Negotiating with hotels isn’t a planner’s favorite activity even during a buyer’s market. However, the task is even tougher in the current seller’s market.

That’s why it’s crucial to have the savvy needed to strike good deals. Still, experts say, many planners have fair-to-middling negotiation abilities that lead to higher costs.

Planners too often accept contract conditions without asking questions or seeking concessions. One reason for that, experts say, stems from a disdain for the often tricky negotiation process that can involve posturing, posing, pretense and confrontation.
Nevertheless, it’s important to have the skills needed to get the best deals from hoteliers who believe they hold all the cards.

Seek Clarity

Being a good negotiator includes ensuring that every hotel contract term is understandable. “The best advice I heard from an industry expert is have the contract written clearly enough that it can stand alone and be implemented by people not directly involved in the contracting process,” says Genny Castleberry, director of sourcing, at Irving, Texas-based Brightspot Incentives & Events.

Castleberry adds, “Language should be specific and list dates, calculations and amounts so that both parties clearly understand any liability. Hotels tend to include language that protects only them and puts all the liability on the client. Be sure to thoroughly review all clauses and ensure both hotel and client share the same risk.”
The most important clauses to succinctly clarify include attrition, cancellation and force majeure (acts of God). “Because each of these clauses has financial repercussions, my first piece of advice is to know what you can afford,” says Joan Eisenstodt, founder of Washington, DC-based meeting consulting firm Eisenstodt Associates.

According to Eisenstodt, “No one goes into a contract thinking they will cancel or underperform, but it happens. Run the numbers and figure out if it is even financially feasible to enter into the contract. If not, have other options or mitigate the risk by buying event cancellation insurance, which can offset financial losses for a full or partial force majeure situation.”

Cancellation by Hotel

Hotels try to avoid cancelling because it’s bad for business. But it happens. Planners should prevent or minimize the loss of deposit and payment in the unlikely event of cancellation.

Most hotels have a cancellation clause written to protect the property. Typically, planners either agree to the hotel’s cancellation terms or negotiate changes. Either way, the result is one mutually agreed upon clause.

Eisenstodt suggests a different approach. “I prefer to negotiate dual — not mutual — cancellation clauses that include each party’s responsibility if there is a cancellation,” she says. “In a dual clause, damages suffered will not be the same for each party. Too often dual clauses are…neglected entirely for expediency.”

Experts suggest negotiating the following into cancellation clauses:

• Mutually acceptable dates for holding the same or another meeting at the property within a certain time frame.
• A sliding scale that allows room costs to be lower the further the new meeting is from the cancellation date.
• A reduced cancellation fee to be paid along with a substitute meeting.
• Alternatively, ask the hotel to help find a comparable property and pay the difference in cost.

Use Meeting History

Proving that a group is a dependable source of revenue can be an effective bargaining tool. Don’t start negotiations with a property without knowing the financial value of a group to a hotel.

According to Terri Woodin, CMP, vice president, marketing and global meeting services, Orange County, California-based Meeting Sites Resources, “Understanding the history of your meeting and demonstrating it in your RFP increases the value of your meeting to the hotel and will likely get you a positive response.”

Provide at least two years of meeting history that includes total attendee hotel spending. “Strong food and beverage spend increases the overall value,” says Woodin. “Ancillary spending, including spa, golf, gift shop, bar, etc., may be the difference for the hotel to say yes to your RFP over another in this high demand and limited availability market.”

“No one goes into a contract thinking they will cancel or underperform, but it happens. Run the numbers and figure out if it is even financially feasible to enter into the contract. If not, have other options …which can offset financial losses.”
— Joan Eisenstodt

Castleberry offers examples of possible bargaining chips to use based on meeting history: “Offer to include a higher food and beverage minimum in the contract if your group’s history attests to a higher consumption — especially when open bar is offered during your event,” says Castleberry. “Push (the) attrition deadline further out for a higher attrition allowance ratio if your group pick up is aligned with what you contracted in the past. History can be your best ally.”

Meeting history can be especially effective if there is a track record of providing profitable events within the same chain or destination. In addition, history can be a bargaining tool if other areas of an RFP aren’t particularly strong.

“For example, you might have a meeting that does not have the best rooms-to-space ratio and individual hotels are turning your RFP down due for this reason,” Woodin says. “Contacting your hotel chain or city CVB and discussing the total value of your account to the property or the destination could help you get a yes on RFP. ”

Tricky Attrition

Attrition is one of the stickiest negotiation points because penalties can vary widely, and planners lack control over how many attendees book sleeping rooms.

Typical attrition clauses state that a planner will guarantee that guests will book a certain percentage of rooms in a reserved block or pay a penalty for unbooked rooms. Experts say that attrition rates typically start at 10 to 15 percent, which means that a group must book 85 to 90 percent of a room block to forego penalties.

It may be possible to negotiate the attrition rate down to 20 or 30 percent, depending on the event’s total value and how the property calculates attrition rates. However, Tyra Hilliard, CMP, associate professor of restaurant, hotel and meetings management, University of Alabama, says it’s tough to negotiate attrition rates because it’s a seller’s market.

According to Hilliard, “I’m noticing that hotels are beginning to throw everything but the kitchen sink into this calculation,” says Hilliard. “If a group underperforms or cancels, the hotel’s calculation of damages includes not just what was contracted for — sleeping rooms, catered food and beverage, maybe meeting room rental — but also ancillary spend (guest expenditures in the bar, restaurant, gift shop, golf, etc.) that hotels forecast for each occupied room. My stance has always been that if we aren’t contracting for it, I don’t want it in the damages calculation.”

Experts offer the following advice on negotiating attrition rates:

• Ask for a date by which you can increase or reduce room block size without penalty.
• Try to have total room nights, not rooms per night, serve as the basis of attrition.
• Strike an agreement with the property to perform a post-meeting audit to determine the number of attendees who ended up booking with the hotel but outside the room block.

Be Flexible

Using flexibility strategically at the right point in negotiations can help.
Woodin offers an example: “Say the hotel is charging meeting space rental they might not charge for in a down market, and you aren’t getting any consideration for it. Ask if you increase the food and beverage minimum (within reason of your expected spend based on their average menu prices) will they waive the rental fee. Now you are getting food and beverage for a minimum you would meet anyway, and the hotel is getting their margins.”
Hotels want to fill open dates that may not be in high demand. That’s why some properties offer concessions and lower pricing in exchange for flexibility. At the right point in negotiations, say something like, “I might be willing to consider other dates if you offer the right incentives.”

On one hand, flexibility is crucial because hotel inventory for group business is stagnant while the demand is increasing, making it now more challenging for planners to find space than a few years ago.

On the other hand, according to Eisenstodt, flexibility is not always realistic. “If moving the meeting by a day or two will get the parties more of what they’ve detailed as critical to them, look at it,” she says. “But beware of spring and fall dates that are offered as alternatives. They may conflict with religious, national or state holidays that may cause fewer people to attend or (they may) have other conflicts.”

Force Majeure (Acts of God)

This clause specifies each party’s responsibility if the event can’t take place due to something out of anyone’s control. Make sure the clause includes disasters, government regulations, civil disorders, terrorism, epidemics, disease, strikes, suddenly-occurring travel restrictions and incapacitated travel facilities. Force majeure usually isn’t part of many standard international hotel contracts, so make sure it is included.

Experts recommend seeking legal advice for force majeure clauses. “I highly recommend a lawyer, preferably someone familiar with hospitality law versus in-house counsel who may know contracts but not hotel or other vendor contracts,” says Hilliard. “Talk with them about what needs to be included and what doesn’t, and what your organization requires and doesn’t.”

Hilliard adds, “The more specific the force majeure clause is when it comes to dates, dollars and percentages, the more understood it will be. Remember: those signing the contract may not actually be the ones responsible for executing the meeting, so you want a good foundation (in case anything goes wrong).

Ask Key Questions

Offer flexibility, but be willing to walk away if it’s not reciprocated. Answers to the following questions can help determine a property’s willingness to be flexible.

“Do you know that competitors are charging less?” Ask this question only if you are willing to walk away if you don’t get the deal you want. The question demonstrates that you have done research and have good alternatives.

“How much flexibility is there in the room rate?” Don’t ask, “Is the room rate flexible,” because the response will likely be yes or no.

“Is there any interest in building a long-term relationship?”  This question is most effective for large meetings with a record of providing profits for a hotel.

“Why don’t we split the difference?” If you are going back and forth over say, food and beverage, make the suggestion with an eye toward a figure that is good for you and still allows the hotel to make a profit.

Other Tips

Don’t reveal the event budget during negotiations because the property will probably offer its standard or top rates. Share budget figures at the appropriate point to help get better rates. However, sharing budgets at the start may help if you have a good relationship with the property and have received value before.

Don’t be intimidated by hardline sales lines including, “We have another group looking to book the same space during the same time.” Or, “It’s difficult to lower prices because our hotel is in such high demand.”

Leverage repeat business. Properties like predictable revenue and are typically more flexible with groups they know will return consecutive years or on a rotating basis. Negotiating a multi-year contract can give value and perks.
Send the RFP to several comparable hotels, including some you may not be seriously considering. Compare costs and use competing offers to drive down costs during negotiations.

Include a clause that prevents a change in meeting rooms without sufficient notice.
Use food and beverage expenses as leverage. This area is the second largest profit area after guest rooms. The more you spend on food and beverage, the greater the leverage in other areas.

Reserve the option to choose audiovisual vendors. Don’t get locked into a clause that requires you to use an AV supplier associated with the hotel because costs may be higher.
Seek as many concessions as possible. If the property won’t budge on rates, request perks such as room upgrades, complimentary receptions, free conference rooms, suites, lower resort fees and free gym admission.

Never accept the first offer. Hotels are willing to negotiate most of the time. Remember that properties want meetings, especially large ones, because they represent a sure profit.
Don’t relinquish bargaining power up front. According to Hilliard, “The biggest thing planners do to shoot themselves in the foot is going into a negotiation with their mind already made up that the meeting will be held in that hotel. As soon as they do that, they’ve lost all leverage.” C&IT

The Barceló Maya Colonial is just a part of the Barceló Maya Grand Resort’s extensive acreage. Credits: Edgardo Contreras

Given the prominence of tech trends in the meetings industry, mention of the “AI” acronym will often bring artificial intelligence to mind. But longtime planners, particularly in the incentive space, may well think “all-inclusive” instead. These kinds of properties, which were relatively rare in the ‘80s, have become the norm in many destinations across the Caribbean and Mexico, and continue to beckon groups with a convenient pricing structure and slew of recreational amenities.

“Over the last five years, AIs have increased in popularity for incentive trips because the corporate budget owner enjoys knowing that their budget is fixed and that it won’t vary depending on how long the bar is open and how many drinks people consume,” observes Mike May, president of Brightspot, a meeting and incentive travel company based in Irving, Texas.

While all AI resorts afford this budgetary advantage, not all cater equally well to the group market. May, who is also the 2018 Chairman of the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF), notes that “some brands really focus on leisure travelers and the honeymoon market, and there are others that put a greater focus on meetings and corporate incentives. That’s indicated by whether they have a corporate sales department, exhibit at IMEX,” and so on. There is also significant variance in the price point, from a moderately priced brand such as Hard Rock Hotels to the five-star properties under the Grand Velas flag. And there is variance in the AI packages that resorts offer.

“Your basic AIs include rooms, all meals, alcohol and Wi-Fi,” says Doug Fields, president of The Fields Group Inc., a meeting and incentive travel company based in Carmel, Indiana. “Then a step up would include all that, plus any setup fees for events.”

Naturally, it is the latter kind of package that is more desirable for groups, and those properties that are focused on the meetings market tend to add more meetings-related items in their AI pricing, such as meal breaks. Per-person setup charges are typically not included, however. “You may be able to ask that the service charges be waived,” May advises, and depending on the location of the break and labor involved, the property may agree to do so. Indeed, a planner’s accepting an AI package does not preclude further negotiation. Fields has negotiated for complimentary site visits, discounted room rates for staff, suite upgrades for VIPs and more.

“Your basic AIs include rooms, all meals, alcohol and Wi-Fi. Then a step up would include all that plus any setup fees for events.”
— Doug Fields

When it comes to meal packages, an offer that sounds great initially may be limited in certain ways that are important to bear in mind. First, the selection of onsite restaurants may be lacking in variety.

“If a hotel is built from the ground up as an AI, they usually have more restaurant outlets that are smaller footprints, whereas an EP (European property, with a la carte pricing) hotel that adds an AI service usually has fewer restaurants,” May explains. “So from an attendee experience standpoint, I think that’s an important distinction, because if I’m at an EP hotel and they say it’s AI, I might go back to the same central restaurant multiple times, which may not be as interesting as if I’m at an AI hotel that has an Italian restaurant, a Mexican restaurant, Caribbean restaurant,” and so on. Second, May points out that the meal package may not include drinks and snacks consumed outside of the restaurants, or it will include them, but only while the restaurants are open. These limitations are important to note, as they can impact the bottom line for the event.

Fortunately for planners, the booking options within AI spaces are growing, making it more likely that the right combination of quality and pricing can be found. May cites The Grand at Moon Palace, a 1,326-room AI resort in Cancun, and the nearly 450-room UNICO 20°87° Hotel Riviera Maya as examples of attractive new entrants into the market. Clearly focused on the meetings market, The Grand recently hosted the IRF invitational for about 200 meeting planners, both third party and corporate. UNICO 20°87°, says May, has “expanded the definition of AI to include complimentary spa services, beauty salon services and activities. We did a Brightspot client retreat there last fall, and it was very well received.”
Following is an overview of major hoteliers in the AI space that cater to meeting groups in addition to the leisure market, including some of the latest developments that keep these brands at the forefront of the AI marketplace.

Barceló Hotel Group

Established in Palma de Mallorca, Spain in 1931, Barceló owns or manages more than 109 properties and 33,000 rooms in 20 countries. The company has a strong meetings focus and has established MeetBarcelo.com as a one-stop shop for all planning needs, including detailed property information.

An exemplary AI resort under the company’s Occidental Hotels & Resorts brand is Occidental at Xcaret Destination, located in Cancun, the popular Playa del Carmen and the Xcaret Eco-Archaeological Park. The resort recently completed an $11 million renovation on all 765 guest rooms, the front desk, the sports bar, Le Buffet, Royal Level and Convention Center. The 3,350-sf Convention Center is complemented by an 1,100-capacity ballroom and intriguing outdoor function spaces such as the oceanfront Lighthouse — a Mayan ruin structure. Meeting packages at Occidental at Xcaret Destination include numerous concessions, such as private group check-in with welcome beverage; one comp room for every 25 rooms booked; one room upgrade for every 40 rooms booked; meeting space according to group size and basic coffee break; and one dinner including two hours for an international open bar, for groups with more than 51 rooms.

Another Barceló property with formidable meeting facilities is Barceló Bávaro Grand Resort, located in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The 1,991-room complex is home to one of the Dominican Republic’s largest conference centers at more than 50,000 sf, comprising 13 flexible meeting spaces. Property highlights include a PGA-rated, 18-hole golf course, a water park, four swimming pools, a 24-hour casino and a Las Vegas-style theater. From an F&B perspective, there is much variety here: 11 specialty restaurants, including Japanese, Mexican and Dominican cuisines.

For groups partial to Mexico’s Riviera Maya, the Barceló Maya Grand Resort is an ideal choice. Located near Cancun International Airport, the 2,700-plus-room property is comprised of the all-suite, AAA Four Diamond Barceló Maya Palace, the Barceló Maya Colonial & Tropical and the Barceló Maya Beach & Caribe. Fourteen new meeting spaces were recently added, giving the property a total of 70,000 sf of function space and 39 meeting rooms. Free-time diversions are plentiful, with 22 restaurants, three theaters, three water parks, shopping center and more onsite. Distinctive group experiences include Spanish language classes and Mayan coffee-making demonstrations.

Hard Rock Hotels

Hard Rock Hotels entered the AI market with the debut of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. The All Inclusive Collection continues to grow today with the 639-room Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos set to open next spring. The resort will offer 46,000 sf of meeting space along with six restaurants, five pools and various brand offerings such as a Rock Spa and a Body Rock fitness center.

Three Hard Rock Hotels AI properties were featured in Brightspot’s Meeting Planner Review of All-Inclusive Resorts, a listing of the staff’s preferred properties in the AI space. They include the Hard Rock Hotel Cancun, the Hard Rock Riviera Maya and the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana.

Sandals Resorts

With 16 properties on the beaches of the Caribbean, Sandals offers groups a variety of AI experiences to choose from. The brand is particularly well represented in Saint Lucia, an Eastern Caribbean island nation known for its volcanic beaches, reef-diving sites and rainforest. A fourth Sandals Resort broke ground this spring in St. Lucia. The property will feature 380 suites and joins the Sandals Regency La Toc, Sandals Grande St. Lucian and Sandals Halcyon Beach.

Also noteworthy are the six new luxury suite categories at Sandals Royal Bahamian, in Nassau, The Bahamas, which debuted in March. Amenities include private patios and balconies, HD smart TVS, tranquility soaking tubs and even an English Guild-trained personal butler. This European-style AI property offers its own offshore island, 10 restaurants, a Red Lane Spa and Rolls Royce or Mercedes-Benz airport transfers for VIPs. Groups have an onsite conference center at their disposal.

Playa Hotels & Resorts

Playa’s emphasis on the meetings market is evidenced by the packages offered by the Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall and the Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, both in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Items include: a private one-hour cocktail reception; private three-hour reception dinner with open bar; private group check-in with signature cocktail; meeting room rental for general sessions, breakout rooms and an event space; VIP amenities; complimentary rooms based upon group size; complimentary upgrades; discounts on spa services and golf course green fees; and special rates for staff rooms.

Fields has been bringing sales incentives to Playa Hotels & Resorts properties for nearly three years. “With Playa I think the F&B and room product is a step above some of the other (AI brands),” he comments. “A lot of the resorts include butler service, and Playa has done a really good job on that portion. So you can put those VIPs, those top salespeople you want to really take care of, in a suite that has access to the butler.”

The 277-room Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall and 344-room (adults only) Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall each offer 50,000 sf of indoor and outdoor function space, as well as a voluntourism opportunity at Granville All-Ages School. Located approximately 45 minutes from the resort town of Montego Bay in the Mountains of St. James, Granville enrolls approximately 400 students and can benefit from various charitable activities. Recently, four different group clients came to help build the school’s new library by bringing suitcases of books.

At the Hyatt Ziva Cancun, a 547-suite property with 16,000 sf of meeting space, groups can enjoy a craft beer tasting session at Tres Cerveza’s Brewery and take chocolate-making classes at Pasteles, the on-property dessert parlor. Such options demonstrate the creativity that the brand brings to their meetings business.

Club Med

Founded in 1950, Club Med spearheaded the AI resorts industry and has been developing offers specific to the group market. One example is the Group Advantage Program, which gives planners a choice of booking anything from a small to midsize group all the way up to a full resort buyout. In addition to Club Med’s AI package — which includes various types of accommodations, amenities, meals, beverages, land and water sports, entertainment and more — the Meeting Advantage program includes a complimentary meeting room, AV and flipchart. The program also allows conference centers, meeting rooms, cocktail areas, designated restaurant areas and special lounges to be reserved for groups to provide a customizable experience. Club Med also boasts some conference center-like features such as the Energy Wall (which includes device charging stations), Working Wall (interactive digital wall screens groups can use for presentations or on which to handwrite notes), movable bar carts and customizable brainstorming and networking areas.

Club Med’s portfolio of 70 resorts across 30 countries is growing and improving. In March, Club Med’s Global CEO and President, Henri Giscard D’Estaing, states that the company aims to open five new resorts per year, on average, over the next five years. The company also plans to conduct five major renovations to its current resorts per year.

The All-Inclusive Road Less Traveled

For many planners, brands such as Barceló and Hard Rock Hotels are the “go to” AI options. But the AI concept is certainly not limited to the major players. To give just one example, El Mangroove, a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, offers an AI option that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, snacks, in-room dining, a selection of premium alcoholic beverages and more for $100/night per person. Group bookings can benefit from this package, not to mention the 85-room resort’s 40,000 sf of indoor and outdoor space, including 3,500 sf of devoted high-tech meeting space.
Joe Lipman, president of Cedar Grove, New Jersey-based Summit Management Services, recently brought an incentive group from Union, New Jersey-based Jaeger Lumber to El Mangroove. “The all-inclusive booking option allowed our group of 150 persons the convenience and flexibility to really stretch their incentive dollar and ensure the best value,” Lipman says. “The management team worked tirelessly and ensured our guests enjoyed the culinary part of the vacation. At the same time our client did not have to worry about the individual costs for everyone’s selections.”

The culinary aspect was a particular attraction. “There are other fully inclusive resorts in Costs Rica, but we selected El Mangroove because of an excellent menu of fresh fish, ceviche and fine meats,” he says. “The chef, on special occasions, will offer a tasting menu, and for our group we were provided with a celebrity-style tasting and pairing dinner with the chef cooking at a ‘secret’ outdoor location in front of the guests. He did the tasting on four nights for 12 persons at each.”

When AI resorts combine imaginative group services with their considerable culinary and recreational offerings, the results can truly impress attendees. For incentives and client-facing meetings, that effect is certainly a return on investment. And thanks to the AI pricing, the investment itself is nicely managed. C&IT

Scott Steinberg is an award-winning professional speaker and bestselling expert on leadership and innovation, and the author of Make Change Work for You: 10 Ways to Future-Proof Yourself, Fearlessly Innovate, and Succeed Despite Uncertainty (TarcherPerigee, 2016). Among today’s leading providers of keynote speeches, workshops and seminars for Fortune 500 firms, his website is www.AKeynoteSpeaker.com.

Call it a community, tribe or target market: in all cases, building and maintaining an audience for your event is key to keeping a competitive edge. What’s more, according to The National Bureau of Economic Research, the amount of time that we spend online has been on the rise, making it imperative that you put a focus on finding clever ways to connect with and engage potential clients via the internet and social networks. As researchers also note, when it comes to connecting with businesses and brands in the digital space, most people simply log on and log off of online platforms at will — unless they have an incentive to stick around. Luckily, time spent amongst others with shared interests (aka, the community) often qualifies as just such an incentive. But before audiences can be encouraged to interact and communicate through your event’s various virtual channels, it’s vital to find more effective ways to captivate and engage them.

Engaging Users

Consider that event-based online communities fill a unique space in the business world, being keyed to highly specific topics, themes and areas of interest. Your methods of growing these platforms will therefore be largely content-driven — and have to be equally differentiated, as well as original. Learning to scale is vital too: People-based platforms only grow when enough people participate within them, and your community won’t expand exponentially until user activity reaches critical mass. This chicken-and-egg dilemma means that you’ve got to consistently be providing unique insights and information (e.g., research, white papers, one-of-a-kind opinions, videos with industry thought leaders, exclusive behind-the-scenes access, etc.) that audiences can’t get anywhere else.

Furthermore, your first users also must be convinced to become active contributors and evangelists. Regular call-and-response tactics asking for articles, videos, graphics and other contributions, (e.g., suggestions, stories, comments and feedback) can help. That’s because initial community members are likely to polarize, becoming heavy users of your site or actively avoiding it — and those who do decide to get involved are likelier to directly attract and draw (and/or be directly connected) to each successive wave of community members.

Ready to Get Started?

Because you’re looking to gather and galvanize others around shared interests, it often helps to picture your online presence as a separate, self-contained event unto itself. Rather than simply post advertisements and teasers, it’s instead wiser to use online outposts as digital extensions of your event brand, where unique stories, infographics, reports, presentations, interviews and other pieces of context coexist. An essential draw for any meeting or special occasion is program content. Treat online channels as a forum through which to spark discussion and present preludes to, additions on or extensions of live, onsite programming, and you’ll find ample reason for audiences to tune in and keep coming back. Archives should further be supplemented by material culled from the special occasion itself. If you’re not livestreaming or recording sessions, recapping presentations and offering downloadable handouts online, you should be. But by and large, online platforms should serve as a standalone launching point for further insights and dialogue, and a central hub for material related to your program that prompts regular conversation and comment.

A few simple, cost-effective ways to build out your collection:

• Ask speakers for articles, videos and similar contributions.
• Provide daily or weekly recaps of trending news stories related to your topic.
• Post op-eds and commentary from event staff
• and partners.
• Run contests asking your community to contribute stories, photos or videos.
• Transform research into infographics and visual elements.
• Hold free webinars and online chats around your featured topic.
• Tape podcasts and audio interviews that you can share online.
• Compile smaller pieces of content, such as blog posts, into eBooks and white papers.
• Break larger pieces of content, such as reports and findings, into small blog posts and articles.
• Partner with event sponsors to promote content across their online and social channels.
• Social media is also one of the most powerful tools you can use to encourage people to join, stay and interact with your community — and it allows you to do so by sharing news, opinions and thought leadership, as well as fostering dialogue and discussion.

Don’t Leave It to Chance

You absolutely need to have someone at the wheel of efforts focused around communicating via social networks, though. Consider that all major airlines now have nearly 24/7 social media responders on call to handle customer inquiries, as do many quick-service restaurants — and that their online communities often don’t technically exist outside of actual social media accounts. Today, audience expectations when it comes to both engagement and response times are sky-high — appoint a community manager for your event to handle these tasks.

Likewise, it often can work to the benefit of an online community to help encourage real-world interaction — through live events and programming — that meet more frequently than annual or quarterly get-togethers. Consider that many industries, such as technology and media, are highly regional and the larger your platform, the more likely groups of users also will be physically present in the same city or region. Former Etsy community strategist Morgan Evans notes that the key to successful community management is proactively cultivating grassroots connections. Like a political campaign, the broadest possible message succeeds when it is repeated in small, intimate pockets — pockets which can take the form of salons, happy hours, classes, mixers, panels, networking events and other easily orchestrated extensions of your event brand.

And remember: the most important step to creating success with an online community is to define some simple objectives and rules from the outset. The goal could be to galvanize around virtually any topic as defined by your event. The key metrics used to determine success for the program could be based on variables such as the number of attendees, sponsorships sold or amount of user engagement. In any event, all goals you’re shooting for should be measurable and objective.

To get started defining your vision and approach, professionals recommend asking exploratory questions such as:

• How do you define engagement?
• How quickly do you hope to increase engagement?
• What level of engagement increase will you consider a success?

Next Steps

Defining a clear vision and purpose; creating a profile of audience members you specifically wish to attract; providing content that’s too good to ignore; consistently sparking dialogue and audience input; and adhering to meaningful metrics will help you stay focused as you build your online platform. Remember, humans are many things, but seldom predictable. However, the more you can incentivize them to take part in your event’s online community — whether by sharing their thoughts, asking questions, uploading videos, connecting with thought leaders or otherwise — the more you’ll watch your community (and event) thrive and grow. C&IT

More than half of meeting planners look for adventurous teambuilding and networking activities, according to a Destination Hotels meeting trends survey. To give attendees a one-of-a-kind experience, Destination Hotels are creating dedicated programming for groups to get up close and personal to native animal species, from iguana feeding in Puerto Rico to cattle herding in Texas.

1. Bird Watching in Costa Rica

Set on a 1,100-acre rainforest, Los Sueños Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort launched a half-day bird-watching package for meeting attendees to discover and identify species in their native habitat. Groups will spot 40-60 different indigenous species in nearby Carara National Park while expert guides explain the ecology of birds as well as the physical environment that surrounds them.

2. Iguana Feeding in Puerto Rico

Home to a myriad of sunbathing iguanas, the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa encourages meeting attendees to interact with the resort’s native reptiles and take part in daily iguana feedings before heading to the Iguana’s Pub for traditional Puerto Rican fare.

3. Cattle-herding in Texas

Those looking to get a unique taste of Texas heritage for their meeting breakouts can take in The Fort Worth Herd, the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive that takes place in Fort Worth’s Stockyards Historic District. Composed of 16 Texas longhorn steers, each representing one decade from Fort Worth’s diverse past, the herd is led by a team of drovers outfitted in authentic 19th-century clothing to transport viewers back to the Old West.

4. Whale Watching in Hawaii

Sitting along volcanic coastline on Hawaii Island, Hilton Waikoloa Village offers groups sunset catamaran rides for a one-of-a-kind offsite experience. From November to May, groups setting sail will have the chance to spot humpback whales in their natural habitat.

5. Sea Turtle Treks in South Florida

Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach in South Florida features Sea Turtle Treks where groups can learn about sea turtle conservation and witness turtles safely being rescued on the private beach’s shore.

6. Flamingo Sanctuary in The Bahamas

The Bahamas’ newest luxury resort, Grand Hyatt Baha Mar, boasts a variety of animal interactions for groups, including exotic birds at the Flamingo Sanctuary, turtle feedings on the beach and a sea life sanctuary filled with adopted nurse sharks, stingrays and tropical fish.

7. Horse Country in Kentucky

Meeting groups in Lexington, Kentucky (known as the “Horse Capital of the World”) can meet the city’s famed championship thoroughbreds — an experience that was previously unavailable to the public. Through the newly created Visit Horse Country, visitors can make group tour reservations at famed horse farms, including Ashford Stud (home to Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh) and Taylor Made farm (where California Chrome resides).

8. Macaws in Mexico

Sandos Caracol Eco Resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico offers guests the chance to come face-to-face with local animals through their Animal Keepers program. With three vets onsite to lead the program, visitors have the opportunity to feed, bathe and care for endangered and rescued animals including macaws, donkeys and white-tailed deer. The resort is also home to “cat cafés,” where guests can feed and interact with native cats found on the property.

9. Marine Life in France

Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo’s newest “Just For You” experience brings groups by private speedboat to the Pelagos Marine Sanctuary, where they can learn about marine life conservation from an animal specialist while catching glimpses of humpback whales, sperm whales and dolphins swimming in the Mediterranean Sea.

10. Farm Animals in New York

Nestled in the Finger Lakes Region of Central New York, Farm Sanctuary’s 175-acre animal haven houses more than 500 rescued animals from industrial farming sites across the country. With newly upgraded spacious onsite cabins, Farm Sanctuary Bed & Breakfast allows groups to volunteer together to learn about animal issues while providing a helping hand to the animals on the farm. C&IT

MPI’s 2018 World Education Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana delivered more than 80 total education sessions to close to 2,200 attendees. Credit: Meeting Professionals International

For more than a half-century, a corporate meeting was a fairly standard undertaking. Attendees traveled to the destination that offered the best bottom-line value and/or geographical convenience, participated in meeting sessions in hotel meeting rooms and ate most of their meals onsite. For many companies, it would be difficult for attendees, after the fact, to differentiate Chicago from Cleveland based on their experiences. Today, however, a more creative approach to planning meetings is changing the longstanding paradigm.

The ‘Experiential’ Meeting

The overarching trend that is redefining how meetings are conceived and planned is a growing focus on “experiential” meetings, says Karen Shackman, president of Shackman Associates New York, a meeting/event planning and destination management company in New York City. In other words, she says, it’s no longer enough for attendees to simply show up for three days in a destination, attend sessions, eat meals in a hotel and go home. The meeting must, in some way, be exciting and memorable.

“And in a very important way, an ‘experiential’ strategy is also a way of better engaging attendees for a more successful meeting,” Shackman says. “That’s why it’s now becoming a mainstream trend. We’re just at the beginning of it now. But what you’re seeing is planners looking at just how far they can push the envelope to create experiences that attendees will really remember.”

John Knob, director, sourcing and proposal development, at La Jolla, California-based meeting planning and managed travel company Cadence Travel, agrees that a growing trend toward experiential meetings is driving most of the areas of specific change in how meetings are conceived.

“The factor that is really driving meetings now is how the line between your personal and professional lives is becoming blurred,” Knob says. “So it’s only natural that you start to see that reality affecting meetings and how companies relate to their audiences. And what we’re seeing today is that attendees now do not just want to go to a meeting. They want an experience. They want an opportunity to engage in something on a personal level, not just a business level.” Although the trend toward experiential meetings was largely triggered by millennials, Knob says, it has now spread to all attendees from all generations. “Everybody,” he says, “is buying into it now.”

Sarah Sebastian, owner and creative director at Miami-based meeting and event planning company Rose Gold Collective, agrees that the most important factor impacting her role today is that meetings, over and above their business purpose, must now be bona fide experiences that are memorable and motivational. “And any meeting planner who does not see that now,” Sebastian says, “is kind of missing the boat.” As a result of the trend, Rose Gold Collective markets itself as an “experiential event agency.”

“In making a venue choice, of course you’re influenced by the type of content you’ll be presenting. But today, you should also pay attention to the kind of mood and vibe you want to bring to the session.”

— Sarah Sebastian

The Destination

One of the pillars of an experiential meeting is the destination. “That’s the starting point if you really want to create a unique experience,” Knob says. “And then, once you decide on a destination, it’s no longer about just picking any meeting hotel in the destination. It’s about finding a hotel that really captures the uniqueness and character of the destination. People no longer want to just go to a hotel that’s ‘in’ the city. They want a hotel that is (illustrative) ‘of’ the city, that is part of the unique experience you’ll have in the destination.”

Sebastian agrees that destination selection is critical to the design of an experiential meeting. “And part of doing it successfully,” she says, “is choosing destinations that are more ‘aspirational,’ rather than just the same old type of destination the company has always gone to.”

As a result of the changes in the market, convention and visitors bureaus are now starting to sell their destinations as unique experiences rather than places on a map to prospective meeting hosts. “That’s more true in the luxury market so far,” Knob says, “but I’m now seeing it trickle down into the broader market. And you also see the same approach from innovative hotel brands like Kimpton, who understand that you’re no longer just selling a hotel. You’re selling an experience. And so brands like Kimpton now sell the destination itself, and not just the hotel, to include experiential elements.”

Shackman notes that the key to success is what she calls a “hyper-local” focus on the destination in order to capitalize on its uniqueness and most interesting opportunities to create something new, different and memorable.

Venues

In keeping with the theme of meetings that deliver unique experiences, Shackman says that another trend is the use of singular local offsite venues. In New York, one example is the new Pier 17 dining-entertainment complex, located on the East River in the Seaport District of southern Manhattan and now making its much-anticipated debut. “A venue like that allows you to envision entirely new ways of staging a meeting,” Shackman says, “because, for example, you can use things like the spectacular New York City skyline as a design element.”

Shackman sees more and more corporate meetings moving away from the traditional meeting space in hotels and toward what she calls “evocative” spaces, such as historic and restored New York City bank buildings, art galleries, lofts or yachts.
That, in turn, is changing the fundamental physical aspects of meeting sessions.

“Historically,” Shackman says, “you always saw things like classroom-style seating that was very structured. What’s happening now is that you’re seeing much more a ‘lounge’ style of environment being created, which allows attendees and presenters or speakers to be much more relaxed and creative in the ways they think and perform. That new kind of environment also means the session is more interactive.”
Knob also sees more clients moving away from the traditional hotel model, for both meeting space and food-and-beverage. “But budget is still a huge driver of how those kinds of decisions are made,” he says. “So one of the challenges of taking a meeting outside the hotel is that you usually have to bring in everything that you need, which would just be there if you were in the hotel. But as a result of that, we are also now seeing day-rental offsite meeting spaces opening up more and more in major destinations. But all of the details of that have not quite been figured out yet, so that’s something that’s still evolving. Yet it is true that we’re seeing more and more clients who are open to that kind of possibility.”

A related trend he is seeing, when it comes to venues, is the use of more interesting offsite settings for events such as opening night receptions or closing night banquets. “That used to be more related to incentive programs, but now we’re seeing more meeting clients who want to take their opening night reception to a local venue like a museum,” he says. “And that’s just another example of the things companies are doing to deliver a real experience and not just a meeting. And to do that, the idea of getting outside the hotel is increasingly important. It’s absolutely a trend now.”

Sebastian agrees there is a strong trend toward the use of more creative offsite function spaces. “In making a venue choice, of course you’re influenced by the type of content you’ll be presenting,” she says. “But today, you should also pay attention to the kind of mood and vibe you want to bring to the session. So that’s another reason why more and more companies are moving away from the standard hotel venues.”

Another element of innovative venue selection and use is what Sebastian calls “teambuilding within the room.” And that’s related to how people interact and brainstorm together in small groups. “When you have people collaborate in small groups, then come back together, you get a better level of conversation and feedback,” she says. “And one thing I’ve found that contributes to that is more of a ‘lounge’ setting, or more casual seating. That means you can move your chairs around and get more intimate with people. You can be more collaborative. You’re not just sitting there classroom-style. That kind of alternative won’t work in some more serious meetings, where a lot of very formal or technical content has to be presented. But it’s also true, in general, that people want to be more relaxed and comfortable. So you have to be able to find that balance.”

Yet another kind of innovation Knob has started to observe and promote is the use of aromatherapy or meditation in the meeting room. “That’s happening because clients now want to deliver a multi-sensory experience,” he says. “Another example of that would be more interesting and calming lighting to create a better environment.”

Food & Beverage

Yet another change that has become a genuine trend is the use of more creative menu planning that leverages offsite dining opportunities. “The F&B element is also becoming an important piece of the ‘hyper-local’ strategy,” Shackman says. “And that is meaning, more frequently, seeking out top local chefs or celebrity chefs. And often, doing something unique and wonderful is no more expensive than doing the meal in the hotel. But even if you’re doing your meals in the hotel, you have to be able to come up with something new and different, because that’s what attendees want and expect now. And that is especially true of younger attendees.”

Knob concurs that the time-honored and tired model of standard hotel banquet fare is giving way more frequently to farm-to-table treatment and celebrity chefs, as well as leveraging local cuisines such as Cajun food in New Orleans. “Another thing that’s interesting is that the underlying trend that is really driving food choices is interest in wellness,” Knob says. “That continues to be a major trend. In every survey we conduct, wellness continues to be most important to attendees. And if you’re looking at wellness, as a planner, food and beverage is the easiest thing to dive into. We’re seeing the results of that now with more interest in organic food and locally-sourced farm-to-table.”

Companies and meeting stakeholders and planners, he says, also now comprehend that a healthily fed attendee is going to be more attentive and capable of learning than someone consuming a less healthy diet. A focus on wellness is no longer just a trend, Sebastian says. “It’s mainstream these days. And it’s not just about healthier food. It’s about things like offering yoga classes in the morning or meditation before a sessions starts. And instead of traditional snack foods, now you see healthier options like smoothie stations for breaks. And all of those kinds of things are happening because more and more companies want to take better care of their employees, and that includes at meetings, because it makes attendees more attentive.”

Another example of effective food-related activities, Knob says, is cooking classes, where attendees eat a meal they have prepared. “Cooking classes are great,” he says, “because they make your F&B experience participatory and interactive.”

Technology Tricks

The innovative use of technology is now also a critical factor in how effective meetings are executed. “Social media now offers a huge opportunity for meeting planners and stakeholders to reach out to their audience long before a meeting,” Knob says. “And most companies today are creating apps for their meetings. And the apps we’re seeing today aren’t just related to things like the agenda. They include elements like the capability for live polling during sessions and social walls or gamification. Those kinds of things are now all part of the ‘standard’ app you’re seeing at meetings now. And everyone is using them.”
Gamification is arguably the most impactful tool today, Knob says. “And it’s not just being used before the meeting, it’s being used during the meeting, as well. I just attended a conference where, on the event app, at the beginning of the meeting they set up a game that rewarded the attendees who connected and interacted with the most people at the meeting. They also gave the most points to people who actually shared information related to the objectives of the meeting. Then, at the awards dinner, they gave out awards for those who were most engaged with the app.”

Given its popularity and impact, gamification is also evolving into more creative applications of its unique power. “And as the apps become smarter and more customizable, that allows planners to apply more creativity to how gamification is done,” Knob says. “For example, it isn’t just about games anymore. It’s also about tracking your business goals with regard to what’s going on at the meeting.”
Shackman notes that social media is also being deployed in more innovative ways, in order to engage attendees before, during and after the meeting. “That is becoming increasingly important,” Shackman says. “And more and more, that social media activity is focused precisely on the purpose of the meeting and the message that is going to be communicated via the meeting. And if that social media engagement is done well, it becomes one of the overriding experiential aspects of the meeting. It has been used in bits and pieces for years. For example, a lot of companies just used it to build excitement for the meeting before people arrived in the destination. But what we’re seeing now is a much more integrated and comprehensive approach to using social media.”

Until fairly recently, she says, Facebook and Twitter were the primary tools used to reach attendees. Today, there is an ever-growing roster of social media tools available, such as Instagram and Snapchat. “And right now,” Shackman says, “that is confusing a lot of planners, because they don’t always know which is the best to use for their audience.”

The Central Message

At the core of any informed discussion of the ways in which meetings are changing and evolving are the issues of how innovation and originality are directly related to the mission of the meeting.

“At least in my world,” Sebastian says, “companies today are more and more looking for something unique. And they’re looking for unique experiences and unique moments that are part of the meeting. So I always tell clients to think outside the box, shake things up. The point is to get people excited.”

Shackman observes that given the numerous ways in which the design or creation and execution of meetings are evolving, she offers a simple guideline for companies that aspire to be on the leading edge of the revolution. “Everybody now wants to do something that has never been done before,” she says. “It’s all about creating unique experiences and a whole new level of the wow factor.” C&IT

A colorful pool deck event at Rosen Centre Hotel, which also has 150,000 sf of indoor meeting space. Credit: Rosen Hotels & Resorts

Orlando is known for its world-class theme parks, but for corporate and incentive meeting planners, Orlando also means world-class meetings infrastructure and services guaranteed to draw burgeoning numbers of international attendees. In fact, according to Business Review USA and Visit Orlando, 83 percent of meeting professionals say attendance spikes when meetings rotate to Orlando. Visit Orlando reports that among the record 72 million annual visitors to Orlando recorded in 2017, Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center welcomed an unprecedented 1.53 million attendees.

Sold on Personalized Service

When Christine Gilmore, meeting planner and vice president of training at Bell Partners Inc. was planning to teach a daylong training session in April 2018, she chose Orlando as the destination for attendees. Specifically she selected DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld to host the event. “The hotel is really nicely renovated,” Gilmore says. “They have a beautiful meeting space and outdoor space. It is a great balance of the functional part of having a meeting and a relaxing atmosphere while you almost feel like you are on vacation.”

The location of DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando means guests can enjoy staying in the Downtown Disney Resort Area. The facility’s strong reputation for highly personalized service makes the hotel attractive to meeting planners, and is what keeps bringing them back. Being an official Walt Disney World hotel, they can offer access to private events in the Disney parks, teambuilding, character greetings and entertainment onsite and much more.

The team at Bell Partners was so pleased with the attention to detail and overall collaborative nature of the staff at the DoubleTree, that they have booked the company’s upcoming annual leadership conference, with more than 500 attendees expected, at the hotel.

“They are always very responsive and have the attitude of, ‘the answer is yes. What is the question?’ ”
— Christine Gilmore

Gilmore is not alone in her selectivity as it relates to Orlando. More and more meeting and event planners are turning to Orlando as a preeminent meeting location, and for meeting attendees, Orlando leaves nothing to be desired.

Orlando leads the pack for a variety of reasons, according to Visit Orlando, including affordability, accessibility, quality and variety of facilities, alongside the unforgettable experiences attendees enjoy.

Jane Scaletta, general manager at AlliedPRA Orlando, notes that the city never stops changing.

“One of the main reasons planners choose Orlando is because they can return with a program year after year and there is always something new and exciting to offer.”
— Jane Scaletta

What’s more, Orlando is the perfect fit for any meeting, incentive, convention or event because of the non-stop air travel from over 100 cities into Orlando, along with the near perfect weather of 65–75 degrees during the winter months, and the wide variety of offsite venues and restaurant choices at affordable prices. And better yet, Orlando is still considerably cost-effective compared to other large cities of this size.

According to Scaletta, Orlando has the second largest convention center and offers the second highest number of hotel rooms in the country.

“Also due to the location, we were able to really integrate some of our world-class theme park elements and entertainment that make Orlando so special,” Scaletta says.

What most people may not know is that Orlando hosts 40 percent of the HCEA (Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association) top 50 largest medical meetings and is quickly being known as the medical meetings hub of America.

“While we have the large convention center and lots of hotels rooms, we also have intimate and boutique hotels to handle smaller meetings,” Scaletta says. “We have restaurants that cater to smaller groups with private dining rooms, like Ceviche downtown and Mango’s Tropical Café, Tapa Toro, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House and Café Tu Tu Tango on International Drive, and Urbain 40 and Rocco’s Tacos in (the) Dr. Phillips area.”

New and Renewed

As a constantly evolving destination, Orlando entices meeting and event attendees to return time and again.

For instance, Disney Springs has added intelligent parking garages, along with new shops and restaurants. One of Scaletta’s favorites is the newly opened 1920s-era The Edison, which exudes an “industrial Gothic” feel. Also the Wine Bar George is expected to be popular with more than 100 selections of wine by the bottle.

“With regards to hotels, Orlando is growing with many new hotels being built,” Scaletta says. The new Margaritaville is opening along with a new dining and entertainment district and 12-acre water park. What’s more, in August, Universal Orlando Resort is opening Aventura Hotel at Universal with a 16-story glass tower of 600 guest rooms and the first-ever rooftop bar and grill in Universal, Bar 17 Bistro.

DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld recently unveiled new state-of-the-art event spaces and services. Located at SeaWorld Orlando, the resort renovated guest rooms and public areas, and added a wealth of welcoming outdoor lawn spaces to enjoy Orlando’s beautiful weather. The hotel features 100,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, which includes three conference centers each with their own ballrooms. The recent renovations resulted in the new 20,000-sf Majestic Ballroom, and the new outdoor Palm Promenade, which offers four distinct event spaces and a covered pavilion.

Evening event set-up by pool at Rosen Shingle Creek.

Rosen Hotels & Resorts’ three convention properties — the 1,501-room AAA Four Diamond Rosen Shingle Creek, the 1,334-room Rosen Centre Hotel and the 800-room Rosen Plaza Hotel — offer a combined 700,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space with flexibility for all types of events. For instance, Rosen Shingle Creek boasts 99 breakout rooms of all sizes.

According to Leslie Menichini, vice president, sales and marketing, Rosen Hotels & Resorts, “We can accommodate from the most intimate group of 10 to more than 9,000 in our 95,000-sf column-free Gatlin Ballroom. Being independently owned, we have the freedom to work with a planner to create the most unique experiences while keeping budget constraints in mind. We’re always up for a challenge,” she says.

Rosen Hotels & Resorts recently completed an ultramodern upgrade of Rosen Centre, including all of its 1,334 guest rooms and suites. Rosen Plaza, which is connected to the newly renovated Orange County Convention Center, also recently completed refurbishments of all 800 guest rooms and suites, and Rosen Shingle Creek recently refreshed its 1,501 guest rooms and the grand lobby with contemporary furnishings. The Shingle Creek Golf Club now features a newly redesigned championship course by Arnold Palmer Design Company. All three hotels recently have installed Sonifi Solutions in-room entertainment, which includes interactive TV options and streaming via Staycast. The system also will provide a new group messaging system, allowing planners to send mass messages, photos and video to their entire room block.

Space is also top of mind for planners who select the all-suite Caribe Royale Orlando, which features 29 breakout rooms, the 40,000-sf Grand Sierra Ballroom and the additional 26,000-sf Caribbean Ballroom within its Grand Caribe Convention Center. The resort’s standard suites are perfect residences for attendees, and the fully outfitted villas, located near the conference center, can provide extra meeting space as needed. And the facility’s new Island Spa, two-story fitness center and paved running and bike trail will appeal to those looking for a break from other activities.

And while Caribe Royale Orlando offers flexible meeting space, the same can be said for The Grove Resort & Spa Orlando, which offers indoor and outdoor meeting venues for groups of up to 125 people. Set on Lake Austin, amid a portion of Central Florida’s conservation grounds, the resort is a sanctuary from the boisterous pace of the theme park areas. Recently, The Grove Resort & Spa Orlando enhanced its family-centric appeal by opening its Surfari Water Park, which features waterslides, a winding lazy river and a dual-rider surf simulator. Perfect for meeting attendees who bring their families, Surfari Water Park is set on its own parcel of the 106-acre resort, separate from The Grove’s three existing swimming pools.

Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek also embraces the natural beauty of the surrounding area. Situated on 482 acres of nature preserve, the resort-style hotel boasts nearly 132,000 sf of flexible meeting and function space, including four ballrooms and 44 high-tech breakout rooms. Planners also can take advantage of stunning and unique outdoor venues including a pavilion with sweeping views of waterways and the golf course. When it’s time to take a break from work and enjoy some play time, Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek offers a relaxing lazy river, glorious spa and Rees Jones-designed championship golf course.

Nearby, Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace features 108,000 sf of modern event space. The newly renovated property offers state-of-the-art technology and is a mere 10 minutes from the Orange County Convention Center. In addition, the resort features the Disney Institute, which allows meeting planners to access programs, speakers and behind-the-scenes tours. What’s more, a meeting’s entertainment can be significantly enhanced with the available stage shows and character appearances.

Space, Space and More Space

New sky at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.

Considered one of the largest meeting properties in the Orlando area, the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate recently underwent a $40 million expansion, which added 100,000 sf of event lawn and conference center space at the Osceola Conference Center. The 862-room resort now offers a total of 248,111 sf of indoor-outdoor meeting and event space. The new Grand Salon Ballroom, designed particularly for galas and special events, boasts a new porté cochere for private arrivals, an expansive new ballroom, and a delightful terrace with a fireplace, promenade, patio space, event gardens and grand event lawn.

The resort’s self-automated business center means that meeting professionals and attendees can have access 24 hours a day.

And in this era of “doing good and giving back,” to help companies further their philanthropic and sustainable giving initiatives, Omni is working to end hunger in America by contributing one meal per actualized reservation, allowing companies to give back for each attendee who stays at the resort.

When not attending a work or meeting event, attendees can enjoy the resort’s 15 acres of pools, including the newly expanded pool deck and recreational space, 36 holes of championship golf and Orlando’s only resort wave pool, lazy river and nine restaurants.

Being connected to the country’s second-largest convention center makes Hyatt Regency Orlando a perfect locale to work some and play some. Not only can attendees move seamlessly from the resort’s state-of-the-art Orlando convention space to the Orange County Convention Center via a skywalk, but the hotel features more than 315,000 sf of event space including five ballrooms, 105 breakout rooms and an awe-inspiring 56,000-sf rotunda.

If getting away from it all while still having access to the myriad of Orlando theme parks sounds appealing, Reunion Resort may be the perfect retreat for an upcoming corporate meeting or event. Situated on 2,300 rolling acres, Reunion Resort features championship golf and recreation aplenty. The resort, which offers a variety of accommodations including one-, two- and three-bedroom villas plus vacation rental homes, also boasts 25,000 sf of meeting and event space, as well as a Grande Event Pavilion, complete with stunning views and a luxurious waterfall.

Work Some, Play Some

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, one of Universal Orlando Resort’s five onsite hotels.

Universal Orlando Resort’s five onsite hotels — Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort — offer a total of 5,600 guest rooms. Meeting attendees can enjoy convenient access to a myriad of event options at Hard Rock Live, Universal CityWalk and all of the Universal Orlando theme park amenities. And when it’s time to get down to work, the Loews Meeting Complex offers more than 295,000 sf of meeting and event space indoors and another 97,000 sf of outdoor space, as well as an expansive business center. The complex connects the meeting space at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and Loews Royal Pacific Resort.

Universal recently introduced Fast & Furious Supercharged at Universal Studios Florida. In addition, Universal’s new Volcano Bay water park offers new ways for meeting attendees and their families to beat the heat.

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort recently completed a $140M renovation.

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort is synonymous with exceptional event experiences, thanks in part to its expansive meeting facilities and ideal location between Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios and nearby Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom. Comprised of two distinct hotels, the Swan and the Dolphin boast a combined 330,000 sf of meeting space. The resort also has recently completed a $140 million renovation, giving the convention space, Dolphin hotel lobby and the resort’s guest rooms a major facelift. Guests of the hotel enjoy special access to extended theme park hours, character encounters and more.

New and upcoming at Walt Disney World Resort are Pandora — The World of Avatar in Animal Kingdom, featuring the exhilarating 3-D ride Avatar Flight of Passage; the Frozen Ever After attraction in Epcot; Star Wars: Galaxy Edge, opening in 2019 in Disney’s Hollywood Studios; and the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster in Epcot, which will be one of the world’s longest enclosed coasters when it opens in time for Disney’s 50th anniversary in 2021.

If golf is the draw for meeting attendees, the Villas of Grand Cypress features 45 holes of Jack Nicklaus Signature-designed golf, including a new Scottish links course, and a 21-acre Academy of Golf training center. Accommodating groups of up to 240 meeting attendees, the Villas of Grand Cypress’ 7,200-sf Mediterranean-style Executive Meeting Center features meeting rooms that surround an open atrium overlooking a scenic garden terrace. Because of its beautiful locale, the 1,500-acre property also boasts 10,500 sf of outdoor event space.

At the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek, the well-appointed lakefront hotel is equipped to handle business functions, from board meetings and large conferences to corporate fundraisers and trade shows. It’s been two years since the Wyndham added approximately 6,000 sf of meeting space to its facilities for a total of 32,000 sf of meeting and event space. Located on the banks of a beautiful 10-acre lake, Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek offers peaceful surrounds — the perfect backdrop for productive, yet enjoyable events. The Bonnet Creek area, also home to Hilton Bonnet Creek and The Waldorf Astoria Orlando, will welcome a new JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek resort with 50,000 sf of meeting space in early 2020.  C&IT

Seattle’s iconic Space Needle, which offers elevated meeting spaces, is undergoing a $100 million renovation that will enhance the visitor experience. Credit: Visit Seattle

When it comes to reputation management and weather, some cities face an uphill battle. San Francisco is known for its fog, Chicago is the Windy City.

For Seattle, the first thing most of us think of is rain, and who needs showers interfering with transportation and outdoor events during a meeting? “That’s our foremost misconception — that it rains here all the time,” says Wendy LeBlanc, director of sales and marketing for the newly opened Embassy Suites Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square. “In fact, we actually get less than Atlanta.”

Seattle

Yes, Seattle gets 38 inches of rain annually. But by comparison, Atlanta averages 50 inches of rainfall annually, Orlando gets 53 inches and New Orleans sees 63.5 inches of precipitation annually. Boston, Houston, Miami and Washington, DC, also experience higher average rainfall than Seattle.

“We do have the drizzle, but I think it makes Seattle people more creative,” LeBlanc adds. “And there’s no place I’d rather be in summer.”

Californian by birth, LeBlanc moved to various corners of the Pacific Northwest from Las Vegas in 2003, and she’s a certified booster for the area that extends from northern California to Vancouver, and into Idaho, a region sometimes called Cascadia.

“You have this amazing diversity of ecosystems,” explains LeBlanc. “Mountains and islands, water and desert, green and lush. That means you’ve got skiing, kayaking, horseback riding and all the outdoor elements, but you can pair it with the wine country, abundant seafood and cultural elements.

“Our attractions are so authentic — the biggest in Seattle is Pike Place Market,” LeBlanc adds. “This is a real community place, for visitors and residents alike — you’re rubbing shoulders with the locals.”

The Washington State Convention Center will break ground in July on a second building. Credit: Visit Seattle

For visitors, the outdoor environment and cultural fare has always been there, but for meeting planners who might have previously skipped over the city, Seattle is just getting ready for its close-up, with a series of developments that will avail more beds and more real estate for the Washington State Convention Center (WSCC).

“We continue to turn away more business than we can accommodate,” explains Tom Norwalk, president and CEO of Visit Seattle. “The growth and enhancement of supply and infrastructure around the region has been long overdue.”

The city recently received a long-awaited green light to construct a second, non-contiguous building for its convention center. The existing WSCC has been the smallest facility of any major West Coast city, so the added square footage is vital for keeping the Seattle meeting and convention business competitive. Construction breaks ground in July 2018, with an anticipated completion date in 2021.

“It gives us a lot of flexibility,” says Norwalk. “It’s a building of slightly larger size, and it will allow us to do two meetings simultaneously.”

Additionally, eight hotels catering to a divergent audience are opening in Seattle this year. The additional 2,431 rooms will represent a 20.5 percent increase in inventory for the city.

Among them is LeBlanc’s Embassy Suites Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square, which opened its doors March 28 in the city’s oldest neighborhood, 1.5 miles from the convention center. The 282-room hotel features a six-story atrium — ideal for receptions — and nearly 10,000 sf of meeting space, including a 7,433-sf pillar-free ballroom.

“Hilton didn’t really have a huge presence in Seattle, so this was a way for them to make a big splash,” says LeBlanc. “We’re a flagship for the new design of Embassy Suites, and it’s a completely unique experience.”

Also new for Hilton and part of the Curio Collection is The Charter Hotel. Debuting in July and located just a block from Pike’s Place Market, the 229-room hotel features 10,000 sf of flexible meeting space, a 2,500-sf fitness center, an Argentine restaurant focused on locally sourced meats, fish and seasonal produce, and the Fog Room, a 16th-floor rooftop lounge.

Twelve miles south of the city in Tukwila, 3.8 miles east of SeaTac International Airport, Hotel Interurban opened its doors on May 22. The 185-room hotel offers 15,000 sf of meeting space, including the 5,000-sf Rainier Room on the 19th floor, accommodating up to 500 guests theater-style, with views of Mount Rainier as a backdrop. A commuter rail station is 1 mile away, taking guests into the heart of the city, and free airport shuttles serve SeaTac.

Newly opened in 2017, the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington at Seattle’s Southport boasts an inspiring setting on the shores of Lake Washington. Attendees are treated with panoramic views of the lake and downtown Seattle, the Olympic Mountains and Mount Rainier from public and meeting spaces such as the Grand Ballroom with its floor-to-ceiling windows and outdoor terraces. The 347-room, AAA Four Diamond hotel offers a total of 60,000 sf of function spaces, including 25,000 sf of outdoor venues to bring a beautiful sense of place to events. Even the Executive Boardroom showcases “epic views” of Lake Washington and Seattle. The Water’s Table signature waterfront restaurant features Asian cuisine, an outdoor dining terrace and private dining rooms. Located in Renton, 11 miles from downtown Seattle and nine miles from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the Hyatt Regency offers guests direct access to Lake Washington and the adjacent Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park.

Not all the news comes from new-builds. With an eye to staying competitive in a fast-evolving market, last October Loews Hotel 1000 wrapped up a renovation of its 120 guest rooms, lobby and restaurant. The downtown hotel’s meeting space — just over 10,000 sf total — also received a refresh during the project.

And the 1,236-room Sheraton Seattle Hotel just completed an extensive refresh of all guest rooms and common spaces. Located directly across the street from the convention center, every inch of the hotel’s 75,000-sf function space has been renovated, and an upscale, full-serve Starbucks concept with slow-pour drinks and a beer and wine menu will open later this summer. The hotel is renowned for having the largest private art collection on display at a Seattle business, and features numerous pieces by renowned glass sculptor, Dale Chihuly.

Meeting room at the Grand Hyatt Seattle.

Other downtown Seattle meeting hotels of note include the 450-room Grand Hyatt Seattle with 25,000 sf of meeting space, across the street from the WSCC; and the LEED-certified Hyatt Olive 8 Seattle, with 346 guest rooms and 12,000 sf of meeting space.

Seattle’s iconic Space Needle is also nearing completion on a $100 million renovation that will enhance the visitor experience inside while leaving the 605-foot tower’s classic architecture virtually unchanged. Views will be enhanced through the replacement of safety “cage” that wrapped the top deck with glass panels that will create seamless sight lines; glass floors will open onto a view of city streets that was unavailable previously. Meeting planners can incorporate this one-of-a-kind landmark into their event by taking one or both rooms on the SkyLine Level, a private event and banquet space 100 feet off the ground with capacity for 350 guests reception style, or 300 for a banquet. The two-level “tophouse” Atmos also will be available for airy corporate events.

The jewel in the crown for Seattle this year will be the November opening of the 1,260-room Hyatt Regency Seattle, which debuts as the largest hotel north of San Francisco.

Located in the heart of downtown between Stewart and Howell streets and Eighth and Ninth avenues, the full-service hotel is two blocks from the existing Washington State Convention Center and adjacent to the convention center addition. The 45-story Hyatt Regency will have 103,000 sf of flexible meeting and ballroom space and is expected to enliven the surrounding pedestrian streetscape and growing convention neighborhood.

“This has been a long-awaited project, and it’s a game-changer for us,” suggests Norwalk, who adds that the location is walkable and its easy to reach the downtown core. “They’re adding lots of meeting and function space to the city.”

For Seattle, such expansion couldn’t come soon enough. The city recently celebrated its eighth consecutive year of tourism growth — overnight visitors were up 3.9 percent in 2017 — and SeaTac International Airport has grown to be the nation’s ninth busiest by passenger volume.

“The only challenge for us has been one of the sheer size of convention center,” says Norwalk, who adds that attendance is “incredibly strong” for meetings coming to Seattle. “There’s a misconception that we’re a seasonal destination, but even our first quarter is doing well — 10 months out of the year, we are busy.”

But challenges of weather and capacity are outweighed by the vibrancy and uniqueness of Seattle, according to Norwalk.

“We’ve never been a traditional cookie-cutter, chain-restaurant town,” explains Norwalk. “That tight, compact downtown core provides an ease of getting around, meaning transportation isn’t as big a priority as it is for some convention destinations.

“There’s been a renaissance in Seattle over the last couple years, and it will afford meeting planners more choices, more hotel space, and more offsite venues to work with.”

Portland

Down the road in Oregon, Portland is also experiencing major tourism growth, much of it aimed at the meeting and convention market. The city’s hotel room inventory is projected to increase 40 percent by 2020, with six hotels opening this year alone.

The MAX light rail line serves the Oregon Convention Center.

While this year’s crop of new hotels in Portland mostly targets business travelers and the leisure market, the new Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center (OCC), opening December 2019, will be a dramatic addition to the city for meeting planners. The $244 million, 600-room hotel located next door to the OCC will feature 32,710 sf of meeting and event space, including a 12,655-sf ballroom. The hotel will be located near bus lines, a streetcar line, the MAX light rail line, and a bike-share station, providing guests and meeting attendees with quick access to downtown Portland, the central eastside and the airport.

The opening of the new Hyatt Regency will be of benefit to meeting planners such as Anne Hallinan, CMP. In January, Hallinan oversaw the Sales University 2018 event for Beaverton-based Tektronix Inc. (Tek), manufacturer of oscilloscopes, logic analyzers and video and mobile test protocol equipment. The 630 attendees were split between the 477-room DoubleTree by Hilton Portland, located in the up-and-coming Lloyd District, and the 202-room Courtyard by Marriott Portland Downtown/Convention Center.

“Our challenge is tight availability,” explains Hallinan. “The meeting is held during the first quarter, and although Portland in January isn’t high on people’s choice for vacation, convention center and hotel space is tight. We don’t have much, if any, choice in dates. We are at the mercy of the calendar and need to fit between other, larger events.”

Hallinan says the new Hyatt Regency is long overdue and very exciting.

“As a meeting planner and someone very engaged in the meetings industry, I am thrilled that Portland finally has this in their portfolio. For my client and this particular conference, this may open up additional dates for us as sometimes the hotel occupancy has dictated when we could hold this event.

“We hold our conference at the Oregon Convention Center. It is ideal because we have a fair number of breakouts, plus general sessions, ancillary meetings and group meal functions with seating for 600 — the convention center can accommodate all under one roof with minimal, if any, room turns. This meeting also requires quite a bit of electricity due to all of the equipment used in the breakouts. This is problematic for most hotels, but the convention center can handle it easily.

“I love the fact that the hotel and the convention center are industry leaders in sustainable meetings, from power conservation to recycling and composting,” says Hallinan. “Additionally, the first time I worked on this program, I was impressed by the fact that the DoubleTree had Chinese-speaking front desk agents. This was invaluable, as some our guests have limited English and it was a great welcome to them as they arrived after many hours of travel, especially if they had any issues with their hotel reservations or credit cards.” But Hallinan also cautioned that the DoubleTree is on the light rail line, and it can be heard in many of the guest rooms, “especially early in the morning when the service starts up again for the day.”

For the event, Hallinan says Tek arranged dinners throughout the city at restaurants and breweries. “It was a great opportunity for our attendees to experience Portland since their schedule is so tight while they are here. The restaurants were very flexible and provided a really nice experience for everyone.”

Like many visitors, Hallinan praised Portland’s light rail system.

“It’s a huge advantage,” explains Hallinan. “The vast majority of our attendees fly in from around the country and internationally. Being able to use MAX (Metropolitan Area Express) means we don’t have to pay transportation costs to get everyone to and from the airport. Our attendees use it to get to and from hotels and the convention center (for those who don’t want to walk the short distance).

Hallinan also recommended utilizing the meeting planning services of Travel Portland.

“They are extremely helpful not only with putting together the meeting space/sleeping room package that works for the group, but also with amenities and extra incentives. Because we utilized the convention center and (maybe) the size of our room block, Travel Portland provided us with complimentary passes for the light rail and bus system.”

For Leah Silber, CEO of Tilde Inc., an open source code developer, a quality convention center and other attributes weren’t mere motivation for holding a conference in the city.

“My company moved our headquarters to Portland about five years ago, in part because we knew we’d want to be hosting more and more of our events here,” says Silber. “The convention center really is a pleasure to work with and I recommend weighing that heavily.

“I’ve worked in cities all over the country, and it’s really hard to beat the staff and facilities at the Oregon Convention Center,” Silber continues. “The venue makes or breaks the show, and it’s amazing — and rare — to know you can really rely on the convention center staff to do their jobs perfectly just about every time. The OCC also has shockingly good retention of staff, so when we go back year after year, we’re dealing with the same people over and over again. Most of the folks we work with there have been at the convention center 10 years or more, and some have been there as long as 30 years! Being able to establish and lean on that rapport is a serious competitive advantage if you’re a repeat event organizer.

“We’ve all worked with venues that really made our lives difficult, or even seemed to sabotage our events. Being able to know you don’t need to worry about things like that is a real game-changer.”

Silber says that lodging needs have been evolving for her meetings, including her most recent, EmberConf 2018, held in March. The event drew about 1,000 attendees and the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Portland provided the principal room block.

“We’ve been moving to smaller and smaller hotel room blocks, even as our events grow, because so many people are choosing Airbnbs. They’re harder to track. …On the other hand, they don’t come with liability for us in terms of guaranteed nights — so there are ups and downs. It’s definitely changed things in a big way, and I’m interested in seeing how it plays out long term.”

During her events, Silber typically arranges a private VIP or team dinner for 30–50 people. “We invite all the folks who are instrumental in making our program stand out and take them for a dinner we hope they won’t forget. Portland helps us deliver. There are so many great restaurants to work with, and I’m constantly finding new and interesting private spaces that work for things like this. Our current favorite is Olympia Provisions, which we found after Simpatica shut down its catering business.”

But the destination, as for Hallinan, is the key selling point for Silber.

Voodoo Doughnut bakeshop in Portland, Oregon.

“Our attendees, many of whom fly in for the conference and stay extra time to explore the city, love Portland,” says Silber. “It’s a great mix of big city and small town charm, and one where pricing for most things is still reasonable. They go skiing, hiking, biking — the nature just can’t be beat. And there are just so many different little hot spots to explore in all four quarters. They love patronizing all the inventive and friendly local businesses Portland offers, and the restaurant scene is great, too.

“As a destination city, Portland ticks all the boxes on our minimum-viable-show checklist. It has a friendly international airport with quick and cheap mass transit to downtown, reasonable pricing and selection for hotels and Airbnbs — pretty much everything you’d want!”

Silber notes another Portland draw that hits the sweet spot — the original Voodoo Doughnut bakeshop: “Who could argue with that many options for amazing doughnuts?”C&IT

Winterfell is the backdrop for HBO’s “Game of Thrones” — filmed on the grounds of the 18th century Castle Ward, Downpatrick, Northern Ireland. Credits: Tourism Northern Ireland

When it comes to experiences and interactions, authenticity has become key. In meetings and incentive programs, whether domestically or abroad, attendees want, even demand, authentic experiences that showcase local communities, food, drinks, activities and culture.

It’s no longer enough for tourism offices and DMCs to provide the standard tourist experience, however tried and true an activity or attraction may be. Today’s travelers want a deeper dive into local culture, even when traveling for business. They want an experience that gives them real insight into a destination, from its history, food and people to its very essence. DMCs and incentive providers are front and center in the effort to provide exactly that.

Belfast History Lesson and a Taste of Wicklow

Experiential authenticity doesn’t necessarily equate to pretty or easy. Some authentic experiences challenge travelers to examine tumultuous periods of history and political conflict, as 100 attendees from a U.S.-based multinational conglomerate found during an incentive program in Ireland.

A must-do for visitors to Northern Ireland is Belfast Black Taxi’s historical mural tour. Credit: Tourism Northern Ireland

Michael Dalton, CIS, director of sales with Irish DMC Moloney & Kelly, brought the group to Belfast. There they embarked on a Black Taxi tour of neighborhoods affected by “the Troubles.”

“The tour delves into the political past and what life was like for locals on both sides of the conflict and shows how this shaped Belfast to become the vibrant, buzzing city it is today.”
— Michael Dalton

In addition, they had a range of experiences that showcased different aspects of the country’s culture, past and present. Among them was an offsite dinner in Winterfell Castle, home to HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” “Everyone got in costume and participated in activities such as archery, and they had their photos taken in the Iron Throne,” Dalton notes. “The local destination experience continued with a visit to the queen’s residence in Northern Ireland for afternoon tea on her very own fine china. On arrival at Hills­borough Castle, the bugler sounded the arrival and guests were treated to a VIP tour where they had the opportunity to peruse family photos of the British Royal Family while enjoying some royal treatment themselves.”

And then there was immersion in a more modern aspect of culture. Just outside of Dublin in County Wicklow, known as “the garden of Ireland,” the group visited Powerscourt House and spent a day at celebrity chef Catherine Fulvio’s Ballyknocken Farm. In addition to being immersed in the postcard-worthy lush green countryside, they experienced local food and music via hands-on experiences.

“Here they learned to make Irish scones and how to play the bodhrán, an Irish drum,” notes Dalton. “They participated in an Irish dancing lesson and also learned the art of sheepherding. One of the evening events involved a local farmer’s market experience at Powerscourt House. The event was designed as a bespoke Taste of Wicklow experience, complete with artisan food, beverage and local craft producers.”

Dalton believes that splitting the program between two locations gave attendees a richer cultural experience. “Showing two cultures within one destination offered unique perspectives to attendees. While Ireland is a somewhat small island compared to any state in North America, we have extensive variety throughout each of the regions. Doing a split program in two locations gave the attendees the opportunity to experience more culture and clearly see the differences between our localities.”

The program exposed the incentive group to what Dalton calls “a full immersion of local food, drink, song, dance, history and culture. It provided attendees with a well-rounded destination experience that afforded them the opportunity to learn something new, be it a new talent, taste or even simply uncovering a new hidden gem of knowledge.”

That said, Dalton notes, “I firmly believe that in any destination, it’s the people and the characters that visitors come across that make the difference. When guests get to hear the stories of the Black Taxi drivers or William from Winterfell Castle or chef Catherine Fulvio, they learn so much. These individuals have enormous passion for their trade, their location and their communities. It gives attendees a sense of fulfillment to learn from these enthusiastic ambassadors and allows them to return home recharged, energized and eager to share their own passionate stories of life, travel and experiences with others.”

In terms of the bottom line, he notes, “For planners it’s important to understand that hotel rates include breakfast, Wi-Fi and all taxes and charges. Resort fees and additional taxes or charges do not exist here. This is important when comparing with other cities,” Dalton says.

“Also, there are practical financial supports in place for such things as site inspections and FAM trips. You can typically expect support to the level of 2,000 euros toward a site inspection for a program consisting of 50 people or more staying a minimum of three nights. As a DMC, we complete the paperwork as a complimentary service and the money is transferred directly to the meeting planner.”

Among the hotels Dalton chose for this group were Culloden Belfast and Powerscourt Hotel.

“Culloden Belfast was a former bishops’ palace and the setting is beautiful. Given the locations that attendees were likely to come from, the client wanted to do a split program in and out of Dublin. Belfast was the perfect location being just 90 minutes from Dublin Airport, or as we sometimes call it, Belfast South Airport.

Powerscourt gave the charming countryside element, stunning spacious bedrooms and reduced the airport transfer on the return journey. Both hotels offer unique settings, styles and locations, which was a perfect mix for this client’s program,” Dalton says.

In fact, the hotels themselves provided part of the cultural immersion. “The Culloden is owned and operated by the Hastings family, who are extremely supportive of local farmers and businesses in the area. For example, every morning at breakfast guests have a little booklet that tells them exactly which orchard the apple juice comes from or which farm supplied the sausages and bacon. And given its location near the oldest working whiskey distillery in the world, guests will always find a bottle of Bushmills whiskey beside the porridge so they can put a little kick in their step each morning.”

Dalton points out that Powerscourt Hotel is set on the grounds of the incredible Powerscourt Estate. “The hotel was designed to feature as many local elements as possible, including numerous nods to the locality, estate and Dublin’s Georgian architecture. This is evident through the Georgian doorways on guest rooms, hot air balloon chandeliers (a nod to the filming of the Count of Monte Cristo in the estate) and the stunning gardens and views from the property.”

While approximately 50 percent of the attendees had been to Ireland previously, Dalton says that almost none had been to Northern Ireland and thus were very excited for the new experience. “It exceeded all expectations and the meeting planner was thrilled with the reaction from the attendees. With quite a number of people having visited Ireland before, the key here was presenting something unique that they had not seen. The major comment that came out from attendees was, ‘Wow I didn’t know this was here. We never knew about this last time.’ ”

By infusing culture, art and creativity into the experience in both destinations, Dalton says it enhanced the attendees’ overall experience. And he believes that DMCs are best able to provide the knowledge, expertise and local characters that groups want and that planners probably would not be able to find on their own.

“Don’t ever be afraid,” he says, “to push the boundaries and embrace fusion between two unrelated industries or activities to create a one-off option that will surprise and delight.”

Indigenous Interactions in the Outback

Catherine Jones, CMP, CMM, CITE, MA, MBA, owner of The Edventive Group, a custom travel consultancy focused on innovative programs, recently took 46 medical professionals to Australia with a goal of giving them not only an authentic cultural experience, but specifically, an authentic dive into Australia’s medical culture and community.

Jones says Australia was “an amazing fit for this group” thanks in part to adequate airlift, overall cost and quality of lodging. But that was just the start.

“For many Americans, Australia represents the trip of a lifetime. The opportunity to explore the country’s culture, abundance of natural riches, exotic animals and the opportunity to explore the training of its medical professionals were lures for the client,” Jones says. “The examination of the training of professionals as well as the delivery of medical care, especially in remote areas, were of interest.”

The Royal Flying Doctor Service provides medical care in the remote Australian Outback. Credit: The Edventive Group

The group got to interact with and learn from members of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), which provides medical care in the Outback.

“The RFDS faces many of the same challenges that medical providers face in states with rural populations such as Texas,” Jones says. “As is the case at home in similar areas, the RFDS often relies on nurse practitioners rather than doctors to shoulder some of the burden of care in sparsely populated areas, and this was of particular interest to this group. To assess formal training, the group benefited from a symposium and tour that we arranged at the University of Sydney. Additionally, during our time in Cairns, we toured the Daintree forest with an aboriginal guide and learned about some of the complementary medical treatments long used by aboriginal people.”

The group also experienced some of the country’s non-medical attractions. “While in Uluru, we participated in activities such as the Field of Light art installation and a sunrise tour of Uluru, as well as a walking tour of Katja Juta,” Jones notes. “And we spent time with naturalists and oceanographers on our day at the Great Barrier Reef.”

This client has a long history of cultural immersion trips, Jones says, “And in fact the point is cultural immersion. The official description of this program is to ‘focus on the development of the medical professional in the role of citizen and professional in a global society.’ ”

To that end, the group chose the Desert Gardens Hotel at Ayers Rock Resort because it’s a training hotel for the Accor brand.

The Field of Light Uluru installation. Credit: Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia

“Accor Hotels has invested heavily in the Uluru area and runs a training program for indigenous peoples in their hotels.”
— Catherine Jones

Staying there gave the group special opportunities for interaction with, and provided insight into, that indigenous culture. “Being located in Uluru in a hotel staffed mostly by indigenous people offers an amazing experience,” Jones says.

She calls Australia a spectacular location for meetings, conferences and incentives. “The opportunities for cultural deep dives abound. From the exploration of aboriginal culture to the opportunity to explore the country’s rich wildlife, Australia is unmatched. The country’s DMCs are amazing and Tourism Australia has proven to be an invaluable partner for the various programs that I have planned over the years.”

As different as Australia may be, the similarities to areas of the United States and to populations served by medical professionals are readily apparent, and that was a huge benefit to this group. “The feedback from this experience was amazing,” Jones says. “For this group, the similarities in providing health care to remote areas is an issue that they face on a daily basis. The exploration of indigenous cultures was beneficial as many of the topics that were discussed were similar to providing health care to our Native American populations.”

Jones says the key for planners to providing a meaningful experience for groups is to first understand your client’s goals and aims for their program. “Once you have a deep understanding, you are able to work to construct a truly meaningful experience for your groups, one that is not superficial.”

Swiss Splendor

Sometimes, it’s the internal workings of the country itself that give groups opportunities for cultural immersion. Switzerland’s famously punctual and well-integrated transportation system isn’t just a means to get from one place to another. It’s integral to the fabric of Swiss society as well as a portal to the heart and soul of Swiss culture, which in large part is defined by the nation’s eclectic geography. There are French, German and Italian regions, and mountains, lakes and urban landscapes — all defined by the singular cultures within them and connected by an extraordinary transportation system.

Renato Grieco, director of sales with Ovation, a DMC, recently worked with a group of 100 from a company for its annual meeting. “A good incentive in Switzerland is successful when a combination of mountain and lake resorts is selected, such as Lucerne and Interlaken or Zurich and Zermatt or Gstaad and the Lake Geneva Region,” he says.

“Accommodation opportunities in Switzerland are huge — maybe not in terms of hotel size, but definitely in terms of choice,” he notes. “You can go from historical and luxurious properties to charming, family-owned pensions. There is a solution for everyone. Distances from major international airports such as Basel, Geneva and Zurich are quite short, and a transfer in Switzerland is a full-discovery experience.”

Authentic culture, he adds, is simply a given. “Let’s be realistic. It is unlikely an incentive will take place in Switzerland without infusing a local Swiss touch into the program. Sometimes simple things such as a chocolate workshop or a tasting cheese fondue dinner or a visit to a local winemaker can create a rich cultural experience. For this specific client, aspects that were important were innovation and technology, and Switzerland is rich in opportunities when it comes to those areas.”

Grieco believes that cultural immersion elevates a program and Switzerland is easily able to offer that. Guests visiting Switzerland, he says, want to experience what Switzerland is known for, starting with the travel system, which, among other things, allows even less experienced hikers to explore iconic mountains — think of the great rail experiences, for example, such as the Bernina Express, Jungfraujoch and Glacier Express.

“With four official languages, modern contemporary sites, medieval villages, lakes, mountains, glaciers and palm trees, we can truly identify ourselves as diverse.”
— Renato Grieco

“Another aspect of the country is its well-known neutrality, which also translates to safety. Even though the Swiss pride themselves as truly international,” Grieco says, “with over 30 percent of its residents being foreign, the nation itself is neutral and has always been neutral.”

This group was based at The Hotel Royal Savoy in Lausanne. “The Royal Savoy is a historic hotel in Lausanne, featuring an impressive, magnificent building that has been totally restored and brought to its initial splendor,” Grieco says. “And Switzerland is known for its legendary hospitality legacy. If you combine those two ingredients, you are obtaining a genuine, unique and high-end experience.”

Additionally, he adds, it offers a “high level of services, is the perfect size and on top of all is good value for money.”

Beyond the hotel and transportation specifics, attendees can access cultural immersion in multiple ways, including through activities such as golf on a glacier, discovering how to blow into the traditional massive Alphorn, yodel instruction and enjoying a farewell dinner in a medieval castle on the shores of Lake Geneva.

Perhaps most important, groups comprised of a diverse membership will quickly understand and embrace the inherent culture in Switzerland defined by respect for nature, respect for traditions and legacy and respect for diversity itself.

To planners considering Switzerland, Grieco says, “Try to step into a process where you can be a little bit flexible with dates. There can be strong differences in cost if you have the ability to move the event a few days. Also, please be aware that certain cities in Switzerland offer free local public transportation cards when you are staying in a hotel there. This creates enormous economic benefits for group leisure time or activities. And remember that transportation in Switzerland is an experience; it is not, as in most destinations, just a means to go from point A to point B. Traveling by panoramic express, cable car or cogwheel train provides a cultural experience rather than simply a functional need.”

Planners looking for cultural immersion for their groups can find it across the world. But it does take a bit more time and effort to provide the kind of cultural experience that truly elevates an experience and provides true insight into a country and its people.

There are quick options to be sure, such as tasting local food and local drink. But today’s attendees want more than that. The good news is that with the help of local tourism offices and DMCs, it’s easy to find those deeper, more meaningful experiences. C&IT

The new Streamsong Black, one of three golf courses at Streamsong Resort, Bowling Green, Florida. Credit: Nile Young

Whether you make golf part of your corporate program or simply give attendees time to play or practice on their own, a golf resort has the power to drive attendance. Ditto spas, which offer healthful therapies and break options that not only make attendees feel better but may even increase meeting engagement.

IN THE WEST

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort & Spa
Tucson, Arizona

Stephanie Franco, CMP, owner of SpotOn Events in San Francisco, booked a client’s sales kickoff event at Loews Ventana Canyon. The February meeting drew 330 attendees.

Franco calls Tucson “a warm, beautiful, unique smaller city that not everyone knows. And everyone was friendly and helpful, from the CVB and hotels to offsite venues.”

Golf and spa were not part of any core functions but attendees had access on their own.

Franco says the size of the hotel, newly renovated guest rooms, and flexibility and availability of meeting space were all ideal. “And they offered a great rate,” she notes.

“Staff was always ready to say yes to our needs and help walk us through the nuances. For example, we wanted menus to feature a particular food item each day. The chef ran with the idea and developed impressive menus. Our convention services manager, Brandy White, was confident, attentive, detailed and genuine. Our Loews DMC contact, Natalie Marchioni, was very helpful, pulling in the right vendors to help us.”

The hotel is spread throughout the canyon, so Franco says planners should allow time for transferring between sessions if functions are in two different locations. “Outside event areas abound, and you should plan for umbrellas during the day and heaters at night,” she says. “The in-house DMC has the pulse on the best vendors for the space and enhancing events with beautiful decor. We had the most amazing yurt and custom bar in the Coyote Corral at our celebration dinner.”

Franco offers high praise for the food and the resort’s dining venues. “The food that chef Ken is producing is beautiful and amazing. The banquet staff and hotel staff are wonderful,” she adds, “and the lobby bar is excellent for attendee networking.”

The group also had a function outside the resort at local restaurant Culinary Dropout, which they bought out. “It was a phenomenal atmosphere and phenomenal food and drinks,” Franco says. “Most impressive was the attention to all the details while planning. Our sales-and-operations manager was stellar from start to finish. Thanks Adam Lippe!”

The one challenge Franco faced was a bit unusual. “We had to figure out how to bring in a 40-foot sheep from Burning Man that lights up. We had numerous meetings with the hotel, client, production company and BAAAHS (Sheep Collective) to sort out the details, and it went off without a hitch. It was one of the most successful collaborations I’ve ever had the joy of being part of and the end result was spectacular.”

The Boulders Resort & Spa
Scottsdale, Arizona

Another famed Arizona resort was the perfect setting for a national sales meeting in January with 110 in attendance. “A key stakeholder had previously been at The Boulders for a leadership meeting,” says Michelle M. Robinson, CMP. “He loved it and wanted his entire group to experience it.”

Labyrinth at The Boulders Spa.

The resort was a good fit for the 2018 sales meeting. All meals were on property, including a dine-around. Robinson calls the spa a standout, along with great service and great food. Staff across multiple departments also earned her praise.

Robinson used the Tohono Conference Center for meeting space. “It’s great because it’s self-contained,” she says. “I was able to host my general session, breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks there. It even has a patio. My ‘work’ room and a boardroom for pop-up meetings was also there.”

Golf and spa were among the optional onsite activities. “I had roughly 30 golfers,” Robinson says. “I heard the course was somewhat challenging but a great time was had by all. At the spa, attendees could choose between a massage, facial or manicure/pedicure. It’s a very nice spa.”

Overall, Robinson found The Boulders to be ideal. “The size of the property made us feel as though we had the entire resort to ourselves,” she says. “The secluded nature of the resort gave the feeling of an incentive even though we were there for a business meeting. The resort staff was amazing and the landscaping lent itself to beautiful outdoor events, most notably at Promise Rock.”

The Broadmoor
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Situated at the gateway to the Colorado Rocky Mountains in Colorado Springs is the venerable Broadmoor, which recently completed updates as part of the resort’s ongoing Centennial Celebration. The hotel’s 100-year-old main lobby has been expanded to include more seating with sofas and gas fireplaces. The resort’s Broadmoor Main rooms and suites have been refreshed with new colors, furniture and carpeting.

The Golf Club now has a new, welcoming experiential lobby area for guests and members that celebrates the 100 years of golf history with photos, displays and descriptions. Also new at the Golf Club is The Grille, with signature dishes, a classic bar and Colorado mountain views. And in Broadmoor Main, Café Julie’s has opened with a design reminiscent of the finest classic Parisian patisseries.

The Broadmoor campus has 784 rooms, suites and cottages, 185,000 sf of function space, three golf courses, a Forbes Five Star spa and fitness center and 10 restaurants, including the Forbes Five Star restaurant Penrose Room.

Twin Warriors Golf Club at Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.

Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa
Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico

Located between Santa Fe and Albuquerque, the resort sits on 550 acres on the Pueblo of Santa Ana and offers 350 guest rooms and 54,000+ sf of flexible meeting and function space. In addition to its 18-hole championship golf course, Hyatt Regency Tamaya also offers a spa, stables and the Tamaya Cultural Learning Center. In October, the resort announced the completion of a multimillion-dollar renovation to guest rooms, and there’s a new spa menu specifically for groups, including pop-up hand treatments and “appreciation circles.”

IN THE EAST

Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort
Destin, Florida

Meredith Wade, executive assistant with Coca-Cola Bottling Co. United, says what was paramount for the group’s ULCC 2018 meeting in March was, “the ability to never have to leave the resort.”

Additionally, she says of the Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, “Our choice was based on a property that is also one of our customers’. It has hotel and meeting room availability for our group of about 600, offers extra entertainment and shopping within walking distance to rooms, and the quality of the resort and banquet staff is high.”

Specifically, she notes, “We could not have been successful without the help of Brian Lamonica. He was physically present or a phone call away at all times. The banquet staff…were always one step ahead and worked tirelessly to make sure our events went off without a hitch. …Louise Lara also needs to be mentioned because she was kind, gracious and patient with our attendees and the spa schedule. The recreation and golf staff also did a great job with the difficult task of organizing all guests and their requests for activities.”

The group used the Bayside rooms, which Wade calls “spacious and convenient in terms of distance to meeting facilities, restaurants and shops,” adding,  “the resort transportation system is well organized for those wanting to reach the nearby Linkside Conference Center or beach, and parking is easy.”

Finally, Wade says, “This staff is one of the best in the industry. They’re organized, knowledgeable about the property and the surrounding community, and they won’t say no. They always do their best to accommodate the customer.”

Sea Island Resort
Sea Island, Georgia

The historic Sea Island Resort in Georgia, which opened in 1928, is situated along the scenic five miles of beachfront on the southern Georgia shore. The resort, a sister property to The Broadmoor, is comprised of the 265-room Cloister, 85-room Inn and the AAA Five Diamond, Forbes Five Star Lodge, with 43 guest rooms. There are also 130 cottages on Sea Island available for rent. The Cloister houses more than 40,000 sf of function space overlooking the Georgia coastline, including 7,800-sf and 5,000-sf ballrooms. The Sea Island Golf Performance Center offers an indoor video studio, 300 yards of teeing area, target greens, short-game areas and an exclusive club-fitting service. Sea Island Golf Club includes three 18-hole championship courses: Seaside (par 70), Plantation (par 72) and Retreat (par 72). And the resort’s spa is truly world class: The Forbes Five Star Spa at Sea Island spans 65,000 sf and includes a 5,000-sf strength and cardio studio, indoor lap pool and three squash courts.

Last fall Sea Island announced plans for a $25 million enhancement program at The Lodge at Sea Island, which will include six new cottages, a new state-of-the-art Golf Performance Center, an oceanfront pool and pool house, and a new putting course. These new additions are expected to debut in November 2018 in time for the RSM Classic, an official PGA Tour event held annually at Sea Island Golf Club. Additionally, in December 2018, Sea Island’s Plantation Course will undergo a full renovation under the direction of Love Golf Design, reopening in October 2019.

Streamsong Resort
Bowling Green, Florida

The three golf courses at Streamsong feature a rolling, dune-like landscape unlike any other golf experience in the Sunshine State. The property’s third course, Streamsong Black, debuted just last year along with a new clubhouse and restaurant. With the addition of Streamsong Black, the resort is the only location in the world where guests can enjoy three distinct courses designed by four legendary architects, including Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw of Coore & Crenshaw and Tom Doak of Renaissance Golf Design. Streamsong Resort features 228 guest rooms, 25,000 sf of indoor and 40,000 sf of outdoor meeting and event space, five dining options, conference and event facilities, the grotto-style

AcquaPietra Spa and infinity pool, as well as bass fishing, sporting clays, nature trails and tennis.

Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa
Point Clear, Alabama

For Margaret Jaques, manager of events for a health services organization in the Southeast, was the right choice for three meetings held between March and May.

“The driving distance for our attendees is perfect. We ask attendees to drive in the morning of day one, which is typically a Monday. Our meeting begins with lunch. This means we are not taking time away from our attendees on the weekend and it’s cost effective for us because we don’t have to pay for rooms the night prior to our meeting. It’s win-win for our attendees and our organization.”

Moreover, she notes, the resort has a stellar reputation for impeccable service and delicious food, and the grounds are breathtaking. All events were held on property.

“One of our primary goals is attendee networking,” Jaques says. “By hosting all of our events at the hotel, we’re able to maximize the amount of time our attendees spend together. The Grand is the perfect spot to accomplish this goal because of the various activities offered. There’s really no need for us to go elsewhere while we’re there because we’re provided with so many wonderful options, impeccable service and delicious food.”

Although there are many things Jaques believes planners should know about the hotel, one is of particular note. “The Grand Hotel makes you feel at home. We are not treated like business, we’re treated like family. Our attendees have come to know many of the employees and the employees have come to know us. We’re welcomed back time and time again and each time is better than the last. As a planner, I feel at home as well; the team there is like my family. Not only do I consider this team family, but there’s a level of collaboration, partnership and professionalism that I don’t experience with any other venue.”

“The Grand Hotel has truly mastered the trifecta for creating memorable experiences for our attendees.”
— Margaret Jaques

That’s thanks in part to the resort staff. “In the transactional hotel world in which we have all come to operate over the last several years, they still take time to learn, ask questions and listen. They have mastered the difficult task of doing what’s right for their hotel while advocating for their customer. Only someone who truly understands both sides of the equation can accomplish that and consistently win,” Jaques says.

“The professionals who work at the Grand Hotel take pride in delivering an experience that is comfortable but not intrusive, friendly yet professional and most importantly memorable, leaving everyone with a desire to return again and again.”

In terms of logistics and services, Jaques says the hotel is big yet it all works well. “While the resort is comprised of many different buildings that house guest rooms and a separate conference center, no guest room is too far from the conference center when you consider the picture-perfect grounds that surround you as you walk from one building to the next. Most meeting rooms are located in the conference center with some space also in the main building. Using both,” she adds, “is not a challenge.”

Jaques notes that the meeting space is gorgeous, the table linens beautiful, banquet chairs are comfortable and everything is well maintained.

Although the group does not host a golf tournament, there is a volleyball tournament every year. “The recreation department owns it and executes it for us. It’s a tradition and we love it.”

Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa.

Jaques says attendees are on their own for arranging spa visits. “The spa is the perfect getaway from the all-day hectic meetings and our attendees enjoy the opportunity to visit the spa. The staff there is very professional and accommodating.”

With much of the hotel under construction during the last event, Jaques says it shows just how responsive and creative the hotel is. “There were unexpected delays in the conference center, which resulted in the space not being 100 percent complete. The hotel came together as a team, met with contractors, devised a plan and put measures in place that resulted in the flawless execution of our event. Not one person commented in our post-event survey that they noticed anything out of sorts. Our attendees were so blown away by the service and experience at the hotel that they didn’t notice the paint on the wall. Kudos to the entire team, especially Sam, director of engineering, for the teamwork they displayed to make our event a success.”

Jaques adds, “Take advantage of the wonderful activities on property. There are so many teambuilding activities, free-time activities and relaxing things to do; there’s something for everyone.”

But perhaps most of all, she notes, “Be prepared to make it an annual meeting. Your attendees will want to return.” C&IT

Answering the hotel room door in a robe became a little less revealing with Savioke’s new Relay Robot delivering your bath towel. Credit: Savioke

New hotel technologies promise to improve attendee experiences in guest rooms and meeting spaces by personalizing services, amenities and activities. Technology also will also improve planning efficiency with software that manages myriad functions, including room blocks.

Experts say that hotels will use new technologies to collect customer data and create profiles of guests and groups that include information such as preferences, habits, interests, booking dates, who stays, length of stay and reasons for traveling. And the more often guests return and the longer they stay, the more information hotels can gather and the more they can personalize profiles and experiences. Hotels will use the data to tailor pricing and booking deals to specific groups and individuals, upsell services and promote guest loyalty programs.

But the adoption of new technologies doesn’t happen overnight. Says Beth Faller, vice president of meetings and events at Colorado-based Christopherson Business Travel, “We do seem to be in a bit of a crossover time where hotels are still boosting or incorporating their accommodation of new technologies. But hotels that can’t keep up will eliminate themselves from the game.” According to a recent Hospitality Technology Magazine survey, 84 percent of hotel operators plan to adopt mobile technologies within the next 18 months.

Gradual Adoption

Brandt Krueger, owner of Richfield, Minnesota-based Event Technology Consulting, says that hotels’ adoption of new technology is proceeding unevenly. “It’s really catch as you can at this point, and I have to admit, not all that well implemented in some properties I’ve stayed at,” Krueger observes. “I was recently at an incredibly expensive, upscale property that had tablets in each room. Other than telling me what the TV channels were, they were pretty useless, and couldn’t even tell me when the gift shop closed.”

On the other hand, Faller says, luxury properties are among the earliest adopters of guest-personalization technology.

“Luxury properties have done a great job capturing personalization data,” says Faller. “With the advancements in data collection software — in both the volume and variety of information you can now collect — I find that hotels outside of the true luxury brands are also now able to increase their personalized guest services at a lower expense. Even simple personalization and awareness of preferences enhance the attendee experience. It always feels nice when hotel staff call you by name or send personalized amenities.”

The extent to which hotels will share personalized guest data and profiles with planners isn’t clear. But one thing is evident, says Krueger: “If planners are allowed to apply the knowledge they have about their attendees, and are allowed to tap into hotel systems, the guest experience can be enhanced even further. The ability of the planner to help customize the onsite experience would open up many more possibilities for hotels to surprise and delight their guests.”

Merged Systems

While hotels may not merge their technologies with planners, they may eventually combine all of their own customer-centric systems. These include artificial intelligence (AI), keyless entry systems, virtual concierge, in-room voice technology and robots.

“When I look at that list, I don’t so much see a bunch of different technologies, but rather a blueprint for a customer service experience system.”
— Brandt Krueger

“Each one of the technologies plays a role in customizing the guest experience, and there are lots of ways they could interact with each other to improve it,” says Krueger.

Krueger offers a scenario to illustrate how various technologies could interact to provide services to someone traveling to a meeting. “Artificial intelligence noticed that your flight was three hours late and sends you a notification with the opportunity to check in using the hotel’s mobile app and unlock your door by phone,” says Krueger. “Once onsite, you’re guided by the app to your room via an online map.”

Krueger continues: “After unpacking, you ask the room’s voice interactive system whether the bar is still open. The system says the bar is closed and offers to suggest nearby nightlife options. But you don’t feel like walking anywhere, so you ask the system to order drinks. You continue unpacking and realize you left your toothbrush at home. You ask a mobile digital assistant for a toothbrush. By the time you finish unpacking, a small, waist-high robot brings two cold beers and a toothbrush.”

Following are examples of technologies that promise to revolutionize hotel services.

Mobile Apps

Many hotel companies are introducing their own branded mobile apps that guests can use to create individual profiles to handle a range of functions including bookings, check-ins and check-outs, television, room access, wake-up calls, spa appointments, room service, temperature and lighting, newspaper deliveries and providing feedback to hoteliers.

Unlock your hotel room door with just the tap on an app. Credit: Hilton Honors

Hilton’s Connected Room platform, for example, allows guests to use their Hilton Honors app and mobile devices to customize room experiences. Guests can use the platform to control temperature, lighting, blinds, television and other functions. The platform also allows guests to load streaming media and other accounts into the room’s television, upload photos and artwork to display in rooms, and control room access.

MGM Resorts International has partnered with StayNTouch, a mobile hotel property management system, to install smartphone-enabled check-in and check-out systems at all of its properties. The cloud-based mobile platform also allows MGM to track guest preferences and upsell hotel services.

Some Hilton and Holiday Inn properties have implemented The AavGo mobile- and tablet-based hotel system, which allows guests to do everything that once required a phone call or visit to the front desk, including room service, communicating with staff and accessing any information about the hotel and its services.

Radisson Hotel Group plans to launch a technology platform named Emma that will encompass business analytics, property management, revenue management and more. Emma will include an integrated customer relationship management tool that uses data about past guest stays to personalize customer experiences.

Planners also are creating their own apps to customize the experience within hotel spaces. Kathy Miller, CEO of Schaumburg, Ilinois-based Total Event Resources, says she proposed to a recent group that they create a networking café and app in a hotel that allowed guests to customize their coffee/drink orders and pick them up. “This is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of our ability to customize attendees’ experience in hotels,” says Miller. “Although we didn’t end up implementing the idea, it was one of extreme interest to both the hotel and the client.”

Artificial Intelligence

The popularity of voice-automated systems such as Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, Amazon Echo, IBM Watson and Google Home are leading hoteliers to adopt voice-activated in-room interactive technology through smart speakers.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts has a mobile engagement platform in more than 600 hotels that allows it to communicate with guests via mobile devices and Amazon’s smart-speaker platform. Together, the two technologies allow Best Western to message guests before they arrive, upon their arrival and throughout their stay.

Guests can use the Best Western platform to request information about basic hotel services such as dining and spas. Some specific requests such as late checkout are automatically sent via  tablet to hotel staff, which responds by phone or in person.

Relay Robot being loaded for delivery.

Hotels also are starting to experiment with using smartphone apps to communicate with robots to handle services such as room service, snacks and items such as mouthwash, towels and toothbrushes. For example, a robot called Relay delivers basic services to guest rooms and is “smart” enough to operate elevators and navigate crowds.

Service Robots

According to Miller, “Once these robots and technology become more mainstream, the impact can be profound in many ways — directing attendees, providing customized user experiences such as directional information, and finding the nearest bathroom, hospital or FedEx facility. The robots could also provide signage.”

Experts predict that voice-activated in-room technology eventually will be as common as televisions in hotel rooms. According to a white paper by hotel technology companies SiteMinder and Integrated Systems and Decisions Inc., hoteliers believe AI is the key to personalizing guest experiences in the future, but they also fear that properties could eventually be run by robots.

Still, AI promises to be a valuable tool for planners. “From a meetings and events perspective, having this technology in a hotel is a definite benefit,” says Faller. “We are always looking for ways to create a memorable experience for attendees, and this technology satisfies those who are used to it and ‘wows’ those who are not. If attendees return from a program talking about their new or different experience with excitement, it adds to the overall value of the meeting or event.”

“These ‘intelligent’ services can help meeting planners by streamlining the information process and saving on the amount of staffing required.”
— Kathy Miller

She offers an example: “Currently, planners are building their own mobile apps with varied information for both a conference and its hotel,” says Miller. “Perhaps there will be an opportunity for savings on the planner side to have hotel information readily available that planners can export into their customized apps, saving time and staff resources in recreating this information each time they build a mobile app.”

Keyless Entry Systems

Hotel brands such as Starwood, Hilton and Marriott are turning to keyless entry systems, which allow guests to use mobile phones to access hotel rooms. Eventually, keyless entry will be one of a wide variety of hotel functions, services and products available via mobile devices and apps. Some keyless systems will allow the management of room blocks and other functions useful to planners.

According to Miller, “Keyless entry systems save time and frustration. Most attendees want to use their phones for convenience in as many ways as they possibly can. There would be no more lost keys or having to go back to the front desk when your key isn’t working. The check-in and checkout processes would be more efficient. All of this information would be provided to the hotel in advance and it creates a better customer experience all the way around.”

Virtual Concierge

A 24-hour virtual concierge service would respond to requests such as those regarding restaurant dining on and off property as well as room service; housekeeping; room and travel reservations; maintenance requests; spa reservations; show tickets; and extra pillows.

Caesars Entertainment properties in Las Vegas recently introduced its personalized 24-hour virtual concierge service called Ivy, an automated guest engagement platform powered by IBM Watson. The system now services more than 6,000 rooms in Caesars Las Vegas properties, including Caesars Palace and The Linq Hotel & Casino.

Ivy allows guests to use mobile phones for dining, entertainment and spa reservations as well as maintenance and housekeeping requests. Ivy also surveys guests. Plans call for Ivy to be introduced to Caesars’ remaining Las Vegas resorts by the end of this year. In addition, Hilton and Marriott include virtual concierge services in their hotel loyalty apps.

Virtual Reality

Marriott has introduced an in-room virtual reality headset program that allows guests to take virtual trips to other locations. Guests can share the experience with others on a VR content platform called “VR Postcards,” which are designed to encourage vacation bookings.

Wellness Technology

Guests desire more wellness amenities along with more technology, so hotels are starting to combine the two. The technology uses biophilic design, which offers sights, sounds, scents, and views of nature. Guests can use apps to control options such as wireless lighting, living green walls, hydroponics and temperature to create a natural, relaxing setting. An environmental system, Hilton’s LightStay program, uses technology to analyze and manage energy consumption and performance in 4,500 of the chain’s hotels to increase efficiency.

Experts predict that new hotel technology will, in one way or another, eventually become essential to most guests no matter their current technology habits.

According to Faller, “For younger generations, mobile apps and AI are the norm and the expectation. For others, too much technology at a hotel may feel foreign. Then there are those in the middle who, though they may not know or use all the latest technologies, are excited to try them.  Regardless of where people fall on that spectrum, how technology impacts the way meetings are planned depends on the type of program and the needs of the client.”

Challenges of adopting hotel technology include educating consumers and training staff on new systems, and security/privacy concerns, since every guest will have physical access to any of the voice-activated devices. “I would venture that some might not find these devices appropriate in a hotel room for security and privacy reasons,” says Faller. “But as long as there is an easy way for hotel guests to turn it off if they don’t want it, it could be a benefit for those who do.”

Privacy Concerns

According to Tyra Hilliard, CMP, J.D., associate professor of hotel, restaurant and meetings management, University of Alabama, “The law is notorious about lagging behind technology, so one of the biggest legal issues that planners need to keep in mind is that there are likely to be gray areas around the legalities associated with the latest technology — meaning planners should tread with care.”

Hilliard adds that “general legal principles such as reasonable care, privacy issues and negligence will apply, but specific doctrine may be slow to be developed and applied or may be extrapolated by courts from cases dealing with older technologies.”

Hilliard expects the hospitality and legal industries to eventually determine liability risks for hotel technology as regulations such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) take hold. The regulations streamline data privacy laws across Europe. The GDPR became effective in May and applies to organizations within the EU and any organization outside the EU that provides EU citizens with goods and services.

According to the Meeting Evolution Technology Solutions (METS) website, the technology provider for Irving, California-based Meeting Sites Resource, GDPR will impact meetings and planners in several ways including the following: Planners who run meetings in an EU country or where its citizens might attend need to provide all attendees from EU nations with an opt-in check box with a date/time stamp and a link to a GDPR compliance document that details how their data will be used and stored.

Meanwhile, guests are likely to demand even more from technology as it creates additional options for service and speeds up its delivery. However, no matter how sophisticated technology becomes, face-to-face engagement will remain essential. Technology will enhance, not detract from, personal engagement by hotel staffers because they will have more time for guests.

The bottom line for planners: New hotel technologies will provide more ways to enhance attendee experiences. C&IT