida-sourced ingredients and should be unveiled shortly. Marriott is also upgrading the nearly 20,000 sf of meeting space with new furniture and updated technology — up to 750 attendees can fit into the largest of these spaces. The pool deck and fitness center will also get a more modern redesign.

All that and more means planners can never go wrong with Florida. C&IT

Matthew Von Ertfelda, Senior Vice President Food and Beverage, Global Operations Marriott International. Large groups give planners an opportunity to get creative not only with preparing food, but serving it as well.

Creating exciting dining concepts for groups of all sizes continues to grow in importance as the event industry evolves. “With groups, I think there’s more opportunity to deliver experiences that can not just promote the goals of a particular meeting, but which can be exceptionally experiential,” says Matthew Von Ertfelda, senior vice president, food and beverage, global operations for Marriott International. “Meetings today have to be so much more than they’ve ever been in the past, and the levels of creativity are just going to continue to grow,” he said. “The meeting planners who understand that and also understand that they have to deliver experiences that make meetings absolutely unforgettable — where attendees walk away with not just the key messages of the meeting, but those experiences that drive connections to the company or the venue — are the ones who are going to be successful. Success will be about who can unlock a culture of creativity and artisanship routinely across their brand and hotels.”

“With groups, I think there’s more opportunity to deliver experiences that can not just promote the goals of a particular meeting, but which can be exceptionally experiential.” Matthew Von Ertfelda

Content is still key to creating outstanding meetings, but meals can be a surprisingly important part of reinforcing an event’s theme and creating a lasting and positive impression of a brand or gatherings. Von Ertfelda and other event industry professionals share a wealth of creative ideas for dining concepts that provide much more than a chance to refuel.

BIG VS. SMALL

To some extent, size matters when it comes to creating great dining experiences for groups. “What’s great about the larger groups as opposed to the smaller ones is you’re able to offer much more selection,” says Donald Ross, vice president of Meeting Operations, Las Vegas for Caesars Entertainment. “If you have 100 people, typically you wouldn’t offer several food stations because it’s just too many. It gets too costly. When you have the larger groups, you have to have so many points of service that you can almost do a food hall.” The ability to offer a wide variety of beer, wine, cocktails and other beverage options is also expanded, he points out.

But bigger isn’t necessarily better. “Large groups present logistical challenges that require painstaking precision, mathematics and the operational excellence of a military maneuver,” says Tiffany Richardson, president of Current Affairs, an event production and planning company in Hawaii. “When quantity of people increases, the quality of food and service can decrease.

When Richardson has large groups, she tends to think about ways to provide them with multiple dining experiences rather than sticking to the same food service concept for everyone. It elevates the experience, she says, as well as creating diversity in food offerings, increases intimacy, and helps handle issues such as crowd control and risk management. “When you break formidable challenges into manageable sizes, it opens up space for innovation and creativity.”

Devin Burns, vice president of Food & Beverage for Omni Hotels and Resorts, follows a similar philosophy. “The goal for large events is to make them feel smaller and more intimate,” he says. “This is accomplished by providing enough servers, food and bar stations. This is also done by making sure that the food is as delicious for a group of 1,000 as it is for a group of 20. High-quality meats, local vegetables, creative salads, well-orchestrated wine service and amazing desserts all go a long way to ensuring a best-in-class, intimate feeling dining experience.”

“The one constant between large and small groups is that you have to think of all the options you need no matter the size of the group, such as any allergies and how to have options to fit the whole crowd,” says Kelly Biggs, director of sales at Jackson & Company, a full-service event planning and catering company in Houston, Texas. “Smaller groups focus on details other than food offerings as well, and thus you have to think of the whole experience for them.” That includes seating arrangements, napkin and tablecloth colors, room décor and people’s comfort level.

“A key question to ask yourself is what type of arrangements — menu, service style, room setup — are going to provide your group with the best overall experience,” Burns says. “Some of the fundamentals are the same regardless of the size of the group. For example, the service should always be thoughtful and friendly. Hot food should always be served hot, on time and delicious. However, other elements should be varied based on the size of the group, including number of service staff, and the number of stations and bars should be adjusted to the size of the group. There is nothing worse for the attendee or the venue than to have an amazing food or mixology station not being enjoyed because of long lines or inadequate staffing.”

DINING THAT REFLECTS A THEME

Group meals present a great opportunity to illustrate the themes and content being abstractly discussed during a meeting. At a recent event for Marriott general managers in Seattle, attendees were sharing ideas for low-impact meetings and gatherings that make smart use of outdoor space. For dinner one night, the local events team organized live fire cooking along the banks of the Port Orchard River, which ran next to the picturesque event venue. Attendees watched Marriott chefs cook rib-eye, locally raised whole lamb, Dungeness crab, and paella over the flames. “A local farmer even brought in a mobile garden that allowed attendees to snip greens for their own customized salad,” Von Ertfelda says. “It was an unforgettable experience from an F&B perspective. It took advantage of the natural beauty of the surroundings. It eliminated the boundary between the chefs and the artisans and the attendees. Attendees could talk to the chefs and feel the live-fire experience in a way that would be impossible in a traditional meeting setting.” When the event concluded, the reusable dishes were washed and the embers were tossed into Puget Sound, making it a ‘leave no trace’ opportunity that spoke directly to the event’s theme.

At a sustainability-focused event Von Ertfelda attended, the Marriott operator put a sign with a QR code next to each food station. “Attendees would click on it and they would get a video with a story behind the dish and how it spoke to sustainability,” he says. “We’re always thinking about, ‘How do you unlock a narrative behind the food and behind the event that jives with the broader purpose of a meeting?’”

DINING AS AN EXPERIENCE

‘Experiential’ is the hottest word in events right now, and mealtime can definitely be a moment to give people an experience they’ll never forget. When Marriott hosted a meeting for managers in Washington, D.C., the team gave participants a totally unexpected sight when they entered the dining room for dinner — a bowhunter displaying a snakehead, an invasive, eel-like fish now commonly found in the Potomac River. Once attendees got over their shock, they could talk to the hunter about his sport and the fish’s impact on the local ecosystem. When dinner was served, everyone sat down to a portion of snakehead on their plate, so they could try eating the fish and learn about how consuming invasive species has become an important part of their management in venues around the world.

“If you want attendees to pay attention to something, you need a headline,” Von Ertfelda says. “You have to shock them. I think it was pretty shocking for attendees to walk in and see a bowhunter with a bow. But then to have this delicious meal and this interesting conversation — it really made an impact.”

For a recent corporate event, Richardson staged a celebrity-chef-versus-resort-chef competition. The chefs did a key ingredient challenge similar to the ones done on a popular Food Network show. It was a huge hit.

“In another experience, we created a dessert reveal in which drapes parted to present an aerialist performance,” she says. “Behind her, a giant round table that was about 20 feet in diameter was lowered from the ceiling brimming with desserts. A pastry chef was on hand to serve.” Don’t forget, she adds, “Clients and attendees want elevated experiences where food is art and entertainment. Today’s attendee eats with their eyes. We all crave food that’s worthy of Instagram.”

Memorable experiences don’t have to be so over-the-top. Richardson has also had good luck with putting a fresh twist on more traditional dining options. “For groups that have already enjoyed a typical luau, we have reimagined the experience with a new expression,” she says. “It could be a luau that returns to authenticity and heralds back to a more ancestral experience with floor seating and ancient Hawaiian lawn games. It could also be a more artistic interpretation of an all-white luau or black-light experiences.”

OTHER TRENDS IN GROUP DINING

Food can be a powerful way to tell a story. Richardson uses that to her advantage when putting together memorable meal concepts. “In an experience where attendees have traveled to multiple islands in Hawaii, we’ve planned a finale evening where each course stars a food or ingredient that’s significant or sacred to a specific island of their visit.”

Dining experiences that reflect local cuisines and cultures are still very popular with today’s event attendees. “As people’s tastes become increasingly sophisticated and cosmopolitan, there’s an ongoing movement to bring forward what’s locally loved,” Richardson says. “We always have to be ahead of the trend in curating the next adventure.” For events in Hawaii, she’s arranged for spam musubi to be served alongside a short rib musubi, or tofu poké to be served in addition to the traditional fish dish. “Those small elements of surprise delight attendees.”

Von Ertfelda describes an F&B event that stood out during a meeting of Marriott managers in Cancún. One focus of that meeting was driving local relevance with groups that came to the property. To illustrate that, the staff put together a Mexican carnival to coincide with dinner one night. “They built a Lucha Libre wrestling venue in the middle of this outdoor venue and orchestrated Mexican street food around it,” Von Ertfelda says. The exposure to local food and local culture served as an excellent example of how hotel managers could bring the flavor of their area to guests at their property.

With larger groups come more diverse dietary limitations and preferences. It’s important to offer foods that will appeal to all eaters. “Back in the day, if we were having a meal and somebody wanted a vegetarian meal, you’d just give them a bunch of vegetables,” Ross says. “That doesn’t fly anymore. Put as much effort into vegetarian meals as non-vegetarian meals. Everyone eating in the dining room should have an equal experience. When we do tastings now, we focus as much on the vegetarian and vegan entrées. We’re also labeling food to let people know what they’re eating.”

Trends in how food is served are important to pay attention to as well. The days of having big, plated dinners are over, Ross says. “Unless you’re doing an awards dinner, people are going to be more interested in buffets and receptions because they want to move around the dining room. They want to network and talk. That’s why food stations are becoming so popular.”

Von Ertfelda is also a fan of food stations because they help the dining portion of events be more interactive, social and conducive to collaboration. “They give you more control of food waste and the ability to bring local artisans and authentic culinary and mixology techniques forward in a more fun, animating way for attendees,” he adds.

Another alternative to plated dinners is serving food family style. There are some fun twists that can be used as an alternative to passing heaping platters from person to person. “Having unique food displays that are slightly raised above the centerpieces on each table encourages more conversation and culinary exploration,” Richardson says. “It encourages guests to make connections across the dinner table.”

Says Burns, “I’m a big fan of varying the styles of service within a meal. For example, start the meal with a feasting board of bread, meats, cheeses and spreads pre-set on each table. Then moving to a table-side tossed salad, followed by a traditional plated and served entrée which is accompanied by family style sides. Then to finish it all off, why not add a dessert action station presented as a grand unveiling to ‘wow’ and nightcap the perfect event.”

Biggs says strolling dinners are popular in Houston right now. Guests are guided through various stations serving appetizers, first courses, salads, soups, entrees and desserts. What makes this concept different from the typical buffet is that she focuses on creating interactive ‘chef stations’ where the guests can watch the professional at work. Being able to ask questions and garner information from these experts beats standing over a standard chafing dish any day. C&IT

Planners can gather biometric data via wearable devices, but attendees may become self-conscious about them and affect the results.

A sign of the widespread integration of technology into the meeting experience comes from a respondent quoted in the American Express Meetings & Events’ 2020 Global Meetings and Events Forecast. Mobile apps, says the meeting professional, have become “the new lanyards.” Like lanyards, apps are ubiquitous at conventions, trade shows and many corporate meetings. But of course, their functionality is far greater, facilitating attendee communication and networking, document delivery, engagement, surveys and much more.

“We utilize a lot of the different functionalities of the app, but not necessarily all of them at this point.” Shana Hoy, CMP, CMM 

In the report, Linda McNairy, global vice president at American Express Global Business Travel – Meetings & Events, in Jersey City, New Jersey, gives an example of app usage from her own experience: “We recently used a ‘getting to know you’ Q&A in our mobile app for our customer council meeting. One key question was ‘How many of our council meetings have you attended? We seeded this question knowing that our new global M&E leader would answer ‘First time.’ We then segmented the group, based on answers, and created team gamification challenges. This exercise worked well to foster a fun and competitive spirit between leadership and clients, driving deeper engagement with this very important group.” Given the versatility of apps as a meeting tool, it is not surprising that their use “to support meetings and events continues to rise around the world,” McNairy says.

Shana Hoy, CMP, CMM, event manager at Husch Blackwell LLP in Kansas City, Missouri, and her team deploy the e2m Enterprise Event App to support one of the company’s annual meetings. The product offers a full suite of tools, including: polling, a social media wall, personalized agendas, gamification, a chatbot and a videobot and more. “We utilize a lot of the different functionalities of the app, but not necessarily all of them at this point,” says Hoy, whose team “looked at eight to 10 different products that had our list of must-haves and like-to-haves, and did demos of a couple of others before we settled” on e2m. She offers a word of caution to the consumer in this area. “I will say in the last couple of years I feel like off-the-shelf app providers have maybe over-promised and under-delivered on what is included and what can be done. When we get into the nitty-gritty of the app, they say ‘We didn’t know you meant this’ function.” For example, she has found limitations in the wayfinding ability of certain apps, allowing users to wayfind in the exhibit portion, but not within the ‘maps’ portion of the tool.

 APP-ASSISTED ENGAGEMENT

Attendee engagement is one of the most dynamic functions of meeting technology today, and meeting apps are supporting that objective, often via gamification. “The creative tools we are seeing are games inside of an app, including trivia challenges, scavenger hunts and others that encourage competition amongst attendees,” McNairy says.

Among the most robust gamification tools is the SocialPoint Audience Engagement Platform, created by Interactive Meeting Technology LLC. The platform can be integrated into popular event apps such as CrowdCompass. SocialPoint includes a variety of games that drive different goals. For example, attendees can gain points by attending sessions or demos where they learn about certain products or services. Many attendees will participate just in order to earn points, but in doing so, they often realize “‘Oh, we actually need this,’ and so then the client is delighted because they got the people into the room,” explains Samuel J. Smith, managing director of Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Interactive Meeting Technology. “Here’s the session title, or here’s what it’s about, wasn’t enough of a draw, but that game added an extra incentive to get people in.”

As in many engagement-oriented games, the points lead to prizes, but an innovation within SocialPoint is the concept of intermediate prizes, which attendees can win even if they are not point leaders. “We put a big prize wheel in the lounge, for example, and then attendees can spin the wheel if they earn enough points. So the game will actually tell them, you’ve earned X number of spins,” Smith says. “Here’s why that’s powerful: From an engagement point of view, if you have a three-day game you need to keep everybody engaged, not just the people who are the top winners. Someone on Day 1 might earn enough points to boost ahead of everybody, but someone who’s just discovered the game on Day 2 can still win a good prize.”

Apart from gamification, apps can support engagement by integrating audience polling or Q&A functions. “The majority of our clients who deploy a mobile app use polling. Polling can be included in an event mobile app or as a standalone product, and we are seeing more and more innovation around these standalone mobile tools,” McNairy says. “We had one client who used polling in advance of a meeting to create breakout groups moving through the activities of the meeting. The overall meeting was bringing together two companies following a merger, so the polling provided a mechanism to bring people together in a networking environment and enable them to emerge from the meeting with a heightened level of engagement.”

There are numerous providers and products to choose from in this area, including more than a hundred live polling vendors, Smith notes. “But it’s also about how to get the tools to be utilized at the conference — that’s the challenge.” In some cases, the old pen-and-paper approach to live surveys works better. “We do use SurveyMonkey,” Hoy says, “but in all honesty, in a live program I feel like attendees are more apt to answer the six to nine questions about your program quickly before they head out of the room. So we’ve found that having that sheet of paper and having them checkmark the boxes actually gives us a higher percentage of return than trying to send something out to them after the program.” Hoy also cites “an uptick in usage of Poll Everywhere by our speakers in the last couple of years. We’ve seen both the flexibility and professional look of the product increase in recent years. One of the polls you can do is a word cloud, asking what is the biggest challenge you’re facing in a particular area, and they put up different words. This assists the speaker to guide the narrative live.”

MEASURING ENGAGEMENT BIOLOGICALLY

The level of participation attendees demonstrate in games and polls is certainly one important metric of engagement. But technology is also facilitating a more direct measurement of engagement via biometric data, e.g., facial cues. It has been argued that these kinds of metrics, since they are based in unconscious responses, are better indicators of attendees’ actual engagement as well as learning. “While surveys have a role, research shows that self-reports are only 17% accurate at predicting outcomes like information recall and sales growth after training,” says Devin Carver, CMP, director of sales and marketing with Bishop-McCann in Kansas City, Missouri. “Decisions are largely made in unconscious, emotional brain regions.” It is thus highly valuable to be able to “distinguish what people say they ‘like’ from what their brains ‘love,’” Carver adds.

One example of a leader in the biometric technology area is Zenus, a Houston, Texas-based company that offers a mountable camera that analyzes facial cues relevant to engagement without actually ‘recognizing’ or identifying attendees. Identification is needed for registration, of course, and facial recognition technology is also applicable for that purpose. “The facial recognition processing time is still being fine-tuned, and there are still a few challenges with the technology, but ultimately, registration is more efficient with facial recognition,” Carver maintains. “Check-in is much quicker because there is no fumbling with tickets or identification, and it’s more secure. Besides streamlining the registration process, facial recognition also provides better overall event security. This technology makes it possible for event planners and program managers to strengthen security if needed, map user behavior and monitor attendee engagement levels without inconveniencing attendees.”

A new, wearable form of biometric technology comes from a partnership between Bishop-McCann and Immersion Neuroscience. The product, known as Immersion Events, consists of an app paired with a wristband neurosensor that consistently captures subtle changes in cardiac rhythm that indicate changes in attention, and both conscious and unconscious emotional responses. The data is sent to the cloud, allowing meeting hosts and speakers to evaluate, in real time, what aspects of the event are creating the most engagement among participants, whether a certain presentation, message, networking location and so on.

Planners may be concerned that attendees will become self-conscious wearing such a device, which in turn may inhibit the measurement of their natural responses. But Carver points out that it’s easy to forget one is wearing the band. In addition, “We most often review the data in aggregate because we’re looking for overall event trends. Thus, attendees have no need to worry about being singled out based on their specific reactions. Moreover, the solution only requires 30-35 attendees wearing the device to get robust and reliable results, so if you’re at a conference with thousands, more than likely you can find plenty of advocates to wear the band.”

VIRTUAL MEETINGS

Hybrid and virtual meetings are on the rise in North America and Europe, according to the 2020 Global Meetings and Event Forecast. “When comparing the 2019 survey results to the 2020 results of the percentage of planners who use hybrid/virtual meetings in more than 10% of meetings, North America has seen an uptick in that number, going from 43% to 58%,” McNairy reports. “Europe has seen an even larger increase, jumping from 49% to 66%. Central and South America, on the other hand, had a slight decrease from 76% to 71%, and Asia Pacific also had a slight decrease, from 70% to 66%.”

Husch Blackwell’s meetings operations reflect the North American trend. Hoy notes that “about a third” of the company’s meetings are currently virtual, “which is definitely up from recent years.” The company has been using ON24 as its Webinar platform for about four years. “It’s definitely a very professional-based product. I think the user experience is very clean, easy to use, and we’re able to brand it,” she says.

One of the features of ON24 she finds most convenient is Simulive, where presenters pre-record all presentation materials and deliver them to an audience at a designated date and time. The presenter can then interact with the audience through live text Q&A. Sim-2-Live allows interaction through both live text Q&A and via ON24-provided phone bridges. “We had a case not too long ago where we set a date for a live program and something came up and the speaker could not participate live. We were able to work with the product to switch it to Simulive, record the speaker a couple of days ahead of time and still have it be played during the live program time,” Hoy says.

A new product on the market this year that supports small hybrid meetings is Microsoft Surface Hub 2S. The successor to Surface Hub has a much sleeker, 50-inch rotating touchscreen that enables video chatting with team members who appear life sized. Mounted on a custom-built Steelcase rolling stand, the Surface Hub 2S features Windows 10, Microsoft Teams, Office 365, Microsoft Whiteboard and the intelligent cloud. For companies that regularly stage team meetings with virtual participants and high-tech needs, investing in this state-of-the-art collaborative tool, which is priced at about $9,000, may be justified.

MEETING MANAGEMENT

Among the latest tech tools that support the logistical side of planning is EventTraX, offered by One10 Marketing, a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based meetings and incentive company. According to Patty Ely, One10 senior business analyst: “One of our high-tech clients expressed a need for a comprehensive way for conference organizers to manage suppliers and track all equipment items needed at a conference event venue by individual room. One10 developed an online tool, EventTraX, to ensure the proper equipment is available from the right supplier, in the right place, at the right time, from event set up to event tear down.” The tool enables the user to assign each equipment item a timing code that determines when the item must be available for use in the room, and when it must be removed from the room. “EventTraX proved to be so beneficial to the client that One10 is now enhancing the product to include food and beverage tracking as well,” Ely adds.

Hoy’s team recently appropriated a project management tool, Wrike, to support companywide meetings oversight. The tool replaced the Word and Excel docs that were being used to track ‘to-do’ items and the event pipeline, which includes more than 250 events per year. “I’m really excited about Wrike because we’ll be able to set up templates, so when a new event comes in you can pop that template in and assign it to one of the event planners on the team. I, as a manager, can go in and see where they’re at in the process and see if they’re falling behind or if someone has additional availability,” Hoy explains. “And each team member can customize those checklists and then have a daily summary across all their events.”

American Express Meetings & Events offers meeting management tools such as Attendify and Meetings Express. Planners using these tools benefit from “a complete view of all attendee records, event data, and custom fields from integrations all in one place,” McNairy says. “All of our solutions drive key data into Meetings Insights, our data and reporting platform, so that we can enable valuable insights for our customers into both their individual meetings or events as well as across their entire meetings program.”

The most comprehensive approach to companywide meeting management is of course the strategic meetings management program (SMMP), and a tech platform is indispensable to such a program. Cvent, the major player in this space, offers a scalable, automated platform that supports the SMMP at Northbrook, Illinois-based UL LLC, a global safety, sustainability and security certification company. “A group outside of our team built their own in-house, central calendar for just their events, but their system is not enterprise-wide and there were no triggers, automation and workflows underneath it all, and that’s something that’s really needed,” explains Victoria Johnson, CMP, CMM, global manager, Strategic Meetings Management, Global Meetings & Events Services at UL. “When somebody registers an event in the Cvent platform, an internal company can customize all of the workflows so they can be triggered. For example, if sourcing is needed, it’s triggered to the sourcing group. So it’s an intake form that’s scalable, automated and customizable.” UL’s Meetings & Events Services group also fields various requests and FAQs not handled through Cvent, and the company has recently implemented the help desk software Zendesk to provide AI-mediated replies to FAQs addressed to various service groups, including Meetings & Events.

Johnson notes that she looks forward to a revamp of the Cvent platform expected this year. Currently, the intake form “resides on a portal with a hyperlink that says ‘click here for the meeting request form.’ It can’t be a designed icon, for example. People don’t have time to read; but they do go right to an icon and there’s not iconic graphics right now, so that’s a limitation. Cvent says they’re going to make the ‘look’ and ‘feel’ better, and the intake form itself will be more robust and have conditional logic for a better user experience.”

Last month, Cvent enhanced its platform through a partnership with miMeetings, a leading provider of managed ground transportation solutions for meetings and events. According to Cvent, planners can now source, select and compare multiple ground transportation vendor bids and negotiate pricing directly within the Cvent platform; eliminate transportation errors with patented flight validation through real-time FAA connectivity; and leverage comprehensive post-event accounting and reporting by incorporating ground transportation spend directly into Cvent’s budgeting tools.

The best tech tools on the market, like the Cvent platform, are regularly evolving in response to planner needs. Hoy has provided feedback to tech providers she works with, and says that in many cases her suggested changes have been incorporated. “I don’t know that any product is perfect, but a lot of them are really close,” she says. Sometimes, instead of shopping for a new event app or meeting management software tool, it pays to stick with a familiar product and push for a little improvement. C&IT

The Chicago skyline is reflected on the Cloud Gate sculpture — more commonly known as ‘The Bean’ — at Chicago’s Millennium Park.

When it comes to meetings, Chicago isn’t a ‘Second City,’ because it has everything planners need to plan any type of small or large event.

Chicago offers one of the nation’s top, big-city combinations of nightlife, entertainment, airlift and cultural and culinary experiences. Most of all, the ‘Windy City’ provides a large collection of hotels with ample meeting and guest room space.

Conde Nast Readers’ Choice Awards recently named Chicago the “Best Large City in the U.S.” for the third consecutive year. In addition, Chicago ranked No. 3 after Las Vegas and Orlando on Global DMC Partners’ 2018 Global Destination Index of the most popular North American meeting and incentive destinations.

“The city continues to grow as a destination, having surpassed 58 million visitors a year in 2018, up 5.7% from 2017, including achieving a record 31 million overnight visitors and record leisure visitor volume of 44 million, an increase of 6.4%.” David Whitaker

It’s no wonder that Chicago has developed a reputation for attracting groups nationwide and worldwide. Chicago’s expanding infrastructure will attract even more visitors and groups in the future.

GROWTH AND MODERNIZATION

According to David Whitaker, president and CEO of Choose Chicago, “The city continues to grow as a destination, having surpassed 58 million visitors a year in 2018, up 5.7% from 2017, including achieving a record 31 million overnight visitors and record leisure visitor volume of 44 million, an increase of 6.4%.”

“An eight-year plan to expand O’Hare International Airport is in motion, as is a $400 million modernization program at Midway International Airport, giving Chicago the needed capacity to receive rising numbers of visitors, and giving planners and delegates more options to get in and out of the city,” Whitaker says.

O’Hare and Midway offer flights through a combined total of more than 80 carriers. The expansion of O’Hare marks the first improvements to its terminals in over 25 years. Construction is expected wrap up by 2026.

The growing popularity of Chicago among planners stems partly from efforts by Choose Chicago to attract a wide range of meetings, conventions and events. While Choose Chicago’s sales team works diligently to secure long-term, multiyear meetings, there’s also a focus on short-term bookings.

Overall, says Whitaker, “The primary goal is to educate prospects on the multiple factors that make Chicago an excellent place to convene and to showcase its attributes, such as airlift out of our city’s two international airports, convenience and accessibility throughout the downtown core and surrounding neighborhoods, the wide array of unique venue options, and an increase in hotel inventory among other factors.”

Choose Chicago also ensures that efforts to provide value accompanies the growing variety of properties. “We work closely with our partners to provide competitive pricing and incentives to best facilitate meetings looking to host their groups in Chicago,” Whitaker says. “Our dedicated team works with clients every step of the way to ensure they have the best possible meeting.”

One of Chicago’s biggest attractions for groups is its multitude of offerings.

According to Whitaker, “It’s a diverse destination and this gives corporate meeting planners variety and flexibility when planning meetings for groups both large and small. The diversity also allows planners to account for options and experiences available to their attendees outside of the meeting – cultural attractions, food and drink establishments, theater and entertainment, and neighborhood explorations. Moving throughout the city is also manageable and easy, and the connectivity available through Chicago airports makes it an ideal choice.”

EASY ACCESS

Jessica Jonas, client engagement manager, BCD Meetings & Events, has held several corporate meetings in Chicago. “We choose Chicago based on ease of travel,” Jonas says. “For one particular event, the company had a clear goal of allowing attendees to quickly utilize and implement the meeting content following the event. Chicago proved to be the best destination for a variety of reasons: Its centralized location has countless hotel options, while O’Hare and Midway offer plenty of airlift, including international.”

Chicago was also ideal because the headquarters of the company was located within short driving distance of the hotel. “These attributes allowed meeting attendees to quickly travel in and out of the city, easily get to headquarters and extend their stay to visit with clients,” Jonas says. “Whether they needed to implement their knowledge in their home office, at the corporate office, or immediately onsite, Chicago delivered.”

Chicago’s many meeting hotels offer spacious rooms that allow the creation of imaginative attendee experiences.

During the 2018 Winter Olympics, for example, Tracy Gleason, general manager of Hosts Chicago, planned a reception for a corporate group at a popular Chicago meeting property. “We were charged with bringing the ballroom to life and delivering an experience filled with Olympic spirit,” Gleason says.” We brought in live coverage of the Olympics to play throughout the space and pulled together activities that mimicked a variety of winter sports.”

Hosts Chicago also provided snowboarding and skiing simulators, an après ski bar, transformative lighting effects, celebratory music and flags from around the world. “It was truly amazing and so festive. Guests were very engaged and loved the opportunity to participate in activities that were relevant to what was going on,” Gleason says.

VENUES GALORE

Chicago is also popular because it is jam-packed with a plethora of unique venues  that can match the needs of any meeting or event.

Heather Brown, CMP, DMCP, general manager of PRA Chicago, says venues that corporate groups enjoy include the Untitled Supper Club, which offers a contemporary revival of the prohibition era. “It’s one of our most popular venues for corporate guests,” Brown says. “Groups enjoy its Chicago-centric themes such as prohibition and the gangster era. Untitled offers the perfect space for receptions and seated dinners for groups of all sizes. There is ample space to add entertainment and experiential elements such as whiskey tastings.”

Brown adds that corporate guests love entering the Untitled Supper Club through its unmarked doors and experiencing the feel of a true speakeasy. The décor also provides a masculine feel with exposed brick, striking bars and textured seating.

Other popular venues among corporate groups include the Flight Club, a high-tech dart bar that offers a relaxing retreat.

Says Brown, “We had a smaller group looking for an off-site activity that offered a casual setting that would give them the opportunity to unwind after a long week of meetings. This particular group was tired of the formal sit-down dinner feel and Flight Club was perfect for what our client had in mind. The group was able to enjoy a fun, interactive evening of playing social darts, dining on casual bites, and taking in gorgeous views of the city. We received great feedback during and after the event.”

Theater on the Lake, a restored 1920s-era performance venue, is another favorite of Brown’s corporate clients. “The space can accommodate event themes and décor of just about any kind,” Brown says. “This historic venue offers gorgeous floor- to-ceiling views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. It is a venue unlike any other and is truly unique to Chicago.”

Other popular venues include The Adler Planetarium, which offers three different theaters with a total of 60,000 sf of space and distinct exhibits and views of the city’s skyline. Another venue, 360 CHICAGO, formerly the John Hancock observatory, accommodates groups of up to 600 people and offers views from the 94th floor of the former John Hancock Center.

MORE FINE DINING

In addition to its unique venues, Chicago is also known for top restaurants. Popular options include:  Bar Ramone, specializing in Spanish tapas; Crab Cellar, known for its all-you-can-eat Alaskan King Crab; Galit, a contemporary Israeli restaurant; The Hampton Social, inspired by the lifestyle of the well-to-do in the Hamptons area of New York; Aba, which serves Mediterranean dishes;  Tao, a 300-seat multilevel restaurant; and four RPM restaurants, each specializing in steaks, Italian or seafood.

The variety of restaurants has grown greatly in recent years. According to Gleason, “Ten years ago, there were fewer options and innovative ideas. The bar has been raised and our local chefs are at the forefront of that change. From celebrated and abundant food festivals to our Michelin-rated restaurants and James Beard Award winners, Chicago’s restaurants are the soul of our city.”

Gleason adds, “Chicago’s star chefs are continually recognized for their achievements and regularly exceed expectations of diners and critics. It’s about the dining experience, the views of the city, the hospitality and the heart poured into each meal.”

Brown agrees: “The Chicago restaurant scene is one that never disappoints,” Brown says. “As one of the leading cities in the country for celebrity chefs and Michelin-rated restaurants, it’s truly a place that offers a variety of options. Everyone can find a true ‘taste of Chicago’ that they will enjoy.”

BE ENTERTAINED

Chicago also offers some of the nation’s most iconic entertainment venues, including the world famous The Second City improv theater, the career launching pad for many “Saturday Night Live” performers.

Several stage performance options offer a change of pace for corporate attendees. “Pairing  music to this experience is incredible and the possibilities are endless,” Gleason says. “There are so many amazing stages in the city, from the iconic The Chicago Theater to The Pritzker Stage at Millennium Park to the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Guests feel like they are part of something special.”

One of Chicago’s biggest off-site attractions for activities are those related to the Chicago River. “Chicago revitalized and redesigned 1.25 miles of the river path, running from Lakeshore Drive to Lake Street,” Brown says. “This new recreational stretch has brought a gorgeous accessibility to the river with popular river cruises highlighting the city’s incredible architecture, walking tours, restaurants, gathering spaces and water taxis.”

Another activity corporate groups enjoy is customized brewery tours. “Going into winter,” Brown says, “it’s one of our most popular off-property activities for groups. We take clients through some of Chicago’s most historic neighborhoods and make stops for tastings at some of our favorite breweries such as Haymarket Pub & Brewery and the On Tour Brewing Company. Groups always enjoy receiving the behind-the-scenes look at how beers are created.”

Planners seeking one of the most unique meeting venues in the Midwest can’t go wrong with the Navy Pier, located along Michigan Avenue near thousands of hotel rooms. Navy Pier is ideal for meetings, receptions and private events in the 18,000-sf Aon Grand Ballroom,  and the 15,000-sf Lakeview Terrace, both of which offer lakefront views.

HOTEL GROWTH

The Greater Chicago area offers over 110,000 guest rooms, including more than 46,000 in the central business district. And that doesn’t include the nearly 3,000 rooms physically connected to McCormick Place.

Whitaker characterizes the growth in Chicago’s meeting space in one word – “booming.”

According to Whitaker, “Chicago opened nine new hotels in 2018 and five in 2019, providing planners more options and product categories. Between expanded hotel offerings, new city attractions, venues and restaurants, Chicago has continual growth and investment in the meeting and hospitality spaces. The added housing supply near McCormick Place alone has created greater ease and access for those hosting meetings in and near the convention center.”

McCormick Place has been a key driver of Chicago’s record-breaking performance. “We’re pleased to say that of the meetings and events that took place in Chicago in 2018, nearly half have broken some kind of record whether it be in attendance or exhibitors,” Whitaker says. “This speaks to the ongoing promotion and the rising appeal of Chicago as a meetings destination.”

At least six new hotels opened in Chicago last year, including the 1,205-room Marriott Marquis Chicago, which is connected to McCormick Place, and the 466-room, tri-branded Hilton Garden Inn Chicago McCormick Place, which is divided between the Hilton Garden Inn, a Hampton Inn and Home2 Suites extended-stay property. The  Hilton property is connected by a skybridge to McCormick Place. Hilton operates over 30 hotels in the greater Chicago market.

Another Hilton property, the 1,544-room Hilton Chicago, on Michigan Avenue across from Grant Park, finished a $7 million renovation that includes enhancements to the third-floor meeting spaces and Salon C in the 115,000-sf Stevens Meeting Center. Hilton Chicago offers a total of 234,000 sf of meeting space.

Meanwhile, Hyatt Regency Chicago added 12,000 sf of meeting space, bringing the total to 228,000 sf. Another Hilton property, the 1,631-sf Palmer House, also renovated its 130,000 sf of meeting space.

All Hyatt Chicago hotels feature the chain’s Hyatt Planner Portal, which allows planners to use one tool to manage meeting details, including contracts, attendee information and costs as well as meeting history.

NEARBY DESTINATIONS

There are some top-flight meeting options outside Chicago that offer convenient access to the city and its hotels, airports and convention facilities.

Tinley Park: Once named “The Best Place in America to Raise Kids” by Business Week magazine, Tinley Park is located 30 miles south of Chicago. The expanded Tinley Park Convention Center offers 70,000 sf of meeting space, including 21 breakout rooms. Planners have a choice of 800 rooms in the area, including the 202-room Holiday Inn Chicago-Tinley Park-Convention Center, which is connected to the convention center.

Schaumburg: Located about 26 miles from downtown Chicago, Schaumburg is one of the city’s newest suburbs. Planners seeking a meeting space away from the bustle of Chicago can consider the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, about 13.5 miles from O’Hare International Airport. The convention center and hotel offer 500 rooms and suites along with 160,000 sf of meeting space.

Itasca: Located about 30 miles from downtown Chicago and about 15 miles from O’Hare International Airport, Itasca is home to Eaglewood Resort & Spa, a popular place for business groups to focus on meeting goals amid elegance without distraction. Following the 295-room resort’s $7.7 million renovation, it offers 37,000 sf of IACC-certified meeting space and several activity options, including a golf course, bowling alley, spa and Olympic-sized pool.

While other Midwest destinations have much to offer planners, Chicago remains the biggest draw in the region.

According to Whitaker, “The city’s position in the Midwest and the connectivity through O’Hare and Midway airports help make it a prime location for bringing attendees from across the nation and the world.” C&IT

Michelle Kennedy oversees integrated marketing for global Business Event Management firm, PRA, serving over 100 destinations worldwide. Kennedy brings more than 20 years of industry experience, having held head marketing positions with several Fortune 500 companies and leading brands.

It is widely known that second-tier destinations have always been a popular choice for certain markets. With better availability, a wider geographic footprint and lower rates, planners are drawn to these sometimes-overlooked destinations. However, in the last year or so, second- and third-tier markets, also referred to as non-urban spaces, are getting the attention they deserve. And that newfound popularity is expanding, as several planners in this space continue to give second-tier destinations a second look — no pun intended.

The importance of second- and third-tier cities and non-urban destinations was one of several items highlighted in the recently distributed in SITE’s Bangkok Manifesto, aimed at establishing a vibrant dialogue within incentive travel membership and the business world at large.  Many industry leaders came together, including Tony Lorenz, former PRA Business Events CEO, to express their thoughts on the nature, purpose and direction of incentive travel within the ever-changing business world.

As shared in the manifesto, our industry must encourage more second- and third-tier cities and non-urban destinations to embrace incentive travel as part of their business mix, highlighting that success in our business is not dependent on massive infrastructure or investment.

These smaller, consumer-centric destinations deliver authentic, unrivaled content, places and one-of-a-kind experiences at an attractive price point. Just last year, interest in second- and third-tier destinations, relative to first-tier destinations, was up a remarkable 91%.

With the clear trend of a business and leisure travel mashup well underway, niche destinations readily stand apart.

PRA recently published an article on the benefits of secondary markets and the relentless focus on client experience.  From business and messaging objectives forward, these markets leverage the heart of a small destination’s personality to deliver on its promise. Let’s revisit those now.

SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS MEANS ENHANCED EXPERIENCES

One main reason meeting planners are gravitating toward second- and third-tier cities and non-urban destinations is because of the noticeable lower price point. Instead of putting the full meeting budget toward accommodations, more money can be used for exciting team-building activities, off-site restaurant choices and even local corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs.  Not only are prices a comparative bargain in smaller cities, but the venues are first-rate. Some of the finest hotels are in these markets. And the restaurants, special events and entertainment opportunities rival those in major cities. For many groups though, it is not just about costs. Participants yearn for new and unique bucket-list experiences, many times available only in smaller markets. A private Derby Days experience at Churchill Downs or a second line parade on the streets of New Orleans can only happen in these destinations.

INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION

Smaller markets are working harder than ever to present themselves as worthy alternatives. They are proactive when it comes to attracting business, because they know they need to work to get the client’s attention. For many groups entering these destinations, they are the focal point, as opposed to a destination that has major conventions happening every week. That personalized attention is an added incentive.

For example, second- and third-tier cities and non-urban destinations can work with planners directly to provide attendees with perks and benefits – from room enhancements and airport transfers to specialized destination experiences. These smaller destinations offer possibilities that enhance the overall guest experience.

A SENSE OF PLACE

With a higher sense of place and more local experiences, second- and third-tier cities and non-urban destinations provide attendees that missing piece. Signature restaurants run by city locals, neighborhood breweries, off-the-grid activities and unique accommodations crafted to enhance the destination experience are just some of the ways these cities make their mark on the meetings industry.

From customized, high-end experiences and individual perks, to significant cost savings, what second- and third-tier cities and non-urban destinations lack in size, they make up for in convenience, hospitality and local charm. Now, more than ever, there is an increasing acknowledgment across the industry on the importance of offering a wide portfolio of destination options for every type of client and budget. C&IT

The job of leading a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) can seem quite glamorous at times. As the chief salesperson for the city, you have the opportunity to travel to many different places in the markets you’re seeking to attract. Back home, you lead a team of people charged with highlighting and promoting the best places, people and experiences your city has to offer. What’s not to like?

But just as the role of the DMO is evolving, so too is the role of the CEO within each of these organizations.

I recently had the opportunity to facilitate a panel discussion between the CEOs of the DMOs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Aspen to pick their brains as to what they saw as the key issues and opportunities for their destinations in the years to come.

Debbie Braun, Aspen Chamber Resort Association; Ernest Wooden Jr., Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board; Joe D’Alessandro, San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Joe Terzi, San Diego Tourism Authority all knew each other well, so the conversation was convivial and entertaining. But it was also quite serious when it came to discussing the new and emerging issues each of their destinations are facing. Based on our conversation, it seems there are five key themes foremost for these CEOs into the future.

1. GROWTH

While hitting each year’s goals for hotel bookings has always been top of mind for every CEO of a DMO, rising visitor numbers since the Great Recession are beginning to create a series of new issues as some of these destinations begin to contemplate whether there’s a limit to how many visitors each destination can accommodate.

“We’ve enjoyed 10 years of growth, and there are now 250,000 more people coming into San Francisco a day than five years ago — this includes people who visit; who work. We’re at capacity,” D’Alessandro says. “Some of our neighborhoods are feeling the crush of visitors.”

While some of this growth is the result of a secular shift in consumer spending from purchasing goods to experiences such as travel, much of it is simply a numbers game — both demographic and economic — that is driving exponential growth in the absolute number of people traveling around the world.

“Demographics of the world are changing. When you look at the number of people traveling today versus 10 years ago, it’s double. In the next 10 years, it will double again,” Wooden explains. “Today we have 30,000 airplane seats a week, up from three flights a week five years ago.”

2. DEVELOPMENT

As a result of the rise in the number of visitors and projected increases, DMOs are no longer just thinking about sales and marketing, but how to develop their destinations — making sure that this growth and the economic benefits that come with it don’t come at the expense of quality of life for local residents.

“Whereas, 10 years ago it was website and visitor brochures, I spend more time at city hall talking about land-use code or talking with businesses than I do on marketing or websites or visitor guides,” Braun says.

In Los Angeles, our team at Resonance is working with the city and L.A. Tourism to create a Tourism Master Plan that not only identifies infrastructure and product development needs to accommodate future growth, but how and who should manage and fund them.

“In the past, all of these collective issues around zoning, tourism investment and protection of our assets would find their way to my desk. And we were not ready to act on them. So L.A. created the City Tourism Development Department, charged with protecting the hard assets of tourism,” Wooden says. “This tourism development group helps us think about how we are going to evolve and protect the assets through a master plan.”

3. HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS

More heads creates a need for more beds. It’s the growth of leisure travel that led to the rise of Airbnb. And while Airbnb has affected the average daily rate achieved by hotels in some markets due to reduced compression in peak periods, the rise of home-sharing has been even more disruptive to the rental housing market as residences that historically would have been rented long-term to people like those who work in the tourism industry are now being rented short-term to visitors.

In Aspen, like many resort destinations, policies were created and investments made years ago to create workforce housing. What no one in Aspen anticipated was that people would continue to own and live in this staff housing after they retired.

“Workforce housing is a massive issue for ensuring there are candidates to fill jobs. We are learning that rentals may be better than the ownership that we allowed hospitality workers to obtain in the past. The retired workers are staying in place, exacerbating the problem,” Braun says. “But we also look at housing to be helped by transit, as well as other perks.”

And while the affordability and availability of housing is important to every destination, the CEOs of large cities like San Francisco and L.A. are even more concerned about homelessness.

“We have 55,000 people living on the streets in L.A. It’s the No. 1 non-tourism related issue for us,” Wooden says. “Our core reasons for why homelessness exists are often wrong. Sure there are so many macro issues — elements of drugs or crime or young people running away — but most of these people are one paycheck away from losing a roof over their head. And once they’re out, it’s almost impossible to get back in. For us in tourism, it’s starting to bleed into areas that we never before saw — in and around the convention center for instance. There is seldom crime, but it’s the No. 1 threat to tourism.”

4. ADVOCACY

With issues such as over tourism and homelessness becoming top of mind for DMO CEOs today, probably the most significant change they’ve experienced in their roles is the need to become more engaged politically.

“Years ago we played less political roles and were focused on membership and advertising and marketing,” Terzi explains. “Today, you’re missing an opportunity if you’re not politically active. You have to be the person who is repping not just the hotel industry, but the entire tourism industry. It’s critical for your council and mayor to know how valuable tourism is.”

5. LABOR

The last issue on these CEO’s minds may not be a crisis today, but with the working-age population expected to shrink significantly in the next decade as boomers age into retirement, attracting talent to work in each of these destinations may turn out to be one of the most important functions of a DMO a decade from now.

With billions being invested and a significant new number of hotels coming online in L.A. in the next few years, Wooden is well aware of the need for workforce development in his city.

“Today we employ 575,000 people in tourism. We project by 2028 that number will be close to a million. We’re working with the city’s workforce development group to find and identify candidates for all these upcoming jobs. ”

Of course we discussed a range of other issues and opportunities as well, but based on our conversation and work with other destinations around the world, I believe these five issues are going to be a priority for destinations large and small in the years to come. C&IT

Lagniappe Brass Band in New Orleans.

Every Louisiana destination puts its own unique spin on the state’s one-of-a-kind mix of culture, cuisine, music and friendly service. While groups frequent all Louisiana destinations, New Orleans remains the most popular choice due to its reputation for delivering successful and memorable meetings to groups from around the world.

NEW ORLEANS

No other city in the world can match New Orleans’ singular uniqueness. That’s why small and large corporate meetings and events return to the ‘Big Easy’ again and again.

Visitor growth received a boost from a steady stream of companies that meet in New Orleans for the first time and then return, including the Bronner Brothers Inc., an Atlanta-based producer and marketer of beauty products for consumers, beauty businesses and professionals.

“It was the city in which we felt most comfortable. It allowed our attendees to be their authentic selves in a comfortable and safe place. That’s important because we have a lot of gay, lesbian and transgender attendees, and it was important for them to feel at home. New Orleans made them feel like family first. I could tell they really appreciated us.” Erika Respress

Bronner Brothers Inc. held its annual meeting and show at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (ENMCC) earlier this year. The company also booked 10 hotels, including The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel and Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans.

The three-day event included more than 30,000 beauty shop owners, retail customers and employees. Bronner Brothers Inc. had previously met annually in Atlanta before bringing the event to New Orleans for the first time this year. The city’s welcoming culture played a large role in the decision.

According to Erika Respress, Bronner Brothers Inc. trade show manager and meeting planner, “It was the city in which we felt most comfortable. It allowed our attendees to be their authentic selves in a comfortable and safe place. That’s important because we have a lot of gay, lesbian and transgender attendees, and it was important for them to feel at home. New Orleans made them feel like family first. I could tell they really appreciated us.”

Respress says New Orleans & Company bent over backward to meet every need. “It’s the little things they did,” Respress says. “For example, you usually pay for the banners you need to advertise around a convention center but not in New Orleans. They also provided a band to greet us at the airport.”

Respress adds, “We were also the first group to have a parade inside the convention center. I asked for the parade and I thought I was pushing the envelope, but they did it. I’m telling you, you can’t beat New Orleans, and I have been all over the world.”

In addition, the ENMCC’s space perfectly fit Respress’ needs. “I had over 100 breakout sessions in the center and we occupied four halls,” Respress says. “I had a VIP reception in the ballroom as well as a church service and a comedy show.”

The most popular event took place off-site. “We hosted our welcome reception event at Mardi Gras World, a float-building studio and venue that provides Mardi Gras experiences year-round,” Respress says. “It was by far one of the highlights of the event. Then we had after parties at some of the hotels.”

In all, the meeting was a huge hit. “Attendees filled out a survey after the show and 91% of people wanted to go back,” Respress says. “We didn’t get any negative feedback.”

The high satisfaction level prompted Bronner Brothers Inc. to sign a long-term deal to return to New Orleans.

“We decided to go back right after holding our post-conference meeting,” Respress says. “We signed a three-year contract for 2021, 2023 and 2025. Our vice president loved the experience and decided to go back because of our amazing relationship with the CVB.”

Respress raved about the long-term deal. “We got amazing value from the contract,” Respress says. “We were actually grateful and humbled that the city welcomed us and wanted to bring us back.”

New Orleans’ ever-growing range of activities and experiences are driving its increasing popularity.

According to Cindy Hayes, CMP, DMCP, director of sales for PRA New Orleans, “Having a variety of activities in proximity to meeting hotels allows a company to bring multiple groups and have different, unique experiences that match the objectives of each program.”

Hayes adds, “With so many different off-site options available, and more available every year, and the way experiences can be customized to a group’s needs and wants, a participant would be hard pressed to repeat that same event or activity on their own or returning for a different meeting.”

Hayes offers an example of a company that held two different meetings in New Orleans last year just three months apart.

“The first meeting was a training program for 85 people who had their evening reception and dinner off-site on a riverboat paddle wheeler,” Hayes says.

“The second program three months later was for 700 leaders of the company with a second-line jazz parade from the host hotel to their welcome dinner, which was a New Orleans tailgate party,” Hayes says. “The second meeting also included interactive entertainment and a fireworks show over the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Incentive groups commonly plan extensive, detailed programs for attendees to enjoy all that New Orleans has to offer. Hayes provides an example of one company that planned an incentive for 375 executives.

“The company’s planners made three pre-planning site inspections at different times of the year prior to the incentive,” Hayes says. “One pre-planning trip was dedicated just to tastings.”

Once the incentive was planned, Hayes and her team tracked the arrival of VIPs using technology.

Says Hayes, “The program consisted of some complicated transportation moves for which our PRA New Orleans patented transportation app was a godsend because it notified us and the client’s transportation team with a text message 10 minutes prior to the arrival of VIPs, making it easy track guests.”

After the attendees arrived, they enjoyed a smorgasbord of local experiences and activities. “There was one afternoon of seven different activities and excursions for the participants to choose from, and several VIP lunches and dinners at different venues,” Hayes says.

There was also a night of dine-arounds at 10 different restaurants for the entire group, which was divided into several sub-groups.

“The final night gala dinner was at one of our most desired off-site venues, ending with a fireworks show on the Mississippi River,” Hayes says. “The trip was an unforgettable experience that was appreciated by guests.”

New Orleans expects to attract even more groups as its meeting infrastructure continues to expand.

According to Stephanie Turner, vice president of convention sales and strategies at New Orleans & Company, “Within the last year, millions of dollars have been invested in infrastructure and riverfront developments. Among the most exciting projects is a $60 million Linear Park development and transportation hub along Convention Center Boulevard, bringing dining, entertainment and retail to the convention center in coming years.”

In addition, New Orleans continues to expand its inventory of more than 25,000 hotel rooms. “Thousands of sleeping rooms are within walking distance of the convention center, which in 2024, will offer a connected headquarters hotel anchoring the up-river end of the building,” Turner says. “New hotels are in the pipeline throughout the downtown area, many with on-site meeting space and within walking distance of major attractions and other venues.”

The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, located near the French Quarter, has been undergoing a $40 million renovation it calls a “redeux.”

The project includes the property’s existing 35,000 sf of meeting space as well as new furnishings and  décor. Treatment rooms and the 25,000-sf spa will also undergo renovations. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of the year.

Another popular property, The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel, plans to complete renovation for all the property’s guest rooms by the end of this year. The Roosevelt recently remodeled 60,000 sf of meeting and banquet space as well as the rooftop pool. The entire makeover is part of a $20 million project The Roosevelt has undertaken.

Earlier this year, Virgin Hotels New Orleans broke ground on its latest lifestyle property in the city’s Warehouse District. The 14-story, 225-room hotel is expected to open in 2021 at a cost of $80 million. The hotel will have a rooftop bar, a pool deck and multiple dining options, including the Commons Club on the ground floor, which will be open to the public and have a secondary entrance fronting Lafayette Street.

The plans also include a 2,049-sf ballroom and flexible meeting space on the second floor. It will join seven other properties in or planned for the Virgin Hotel portfolio. The brand opened its first hotel in Chicago followed by San Francisco earlier this year. Hotels are also in the works in Dallas, Nashville, New York and Las Vegas.

The Higgins Hotel & Conference Center, Curio Collection by Hilton recently opened on the campus of the National World War II Museum, with 18,000 sf of meeting space. The recent opening of the Higgins Hotel New Orleans offers a great option for smaller corporate meetings seeking a Warehouse District location.

The hotel offers 230 guest rooms and specialty suites, and premium amenities and services include: Cafe Normandie, Rosie’s on the Roof, Kilroy’s at the Higgins, Provisions Grab-and-Go Market & Cafe, a 24-hour fitness club, a private concierge lounge and a business center.

In addition, developers are negotiating with Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority to build a new 1,200-room Omni hotel with 150,000 sf of meeting space to serve as a headquarters hotel for the ENMCC, the sixth-largest convention facility in the nation.

Current properties combined with new and expanded hotels will provide a range of fresh options for meetings of all types.

According to Turner, “The opening of the Four Seasons Hotel next year will add to hotel options for higher-end corporate and incentive travel meetings. The newly-opened AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon, a first-of-its-kind product, is a great option for the pure incentive groups not needing meeting space but looking for butler-type service.”

Many of New Orleans’ most popular meeting hotels were among the 16 properties that hosted the Keller Williams real estate company’s annual meeting earlier this year at the ENMCC. The meeting included 19,000 franchise owners, employees and real estate agents.

Keller Williams returned to New Orleans after holding its last meeting there almost 10 years ago. Two years after the meeting, Mindy Grubb, CMP, the company’s executive director of events, made a site visit to the city.

“At that time, we noticed a big difference in the city in its recovery from hurricane Katrina,” Grubb says. “They had implemented a city-wide customer service improvement program and the quality of service went up significantly. I had sat in on some of the program’s training sessions.”

Grubb continues, “They told me they were very serious about the program. After, that we decided to move forward in contract negotiations and signed a deal for our next open date, which was this year.”

Most of the company’s meetings and events took place at the ENMCC, where Grubb had 30 breakouts.

“I love the convention center because it is so flexible,” Grubb says. “We take up about 1 million sf. As we continue to grow, New Orleans is an option for us because it has the space we need with walkable hotels nearby.”

Like Respress, Grubb also attributes a major part of the meeting’s success to New Orleans & Company.

“We couldn’t have done it without them,” Grubb says. “They helped us negotiate with hotels by letting them know what kind of economic impact we would bring to the city.”

The CVB also gave Grubb a tour of off-site properties to help her decide where to hold an off-property event for more than 4,000 attendees. “The venue we chose was Generations Hall, a multifunctional event venue,” Grubb says. “We rented the entire facility and streets in front of it. We had different sections of the hall designed and decorated like different neighborhoods in the city”.

Grubb plans to return to New Orleans. “We are negotiating 2028 right now,” Grubb says. “We signed our letter of intent and we are negotiating with the convention center and hotels.”

In coming years, Grubb and other planers will have even more options to improve every aspect of their meetings. According to Turner, “New Orleans is always innovating. The city is reimagining many of our cultural and infrastructure offerings, joining the old with the new, to present a completely new meetings experience. In the next five years, New Orleans will have a new, world-class airport terminal, a variety of new luxury hotel brands, including the Four Seasons and a convention center headquarter hotel, both overlooking the Mississippi River, and more than 5,000 rooms in the pipeline,” Turner says.

In addition, “There will be a new entertainment district surrounding the convention center with new shopping, dining and venue opportunities,” Turner said. New Orleans will also eventually have one of the largest continuous public riverfronts on the Mississippi River, and it will connect five New Orleans neighborhoods within a walkable, 2-mile area.

BATON ROUGE

Although New Orleans gets the lion’s share of the state’s meetings and events, Baton Rouge is holding its own. About 80 miles from New Orleans, Baton Rouge offers convenient access to the Big Easy and its own unique destination advantages.

Baton Rouge offers rustic, historic mansions, museums and other structures with scenic views of the Mississippi River that also serve as unique and memorable venues. Creative venue options include floating casinos and meeting spaces at the ever-popular Louisiana State University football games. Baton Rouge also offers its own version of an annual Mardi Gras that attracts people nationwide. There are also several annual culinary, music and cultural events. In addition, Baton Rouge is constantly expanding its restaurants and venues.

Recently opened venues include White Star Market in the Mid-City neighborhood, which offers local unique food and drink as well as contemporary urban gourmet food. White Star Market is located within Square 46, a new mixed-use development.

The centerpiece of Baton Rouge’s meeting space is the expanded Raising Cane’s River Center, which features 17 breakout rooms and more than 100,000 sf of meeting space. Nearby meeting hotels include the recently renovated Baton Rouge Marriott, with nearly 30,000 sf of meeting space, and the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, with 20,000 sf of meeting space, next to the River Center.

SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER

Due to its location in the northwestern corner of Louisiana near the Texas and Arkansas border, Shreveport-Bossier attracts mostly mid-size groups from all three states.

Looking to market its location, the Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau (SBCTB) promotes the destination as “Louisiana’s Other Side” and extols its “wide-open Texas spirit” Cajun cuisine and culture.

Shreveport-Bossier’s meeting space anchor is the 350,000-sf Shreveport Convention Center, along with 10,500 hotel rooms, including those provided by several 24-hour resort-style, riverfront casinos featuring top-notch entertainment.

Event space is also available at several indoor and outdoor attractions, including Gator Raceway at Gators & Friends, which features a challenging high-speed go-kart raceway that provides team-building and leadership-training opportunities.

Other attractions with event space include the 2-year-old Shreveport Aquarium, which also features catering through its on-site restaurant.

Louisiana is one of the surest bets for planners in the world because its destinations offer the properties, meeting space and venues necessary for successful meetings. Most of all, Louisiana offers destinations sure to provide indelible memories. C&IT

National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio.

Looking to host a corporate event in a centrally located state with amazing culture and entertainment options, high-quality food and beverages, state-of-the-art conference facilities and safe, walkable communities? There’s no better place than Ohio. The major cities in this ‘Rust Belt’ region have undergone a renaissance in recent years, adding accommodations and attractions that meet the needs of modern consumers and planners. Find out what’s new in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus.

CLEVELAND

Cleveland re-emerged as a top meeting destination in 2016 when it successfully hosted the Republican National Convention. “That was a large undertaking and everything went stellar,” says Craig Campbell, area director of sales and marketing for InterContinental Cleveland. “It demonstrated to meeting and event planners around the world what Cleveland’s event capabilities are.”

In the last several years, the city has gained a number of new hotels or had old properties go through major refreshing. Updated and new properties include the 400-room Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Tower, the 206-room Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland and the 600-room Hilton Cleveland Downtown.  In addition, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, home to the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, just wrapped up a major renovation. It now has 45,000 sf of event space available to planners.

“That was a large undertaking and everything went stellar.” Craig Campbell

Campbell emphasizes that many properties have all of the technological requirements meeting planners need. The InterContinental Cleveland is located on the campus of the Cleveland Clinic and hosts a number of medical and healthcare conferences. The facility includes a 12,000-sf, 500-seat amphitheater from which groups can broadcast live talks or conference in speakers from anywhere in the world. “It really allows groups that have a very high-end nature to their programs the opportunity to do it in a setting that was built specifically for those types of conferences,” he says.

People who fly into Cleveland Hopkins International Airport will find it’s a short trip into downtown. And once they get settled into their hotels, there’s plenty to see. In addition to the Cavaliers, Cleveland has two other major sports teams in the NFL’s Browns and MLB’s Indians. And the iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a popular venue that offers special event space. The city is also home to the second-largest playhouse district in the country, a high percentage of the restaurants are chef-owned, there’s a large microbrewing community, and plenty of boutique shops. Consider directing attendees to the Flats District, which has a number of new restaurants opening.

“There’s a crazy amount of culture and history and architecture in the town that, when you look at the other cities in this state, they don’t really have,” says Gordon Taylor III, vice president of convention sales and services for Destination Cleveland. And no matter what hot spots guests want to check out, they should be able to find their way around. “It’s easy to figure out the city because there are all these districts, like the Warehouse District and the Civic Center district. The signage is terrific, so you never really get lost,” he says.

Brian D. Stevens, CEO of ConferenceDirect, cites several of these features — notably walkability and the city’s wide variety of cultural attractions — as chief among the reasons his company hosted its biannual CDX event in Cleveland. The 2 1/2-day gathering brings many of their top customers, partners and associates together for education and networking opportunities. “The city of Cleveland is a very notable city to host a conference, with ease of distance from the airport to a variety of off-site venue options to host receptions,” he adds.

The main event took place at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown and Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. The fact that the facilities are connected made access a breeze. “Our attendees had a great opportunity to experience many features the Huntington Convention Center can provide,” Stevens says. “On-site, they have a sustainability farm to help produce food in-house for catering events, which was a unique experience to offer. Additionally, we had food trucks for one of our meal functions. The space they have, made this feasible and provided yet another fun opportunity to add for any event.”

Destination Cleveland was integral to bringing the event to the city and assisting ConferenceDirect as their gathering took shape. Stevens has nothing but positive things to say about them and the host facilities. “From start to finish they were amazing partners that helped coordinate and plan one of our most successful CDX events to date. The teams at Destination Cleveland, Hilton Cleveland and Huntington Convention Center were terrific in providing our attendees a well-rounded experience of what Cleveland has to offer for conventions and meetings.”

Taylor has been in his position for just a few months, and since he started, he’s frequently asked groups why they chose Cleveland over another city. “People tell me, ‘We like coming here, because we’re not just another number. When we bring our convention, we feel like we’re the only ones in town. The feeling we get from the community is, they’re genuinely thrilled we’re here.’”

CINCINNATI 

“Meetings in Cincinnati are about meaningful connections,” says a former meeting planner with Cincinnati USA CVB. “We create a setting where attendees can connect with the city, with the meeting’s content and with each other.”

Creating those connections starts by establishing relationships with  the CVB, potential host facilities and other partners. Cincinnati doesn’t lack for great meeting venues. Accommodations include a 170-room AC Hotel by Marriott Cincinnati at The Banks, the 117-room Holiday Inn & Suites Cincinnati Downtown and the 323-room Renaissance Cincinnati Downtown Hotel. The Hyatt Regency Cincinnati recently underwent a $23 million renovation to refresh all 491 guest rooms, and a Kimpton Hotel with 153 sleeping rooms is expected to open next year.

The Summit, a Dolce Hotel, which opened last year, is another one of the city’s newer properties. The lifestyle hotel, owned by Wyndham, has 239 guest rooms, more than 52,000 sf of meeting space and an 11,600-sf terrace for outdoor gatherings. One of their areas of emphasis is providing nourishing, healthy food at multiple dining outlets, including the new Overlook Kitchen + Bar. But, people who want to venture farther than the facility’s front door will find plenty of options.

“Lots of new restaurants have opened up in Cincinnati. Lots of breweries too,” says Denise Bayless, director of sales and marketing for The Summit. “The bourbon scene has opened up from across the river in Kentucky.”

That’s important, because the next step in finding a community where meeting participants can create meaningful connections is finding interesting off-site events or casual gatherings. “Once attendees are here, they’ll be pleased with Cincinnati’s friendly Midwest pricing and vibrant mix of entertainment destinations and amenities,” the former CVB planner says. “We are a city built on beer — literally. A network of lager tunnels below the streets of downtown Cincinnati help tell the story of our region’s rich brewing past. The first phase of Cincinnati’s Brewing Heritage Trail broke ground this year, which will provide a new opportunity to learn about the historic buildings, breweries and beers that shaped downtown Cincinnati. The microbrewery scene here is erupting, bringing us back to our roots and back to what makes us a great city.”

There are plenty of interesting things for art enthusiasts to check out as well. “With a quick walk or ride on the Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar, attendees can experience a variety of unmistakably Cincinnati features like the hundreds of public art murals around town,” the former planner says. The Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal recently reopened after a $224 million renovation. In recent years, the community has invested more than $160 million in upgrading and expanding local theaters, including three popular venues in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.

Cincinnati’s Duke Energy Convention Center has played host to many National Training Conventions for Pure Romance because the company’s headquarters is located downtown. Jenna Miller, the company’s event manager, has plenty of love for her hometown partners. “The Cincinnati CVB is always such a huge help with our events,” she says. “Pam Boeing-Rogers, the CVB’s director of convention services, helped me find our location for our block party event and even helped with some logistic pieces. I really enjoyed working with her. She was always available and always extremely helpful whenever I needed her.”

The convention center also provides an exemplary level of service, Miller says. “Food and beverage is always what we expect it to be. The convention center is always so easy to work with and mixes it up every event, every year. Prestige AV & Creative Services has always gone above and beyond for us. We love working with them and have an incredible partnership.”

Miller recommends that event planners look at the community’s many great restaurants and sports teams when plugging entertainment options or looking for off-site venues. Depending on the time of year, sports fans can enjoy a performance by MLB’s Reds, the NFL’s Bengals or Major League Soccer’s FC Cincinnati, which began play earlier this year.

Many business owners are also willing to create personalized experiences for groups so attendees can get a glimpse of Cincinnati’s authentic culture. “We have great relationships with a lot of the businesses here, which makes it fun to let the consultants experience some of the things we love,” Miller says.

One more thing: Getting to Cincinnati is easier than it’s ever been. “The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is one of the top-ranked and most-affordable airports in the country, and the Cincinnati region is within a day’s drive of 60% of the U.S. population,” the former planner says.

COLUMBUS 

Columbus is the capital of Ohio and also holds the distinction of being its largest and fastest-growing community. “People often think of us as a small city, but we’re not,” says Lexi Sweet, CTA, public relations manager for Experience Columbus. “We’re the 14th-largest city in the country and the fourth-fastest growing city in the U.S.”

Despite its size, Columbus still has some of the benefits of a small town. The John Glenn Columbus International Airport is 10 minutes from downtown. The Greater Columbus Convention Center encompasses 1.8 million sf and offers 75 meeting rooms. By 2022, there will be 2,700 hotel rooms connected or adjacent to the Convention Center, and the city center will have a total of 5,000 hotel rooms. New properties within a mile of the convention center include Moxy Columbus Short North, a boutique property under the Marriott flag, and Canopy by Hilton Columbus-Short North, both of which opened this year.

Companies looking to glean some best practices from their peers will find plenty of firms to reach out to in Columbus. “We have five Fortune 500 companies and 15 Fortune 1,000 companies, which is the largest concentration of any city in the country,” Sweet says. On the entertainment front, the city has a thriving arts district and college district around Ohio State University. The National Veterans Memorial and Museum — the only such facility dedicated to telling the stories of veterans from American conflicts in all eras and countries — opened last year.

Sweet notes that summer and early fall are an ideal time to visit because there are festivals every weekend. They include the Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival, Columbus Greek Festival and Columbus Oktoberfest. These special events give meeting attendees a chance to experience the community on a more unique, intimate level.

Groups interested in art might consider the Hilton Columbus Downtown, an atrium-style hotel with 532 rooms, 32,000 sf of meeting space and a $1 million art collection. “In the next couple of years we’re going to expand across the street so we’ll be a 1,000-room hotel connected to the convention center,” says marketing manager Presley Burley.

Burley says Columbus is a great place for foodies and fun-loving folks as well. There are more than 300 dining and entertainment venues within four blocks of downtown, including the German Village and Brewery District, two adjacent neighborhoods with interesting architecture and plenty of food and beverage options. There’s also the North Market, a public market with interesting small restaurants.

New Avon Company took more than 5,000 sales representatives to Columbus for three days of training, product launches, recognition events and rallies. “Our conference has grown over the past couple years and we’ve sort of grown out of the single property,” says Jason Sigala, director of events. “This was our first citywide event in a long time. We wanted to pick a city where we felt our representatives would feel safe.” The host city also needed to offer accommodations that met a variety of price points, and be a place where attendees could easily walk from their hotels to meeting spaces, restaurants, shops and entertainment venues. Columbus fit the bill on all of those fronts.

New Avon Company had its product expos, meals and breakout sessions at the Convention Center and Hyatt Regency Columbus. Nationwide Arena hosted its general sessions and a concert. The CVB helped bring together all of the partners and also served as housing coordinator for the event. “Everyone was very easy to work with,” Sigala says. “We found them very accommodating. The CVB was probably the strongest I’ve worked with in terms of communication and working together as a unit with the entire city. The newly renovated convention center was very impactful. It was nice and open and people didn’t feel crammed like you do in a convention center in a hotel. They were able to spread their wings.” C&IT 

By most accounts the meetings industry is in good shape. Could it be better? Sure. Could it be worse? Absolutely. Each sector of the industry experiences things in slightly different ways, but our insider experts agree that 2019 has been a good year — and 2020 could be even better.

THE MEASURE OF SUCCESS

Success can be measured in multiple ways. One interesting takeaway from the 2019 Incentive Travel Industry Index, a joint project of SITE, the Incentive Research Foundation and Financial & Insurance Conference Professionals (FICP), is that ‘soft-power objectives’ such as engagement, relationship building, authenticity, reputation and the importance of human touch are significantly more important than financial stability and value.

Some of our experts pointed to inclusion as one such measure. Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company, offered a destination perspective, noting that delegates with disabilities are being better served, and inclusion of the LGBTQ community in the meeting and event space has increased.

Hotelier Ulrich Samietz, general manager of Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, lists creative differentiation, embracing change and building bridges as success. “From my point of view, this has always been the most captivating element of the travel industry — bringing people and cultures of the world together to celebrate stepping outside of everyday routines.”

But ‘hard’ variables matter, too, including financial success. Richard Harper, an executive vice president at HelmsBriscoe, paints a positive picture in that regard. “The overall meetings economy continues to be robust, which is fueling significant economic output and job growth in the sector.”

Tech is at the forefront of success as well. Annette Gregg, CMM, MBA, senior vice president, Experience, at MPI, thinks more innovative event tech has been a plus for the industry.

“From my point of view, this has always been the most captivating element of the travel industry — bringing people and cultures of the world together to celebrate stepping outside of everyday routines.”
Ulrich Samietz

Hotelier Axel Gasser, vice president and general manager at SLS Baha Mar, sees success in, “utilizing technology, particularly apps, to provide additional convenience to guests who spend a lot of time on their mobile phones. This includes the ability to check-in using an app and controlling the television from your phone instead of using the hotel remote.” He also thinks increased use of social media is a success. “For us, that means fully embracing social media and placing an emphasis on providing relevant content on the official hotel platforms as well as encouraging guests to post.” Given that the hotel’s target audience is millennials (1980-1994), it’s not surprising that tech and social media are successes. “This works well for SLS Baha Mar as this is a core demo for us.”

But some, including Samietz, caution against heavy reliance on tech. “With each passing year, we become more dependent on technology and screen time to accomplish daily tasks. While embracing tools that make our guests’ and colleagues’ lives better is essential to success, the travel industry remains at its core a business of providing real-life connections.”

In the DMC realm, Jennifer Patino, DMCP, CEO of Hosts Global, thinks the industry and destinations themselves benefit when new destinations come to the forefront. “Emerging destinations,” she says, “are receiving good business opportunities.

They’re good for incentive award winners, too. Catherine Chaulet, president and CEO of Global DMC Partners, counts “the discovery of new or lesser-known destinations for incentive trips” among the year’s successes. She also puts “great advances in environmental considerations at meetings” in the plus column.

Tahira Endean, CMP, DES, CED, head of Events at SITE, agrees, noting that sustainability also continued to be at the forefront in meetings in 2019 and will be for 2020.

Dixon has a unique perspective on that aspect of meetings. “Another major success of the industry is its ongoing effort to make meetings, incentives, conventions and events green. In September, we were proud to again collaborate with The Climate Group — the international nonprofit focused on accelerating climate action — in coordination with the United Nations and the city of New York — to welcome Climate Week NYC.”

Brian Stevens, CEO of ConferenceDirect, describes the industry overall as “flat,” but says it’s a positive that Marriott International managed to so quickly integrate Starwood Hotels into its systems. Additionally, he says, “It’s likely that the collaboration of Hilton, Marriott, IHG and Accor investing in Group360, a meeting space booking engine, will be positive for both buyers and suppliers.”

Mike Waterman, chief sales officer for Visit Orlando, points out that regardless of the year’s successes, it’s important to look to the future. “We’ve had a strong year and 2020 is looking positive as well, but we’re always looking ahead to make sure Orlando remains the country’s top meetings destination. Our convention center is expanding significantly, our airport is adding an entirely new terminal that will increase airlift, and we’re in the middle of the biggest two-year period for hotel expansion in Orlando’s history.”

On another front, Chaulet and Patino say navigating through all of the data privacy and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements and achieving compliance is yet another check in the 2019 success box.

Mike Fiber, CEO at PRA, offers this: “The industry’s single-greatest success has been the realization from the broader business community as to the importance of business events and their role in driving performance on an individual and personal basis.”

RISING TO THE CHALLENGES

What, then, have been the biggest disruptors in 2019? Not surprisingly, many are out of the control of planners and stakeholders. “Social unrest and bankruptcies in the tourism and airline industries, as well as climate changes impacting travel patterns were the greatest disruptors this year,” Chaulet says.

Patino points to global economic uncertainty. “The biggest disruptor/game changer this year is continued economic uncertainty with the trade situation impacting the economic outlook. While I believe demand remains strong for meetings, economics and geopolitical issues are impacting the global meetings industry more regionally for a variety of reasons.”

Gregg emphasizes two issues: “Although the U.S. economy is growing, trade sanctions and isolationism have caused some fears in foreign travel to the U.S. and the strong U.S. economy makes it a more expensive destination for inbound travel. Additionally, the reduction in hotel commission payouts are affecting a huge sector of our industry — independent business owners. With hotel chains consolidating and wielding more power, many predict that hotels may stop paying commissions altogether.”

In Fiber’s view, “Consolidation in virtually every sector of the industry is under way, overdue and executed with varying degrees of success. We’re still in relatively early stages into a fully consolidated industry, so there’s time and room to deliver stronger execution over time.”

Then there’s climate change. “From natural disasters to man-made messes, we’re seeing this every day, globally,” Endean says. “From kindergarten classes to the highest level of government, this is on the agenda and we’re going to see this continue to affect the travel and event industry in both perception and day-to-day actions.”

Taking action is increasingly critical. “Meeting planners and leisure travelers are more aware of their environmental impact than ever before,” Samietz says. “Groups want to make a positive impact on destinations they experience in a meaningful way and leave it in better condition than when they arrived.”

In Dixon’s view, “The biggest disruption is a movement toward ‘community as a classroom.’ While there will always be a place for traditional, large-scale event spaces, we increasingly see planners getting attendees outside of ballrooms and into communities.”

While Waterman admits technology can be a disruptor, he says there’s another way to view it. “We’re constantly connected to our devices, but that’s where experiential meetings come into play. Instead of fighting against technology, planners can view it as a way to create more engagement, whether it be through unique venues, one-of-a-kind experiences or even a corporate social responsibility event.”

WILL THE DISRUPTORS CHANGE?

Most agree that they’ll be largely the same with added challenges to negotiate come 2020. “Do we have other disruptors?” Endean asks. “Of course, from #MeToo to Brexit, strikes in world capitals and the rise of artificial intelligence across industries. All of these will continue to play out. The issues will always evolve, but ultimately, we have one planet and it requires our attention.”

One unknown is how the political scene will play out domestically. “We’ll see the same challenges, but planning is a calculated risk because of the U.S. elections,” Gregg notes. “More mergers and growth among multinational companies will require global travel and convergence via meetings; however, businesses may not commit until they see how the political environment stabilizes.”

Regardless of the challenges, Samietz says the fundamentals of providing value to clients and guests will remain the same. “However,” he adds, “developing creative new ways to delight our guests’ senses will remain a priority, which will bring innovative differences as well.”

BUDGET ANALYTICS

One question is whether meeting budgets increased in 2019. They have. But the degree to which they’ve risen is up for debate. Gregg, for example, labels it as “slight growth.”

Patino says there have been modest increases. “But we’re seeing more incentive program qualifiers, which decreases the per-person budget. And we’re seeing more ‘all-inclusive’ solutions being booked for incentives as a strategy to contain spend. I think we’ll continue with a slight growth cycle for the next 12-18 months. Our forecasts are stronger going into 2020 than they were for 2019.”

At PRA, budgets are definitely larger, Fiber notes. “And the year ahead looks very robust in our business, more so than at any time in our history at PRA,” he says. “Our clients are looking for increasingly experiential events, which is a positive for PRA given our solution set.”

Dixon agrees the 2019 economy has been strong. “Domestically, the strong economy has generated additional revenue, which allows for more flexibility as in-house and third-party planners for Fortune 500 entities select ambitious destinations and exercise creativity in venue and hotel selection while implementing immersive and experiential programming.”

One trend crystallizing related to budgets, Chaulet says, is “programs that spend more per participant but reduce the number of attendees for a higher, yet more focused spend.” She also says she’s seeing “some increases in budgets due to higher costs of service,” adding that 2020 budgets look similar to 2019.

Citing data from the 2019 Incentive Travel Industry Index, Endean says, “Yes, overall budgets seem to be slightly on the rise, keeping up with slightly rising costs. And this trend appears to be continuing into 2022.”

Samietz also points to the Index. “Having had the pleasure of attending this year’s Incentive Research Foundation annual meeting in Miami, the data suggests that a majority of organizations are budgeting higher. Grand Hyatt Baha Mar has seen that trend as well in 2019, with larger groups, higher attendance and more RFP opportunities among incentives programs than the year prior.”

Glasser echoes that. “Given that SLS Baha Mar is an international destination and most of our groups are incentive, the budgets are pretty strong.”

BOOKING FLUCTUATIONS

Everyone seems to agree that booking windows continue to shrink, which Endean calls the new norm.

That said, the uptick in last-minute bookings may be a positive according to Chaulet. “Currently we’re experiencing a slight slowdown for meetings; however, this may be offset with more last-minute bookings in 2020.”

Samietz also sees both sides of the bookings coin. “We’ve seen great demand for advance bookings as well as higher-than-expected demand for events planned inside of 90 days.”

Then there’s the question of how these shorter windows impact the way groups and planners work. “Groups that typically come to SLS are a bit nimbler, can make decisions quickly and turn programs around within a few weeks or months,” Glasser says. “The typical booking is coming within 24 months, but there are a number of groups that book more last minute — within a few months of meeting.”

Destinations may experience these fluctuations differently, depending on a variety of factors. “Speaking for New York City, the meetings and conventions sector remains strong, consistently drawing in excess of 6 million delegates to the five boroughs each year,” Dixon says. “As such, this remains a stable and integral segment of our overall visitor demographic, which shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, new business is already being booked for the highly anticipated Javits Center expansion, set to open in 2021. Naturally, booking windows vary dependent on convention size and season. If a citywide or large self-contained conference requires ample accommodations and high-capacity venues, they book further out to select from a wider variety of options. However, the booking window continues to shorten for smaller events.”

INCENTIVES ON THE RISE

“The 2019 Travel Industry Index shows incentives on the rise,” Endean says. “This makes sense given the current economics we’re seeing globally and a recognition that when it comes to an informed talent pool seeking experiences as the No. 1 luxury, incentives remain a top recognition, recruitment and retention tool.”

Samietz, Glasser and Patino all agree incentive programs are increasing overall. However, there are shifts in the programs themselves. “As travelers become savvier and more millennials qualify for incentives,” Gregg says, “there’s a demand for more unique destinations and experiential experiences.”

The focus, Chaulet notes, “is on more impactful individual experiences, which are offset by smaller attendee numbers. Higher attention is given to the qualification process for the incentive trip.”

Fiber sees the same. “Incentive programs are rising, with more emphasis on experiences delivered and meaningful promises around sustainability and social responsibility being kept by the organizers.”

In New York, Dixon is getting client feedback that more programs will remain stateside as opposed to going abroad. “Furthermore, corporations are increasingly rewarding top performers with urban escapes, often choosing major global hubs with a relevant knowledge economy. In New York City’s five boroughs,” he says, “multiple industries are experiencing thriving economies. This gives incentive winners access to world-renowned industry experts in their fields and unparalleled opportunities to make meaningful connections.”

DEMOGRAPHICS

There’s no question that meeting demographics have changed as more millennials and now Gen Xers (1965-1979) and Gen Zers (1995-2015) enter into the equation and baby boomers (1944-1964) remain in the workforce. This year has been one of multiple generations attending programs and events with varying expectations.

“Multiple generations attending many of our events will continue,” Endean says, “particularly as we see four-generation workplaces with incentives for both sales and service opening more doors to program inclusion. It’s no longer a simple demographic understanding we need; rather, understanding the shifting values and alignments we need within our programs is key.”

Younger attendees drive many of these shifts. “They’re looking for brands they can believe in, authenticity and making a positive world change,” Gregg says. “The brand experiences at conferences need to reflect these ethics — walking the talk. The younger participant is also looking for learning environments that are more participatory, diverse, sustainable and high-tech/connected.”

Patino thinks demographics haven’t changed as much as the level of engagement. “As we see a greater number of young attendees, their interests and values are driving wellness programming and we’re seeing greater interest in sustainability initiatives. The audience we serve today requires greater creativity, understanding of the meeting objectives and measurement on the return on investment. Business as usual will result in compression; we’ve got to see through our clients’ and their stakeholders’ eyes, delivering on their unique goals or challenges to provide a ‘value add’ partnership with our clients.”

Dixon sees conference attendees today as younger, more diverse, increasingly tech savvy, focused on sustainability and interested in local culture. “Experiential events will only grow in frequency and prominence to match their expectations. It will be interesting to see how the industry adapts to accommodate this rapidly growing desire for innovative location and venue selection year-over-year.”

But Fiber has a different view. “Personally, I don’t reference demographics as much as mindset,” he says. “Everyone, regardless of age, gender and other demographic definitions has higher expectations around experience design and responsible delivery of business events.”

THE BOTTOM LINE

In the end, the state of the industry as 2019 comes to a close is mostly very positive.

Stevens does see one dark cloud, but also the silver lining. “We’ll have a hotel recession in the next three quarters,” he predicts, “but it will last a shorter amount of time than the last downturn.”

And in spite of persistent worries that face-to-face meetings will disappear, many experts, including Harper, believe they’ll remain a priority. “More and more organizations are seeing the tangible benefits of face-to-face meetings, which is a key driver for our industry,” he says.

Waterman agrees. “Nothing can replace the value of face-to-face meetings. No matter how technology evolves, there’s an inherent value in face-to-face meetings that cannot be replicated with virtual events. Whether it’s an educational event, an incentive meeting or closing a deal, in-person conferences will continue to have a significant impact on business.”

That’s Patino’s view as well. “Face-to-face meetings and incentives remain a key component of global business growth as well as employee engagement. And while we’re aware of economic/market uncertainties, we’re confident that the meetings industry will continue to successfully weather the challenges for industry growth into 2020.”

Looking back at 2019 and ahead to 2020 yields the same result: The meetings industry is on solid ground. But that doesn’t mean it’s time to sit back.

“We’re part of one of the largest, most influential and most far-reaching industries in the world,” Harper says. “It’s important that we all work together to ensure the industry and its impact continue to grow.” C&IT

DepositPhotos.com

Finding the ideal destination for an incentive group meeting or event — is part art, part science. There are people to placate, program objectives to identify and logistics to manage. Understandably, a destination can set the tone for the entire trip and can play a significant role in making lasting impressions on attendees.

Craig Dooley, senior vice president at SDI Meetings and Incentives in Chicago, says it is important to start the destination selection process with the “Why?” — namely, what is the driving purpose of the meeting for the sponsors and the participants?

“Equally important, start with the end,” Dooley says. “What is the impact, outcome or result that this meeting should deliver — that is, how will you know it was a success?” It’s slightly nuanced or completely different for every meeting, so Dooley defines those factors upfront with key stakeholders, including executive sponsors, internal partners and participants.

“Equally important, start with the end.” Craig Dooley

“We keep them top of mind every step we take,” Dooley says. “As we pick the right meeting destination, we check criteria against them, including the practical aspects of availability, functionality, convenience, cost and participant preferences, and we check-in with those key stakeholders along the way. Alignment ensures success.”

Kelsey Anderson, CMP, CMM, founder and managing director at Lynn David Events LLC in Minneapolis, Minnesota, says when choosing a meeting destination, it’s imperative to know your group and the event’s goals. If the goal is to reward attendees, such as for an incentive or sales trip, meeting planners would want to consider destinations that are more leisure focused. Access to activities, excursions, spa, pools, dining and nightlife would all be important to consider. “If the goal is to bring a group of people together to network and work on business matters, a property with less distractions and less ability to wander off the property may better support the objectives of the event,” Anderson says.

Also think about who is attending this event. What’s the average age? What are their values? What are their motivations? As Anderson explains, if your attendees are seniors, conservative, or value relaxation and getting up early, you wouldn’t want to hold the event in the heart of Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

UNIQUE DESTINATIONS

Simone Maxwell, adjunct professor of hospitality at Purdue University Global, has extensive experience in the field of hospitality. She says there are many unique strategic destination options. For instance, Maxwell says that due to the breakdown of formal business culture and the demand for events in unique spaces, there is an increased desire for nontraditional venues. Meeting planners are now selecting more intimate venues in destinations such as boutique hotels, art galleries and warehouses for smaller events and meetings.

“For larger events, meeting planners are now utilizing nontraditional hotel areas such as outdoor spaces and rooftops to facilitate the need for fresh event and meeting spaces,” Maxwell says. “Nontraditional venues also allow for meeting or event attendees to experience more of a destination rather than being in a traditional hotel or convention center the entire time. It is also assumed that these nontraditional venues create more engagement and a deeper level of curiosity among the attendees.”

And while typically first-tier cities such as Chicago and New York were the first choice for destination meetings and events because of all the perks they offer, due to the increased authenticity, culture and improved transportation accessibility in second-tier cities, these locales are now more in demand. “Second-tier cities such as Austin, Portland and Nashville are also considered more cost effective for destination meetings and events,” Maxwell says. “These cities are also continuously improving their infrastructure and the destination organizations tend to be more eager to work with meeting planners.”

In addition, today’s meeting and event attendees are more concerned with health and wellness. Therefore, meeting planners are now tasked with selecting destinations that offer organic, fresh and locally sourced foods. “Dietary restrictions or preferences such as vegetarian, gluten free, keto, pescatarian and religious dietary requests are also key considerations for meeting planners when selecting destinations,” Maxwell says. “Meeting planners should also select destinations where they can leverage experiential catering. So that way, attendees can experience local gourmet meals if they desire to do so — for instance offering Nashville-style barbecue options for the banquet.”

CONSIDERATIONS TO MAKE

Dooley says meeting planners need to consider both the strategic and the tactical factors of a destination and the myriad of details that go into creating every single moment of the experience. “Again, staying aligned with the purpose and goals of the meeting and the destination’s ability to support the desired outcome most effectively, planners can then dig into the destination’s features and benefits around its resources, functionality and fit with the meeting,” Dooley says. Planners also need to consider that things change — from the purpose to the budget to the participants, and be ready to pivot throughout the process.

Other issues to consider include the time of year, budget, accessibility and desirability — all of which can play a big role in deciding the best location. If a lower room rate is important to the group but they want to be at high-end properties, consider what destinations will be in low or shoulder season over the event dates.

Kelly Woo, meeting and event manager at Special D Events in Ferndale, Michigan, says other issues to evaluate include:

•Changes in time zones.

•Attendee demographics and preferences. Will the attendees feel comfortable at the destination that is being considered?

•Are the attendees seasoned travelers? If most attendees have never flown before, a drivable location may be preferred.

•What other meetings, events or festivals are happening in the city that you’re considering during the time of your meeting?

“A client of ours didn’t take into consideration the preferences and lifestyle of their employees when choosing the meeting destination,” Woo says. “They decided to host their meeting at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach and their attendees were very out of place.”

Sydney Wolf, director of sales for metroConnections in Chaska, Minnesota, agrees that understanding the demographics of attendees is paramount in strategically selecting meeting destinations. “Are you a young company of millennials? Perhaps a trendy destination like Nashville or Austin would appeal to your audience. A lot of young families? Maybe hosting an event at a Walt Disney World property would provide a great perk to your audience and allow them to extend their trip to bring their families,” Wolf says. “Where do your attendees live? Picking a tier two or three city that requires connecting flights could make a destination more difficult, costly and timely to get to.”

In that case, finding a destination with direct flights for the majority of your audience would provide the best experience. Know your attendees and make wise buying decisions that fit your group when considering a destination. Also, consider leveraging a multiyear deal. If you are contracting multiple programs, consider the same hotel or hotel brand to leverage a multiyear contract to improve your concessions and negotiation power.

MISTAKES TO AVOID

Planners bring their own, very valuable experience to the destination selection process, and a misstep can happen if that personal experience inadvertently influences the process. As Dooley explains, a meeting planner’s own preferences and ‘hot buttons’ are of course helpful in evaluating options for a meeting. “We know what to look for and what to ask. We can avoid the mistake of letting that experience influence the choice by making sure we keep the ‘why’ and the ‘end’ for the meeting in front of us as the filter for our recommendations and choices,” Dooley says.

Due diligence also plays a key role in destination selection and can range from legal to financial to functional. Make sure you research the tentative destinations and for what they are known. For example, in a tourist-heavy destination like Las Vegas, rates will be statistically higher on the weekends to cater to vacationers, so a meeting planner can negotiate a better group block sticking to the weekdays, while if you’re trying to book something in Washington, D.C. in the middle of the week in the fall, you’ll be fighting higher rates because of all the government workers that come Monday through Friday.

“Need a low room rate but have more flexibility with food and beverage spend? Know that going in,” says Sarah Buchbinder, meeting group broker at Meetings Made Easy in Middletown, New Jersey. “Need to fit 100 people, but any setup will work? Put that in your request for proposals. Have to have a four-day program, but not set on a specific pattern or arrival day? Just by shifting one day forward or back can save you money by helping a hotel fill an occupancy gap.”

As Buchbinder explains, you’re rarely ever going to find the perfect destination at the lowest rate, offering all of your concessions, but knowing what things you would like, versus what things you absolutely can’t live without are important distinctions to getting your event as close as possible to perfect.

As an example, Buchbinder recently helped out a company that was struggling to find a home for their international leadership meeting. They waited until less than six months out and wanted to find a hotel in the center of Rome, Italy for 200 people for 150 euros per night. So, they ultimately wanted three things in a hotel: a central location, a capacity large enough to accommodate their group and a low room rate. After preliminary research into availability in the city, Buchbinder asked them to prioritize two out of the three ‘wants.’

“I could get them a central hotel that could accommodate their group, but it was higher than their preferred budget.” Buchbinder says. “There were larger hotels with enough space at a great rate, but they were way out near the airport; and there were beautiful central hotels where I could negotiate a great rate, but they only had availability for half the group. They ended up choosing location and rate, and cutting the attendee list in half. The meeting was an incredible success, but without knowing what their deal breakers were, they would have ended up in a stalemate and still searching for a home for their event. You don’t always have to choose between all the things you want, but knowing which are deal breakers for your specific program, and which you have a little more leeway with before you go in — will help a lot when sifting through choices and negotiating. “

In addition to evaluating the ‘must haves,’ other key steps include:

•Reviewing your own experiences with how a destination has performed, or tap into references from others you trust.

•Looking at multiple destination options to compare and contrast which would best fit the meeting. Go through legal due diligence with every agreement and contract.

•Confirming crisis management and support plans and resources, both internally and with the destination, to be prepared for as much as you can.

•Evaluating parking. Will you have a lot of drivers? If so, try to avoid places where you can’t negotiate free parking.

•Determining reservation strategy. Will you be reserving rooms through a rooming list or will attendees call in? That can determine whether you need a lower attrition and a farther-out cutoff date, and make sure the hotel can create a booking link if that’s how the guests will book.

•Evaluating the atmosphere of the locale. Can the local history and culture of the destination tie into your message? For example, by considering a destination like Puerto Rico, you can automatically build in a corporate social responsibility (CSR) component by bringing business to a city that is rebuilding after a disaster.

“Whenever possible, do a site visit. The site visit is invaluable. Make sure you take the time to walk the path your attendees will take,” Anderson says. “Experience the airport in the destination. Is there or will there be construction during your event? What is public transportation like? How long does it take to get from the airport to the venue? What’s in the area for the attendees to do in the evenings or free time?”

Buchbinder agrees. She stresses that all the information in the world on paper cannot rival experiencing a destination and venue in person. “Come in a day early on your own to see the property through the eyes of a regular guest. How long are lines for baggage at the airport? What is traffic really like downtown? What is the hotel check-in process like? How is the phone signal in the meeting space? How long does it take to get food from room service, and is it edible?” Buchbinder says. “All these details can separate an ‘OK’ destination from your perfect venue.”

So what are the key mistakes to avoid in selecting a strategic destination? Wolf says the most common mistakes she sees meeting planners make include:

•Not identifying a budget early.

•Not working with a site selection or planning partner on the contract. It’s important to have partners review the contracts in order to protect yourself from construction clauses, relocation, cancellation, etc.

•Not booking enough meeting space to match the production and event needs of the event. If you are expecting an impressive general session setup with enhanced A/V, make sure the partners review the meeting space to ensure expectations can become a reality with the meeting space that’s been reserved.

And don’t forget that you are not alone. Tap into the convention and visitors bureau in the destination or selected city. They can offer insight, deals and advice when it comes to the destination as well as help organize the logistics of your site visit. “Reach out to your peers. The events industry is robust, and I’ve found that other planners are often very willing to help and share advice. Join industry LinkedIn or Facebook groups and post questions about particular destinations you’re interested in,” Anderson says. “And remember it’s easy to think about what destination you would like to hold your event. Try to push your own opinions and biases aside, and think of your attendees and stakeholders.”

Tools and resources used in the destination identification process come from many sources, not the least of which is a meeting planner’s own collective experience and knowledge of destinations and working to support clients’ businesses.

“Looking outside our team, we benefit from strategic guidance and research on trends, motivators and key issues,” Dooley says. “We read industry publications for news and developments, we attend forums and we network and share with our peers. There are, of course, fantastic online sourcing tools that streamline the tactical elements of the process, allowing us to put more energy into the strategic. We lean into strong relationships with partners in both brands and independent networks of properties and destinations to be sure we are basing our evaluations on the best information — relationships make the difference.” C&IT