The Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino hosts events on its lagoon beach or on a private island that is a short water taxi ride away.

Beach resorts mean warm sun, sparkling water, soft sand and, for most people, a welcome break from the ordinary. Add those elements together and you have the perfect equation for a memorable incentive trip or meeting.

Not all gatherings are appropriate for an oceanfront resort, however. Four corporate meeting planners share recent experiences at beach properties and their tips for other professionals looking to contract with similar venues. Any meeting at a beach should have the right balance between indoor and outdoor activities, and work and play time. And don’t forget to create a contingency plan in case of rain.

Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, Oranjestad, Aruba

“One of our telecommunications clients holds an annual incentive trip for approximately 280 people,” says Hillary Bamont, sales director for Bishop-McCann, a meeting and incentive travel planning firm in Kansas City, Missouri. “It’s a four-day, three-night program and is typically held in a tropical location each year. The purpose of this trip is to reward top sellers and their guests with a fun-filled vacation filled with networking, relaxation and fun.”

This year, the client decided to host their event at the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino. The island offered good air transportation to and from the U.S., and room rates at the property were in line with the company’s budget. “We particularly liked the fact that this property owned its own private island, which we could rent out for a group event,” Bamont says. “We like to provide attendees with experiences they can’t necessarily get on their own.”

“We particularly liked the fact that this property owned its own private island, which we could rent out for a group event.”
— Hillary Bamont

The event consisted of a welcome reception, offsite events, optional activities such as a one-of-a-kind underwater photo booth, an awards dinner and plenty of time to lounge on the beach. Participants also could take part in several brand activations Bishop-McCann organized on-property.

“We strategically produced a sponsorship prospectus for this communications company that involved all their entertainment partners,” Bamont says. “That subsidized a good portion of the event.”

Bishop-McCann ended up creating special activations for HBO, Showtime and others. Activities were centered on show content. For Showtime, attendees could learn about the hit show “Shameless” by visiting a temporary tattoo station. For HBO, guests were invited to play an interactive game called “Game of Drones” with real UAVs.

“As attractive as a beach location sounds, it’s imperative to conduct a thorough site visit of the property at least six months or more before the event to ensure the property is well-maintained and staffed properly,” Bamont says. “Experience the restaurants to make sure the service is in line with what the group expects, stay in the rooms to make sure they meet the standards of the group, and talk to the staff and observe other groups and how they are being managed.”

If you plan to hire a management company, it’s smart to look for one that understands the ethos of workers at the destination. “The culture of island life is very different than our fast-paced culture in the states and hiring people who understand that is essential in making sure everything goes off flawlessly,” Bamont says.

Naples Grande Beach Resort, Naples, Florida

The 50-member composites team at Owens Corning is spread throughout the world, but once a year they come together to learn about business changes, share best practices and build camaraderie.

“Since I’ve been in this position, Florida has been the (meeting place) the majority of the time,” says Lisa Cramer, a senior administrative assistant in Owens Corning’s Toledo, Ohio, office. “It’s beautiful and the weather is pretty consistent. When we look at locations for this we want it to be something of a getaway even if there’s a business aspect to it. But we do spend some time teambuilding and relaxing, so we want it to be pleasing for everyone.”

This year the four-day event was at the Naples Grande Beach Resort in Florida. The property was able to accommodate all of their needs. A large ballroom, breakout rooms and outdoor meeting space provided a comfortable environment for participants. “The hotel offered some perks for internet access and provided PSAV at a discount,” Cramer says. “They really worked with us to make it a win-win for both of us. The food was outstanding. We didn’t know that going in, but we were very pleased with that.

“The director of events was extremely accommodating,” Cramer adds. “The nature of our meetings — sometimes people change their plans at the last minute. I went in a day early, and we went over the agenda, and they accommodated everything. We had to receive some things for the meeting and that went off without a hitch. He definitely made an effort to extend himself and meet all our needs. He was very gracious. He made my job a lot easier.”

Over the course of the meeting, attendees participated in meetings, attended an awards banquet, played golf and participated in other teambuilding activities. Cramer says it’s important to find equilibrium between business and pleasure, especially at a beach location.

“When we were in our meetings there weren’t windows, which was probably better,” she says. “We were focused on our agenda and accomplishing what we needed to accomplish. But every time we had a break, people were heading out to the sunshine. It’s a balance because you need to incorporate time enjoying the location with the business content. But people are also there to build relationships and teambuild, so you incorporate that into your agenda so it’s well-rounded.”

Naples Grande completed a $2 million remodel to their Vista Ballroom and Lobby Lounge in November 2016. The ballroom has new fixtures, drapery, carpet, furniture and décor. The Lobby Lounge and Spressi Seating Area feature new seating, lighting and a complete bar upgrade.

Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa, Puerto Rico

Heather Cannady, senior program manager for Andavo Meetings & Incentives in Greenwood Village, Colorado, a third-party planning company that focuses on corporate meetings and incentive travel, found the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa by chance. She’s long worked with a cable company to plan an annual incentive trip for 250 of their top-performing employees. It was tough to find a property that could accommodate a group that swelled to 550 once guests and other company staff were added. When she had a chance to tour the property during construction, she took it.

The Puerto Rico resort turned out to be an ideal venue. “The location and hotel really fit the bill for what we were trying to accomplish with the event,” Cannady says. “It allowed (attendees) to stay in the U.S. but feel like they were getting out of the country. …Lots of the people who went on the trip had never left their hometowns, so going to a place that was very exotic was very exciting.

“The size of the property was also a perfect fit,” Cannady continues. “We could have all 550 people at the same property, so we didn’t need to do overflow rooms or anything like that. They had a great mixture of ballroom space and outdoor space.”

The staff at the Grand Rio Mar is a real joy to work with, she says. Their convention service manager started out in a junior position and later became the head of the convention services department. “But he still did the convention services part for us because he didn’t want anyone else to touch it,” Cannady says. “We were his client.”

At the beginning of the four-day event, attendees were divided into teambuilding groups that remained together throughout the course of the gathering. They worked on projects that were presented at a major event on the final day. In between, they attended two half-day meetings, enjoyed the provided meals, and had plenty of time to relax. Several people made a road trip to the Puerto Rico capital of San Juan for an afternoon.

Beach locations are right for some meetings and not others, Cannady says. “If you have a full-on meeting at a beach resort and people are stuck inside all day, that’s not very nice for them. I really think everything depends on the client and what the client is looking for.” Carefully consider your agenda and desired outcomes to determine what type of location best fits with those goals.

Many hotels in oceanfront cities aren’t actually on the ocean, Cannady points out. If it’s important that attendees have easy beach access, review how they’ll reach the sand during the initial site visit.

One of the things she likes about Puerto Rico is that it’s consistently warm and dry. But rain can be an issue in tropical locations. Make sure the property can provide a tent or can move outdoor events inside if there’s bad weather.

The Wyndham Grand Rio Mar recently updated its conference center. The Puerto Rico property worked with KNA Design to incorporate imagery found in the El Yunque National Rainforest, which is located in the northeastern part of the island. Spanish-style light fixtures and dark architectural elements such as beams and molding add a sophisticated element.

Montage Laguna Beach, California

For the past three years The Wall Street Journal has hosted D.Live, a three-day invitation-only technology event that brings 350 CEOs, investors, company founders and celebrities together on the West Coast. When your guest list includes the likes of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, businessman and “Shark Tank” TV personality Mark Cuban, rapper will.i.am and actress Kate Hudson, finding the right event venue is an absolute must.

Kelly Moneyhun, assistant director, conferences and events for The Wall Street Journal, has been very pleased with California’s Montage Laguna Beach. “It met expectations and went above and beyond,” she says. “Their space works because it’s nestled in an area that’s off from the hotel, so you can be self-contained. But you do have a courtyard so you get the outside light in some of the foyer space.” An ocean-front lawn also provides an ideal space for dinners and other events.

The property’s staff is also great to work with, Moneyhun says. Entertainment for the opening dinner one year was a drone symphony, where a handful of drones did a choreographed “dance” to music. The staff was very helpful in arranging permission for the drones to enter what’s typically off-limits air space. The hotel was willing to schedule multiple site visits, and able to accommodate the needs of VIP guests.

“When and if possible, it’s important to have as much of your meeting outside as you can,” Moneyhun says of beach meetings. “People are there for the content and speakers, but they’re there for the setting, too.”

If multiple events will be held outside, make sure the hotel truly has the capacity to comfortably accommodate everyone in your group. They should also have a backup plan in case of bad weather. “There’s nothing worse than being at a beautiful resort and it rains and you can’t do anything about it,” Moneyhun says. Keeping attendees out of the rain means they’ll have only sunshine-filled memories of their time in paradise.

More Beachy Options

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa located on 21 oceanfront acres in Ko Olina on the western side of Oahu, debuted the Ka Wa‘a luau last fall. The luau treats attendees to a local island buffet, with music and traditional Hawaiian dance, including hula kahiko and modern hula ‘auana. The show includes an entertaining storytelling experience that educates guests on Hawaii’s history and its deep cultural roots in canoe exploration, which brought Hawaiian ancestors to the beautiful ‘Ewa Loa plains surrounding Aulani Resort. Before the luau, guests can enjoy special pre-show entertainment, traditional crafts and more.

As part of the Ko Olina Resort Community & Marina, Aulani guests have access to a 330-slip marina and 18 holes of championship golf at Ko Olina Golf Club, one of Golf Digest’s “Top 75 Resort Courses in the U.S.” and designed by renowned golf course architect Ted Robinson.

Laniwai — meaning freshwater heaven — a Disney Spa, features Kula Wai, the only outdoor hydrotherapy garden on the island of Oahu. The spa has 18,000 sf indoors and 5,000 sf outdoors.

Groups can participate in uniquely Hawaiian experiences such as Rainbow Reef, the only private snorkeling lagoon on O‘ahu; a dolphin swim adventure; Pearl Harbor excursion; oceanfront private estate dinner; surfing; Hawaii volcano adventure and more.

Aulani’s 21,000-sf conference center includes a main ballroom, four breakout rooms and generous prefunction space. Meetings and conventions also enjoy two distinct event lawns, along with private patios and terraces. In total, Aulani Resort offers more than 76,000 sf of outdoor space.

Situated on the beach between the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway, The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida, offers 209,000 sf of meeting space, a new full-service spa overlooking the ocean, and an 18-hole championship golf course managed by Troon Golf. The resort recently completed a $100 million transformation that touched all 1,000 guest rooms, and indoor and outdoor public spaces. There are now 10 dining options on the property, including burger joint Bristol’s Burgers, grab-and-go store Counter Point, and The Hotel Bar, a modern take on the classic hotel bar.

Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in The Bahamas will finish renovations the Coral Towers section of the property this July. Rooms have new furniture, flooring, bedding and bathroom fixtures. A redesigned lobby centers around the Soda Fountain, which serves sweet treats, coffee, cocktails and pastries. The refreshed pool area has private cabanas, family-friendly water activities, and a poolside bar. Renovations to Marina Village, located in another section of the property, will be finished this fall. C&IT

Spectacular sunsets make for memorable meetings at the Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa in Fort Myers, Florida.

From Miami to Jacksonville and from Naples to Destin, Florida is a shining example of what planners and attendees need and want for successful meetings, incentives and events. Fortunately, the Sunshine State is developing more of everything as new-builds are in the works, and many venues are renovating and/or expanding. In addition, key destinations are improving their entertainment options, adding more exciting attractions, culinary hotspots and recreational opportunities — all the while boosting their marketing efforts.

Their efforts are paying off big time. Some destinations are setting booking and hotel occupancy records, and launching new marketing efforts to boost results even more:

During 2016, Jacksonville’s occupancy grew 4.7 percent. February 2017 was Jacksonville’s 40th consecutive month of RevPAR growth, according to a report by STR.

In 2016, Palm Beach County’s number of room nights sold through groups and meetings increased a record 94 percent, according to Discover The Palm Beaches.

During the first two months of 2017, Tampa Bay posted a record $70.6 million in hotel revenues, up 18 percent over the previous year, according to Visit Tampa Bay. In 2016, the region recorded a 6.5 percent growth in hotel revenue.

Destinations also are racking up kudos. For example, in Southwest Florida, Fodors.com included Sanibel and Captiva islands on its list of America’s Most Beautiful Barrier Islands. U.S. News & World Report named Sanibel Island one of the Top 10 family beaches in the U.S.

Island Beauty

Sanibel is home to one of the top properties on Florida’s Southwest Coast, the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa in Fort Myers, which recently hosted the annual Executive Conference of Rochester, Minnesota-based AgVantage Software Inc. It was the first time the two-day meeting was held at a Florida destination, says Lori Campbell, conference manager for AgVantage.

Why did AgVantage select the Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa? “We chose this specific resort mostly for the beautiful meeting rooms,” says Campbell. “For example, the welcome reception was held in a glass octagonal room (Island Room) with a surrounding veranda during sunset. All of our breakfasts and lunches were also held in the Island Room. People could easily step outside for fresh air.”

The company also used a smaller ballroom, with a tropical view of palm trees, for meetings. And guests enjoyed networking and holding discussions in the numerous spaces both indoors and outdoors.

The layout of Sanibel Harbour fit perfectly with the meeting’s objectives. “Our main meeting goal is making a connection between our managers and customers,” says Campbell. “A casual, laidback, relaxed atmosphere is a good place for people to make those connections and solidify those relationships. Some of our customers have been with us for 30–40 years, and we never want to take that for granted.”

Top-shelf service helped attendees feel appreciated. “All of the food and beverage servers both for our group events and in the bar were especially nice and friendly,” says Campbell. “The food and beverage manager was easy to work with. When the conference was over, the AV guy even helped me pack up my extra brochures and notepads that were all over the meeting space.”

Attendees were encouraged to enjoy the variety of off-property activities. “We liked the idea of going during baseball spring training season to attract the baseball fans,” says Campbell. “Many of us really enjoyed heading over to Sanibel Island, since it’s just over the causeway from the Marriott. If you want night life, there was music every night at the hotel’s bar. There are other great hotels in the area, and there’s always Fort Myers Beach for more activity.”

Since most of Agvantage’s attendees live in cold-weather cities, one activity they found particularly relaxing was seashell hunting on Sanibel Island.

The Sanibel Harbour Marriott Resort & Spa packed breakfasts to go and a trolley picked up the group early in the morning. The group arrived at the beach during low tide while the sun was rising. Afterwards, they had lunch and a tour at the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, a 21-acre botanical garden and museum adjacent to the winter homes of Henry Ford and Thomas Alva Edison.

Campbell partly credits the meeting’s success to The Beaches of Fort Myers and Sanibel, the area’s CVB. “They were fantastic to work with,” says Campbell. “I originally went on their FAM trip in November, 2015.  Whenever I questioned anything throughout my planning process, I’d send an email and always get a quick reply with great resources.  They are one of the best CVBs I’ve ever worked with.”

Great Location on the Water

Resorts throughout Florida are known for their ability to provide complete attendee experiences while providing access to a wide range of nearby off-property activities. Such properties include The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, which recently hosted a service company’s meeting for about 300 top employees from across the country.

The company chose the Vinoy Renaissance partly because of its location and meeting spaces. “It is a great hotel in a great location on the water in downtown St. Petersburg,” says the company’s planner, a CMP. “The hotel is a great fit for our programs. There is enough space for small and significantly sized programs. The function space is broken up enough so that you can use it and be set apart from other groups.”

Proximity to offsite activities also was a factor. “There are lots of parks, restaurants and museums nearby,” says the planner. “It’s nice to have such great offsite venues within walking distance. We hosted a closing dinner at the Museum of Fine Arts. Attendees spent an hour or so strolling through the museum enjoying the collection, and then we ate dinner in the Atrium.”

The Vinoy Renaissance is so dedicated to providing the appropriate space that it acted rapidly to accommodate a last-minute change in the service company’s program.

“We had a space overlap with another group in the middle of the program, through no fault of the hotel’s but due to my program changing,” says the planner. “We had to flip a room full of exhibits to make it available for another group for a breakfast and then return the exhibits for our lunch. The hotel did a great job. Our group never noticed a thing.”

Orlando Is No. 1

While the beach and ocean play a key role in meeting activities at coastal destinations, theme parks are a crucial part of planner itineraries in Orlando. No wonder that Orlando ranked as the No. 1 meeting destination in the U.S. for the second year in a row, according to Cvent Supplier Network, a global meetings, events and travel technology leader. Mike Graves, the COO of metroConnections, a Minneapolis-based meeting and conference management firm, says Orlando “plays a very big role as the parks are highly visible, well-known attractions with large, world-class venues, which helps attract attendance.”

Graves cites an example of a group seeking an off-property venue in Orlando that was capable of hosting a large number of attendees. “The group wanted the event to include food and beverage, entertainment and activities, a sit-down full-group general session highlighted by a live band, and a well-known keynote speaker and comedian.”

Graves proposed a partial private buyout of SeaWorld Orlando. “It allowed for ample space for food and beverage stations throughout many areas of the park, live street entertainment, bands, strolling characters, and several park attractions and rides that opened privately for attendees,” explains Graves. “In addition, we coordinated all production elements for a general session of attendees in SeaWorld’s Bayside Stadium venue.”

The variety and spaciousness of Orlando’s properties provide the opportunity for planners to be creative with group events. For example, companies can imaginatively use unique signage and branding elements to decorate spaces and build attendee loyalty and morale.

Graves cites an example: “For a large outdoor event inside a large five-day program, our team had sand sculptors put the company logo and some fun sea creatures into the sand at the resort — definitely not something everyone is used to seeing,” says Graves. “It added an element of creativity and exclusivity for the guests.”

Incentive events can be equally creative says Graves. “They can go in any direction you like — island vibe, luxury resort vibe, wildlife tours, theme park days and high-end restaurants,” he says. “It truly depends on the direction your guests would most enjoy.”

Chic City Vibe

Groups seeking properties with a chic, bustling city vibe can find them in the Miami area. Kathy Miller, events manager at Kaseya, a New York City-based information technology management software provider, recently held a meeting at the 157-room Hotel Colonnade, located on the famed Miracle Mile in Coral Gables.

The group enjoyed the results of the Hotel Colonnade’s recently completed $18 million renovation, which included guest rooms and event venues as well as a new lobby bar.

“We had an annual sales kickoff meeting for 175 people for five days, all onsite,” says Miller​. “There were all-day meetings with food and beverages, an award ceremony and onsite dinners​. This is a beautiful hotel with lots of meeting space located right downtown with easy access to the airport and Miami​. Many restaurants were all within walking distance​.The staff and service is the best I have encountered. The value we received was excellent​.”

According to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Miami is a constantly evolving global destination, providing meeting planners with exceptional options for meetings, conventions and events.

As William D. Talbert III, CDME, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, explains, “The unparalleled culture, accessibility, hotel rooms and diverse offsite venues set against a backdrop of beautiful weather and beaches are just a few of the elements that make Miami the preeminent locale for meetings and events.”

“Meetings and conventions held in Greater Miami have seen record international attendance due to the ease of air access to the destination,” Talbert says. “With three convention centers totaling more than 1 million sf, 75 additional meeting venues throughout the destination and more than 50,000 hotel rooms from intimate boutique hotels to luxury resorts and convention hotels, the GMCVB convention sales team is eager to be the meeting planner’s onsite, one stop for assistance with every detail from start to finish,” Talbert says. “Our experienced, knowledgeable team welcomes the opportunity to work with planners to identify hotels, venues, vendors and more to fulfill and exceed expectations for a highly successful meeting in Miami.”

Notably, the Miami Beach Convention Center is undergoing a $615 million renovation and expansion, which will result in a new facility perfectly designed to host large-scale business, trade, civic and cultural events. The renovation will include a mixed-use, 60,000-sf grand ballroom, 500,000 sf of exhibit space, 81 new breakout rooms spanning 190,000 sf, a 20,000-sf glass rooftop junior ballroom, advanced technology and new versatile indoor/outdoor public spaces.

“The renovation and expansion of the Miami Beach Convention Center adds to the attraction of the destination for meeting and convention planners by offering a totally transformed state-of-the-art, technologically advanced facility with enhanced amenities, service and an extraordinary sense of place that reflects the stunning local environment, culture and community,” Talbert says. “In addition, hotels such as the Loews Miami Beach, The Sheraton Miami Airport Hotel & Executive Meeting Center and The Betsy South Beach are just some of the properties that continue to cater to the meetings industry, completing multimillion-dollar renovations to their event spaces.”

Here’s a roundup of what’s new and noteworthy throughout the Sunshine State.

CENTRAL FLORIDA

Margaritaville Resort Orlando, a waterfront destination, is set to open late this year with 187 guest rooms, 1,000 Margaritaville-themed vacation homes and 300 timeshare units. The resort also will feature a new entertainment and dining district and 12-acre waterpark.

The 1,000-room Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando opened last July with 115,000 sf of meeting space, a 41,000-sf ballroom, 30,000-sf hall and 16,000-sf outdoor event area. An air-conditioned bridge connects Loews Sapphire Falls meeting space to Loews Royal Pacific Resort. Both properties combined offer a total 247,000 sf of meeting space.

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort recently completed a comprehensive $5 million renovation of its total 329,000 sf of meeting space at both the Swan and Dolphin properties. The makeover is part of the Swan and Dolphin’s multiphase $140 million redesign, including all 2,267 guest rooms. The Swan’s guest rooms were finished in 2015. The Dolphin’s rooms will be completed by the end of this year, and the $12 million lobby redesign will be done by this fall.

Rosen Hotels is renovating its three convention properties — Rosen Centre, Rosen Plaza and Rosen Shingle Creek. Rosen Plaza completed renovation of its 800 guest rooms and suites, and added 3NINE, a 5,000-sf state-of-the-art entertainment venue, to its flexible indoor and outdoor event space. 3NINE together with the nearby patio, pool deck and ’39 Poolside Bar & Grill can accommodate groups of up to 1,500 people.

The Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace’s multimillion-dollar upscale makeover includes a redesigned lobby and guest rooms, as well a new lobby bar and outside terrace. The renovation also includes the Float Lagoon lazy river; new pools and cabanas; and Shades, a new poolside restaurant. More than 90,000 sf of meeting space is available.

NORTHEAST FLORIDA

The Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront serves thousands of groups a year with 963 newly renovated guest rooms and 110,000 sf of meeting space, including 30 rooms and a 27,894-sf ballroom, the largest in Northeast Florida. More than 20,000 sf of deck space overlooks the St. Johns River. In addition to last year’s multimillion-dollar renovation, Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront completed three additional upgrades to the property, including a more contemporary front desk, a revamped Grand Ballroom and the installation of digital reader boards in multiple meeting spaces

Just 30 minutes from Jacksonville, the Ponte Vedra Beach Resorts — the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club and The Lodge & Club — boasts a renovated conference center featuring eight rooms that accommodate up to 350 guests and nine dining choices. Guests can enjoy a full menu of activities good for teambuilding, including golf courses, tennis, kayaking and paddleboarding.

The Westin Daytona Beach Resort & Spa, which will reopen this year in the former Desert Inn after a $20 million renovation, will feature 200 guest rooms, 25,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting and function space, and a 5,000-sf spa. Guests are close to the Daytona Beach Convention Center, Daytona Boardwalk and the Main Street entertainment center

The Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (DBACVB) is cranking up its marketing efforts in key markets, including Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. The DBACVB signed race car driver Danica Patrick as a spokesperson.

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA

The 360-room Trump International Beach Resort Miami boasts 22,000 sf of flexible meeting and function space — ideal for corporate events, teambuilding activities, meetings, training workshops, leadership seminars and executive retreats. Meeting spaces, which are bathed in natural light, include the 5,075-sf Ocean Ballroom overlooking the Atlantic, the 5,160-sf Bay Ballroom and 16 meeting rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean or bay. There are five outdoor event spaces to choose from, including on the beach, pool deck and terraces, lawn and a rooftop for small gatherings.

Trump International Beach Resort, a member of Preferred Hotels Lifestyle Collection, is independently owned by the Dezer family — real estate developers and major stakeholders in many South Florida and New York developments.

After the Trump organization acquired Trump National Doral Miami in 2012, the iconic 800-acre resort began an extensive top-to-bottom $250 million renovation, which encompassed 643 guest rooms, lobby, meeting and event space, 48,000-sf spa, pool complex and restaurants. The property’s four championship golf courses, including the famed Blue Monster course, were redesigned as well as the clubhouse, which features an 8,000-sf open-air veranda. The new BLT Prime opened with three private dining rooms featuring indoor and veranda seating with golf course views. The debut of 48 Trump Spa & Suites last spring marked the official completion of the resort’s restoration.

Trump National Doral’s 100,000 sf of indoor function space boasts six ballrooms, three of which are brand new: the Ivanka Trump Ballroom, the White & Gold Ballroom and the Crystal Ballroom, which overlooks the Blue Monster golf course. The largest is the Donald J. Trump Grand Ballroom with 24,079 sf. Additionally there are 15 breakout rooms, five executive boardrooms, 11 meeting venues with natural lighting and a dedicated event concierge. The meeting facilities offer individual or master controls for heat/AC, telephones, multiple electrical/microphone outlets, high-density internet, with the ability to dedicate bandwidth, and special lighting effects.

There’s also 75,000 sf of outdoor event spaces to take advantage of the balmy Florida climate. In a league of its own, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa is one of only six new hotels in the nation to be recognized as one of Forbes Travel Guide’s 2016 Five Star Hotels. Sitting on seven Atlantic-fronted acres, the resort’s commitment to “new-fashioned luxury” translates to such prime amenities as 309 guest rooms “re-envisioned” by designer Jonathan Adler, Eau Club level (private concierge, separate check-in and checkout with champagne, daily pressing service, VIP pool service and access to the club lounge), more than 30,000 sf of meeting and event space (from traditional meeting and ballrooms to poolside cabanas and Eau Spa’s “Self-Centered” garden with water features and private courtyard), Forbes Five Star Eau Spa (42,000 sf with 19 treatment rooms), two outdoor oceanfront swimming pools with luxury cabanas, four restaurants and three Har-tru clay tennis courts (enhanced by an onsite pro).

Unveiled in spring 2016 is Breeze Ocean Kitchen, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa’s latest eatery. Its cuisine “reflects the sun-splashed Palm Beach lifestyle and celebrates the Atlantic’s bounteous fruites de Mer” — all with a focus on Floridian flavors brought to life by spices, styles and preparations that infuse hints of the Caribbean, Latin America and Asia.

The 1,500-room Fontainebleau Miami Beach renovated its Versailles Bay View Junior Suites to match the tower’s original architecture and introduced two new room categories — the Executive One-Bedroom Suite with 270-degree views of the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, and the Grand One-Bedroom Suite.

The Loews Miami Beach Hotel, located in South Beach’s Art Deco District, completed a $50 million renovation that includes 790 upgraded guest rooms, and 65,000 sf of indoor and outdoor function space that accommodates up to 2,700 people. Attendees also can enjoy a new lobby experience and new pool.

The 253-room Hyatt Regency Coral Gables completed a four-month renovation that converted a former nightclub into the 3,711-sf Alcazaba ballroom, and refurbished all mezzanine level meeting rooms and boardrooms. More than 19,000 sf of meeting space is available.

In the Palm Beaches, the PGA National Resort & Spa completed a $4 million renovation of its 33,000-sf Sports and Racquet Club. Improvements include new exercise equipment, an indoor racquetball courts, three aerobics studios and a five-lane saltwater pool. Other additions include an indoor volleyball courts, 18 tennis courts and a spin room with video roadmapping.

The AAA Four Diamond Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa completed a $6.8 million renovation of its meeting spaces, guest suites, lobby and dining areas.

The 86,000-sf Warehouse District, a sprawling new food and beverage district, will open by early 2018 in downtown West Palm Beach later this year in eight vintage-style buildings housing food and beverage vendors, artists, fitness outlets and entrepreneurs.

In Fort Lauderdale, a new dual-branded Starwood property is scheduled to open in downtown Fort Lauderdale in spring 2018. The property will be divided into two hotels: The Element by Westin (114 rooms) and the Dalmar, from the Starwood Tribute Portfolio (209 rooms). The two properties will offer a total of 323 hotel rooms, 12,000 sf of meeting and ballroom space, and a high-rise rooftop bar.

The Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort is scheduled to open this fall with 290 studio and suite accommodations, 20,000 sf of meeting space, four alfresco dining experiences and a 4,000-sf oceanview spa.

The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, is building a $1.8 billion, guitar-shaped tower that will add 800 guest rooms to the property’s existing 500 guest rooms. When the project is completed by late 2019, it will add 50,000 sf of function space and new dining and entertainment venues, including the 5,500-seat, 18,000-sf arena Hard Rock Live arena.

Also in Hollywood, just south of Fort Lauderdale, The Diplomat Beach Resort Hollywood, Curio Collection by Hilton has completed a $100 million dollar-transformation. From the Atlantic coast to Intracoastal, the reinvented resort pays homage to the hotel’s storied past as a social hub, which began in 1958, with a modern take on design and amenities, including more than 10 new culinary concepts. As part of Curio Collection by Hilton, a global set of remarkable upper upscale hotels handpicked for their unique character, The Diplomat Beach Resort redefines comfort and style with 1,000 re-imagined guest rooms and suites and indoor and outdoor public spaces, bringing the resort’s sunny, beachfront location to life.

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA

The Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach opened this year with 343 rooms facing either the ocean or Intracoastal Waterway. Housed in two towers, the Wyndham offers more than 22,000 sf of meeting and function space, including the largest ballroom in Pinellas County.

By this fall, Clearwater will get a $100 million, 166-room JW Marriott luxury hotel on space once occupied by DreamView Resort. Thirty-six one-, two- and three-bedroom furnished JW Marriott Residences ranging from 850 to 1,350 sf will occupy four upper floors. The JW Marriott will be Tampa Bay’s first five-star hotel.

Another new Clearwater property The Opal Sands Resort opened with 230 guest rooms, 17,000 sf of waterfront meeting space, the elegant Opal Ballroom and breakout spaces with Gulf views. Opal Sands is ideal for indoor and beach events, as well as networking and teambuilding activities.

The Hyatt Place Downtown will open later this year as a condo-hotel in the former Plaza Beach Hotel after it undergoes renovation. The Hyatt Place will occupy 13 stories of the building’s 41 stories and feature 175 guest rooms and 253 condominiums. The new property will offer 17,000 sf of indoor and outdoor event space, including a 7,650-sf ballroom, a 3,366-sf event lawn, and 9 breakout rooms.

The Naples Grande Beach Resort completed an $18 million renovation that includes an enhanced lobby lounge and Vista Ballroom, new guest room décor, and a new restaurant, Catch of the Pelican. The property offers 83,000 sf of meeting space, five restaurants, three heated pools and fitness center.

On Marco Island, The JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort has completed an extensive $320 million renovation. This fall, the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort will unveil a 12,000-sf indoor entertainment center and a 94-room, adults-only tower with a restaurant and rooftop pool. The 726-room resort offers 100,000 sf of meeting space.

This fall, the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort & Spa will debut its redesigned 5,200-sf Grand Ballroom and a beachfront event lawn. The improvements follow a $40 million renovation that includes new luxury family suites, a newly designed pool and the remodeled indoor and outdoor deck at 560 Bar & Restaurant.

On the barrier island of Sanibel, Sundial Beach Resort & Spa is a unique tropical island destination with miles of shell-strewn beaches. Directly onsite are restaurants and shops with panoramic views of the Gulf of Mexico. The resort features conference facilities with more than 12,000 sf of meeting space.

Following the popularity of its Japanese Steakhouse, Sundial Beach Resort & Spa has unveiled a new sushi-inspired takeout market located in its main lobby. Shima Grab N Go fuses the healthful benefits and delicious taste of fresh sushi with the convenience of to-go ordering. Sundial’s Shima Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar was named 2016’s Best New Restaurant and Best Sushi; the new Grab N Go market carries a full line of the same award-winning sushi.

The resort recently completed a 12-court Pickleball stadium. The Plexicushion system courts provide tournament-grade facilities in a beautiful, waterfront setting accessible to both resort guests and the public. A combination of tennis, badminton and table tennis, pickleball now claims the title of “fastest growing sport in North America.” Suitable for all ages and skill levels, the sport is a game of shot placement rather than strength and may be played at a leisurely pace or highly competitive tournament level.

Additional amenities include HydroGrid tennis courts, multiple heated swimming pools, a state-of-the-art fitness center, Kay Casperson Lifestyle Spa & Boutique, Sanibel Sea School at Sundial, Bailey’s Marketplace and much more.

NORTHWEST FLORIDA

The Henderson, a Salamander Beach & Spa Resort, opened in November. Nestled next to the 208-acre Henderson Beach State Park, the Henderson is the perfect destination for groups seeking a range of outdoor and teambuilding activities, including kayaking, jet-skiing, charter boat fishing, scuba and parasailing. The 170-room Henderson offers 30,000 sf of indoor and outdoor event space.

Another luxurious property The Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa has it all, including more than 40,000 sf of award-winning flexible meeting space that accommodates groups ranging from 10 to 2,000 attendees. Meeting space includes spacious ballrooms, breakout rooms, prefunction spaces, an elegant boardroom, hospitality suites and a theater.

Florida is the ultimate corporate meeting destination because a group could meet in the state every year seemingly forever and have distinctively different experiences each time. What more could a planner want? C&IT

Sam Smith is the president and CEO of Network Events Inc., a health and wellness event development, marketing and management firm. He is responsible for event partnerships with television stations and professional sports teams in markets throughout the country. A leading executive in the exposition industry, Sam is a highly rated speaker at major industry events and has provided sales and marketing consulting and training to top associations and private exposition management organizations. For information, go to www.networkevents.tv or email Carter Strickland at cstrickland@networkevents.tv.

In the age of instant digital gratification, the event planning industry has experienced its fair share of changes. Fortunately, it also has found ways to create new opportunities out of those changes. Case in point: The single most useful tool to many event planners now is the mobile app.

An estimated 92 percent of 18–34 year olds now own a smartphone, and 99 percent of young people are regular internet users. What better way to reach potential event attendees than with an app they can access from their mobile device? It’s fast, convenient and hassle-free. And event planners have taken note. As of 2015, 85 percent of event planners and organizers were using mobile apps to organize and run their events.

Here are a few of the potential benefits of using mobile apps.

Differentiate From the Competition

Many traditional event planning tactics still are effective, but only because they’ve embraced digital tools. For instance, when planning a trade show or event, word of mouth can be a powerful tool. Today, however, word of mouth doesn’t take place by the water cooler or hotel bar, but on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. In the same way, mobile apps let organizers expand their reach and impact.

What are some of the ways mobile apps can empower event organizers to do their jobs more effectively? Here are some examples:

Local Festivals can span a single street or entire city blocks, and often come with food, music, games and other exhibits for guests to enjoy. Why not help them plan out their route beforehand? An app can allow guests to map their route and schedule their days during festival times. Not only does this promote attendee engagement, but it can save organizers printing costs.

“Mobile apps include maps and schedules so attendees know exactly where to go and when to be there.”

Conferences often house multiple workshops and panels over the course of a few days, but navigating through local venues can be difficult. Mobile apps include maps and schedules so attendees know exactly where to go and when to be there. Likewise, organizers can use any number of apps to coordinate these events in real time. Sudden changes to the schedule are common, and mobile apps make it easy to update everyone instantly.

Trade Associations. When planning an event with a trade association, mobile apps are invaluable. These events are typically held for networking purposes, and apps can actually help people connect beforehand and set up meetings.

Individual Brands. Whether it’s a theater group or a dance company or a showcase, it requires a lot of planning. If there are multiple groups performing or brands giving presentations, it can be difficult to keep track of them all. A mobile app will allow your attendees easy access to schedules and other important information on the go.

Whether you’re planning an event or you’re just looking for a more innovative way to make an event convenient and fun for guests, you should never underestimate the power of mobile apps for an edge over the traditional competition.

Maintaining Customer Relationships

If you want a way to keep building customer relationships after an event has ended, mobile apps are the way to go. For example, if you’ve used an app to help plan a music festival or a showcase, diversify your efforts by offering a DVD of the event to your customers through the mobile app.

Have an event that happens annually? Why not keep in contact with your attendees throughout the year with a mobile app? This method of communication will allow you to send planning updates, entertainment lineups and other messages directly to mobile app users without worrying about paper mail or an email ending up in the spam folder.

But event planners beware! While it can be tempting to use mobile apps for constant communication, make sure you’re not bombarding your users with endless updates. Too many push notifications can actually push users away from your app.

Sponsors Get More

Sponsors are incredibly important to any event, and making sure they’re recognized for their contributions is a huge part of event planning. Sending out paper or emails comes with its fair share of hazards. But one guaranteed way to make sure sponsors have their names prominently displayed is with mobile apps.

Sponsor recognition can make or break your next event, as a happy sponsor is usually a repeat sponsor! Taking the time to discuss various mobile app branding options and sharing page impression and click data with them via a mobile app is a surefire way to make sure they feel recognized. Not to mention, mobile app ads will definitely generate more web traffic to their sites.

In fact, when Meeting Professionals International surveyed event planners about why they use mobile apps to plan events, increasing sponsorship revenue was one of the top answers. About 9 percent of respondents said they used mobile apps to create new sponsorship opportunities at their event.

Real-Time Event Updates

Who says your app’s usefulness has to stop when your event starts? If you follow Murphy’s Law, you know that anything that can go wrong, definitely will go wrong. In the past, these last-minute changes could have ruined an entire event, leading to mass confusion on the trade show floor. But mobile apps have changed all that.

Instead of letting a last-minute lineup change ruin your carefully planned event, keep your guests updated in real time via your mobile app. As soon as you know a change is happening, your guests should know about it, too, so they can effectively adjust their plans.

More Networking Opportunities

Did you know that SXSW has a social network just for their event? Though their social network is a large-scale project, it’s an excellent example of what networking can do for an event when it is planned properly. The festival’s social network not only offers a directory of guests attending, it allows guests to contact one another and schedule meetups before they even arrive at the festival grounds.

Mobile apps can provide a similar experience for attendees eager to network. This can be especially useful if your event is one that lends itself to professional or social networking. Not only that, but it remains useful long after your event has ended, as guests can continue to use the app to stay in contact with leads.

The Verdict: Mobile Apps Have Changed Events for Good

These are just a handful of the many benefits mobile apps can provide to professional event planners. From improving the attendee experience to more accurately measuring return on investment, there are so many more ways to use apps to your advantage before, during, and after your event. There are even event planning apps that allow you to create a custom app for your event, a sort of meta-app.

Mobile apps aren’t the future of professional event planning — they’re very much the present. Already, 86 percent of trade show organizers and 40 percent of convention centers offer their attendees custom mobile apps, and those numbers will only increase as late adopters discover some of the benefits outlined above.

Mobile apps have so much to offer to event attendees and event planners. Their diversity, flexibility and convenience make them extremely valuable to any party involved in event organization. If you’re waiting for the right moment to try this planning strategy, it’s now. Don’t wait to hop on this trend! It could make all the difference at your next event. C&IT

RSM US is the title sponsor for The RSM Classic, a PGA Tour event held on Sea Island Resort’s Seaside (pictured) and Plantation courses.

Golf tournaments can bond coworkers, foster healthy competition and provide extensive networking opportunities. Tournaments also offer productive fundraising opportunities and give employees, VIPs, C-suite execs and incentive-award qualifiers the time and place to play and relax.

Of course, nothing says relaxation like time in a spa, a luxury well deserved by all who work hard and positively impact their company’s bottom line. Looking for a setting for your meeting or incentive program? Consider some of the top golf and spa resorts from coast to coast and beyond. Certainly, golf and spa resorts provide the perfect destination for golf tournaments. But they meet the needs of planners and attendees in many other ways, too. Here is an inside look at select resorts from the planner’s point of view.

Sea Island Resort

The RSM Classic is an excellent fit at Sea Island Resort on the Georgia coast. The PGA Tour event is held on the Seaside and Plantation golf courses. “Sea Island Resort aligns very well with our firm and our brand,” says Joy Demme, director, national meetings, with RSM US LLP, an audit, tax and consulting firm. “At RSM we value excellence, teamwork, respect, integrity and stewardship, and these are all attributes that Sea Island values as well.”

During the week of the Classic, the company brings in approximately 500 guests, though not all arrive and depart simultaneously.

RSM has partnered with the resort since the tournament began in 2010. “When we made the decision to become the title sponsor of this PGA Tour event,” Demme says, “we knew we could not be holding the tournament in a better location, given the spectacular views, amazing golf courses, award-winning accommodations and first-class culinary team.”

“Sea Island Resort aligns very well with our firm and our brand. At RSM we value excellence, teamwork, respect, integrity and stewardship, and these are all attributes that Sea Island values as well.”
— Joy Demme

The meeting space is excellent as well. “Sea Island Resort has a wide array of venues that can be used for meetings and evening functions. And, while the golf is plentiful, there are many other activities to choose from, including horseback riding, fishing, skeet shooting and the ever popular state-of-the-art spa and tennis facilities.”

Sea Island has multiple lodging options, and Demme notes that function space is convenient, regardless of accommodations. “If you are not staying right at the hotel where the function will take place, the shuttles Sea Island runs between the hotels make it easy to get around.”

Naturally, the resort’s golf courses are a huge asset. “During the week of The RSM Classic, we host rounds of golf on the Retreat and Plantation courses. Both receive rave reviews from our guests, and the golf staff is great to work with,” Demme says.

“And while we work with many people throughout the resort, our two main points of contact, Reint Venker, director of national sales, and Erik Klette, our conference services manager, ensure that the planning process is as easy as possible. The catering, décor and AV teams are fantastic to work with, too. They’re innovative, creative, and they listen to your needs and strive to provide options that will not only fit your budget but also impress your guests.”

While Demme notes that there are always challenges when planning a large event, she says a solid relationship makes all the difference. “Because of the relationships we have built with Sea Island Resort over the past several years, it is much easier to discuss challenges and potentially mitigate issues before they arise. Having that continuity has been invaluable to us as we plan each year.”

One potential challenge is that the resort, on the coast of Georgia, does require added travel time, however Demme sees that as an asset, noting that its location “is one of the things that makes it the gem that it is. It’s true that it takes some time to get to the Golden Isles from the airports, but the travel time is worth it to enjoy one of the most spectacular and welcoming resorts I have ever had the opportunity to visit.”

Sea Island Resort, surrounded by five miles of private beach, is billed as the only resort in the world to achieve four Forbes Five Star awards nine years in a row.

The Broadmoor

The Broadmoor, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is known for its striking setting, range of upscale accommodations and three excellent golf courses. Sasha Samuel, coordinator of the annual Messenger Cup, a tournament that draws 300-plus and raises money to assist those in need in many countries, calls The Broadmoor ideal for this event and its corporate sponsors. “The Broadmoor is a five-star, five-diamond resort that can properly host our VIPs during the event. The lodging options provide a wide variety of suites for our group as well,” and, she adds, proximity to the Colorado Springs airport makes travel seamless.

“The golf course is a major part of our event. Our golfers know their stuff, so to have them be challenged during the tournament is important. The resort has options for non-golfers, too, including zip lining, biking and other sports. At the spa, the staff is excellent, and treatments are updated often to keep things fresh. Above all,” Samuel says, “it’s The Broadmoor staff that keeps us coming back. Everything is always taken care of with precision and excellence. In the off chance it’s not, they make it right.”

Mark Schick, CEO of Master Mechanical, an HVAC company, is both sponsor and participant. He says it’s a good fit for his company “to be part of something that involves rescue of the exploited and that reaches the world. Oh, and the golf? It’s pretty great.”

He’s played in the tournament the past four years, even after knee surgeries. “I have been fortunate to play at amazing courses all over the world, but for me, this tournament has always been a respite and something I absolutely look forward to every year.”

He loves staying at The Broadmoor, which he calls “amazing due to its history, accommodations, cuisine, recreation and staff,” but notes it’s “the depth of the friendships that have been forged because of participating in the Messenger Cup” that mean the most.

Danny Snipes, president of The Extraordinary Group, which helps aspiring entrepreneurs achieve success, is another corporate sponsor. “We enthusiastically support Messenger International as they teach, reach and rescue people globally,” he says, adding, “Of course the golfing experience at The Broadmoor is fun, challenging and memorable.”

For others considering corporate sponsorship of a golf event Snipes says, “People work diligently in business to succeed, so when they give their earnings and block out time on their calendars, it’s important they come away refreshed, feeling appreciated and that they are making a difference. That’s what The   Broadmoor and Messenger International do so well together.”

Kingsmill Resort

Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia, purchased earlier this year by Escalante Golf, is another East Coast option. Lansing Building Products held its annual sales meeting there in January.

Fred Mullins, Lansing marketing manager, says the location is excellent. “We’ve had our meetings in Savannah, Myrtle Beach, locations in North Carolina and other places, but we feel that Kingsmill really wants us and values our relationship.”

The sales meeting has been held at Kingsmill for the past four years. “We continue to choose Kingsmill for several reasons,” Mullins says. “The customer service is excellent. Our associates feel they are valued as guests, and our needs are met with courtesy and promptness. Additionally, the resort doesn’t have that hotel/conference feel and the cost is competitive with other locations. Finally, Kingsmill has great grounds and views.”

Mullins has high praise for the staff. “Everyone is wonderful to work with. I regularly saw the general manager, sales manager and event manager during our four-day event. They’re accessible and checked in on us often. The event staff is first class. They listen to our desires and make them happen. If a need arose, I could find someone quickly to assist me. There was consistent communication in the preparation stage to make sure our needs were being met. Kingsmill’s lodging is also top notch. The rooms were renovated recently and are comfortable, relaxing and quiet.”

Mullins says Kingsmill also offers variety, comfort and a modern feel in its meeting space. “Our daily meeting was for 150 people and the room easily held that number. We had several smaller breakout sessions, and there’s a continuous break station located nearby.”

Although the meeting rooms are a couple of minutes away from lodging, Mullins says the resort has a free shuttle for attendees who don’t want to walk.

All functions were held on property where Mullins says the food is excellent. “We had three meals catered, two dinners and one lunch. One dinner was for 325 people. The wait staff served all guests quickly and professionally. We also used the buffet at Elements restaurant for breakfast and lunch a couple of days and the restaurant easily handled 125.”

As for AV, Mullins says, “Since we have been there four years, the AV staff has our meeting needs memorized. In fact,” he adds, “you see the same Kingsmill employees repeatedly, which gives you a sense of friendship and trust.”

Mullins’ one suggestion for planners is to make a site visit. “Because Kingsmill is not your typical meeting venue,” he says, “I suggest a site visit to get a true feel for the property. And even though our group stays on property, there are lots of activities available in the Williamsburg area.”

Waste Management Renewable Energy brought 129 attendees to Kingsmill in 2016 for its annual conference. Mary Heckaman, senior EA/event planner, also calls the resort a great fit.

“Williamsburg has access to three airports, plenty of rental cars and transportation companies,” she says, “and the meeting space worked well. It allowed nice space between participants as well as ergonomic chairs and state-of-the-art AV.”

The fact that Kingsmill is a self-contained property is a plus. “Our meetings are intensive so it is a positive to have business as well as leisure activities on property,” Heckaman says. “I don’t need to rave about the golf course or spa as they receive accolades from many sources. The housing is a favorite as most rooms are a condo setup with living room, full kitchen and bedroom. Extra bedrooms can be added for flexibility.”

In addition to cost, amenities and great meeting space, she says, “The resort provides free transport to historic Williamsburg and Busch Gardens, which is great for families in attendance.“

And then there’s the staff. “There was Scott Russell, my morning latte boy; he had them there every morning like clockwork. Michelle Lotts, planner extraordinaire, was full of great ideas and alternate plans. We worked with the kitchen on last-minute items I forgot to include — who forgets chocolate? And our AV crew was unbelievable. We will never go without teleprompters again.”

Spouses and families at this meeting are invited to participate in all meals, making logistics paramount. “All of the food was delicious. I cannot think of one thing my group did not like or complained about,” Heckaman says, adding that staff came through on efficiency as well. “Two buffet tables and four lines is an example. They figured that out after the first meal.”

Because Williamsburg and Kingsmill are such family-friendly destinations, they’re a good fit for meetings that include family. ”My attendees loved that the meeting rate was available three days prior and after the event,” Heckaman says. “There’s so much to do with all of the pools on property and playgrounds. The rooms are all freshly updated and very clean. There are also three- to four-bedroom cottages along the river, which I definitely recommend for VIPs.”

One downside was the outside transportation company. Heckaman says she’ll use a different one for the next meeting, which will be this year. “I’m pretty fussy, and we are going to be repeating our business at Kingsmill in 2017.”

Innisbrook

Northwest of Tampa in Palm Harbor, Florida, Innisbrook, a Salamander Golf & Spa Resort, stands out in a state loaded with golf resorts. Elsevier, a global information analytics company, brought 400 attendees to Innisbrook in January for its national sales meeting. Yazmin Zayas, senior manager, exhibits and events, says the resort was able to provide the large breakout space needed as well as two separate buildings for two separate groups.

“The food is outstanding, and the chef will work with you if your guests have any special needs,” she says. “PSAV provided our AV and did an amazing job with our general sessions and made it a memorable production for the attendees.”

Among the standouts on staff were Cindi Thomas and Ron Long. Zayas says there were a lot of last-minute requests for dinners in the resort for the free afternoon and Thomas came through. “She was able to get everyone accommodated seamlessly. She is truly a pleasure to work with.”

Also of note was John Harrison in sales who, Zayas says, made the experience from that end extremely easy, including contracts. “But the entire staff will work really hard to accommodate your every need,” she says. “They’re helpful, knowledgeable and made our experience memorable.”

One consideration to keep in mind is that meeting space is a walk or shuttle ride from guest rooms. “Work closely with your events team and provide a schedule of events ahead of time so shuttles can be scheduled appropriately,” Zayas suggests. “Most rooms are within walking distance of meeting space, and it’s a nice walk on a cool, sunny day. But you need to alert attendees of this so they schedule their time accordingly if they’re walking.”

Additionally, she says, the resort’s distance from the airport is important to consider. “While the resort is a great venue, the airport is a bit removed and there’s traffic in the area. If you are doing anything off-property, take traffic into consideration. That said, I think the resort offers everything you need without having to step outside.”

Finally, Zayas notes, “Hiring a good DMC to manage your transportation is key to making the transition between airport and resort easier. Also, alert guests of weather conditions a few days before the meeting. Keeping them informed will help them pack the right clothes and make the meeting experience better. You can never give your attendees too much information.”

The Westin Playa Bonita

Farther afield, The Westin Playa Bonita in Panama City, Panama, also offers corporate groups a base in which to meet and play golf. Tina R. Ulm, president of TRU Incentives Inc., worked with Chief Buildings, a Nebraska-based metal-building manufacturer, to create an incentive program for 248 at the resort in February.

“Panama is a wonderful destination for groups looking for warmth, sunshine and culture,” Ulm says. “Our group prefers inclusive or all-inclusive properties and this Westin worked on an inclusive budget that was very acceptable to us.”

She calls Panama’s climate in the first quarter of the year exceptional and says the area offers rich cultural opportunities. The group held a private function at Miraflores Locks overlooking the Panama Canal, which Ulm describes as “an amazing event location.” But it wasn’t the only wow factor.

Ulm says participants were awed by the old town within Panama City, the golf, ruins, rainforest, peacock bass fishing on the canal and interactions with local indigenous people. “All of my VIPs and some top customers played golf at Tucán Golf Course,” she adds. The DMC based at The Westin Playa Bonita arranges golf for hotel guests at the Tucán Golf Club, just north of Playa Bonita.

The hotel’s Sensory Spa by Clarins features a Polar Cold plunge pool, herbal sauna, 13 treatment rooms and a hydrotherapy circuit.

As for the service, she says, “The hotel team did a great job. Gabby Herrera and her team were amazing to work with and always went the extra mile. Everything is very easily accessible at this property. The décor is nice and AV is wonderful to work with — almost a one-stop planning event. And it’s very cost effective for such a great destination.”

While Ulm’s one caveat is to avoid Carnival time — Panama has the second largest Carnival celebration in the world — she encourages planners to consider the country. “Your participants will enjoy far more than sunshine,” she says. “And the locals are beautiful people as well.”

Streamsong Resort

The 16,000-acre Streamsong Resort in Central Florida received golf accolades in April from Golfweek, which listed Streamsong Red and Streamsong Blue as the No. 2 and No. 3 golf courses to play in Florida. They bested 27 other Florida golf courses on the list. Built around the contours of former phosphate mines, the courses feature rolling elevation changes, native grasses and stunning views of ridges and the distinctive surrounding landscape — a delightfully distinctive golf experience unlike any other in Florida.

The new Streamsong Black championship course, designed by Gil Hanse, will debut this fall. Hanse also is the architect of the Olympic Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and co-designer of Castle Stuart Golf Links in Scotland. With the addition of Streamsong Black, the resort will become 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. And the resort plans to add a second practice facility, clubhouse and restaurant to serve guests playing Streamsong Black.

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. Streamsong’s Clubhouse includes 12 guest rooms, a restaurant and bar, an award-winning golf shop and meeting space with breathtaking views. In addition to golf, guests can enjoy such activities as bass fishing, sporting clays, nature trails and tennis.

More Options

Owned by the Oneida Indian Nation, Turning Stone Resort Casino, on 3,400 acres in Upstate New York, is truly a destination resort with five championship golf courses, two spas, more than 20 dining options, a 120,000-sf casino, Showroom, 5,000-seat arena and several nightlife venues. The resort’s Golf Dome features 40 hitting stations, two simulators and a short game practice area. The Sportsplex next to the Golf Dome has four indoor and four outdoor tennis courts, and two indoor racquetball courts. There are a total of 707 guest rooms in four onsite hotels and more than 125,000 sf of flexible meeting and event space. The Clubhouse at Shenendoah offers three banquet rooms with fireplace and large balcony overlooking the 10th and 18th holes.

The championship Shingle Creek Golf Course at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando underwent an innovative redesign by Arnold Palmer Golf Company. A new, open-air covered pavilion for 19th-hole events is part of the mix.

On Florida’s Southwest Gulf Coast, The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club debuted the Jack Nicklaus redesign of its on-property championship golf course last fall. C&IT

Saguaro cactus at sunset in Scottsdale, Arizona. Credit: Saguaro cactus at sunset in Scottsdale. © MattSuess.com

There’s no question that Arizona is a great place for meetings. Whether corporate groups gather in Scottsdale, Phoenix, Tucson or another locale, the diverse meeting and incentive hotels and resorts attract professional meeting planners and attendees alike.

Perhaps nowhere else in the country rivals Arizona for its combination of desert and mountain beauty. The state can be a real change of pace, especially for meeting participants from the coasts or the nation’s heartland.

The region’s rich history, combining the early days of Spanish colonization with Arizona’s later place in the mythos of the American West, offers much appeal to visitors. Meeting planners also benefit from access to a number of top-flight destination management companies as well as the information and services offered by the region’s convention and visitor bureaus.

“Arizona is a great destination for meetings,” says Stacy J. Weber, CMP, meeting and event manager at Moss Adams LLP, a Seattle–based business consulting firm. “You have the ease of airlift into Phoenix, the abundance of hotels, resorts and offsite venues, and of course, the great weather.”

For the past three years, Weber has coordinated her firm’s annual leadership meeting at the Royal Palms Resort. She also planned a department-level retreat at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale.

“What’s interesting about Arizona is that you always feel a sense of place,” she says. “In some big cities around the country, you almost feel like you could be in any major city, with a few landmarks. But Arizona feels unique and special, and you’re surrounded by the beauty of the desert.”

“I am a huge fan of meeting in Arizona,” says a director for conference planning from an organization in the Washington, DC, area. “You can count on the weather being warm and sunny, which seems to improve the mood of my attendees every time and takes the stress out of planning outside events and travel snafus.  There are countless beautiful resorts to choose from and all seem to have world-class golf.”

Among other venues, she has coordinated meetings at two standouts in Tucson — Loews Ventana Canyon Resort and The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa.

“Between site selection trips and meetings, I’ve visited Tucson and Phoenix over 20 times, and I always learn something new,” Reilly says. “It’s a beautiful destination, loaded with gorgeous vistas, lovely weather and friendly locals who love sharing their knowledge and passion for the region.”

Properties Galore

Assuredly there is a plethora of properties from which to choose: Greater Phoenix alone, which includes Glendale, Scottsdale, Tempe and Mesa among its 20 incorporated cities, offers about 450 hotels and resorts with more than 62,000 guest rooms and an array of meeting spaces, according to Megan Doyle, spokesperson for Visit Phoenix.

Kelli Blubaum, spokesperson for Experience Scottsdale, adds that visitors get a great deal more than they anticipated.

“They’re always surprised by the desert and how lush and beautiful it is,” she says. “It’s never what they expected.” Meeting attendees also tend to be surprised by the variety of resort offerings, from smaller historic hotels to grandiose resorts with expansive meeting facilities.

“Because of the diversity of our resort portfolio, we see a high number of repeat groups who come back year after year for a unique Scottsdale experience,” she says.

One popular factor is the region’s accessibility. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which is located just 15 minutes from Scottsdale and within easy driving distance of a variety of meeting destinations, serves more than 43 million passengers a year from more than 80 domestic and 20 international destinations.

With 300-plus days of sunshine annually, Arizona’s weather is especially appealing to planners who can confidently schedule outdoor events. And the unique desert setting adds to the experience, especially for the many attendees who meet in Arizona for the first time.

“We call the Sonoran Desert a blooming desert because of how vibrant the colors of the plants, flowers and cacti can be,” Blubaum says. “It’s also the home of the iconic Saguaro cactus, which you can only find in the Sonoran Desert.”

The favorable weather supports a variety of amenities and activities, says Carmela Lizzo, president and CEO of Camelback Adventures in Scottsdale. With more than 32 years in the hospitality business, Camelback Adventures is one of the leading Destination Management Companies in the Scottsdale/Phoenix area. Along with fine dining, shopping and a diverse cultural climate, she recommends the area’s premier golf courses and outdoor adventures such as hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and rafting.

“There are so many options available, from a dinner in the desert to hot-air ballooning to museum exhibitions of Native American arts, heritage and history,” she says. Lizzo also touts escapades such as jeep rides, hiking and other outings for adventuresome attendees.

“Our cookouts are particularly well received, as many attendees are amazed by the gorgeous sunsets, the towering cactus and the amazing views,” Lizzo says. “It’s an experience that is completely unique to Arizona and often, the highlight of their stay in the Southwest.”

Dan Gibson, spokesperson for Visit Tucson, affirms that the weather and desert beauty are prime attractions, but also points out that his city and the state in general have strong appeal to those planning corporate meetings.

“Planners love the culture here, the opportunities to get out of the ballroom and the service our properties and Visit Tucson staff provide,” he says. He points to attractions ranging from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the vibrant downtown, impressive cultural opportunities and creative culinary options.

With so many choices for meetings, several properties are enhancing their appeal with additions or renovations.

At the Phoenician in Scottsdale, a variety of renovations will be completed in public areas this summer. They will include a redesign of the main lobby, pool complex, retail shops and eateries. A full rebuild of the resort’s spa should be completed by the end of the year.

This follows the addition earlier this decade of a 45,000-sf ballroom complex to complement the existing 64,000 sf of indoor meeting space. A 15,000-sf ballroom can be subdivided into seven separate function spaces.

The resort’s grand ballroom has more than 20,000 sf of space, and the main building features 26 breakout rooms sized from 365 sf to 1,037 sf. A multimedia theater accommodates up to 600 meeting attendees and supports both teleconferencing capabilities and a computerized audience interactive response system. All told, more than 80,000 sf of total interior meeting and event space is available.

Also in Scottsdale, The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa offers more than 200,000 sf of indoor and outdoor meeting space including 41 meeting rooms. New developments at the resort include guest room enhancements such as larger flat-screen televisions, bedside charging stations for mobile devices and a guest room door-locking technology that will allow guests to unlock doors with their smartphones, as well as a new indoor/outdoor space ideal for up to 12 participants.

Meeting space includes four ballrooms, with the majority of meeting space situated in a central location across two levels within the resort’s main building.  Adjacent to the facilities are two upscale shopping, dining and entertainment centers.

At the Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix, a multimillion-dollar design refresh is planned for this summer. The upgrade will include all of the property’s 119 guest rooms as well as selected meeting and event spaces. The work follows recent improvements to the resort’s event lawns, pool and lounge area, and landscaping. The latest changes will play on the natural backdrop of desert earth tones and wood architectural elements in supporting the overall character of a majestic estate.

Located on nine acres at the foot of Camelback Mountain, the resort features more than 20,000 sf of meeting space. Convenient to Scottsdale, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and the Camelback financial corridor, Royal Palms offers a business setting with a variety of attractions for meeting participants from golf to swimming.

Extensive renovations also have been seen at Tucson’s Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, where a multimillion-dollar remastering of guest rooms, meeting space, lobby, fitness center and spa was completed in 2016.

Along with 398 guest rooms, the resort features 37,000 sf of indoor function space and nearly 40,000 sf of outdoor space. An 8,875-sf ballroom is divisible into seven sections with a 6,689-sf foyer, and a smaller ballroom (3,139 sf) can be divided into three sections. Several smaller rooms also are available, as is another ballroom measuring 10,800 sf and an 8,000-sf outdoor patio.

Facilities include a glass-enclosed, 2,000-sf room with city and mountain views, and five different parlors ranging from 728 sf to 1,008 sf. Offering special appeal to guests are nature and hiking trails that include an 80-foot-tall natural waterfall.

The Arizona Biltmore, a Waldorf Astoria resort in uptown Phoenix, offers more than 200,000 sf of indoor and outdoor event space. The two largest ballrooms recently have been renovated with aesthetic and technical upgrades. They include the 24,576-sf Frank Lloyd Wright Ballroom, which is complemented by almost 11,000 sf of prefunction space.

Also available is the 14,904-sf McArthur Ballroom. Featuring an additional 6,400 sf of prefunction space, the facility can be divided into several smaller spaces.

The resort’s conference center features more than 25,000 sf of space with an array of function rooms and venues. Choices range from an 11,000-sf ballroom to small private boardrooms, all served by a fully equipped business center.

Other facilities include rooms serving 400–500 guests, a patio accommodating 300 participants and a terrace suite with room for 50 people.

Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa, situated 8 miles north of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, offers 109 guest rooms as well as an upscale setting for business meetings. Facilities include a 3,204-sf ballroom with banquet seating for up to 220 guests, a wraparound terrace, breakout rooms and two boardrooms accommodating from 12 to 20 guests.

In addition, eight private mountainside estates provide change-of-pace venues for social and business gatherings. They include game rooms, private pools, tennis courts and secluded patios.

Outdoor spaces include a patio accommodating up to 200 guests, as well as poolside and terrace options handling up to 150 persons each. And an indoor/outdoor venue dubbed the Praying Monk accommodates 60 guests for dinner or 100 people for a cocktail reception.

At Tucson’s Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, planners can take advantage of 20-plus meeting rooms and three outdoor lawn locations. A 9,000-sf ballroom is supplemented by several 500-sf meeting rooms. Activities for groups include “VolunTeaming” experiences, post-dinner hikes, nighttime golf, geocaching and cooking classes.

An attractive feature is the resort’s relationship with nearby Cayton’s Restaurant, allowing groups to rent the restaurant and its large patio, which can hold nearly 300 people. With a 20-foot-high ceiling and one-ton wrought iron chandelier, copper flume fireplace and circular shape, the Cayton’s Kiva room accommodates groups of 10 to 50 guests, while another section handles 30 to 80 people. Many visitors find the unobstructed and sweeping view toward the west especially memorable.

The Westin La Paloma in Tucson offers 64,000 sf of indoor meeting space along with patios and covered decks for outdoor functions, not to mention golf courses and five swimming pools. Along with 27 meeting spaces, it has 487 guest rooms. The resort accommodates groups as large as 2,000 attendees.

Located 20 minutes from the Phoenix and Scottsdale airports, Talking Stick Resort offers 113,000 sf of indoor and outdoor event venues along with 496 guest rooms. Open-air breakout rooms offer a distinctive experience for meeting attendees, and a grand ballroom accommodates up to 2,000 guests. The resort’s conference center can be configured into as many as 12 meeting rooms. For groups of up to 650, a theater features a large stage, production-quality lighting and theater-style seating with private booths and tables. It’s suitable for both keynote speakers and live entertainment.

The Omni Tucson National Resort has 128 guest rooms and eight meeting rooms with 10,500 sf of event space. A 2,900-sf ballroom divisible into two salons features a terrace with a scenic venue for outdoor receptions, meals or refreshment breaks. Another ballroom has 2,650 sf of space. Several salons are located convenient to the reception area. The resort’s gardens are available for teambuilding programs, fitness/meditation classes and other outdoor activities against the backdrop of the desert and the Santa Catalina mountains.

Some 45 minutes from Tucson International Airport and 13 miles from the Tucson Convention Center, the 428-room Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort handles a variety of corporate events. It offers two 11,000-sf ballrooms as well as a separate 11,000-sf executive conference center, with total meeting space topping 100,000 sf.

The Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia has 293 guest rooms along with more than 27,000 sf of indoor meeting space and 75,000 sf of outdoor space. Conference venues include 14 breakout rooms and two private dining rooms. Indoor space includes two ballrooms and 11 other meeting rooms, while outdoor venues range from 1,000 sf to 32,000 sf. Inspired by Spain’s Andalusia region, the resort offers a Spanish motif complemented by modern luxury accommodations.

At Mountain Shadows, guests have access to 12,500 sf of indoor meeting space and 25,000 sf of outdoor event space accommodating events for up to 500 people. A 4,500-sf ballroom features a wall of retracting glass that opens to an attractive terrace (also 4,500 sf). Meeting rooms are equipped with 75-inch televisions, roll-down projection screens and wall-mounted iPad reader boards. Distinctive attractions include a 10,000-sf putting green and an overlook deck.

The Scottsdale Plaza Resort features 21 meeting rooms and 40,000 sf of event space in a single dedicated area. A 10,080-sf ballroom is supported by a 4,256-sf convention foyer and 58 breakout suites. An executive lodge boardroom and 10 executive lodge suites also are available, as well as a tented pavilion, cypress court and roomy courtyard for outdoor events.

At the Wigwam in Phoenix, 45,000 sf of indoor meeting space includes 25 separate meeting rooms. A 10,800-sf ballroom accommodates up to 500 dinner guests, while another ballroom handles up to 300 attendees. Another facility includes a built-in stage, 15-foot-tall ceilings and an al fresco terrace. The rooms are supplemented by 55,000 sf of outdoor space featuring 10 gardens and event lawns

Tucson’s Casino Del Sol, operated by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, offers nearly 20,000 sf of meeting space accommodating groups of up to 2,000 people. The 10-story property includes an 18,000-sf ballroom offering a variety of configurations, two smaller meeting rooms and an executive boardroom. Complementing the meeting spaces are Las Vegas-style gaming options such as bingo, slot machines and table games, live entertainment and other activities ranging from golf to swimming.

The 50 meeting rooms at the Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch offer a total of 60,000 sf of event space. A 10,000-sf board room, divisible into five sections, seats 1,000 guests theater-style. Two other rooms, each measuring 6,084 sf, are divisible into three sections per room and hold 505 people theater-style. Three boardrooms range in size from 300 sf to 700 sf. C&IT

For more on Arizona experiences, download the Arizona Beckons PDF.

Bill MacDonald is the vice president, analysis and insights, at Velvet Chainsaw Consulting since November 2015. A seasoned professional who stands for conference truths, value delivery and the power of face2face meetings, Bill is an expert on corporate meeting and travel procurement, the industry supply chain and the use of technology to accelerate results. Bill has embraced and contributed to the hospitality/meetings industry’s maturation for more than 25 years. He has spent most of his time with meeting and incentive companies including Conferon/Experient. Originally published in “Velvet Chainsaw Midcourse Corrections.” bmacdonald@velvetchainsaw.com

Over the past decade, there have been significant upgrades and newcomers in the event technology space. These solutions claim to increase revenue, streamline processes, drive attendance, improve the attendee experience, provide data/insight and/or deliver ROI. There are several hundred event technology providers competing to win your business.

“How’s an organizer able to cut through the clutter and make sound choices that deliver results?”

When you consider varying pricing structures, functionality and built-for-purpose options, choosing the best solutions is no easy task. How’s an organizer able to cut through the clutter and make sound choices that deliver results?

Before you take a look under the hood or consider test driving a core technology that you’re going to make part of your event and business processes, consider these 10 criteria for vetting:

1. Sustainability of the Company. Most primary software solutions (registration, expo management, content management, speaker management) will deliver the greatest ROI when you are able to use them for three or more years. Event organizers incur lots of hidden switching costs in implementation, training and integration when jumping from solution to solution. Look for years in business, a strong customer list, number of employees, annual revenue, how they’re funded and the longevity of the leadership team for indicators of stability. A revenue/employee ratio in excess of $100K is normally a healthy metric. Consider visiting their office to get a feel for their company culture.
2. Not Their First Rodeo. It would be a CLM (Career Limiting Move) to pick a partner that goes out of business or has a major outage before your big event. Be cautious with start-up companies that are learning from you. Make sure they have a proven track record of providing like solutions to those with similar needs. Ask for examples, testimonials and case studies. It’s never a good idea to be on the bleeding edge with any technology. Exceptions to this might include existing trusted technologies that add new features, modules or integration partners.
3. Fits with Minimal Alterations. If the majority of your requirements need to be met through customization vs. configuration, expect a lengthy and costly implementation. Ask for an admin demo to understand how configurable a software system is.
4. Plays Well in the Sandbox. Make sure you have a good understanding of data import/export capability as well as examples of successful web services integration with other solutions. Passing data between systems, enabling single sign-on and maximizing the value of your data are no longer nice additions — they are must-haves. Ask if they’ve developed any APIs (Application Programming Interface). Many of these core technologies have other event products integrated into their platform, which adds considerable value for your organization’s technology stack.
5. Plan for Continuous Improvement. Technology is evolving at a rapid rate. Your vendors’ technology needs to evolve at the same pace. Make sure their solutions are scalable and that a product roadmap is in place. Look for companies that are pushing out improvements, modules or new features several times a year. When utilizing a cloud-based solution, the vendor should regularly apply patches to keep the system updated.
6. Customer Support. User support and project management are huge differentiators between an average and a superior provider. What kind of training, customer support or project management do they include? Research their service models and ensure they will provide live support when you need it. Ask if they have user group meetings where customers share best practices. Do they have a blog, online group, case studies or newsletters that keep existing customers informed and up to date?
7. Stays True to Their Core. A number of tech start-ups build their revenue model around selling sponsorships, ads or upgrades to your exhibitors. We’re not crazy about that model. Most show organizers prefer that their communications and consultative selling be done by their team. Exhibitors or sponsors get turned off by multiple asks for your show. You want a tech company that focuses on improving their product and gives you the tools to be successful.
8. Safety and Security. Security should be at the top of your requirements list. Vendors should take extreme precautions to keep your exhibitor, attendee and financial data secure. Small or medium-sized vendors may not be able to afford the significant ongoing costs to provide the security you need. Ask where the technology is hosted, what their up-time is and what kind of disaster recovery plan they have. If you are conducting commerce via their solution, ask for proof of their level PCI Compliance. No compliance, no deal.
9. Anal about Analytics. Any solution worth their salt will provide you great stats on pacing, usage and will have a plan for adoption. Do they provide a real-time dashboard that gives you a snapshot on how things are progressing vs. previous years? Do you have the information needed to help aid decision-making and midcourse corrections
10. Anywhere — Any Device. Most event technologies are considered a SaaS (Software as a Service) platform utilizing cloud-based technology. The biggest advantage of using a SaaS solution is that it can be accessed from any part of the world at any time. These products should also be mobile enabled allowing the same admin functionality from a tablet or smartphone as they do from a PC. Can you go to an exhibitor’s booth and confirm their selection for next year in real-time from a tablet. C&IT

Finding value is more important than ever because a seller’s market has hiked costs in many large destinations.

But the good news for planners is that value comes in all destination sizes and finding it is easier than you think. In fact, smaller destinations are becoming less expensive and more popular, according to the 2017 global meetings and events forecast by American Express Global Business Travel.

According to the forecast, “Experts suggest a growing interest in second-tier cities for many meeting types as a more affordable alternative.” The forecast further states that “meeting planners and owners are increasingly looking beyond the traditional property choices in large cities to more unique, smaller properties, often outside the metropolitan area.”

The forecast predicts that in 2017, 73 percent of meetings will take place in large locations, down from 80 percent in 2016. Meanwhile, the share for second-tier cities will increase to 27 percent from 20 percent in 2017, according to the report.

Atlantic City

Long one of the nation’s meetings powerhouses, Atlantic City offers more than 15,000 hotel rooms, eight casino resorts and several beachfront hotels with views of the Atlantic Ocean. Hotels, convention centers and various venues offer meeting spaces that range from a few dozen square feet to 500,000 sf.

Atlantic City has transformed itself from a gaming hotel-oriented destination into one that offers a range of non-casino attractions, activities and restaurants. Atlantic City is also attracting more groups nationwide while maintaining its base of groups in the Northeast that return year after year.

Groups are attracted by Atlantic City’s ability to provide value with casino properties that meet all planner needs under one roof, as well as a range of budget-friendly offsite venues.

Atlantic City continues to be recognized for the unique things it offers meetings. Travel + Leisure magazine’s America’s Best Places survey named Atlantic City the nation’s 11th Best Beach Town. In addition, USA Today cited Atlantic City’s Boardwalk as the 10th Best Boardwalk in the United States.

Austin

Austin attracts more than 22 million domestic visitors a year and continues to gain popularity due to its range of meeting properties, attractions and more than 250 live music venues.

Planners want music to play an integral part in activities, entertainment and functions. “Being that we are the ‘Live Music Capital of the World,’ visitors want to experience it for themselves,” says Michael Carter, account manager, AlliedPRA, Austin. “DMCs seek creative ways to tie the city’s title into themes for attendees such as rock star-themed events, use of local musicians, and hosting events at the city’s most iconic and intimate venues. We try to make sure that all of our clients leave the city with a hop in their step.”

But Austin offers much more than music. “While many people come to Austin for its music, many come for its outdoors,” says Carter. “The Colorado River runs through the city, so many people enjoy paddleboarding, kayaking and canoeing on Lady Bird Lake. Our Mexican free-tailed bat flights also are a major attraction and staple of the city. Groups enjoy taking riverboats out to spend the evening on the water watching the bats take flight from underneath Congress Bridge.”

Carter describes one activity requested by many groups. “Something popular among clients is the Corporate Rock Star event,” says Carter. “Clients have the ability to break off into teams, rewrite a popular song, and perform it with a live band with the props, special effects, lighting and sound. Everyone gets the chance to feel like a rock star for the duration of their song. It’s a great teambuilder and a lot of fun.”

Austin’s technology-oriented culture enhances the fun. “With the emergence of startups and technology in Austin, the city as a whole has been encouraged to take the lead on becoming technology driven,” Carter observes. “Whether it is in the venues or on the streets, technology has played a big role in the success of what makes Austin so great. We are starting to see vast improvements in AV, lighting and décor that wasn’t here before.”

New and Improved

The latest technology is evident in the 900,000-sf LEED Gold-certified Austin Convention Center with a communication infrastructure that can move voice, video and data at over 1 billion bits a second.

Austin hotels also are upgrading technology. As part of a $23 million renovation, the Hilton Austin recently completed a lobby upgrade that includes a new digital media wall, designated workspaces and social zones for networking and socializing. The 801-room Hilton Austin also revitalized its lobby, public areas and 80,000 sf of meeting space with new décor. The project also includes The Reverbery, a new banquet hall with indoor and outdoor space.

Marriott International recently opened the Aloft Austin Northwest, the second Aloft property in the city. The Aloft Austin features 130 loft-style rooms and 1,000 sf of meeting space as well as live local music at the W XYZ Bar as part of the property’s Live At Aloft Hotels music series. Guests enjoy free Wi-Fi, the Splash indoor pool, fitness centers and a food and beverage area.

Cincinnati

Looking to retain more meetings and improve the city’s ability to better compete with similar-sized destinations, Cincinnati is expanding the Duke Energy Convention Center (DECC) and adding a new headquarters hotel. There are now more than 3,200 hotel rooms in the three blocks next to the DECC and thousands more rooms nearby.

Cincinnati’s moves follow studies sponsored by the Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau that ranked the Queen City as one of the nation’s top 12 convention cities by MeetingSource.com.

The study ranked 176 cities according to affordability, ease of access, safety, walkability and promotional appeal. Cincinnati received four out of five stars for safety, access, promotional appeal and walkability.

Based on the results, Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune said that he intends to expand the DECC. The facility’s last significant exhibition space expansion was about 30 years ago, although the facility was renovated in 2006.

According to the studies, the DECC lacks about 100,000 sf in exhibition space, compared to its main competitive destinations. Many of Cincinnati’s competitors can host two or three events simultaneously. The expansion would enable the DECC to host several events at the same time.

Columbus

Columbus is on a roll. In October, a J.D. Power study ranked Columbus as the “Highest in Visitor Satisfaction in the Midwest.” The study is based on costs and fees, activities, lodging and travel/arrival, infrastructure, and food and beverage.

In addition, according to Experience Columbus, in 2016 hotel occupancy increased 1.7 percent, the average daily room rate (ADR) climbed 2.5 percent and the RevPAR (Revenue Per Available Room) increased 4.2 percent.

Groups visiting this year include Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which will hold a two-day meeting in May 2017 for 300 employees, executives, doctors and researchers at the Hilton Downtown Columbus.

“Columbus tends to surprise attendees…the city is bursting with things to do and places to go, and only continuing to grow.”
 — Kate Wagener

Kate Wagener, CTA, senior education conference coordinator for Nationwide Children’s Hospital, expects Columbus to exceed expectations. “Columbus tends to surprise attendees because they typically come in with a preconceived notion of it being a small town that has nothing to offer,” says Wagener. “In actuality, the city is bursting with things to do and places to go, and only continuing to grow.”

Wagener believes that most planners aren’t aware of all that Columbus offers meetings. “Columbus is the 15th largest city in the U.S., and yet one of the most affordable locations,” says Wagener. “Attendees love the big city vibe with the small town charm. There is an abundance of venues and properties to accommodate all different sizes and types of events. And Columbus is an extremely accessible centrally located city in the U.S. with its airport only 10 minutes from the downtown area.”

Well-located Properties

Hotels such as the Hilton Downtown Columbus also are an advantage for planners. “Meeting rooms and amenities are more than sufficient for our group needs,” says Wagener. “The conference rooms vary in size and are all located near each other, making the overall experience easier on our participants when navigating the hotel. Plus, it’s located within walking distance to two of Columbus’ most vibrant neighborhoods — the Short North Arts District and Arena District.”

Another plus is the Greater Columbus Convention Center, which is undergoing a 100,000-sf expansion from 1.7 to 1.8 million sf that will increase the number of meeting rooms from 65 to 75. The expansion includes 10,000 sf of meeting space on two levels and 37,000 sf of exhibit space.

Improved properties include the Embassy Suites by Hilton Columbus, which recently completed a $7 million renovation that includes an expanded 9,200 sf of meeting space encompassing seven meeting rooms and upgrades of all 224 guest rooms. The project also included a transformed open-air atrium with a new second story Wi-Fi connection zone and The Exchange, a lounge and restaurant.

Jacksonville

Jacksonville’s tourism growth is beating every other Florida city.

According to a report by STR, February 2017 was Jacksonville’s 40th consecutive month of RevPAR growth, making it the only Florida destination to hit that mark. During the first two months of 2017, Duval County, home to Jacksonville, recorded 1.7 percent occupancy growth compared to a .3 percent increase statewide. During 2016, Jacksonville recorded 4.7 percent occupancy growth compared to a drop of .3 percent for all of Florida.

According to Paul Astleford, president and CEO of Visit Jacksonville, “The impressive success for the destination is a combination of many things, but primarily it is due to growing awareness of what makes Jacksonville so unique. Our great waterways, our natural wonders and eco adventures, our young and vibrant arts and culture scene, and the big sporting events we host.”

Jacksonville’s popularity is receiving wide recognition. Last year, TripAdvisor named the city No. 10 on its list of Destinations on the Rise in the U.S. as part of the TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Awards. Last year, Forbes cited Jacksonville as one of “The 20 Best Cities for Travel This Summer” while Travel­ocity rated the city as the No. 8 “Best Summer Vacation Destination for 2016.”

Part of Jacksonville’s success stems from the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center with its 78,000 sf of exhibit space and 22 meeting rooms. A popular convention hotel, the 963-room Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, boasts 110,000 sf of meeting space including a 27,894-sf ballroom.

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City touts its affordability. “Our low cost of living in Oklahoma translates to a low cost of meeting in Oklahoma City,” according to the Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau website. “Everything from room rates and facility rentals to restaurants and entertainment is relatively inexpensive, especially given the variety of options here. We certainly are affordable and stack up well against cities of similar size.”

Oklahoma City is building on its advantages by making a big investment in its future. Since 1993, the city has pumped more than $5 billion of public and private funds into citywide improvements including the new $288 million Oklahoma City Convention Center (OCCC).

The Oklahoma City Council has approved the preliminary report to commence construction of the three-level OCCC, which will feature 200,000 sf of exhibit space, a ballroom exceeding 30,000 sf as well as 45,000 sf of meeting space and 27 distinct meeting rooms.

The OCCC is scheduled to open in 2020, the same year an adjacent 19-floor, 600-room Omni convention center hotel is set to open. The Omni will offer about 50,000 sf of meeting space as well as two restaurants and several food and beverage outlets.

The OCCC will team with the existing Cox Convention Center (CCC) to anchor Oklahoma’s meeting and convention space. The CCC offers 21 meeting rooms, 100,000 sf of exhibit space and a 25,000-sf Grand Ballroom as well as a 15,000-sf arena.

Milwaukee

The Visit Milwaukee’s website boasts, “Discover why more meeting planners are choosing Milwaukee, an easy access destination featuring a three-venue convention campus with three connecting hotels. A blend of acclaimed restaurants, nightlife, festivals and offsite venues adds up to meetings at incomparable value.”

Milwaukee looks to attract larger meetings by expanding the Wisconsin Center (WC) convention facility through the transformation of a nearby parking lot. The city received two expansion proposals, one of which includes three hotels and adds 100,000 sf of convention space as well as 22,000 sf of food and beverage outlets.

Located within walking distance of more than 3,000 hotel rooms, the WC offers 189,000 sf of exhibit space and 80,000 sf of meeting space, and connects via skywalks to the 481-room Hyatt Regency Milwaukee and the 729-room Hilton Milwaukee.

VISIT Milwaukee also plans to sharpen its online marketing by revamping its website. The upgrade will include content, interactive maps, itinerary builders, international translations and other resources. The website will integrate Visit Milwaukee’s other sites — Milwaukee365.com and VisitWauwatosa.org.

Traffic to visitmilwaukee.com increased 65 percent over the last five years with visitors to the site being four times more likely to visit the city, according to VISIT Milwaukee, which expects the new site to attract even better results.

Minneapolis

Minneapolis is climbing the ranks of the nation’s most popular meeting destinations.

Condé Nast Traveler named Minneapolis No. 14 on its list of Top Large Cities in the U.S., and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport as the 10th Top Domestic Airport. The magazine also named three hotels — the JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America (No. 2), Radisson Blu Mall of America (No. 6) and the St. Paul Hotel (No. 7) — among the Top Ten Midwest hotels.

Another popular property, the Hilton Minneapolis, recently hosted a corporate group of 800 employees and executives for a five-day meeting.

The Hilton Minneapolis was a perfect fit for the group. “The property has hosted the group many years in a row due to the large number of sleeping rooms, ballroom sizes and number of breakout rooms for trainings,” says Meredith Olson, program manager, conference and meetings, metroConnections, based in Minneapolis. “The space and rooms met the group’s needs well, as the property is easy to navigate and the meeting areas are centralized on two floors.”

Minneapolis is a favorite of the group for several reasons. “There is good value for the space and service,” says Olson. “Minneapolis is easy to fly into, with many daily flight options. The airport is close, making it easy to transfer attendees. Downtown offers many hotel properties close to sporting and entertainment arenas like Target Field (Minnesota Twins), Target Center (Minnesota Timberwolves) and the new U.S. Bank Stadium. It has a walkable downtown with lots of skyway access for attendees to use during winter.”

In addition, the Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC) is the largest convention center in the Upper Midwest. The MCC can host meetings for up to 2,500 attendees and features 475,000 sf of exhibit space.

Looking to attract more visitors, Meet Minneapolis recently announced its first-ever master plan, Destination Transformation 2030, which sets the following goals by 2030:

• Attract 50 million annual visitors, up from 32 million in 2015.
• Increase winter visitation to 11 million, up from 6 million currently.
• Commence a $10 million annual branding campaign.
• Build a visitors center downtown on the riverfront.

Final Thoughts

Planners embarking on a site selection tour will be pleasantly surprised at the myriad opportunities for find value for groups of all sizes and types from coast to coast. C&IT

Capturing and analyzing the vast volume of data that can be collected from meetings and conferences — including onsite attendee behavior, engagement, feedback, surveys, social media and more — has the potential to yield invaluable insights into how to improve the overall experience and make meetings more effective, both in real time and for the future. The analysis part is, of course, the biggest challenge — how to turn an avalanche of numbers and information into a logical flow of actionable intelligence.

According to Issa Jouaneh, senior vice president and general manager at American Express Meetings and Events, there is a wealth of data that comes from meetings, such as attendance, engagement, vendor utilization, content performance and more. Meeting planners can harness the power of this data to gain insights about what works and what doesn’t in their meetings. From there, they can use these insights to drive the best possible outcomes.

“With more information and data at their disposal, meeting planners are able to streamline their process and take personalization to a new level.”
— Issa Jouaneh

As Jouaneh explains, technologies such as mobile apps and beacons have made it easier than ever for meeting planners to collect real-time data by offering a more connected feedback loop between attendees and planners.

“While it requires some level of flexibility, aided by data, meeting planners can even react to things happening on the ground in real time,” Jouaneh says. “For example, if engagement at a certain session is high, planners can distribute related content via the meeting app. Small touches like this do a lot to boost the attendee experience — and it goes for speakers and other exhibitors, too. For instance, via apps, speakers can receive data on the audience’s reaction in real time, and tailor the rest of their presentation.”

Capturing the Data

There are three key steps used in leveraging big data for a successful event strategy including collecting the data, analyzing the data, and making the data work for you.

For example, you can use data analytics to discover which online campaigns are influencing registration or being discussed on social media. You also can track the movements of attendees with Wi-Fi, GPS, iBeacons or low-energy Bluetooth to see which events or booths they’re visiting. Or, you could send out survey questionnaires or second-screen solutions to discover the actions and thoughts of audience members before, during and after an event.

MCI USA, a company that helps businesses and associations to strategically engage and activate their target audiences, has been using the DoubleDutch platform to acquire and analyze real-time data, including what sessions sponsors and attendees are most interested in.

Laurence Julliard, strategic consultant at MCI, says the definition of big data is changing rapidly with the growth of the internet of things and connected “things.”

“Every single connected device or wearable technology is able to provide real-time data on your audience, customers, partners and team,” Julliard says. “The technology available today is not only changing what we know of the audience but also how you engage with them and how they interact with each other.”

Mobile apps also are a key source of data for meeting planners. Apps provide analytic dashboards and an engaging social layer that offer planners a clear picture into how attendees are experiencing their event, while also enabling meeting planners to calculate and demonstrate return on investment.

“Meeting planners should capture data about the attendee experience,” Jouaneh says. “For instance, who the most popular and influential speakers are at their event, who the most influential attendees are, which sessions are the most popular and what topics are engaging attendees the most. This data allows planners to get into attendees’ heads, understand what they like and don’t like, to enhance future meetings.”

Making It Easier

It’s also up to meeting planners to capture appropriate data, but there are techniques and technologies that help make this task easier.

“For example, by encouraging attendees to sync their social profiles with the event app, or using gamification tactics, planners can boost engagement with event apps and gather more data,” Jouaneh says. “With more information and data at their disposal, meeting planners are able to streamline their process and take personalization to a new level.”

For instance, through American Express’ Meetings Insights platform they’re able to use both historical and predictive information to inform future meetings and events.

“Given that many of our clients have annual events, our meeting planners have a deep picture of the program’s performance to help drive program improvements year after year,” Jouaneh says.

And remember, big data needs to be, well, big. That means large sample sizes and information for any scenario. Without sufficient sample size, quality and accuracy are impacted and the decision-making process slows.

Karen Shackman, president, Shackman Associates in New York, is seeing big data being used in two ways at corporate meetings:
First, turnkey apps that manage registration, help attendees network prior to arriving, optimize breakout sessions, orchestrate offsite networking opportunities and create a platform for continued engagement after the meeting ends.

“Planners and attendees can connect with interest groups, conduct private chats, connect via LinkedIn, and view profiles of attendees they don’t know before the meeting,” Shackman says. “Apps are becoming geo-enabled, which helps attendees enhance their experience based on their location at a given moment. Have downtime between work sessions? Apps can now let you know that an attendee you were hoping to find for networking is down the street at Starbucks.”

Second, interactive private technology means less tweeting and more networking. While there is continuing debate on how to use social media during business components at large association meetings, Shackman is seeing a trend that creates a hyper-intelligent, private system that increases face-to-face interaction.

“The key is to provide moderators with more control than ever over questions, answers and even who gets asked the questions,” Shackman says. “With this kind of technology, meeting attendees can now ask unlimited questions, and moderators can quickly filter out ones that don’t make sense or disrupt the flow. Furthermore, because speakers can clearly see the questions being asked, they do not get lost among the noise of status updates.”

Inherent Challenges

When capturing big data, it is important for meeting and event planners to work with tech providers to plan their deployment, considering the arc of the attendee’s journey through the various platforms and apps as an enhancement of the meetings experience.

As Mary Ann Pierce, founder and CEO at MAP Digital explains, it’s important to identify what data is triggered by registration, conference apps, evaluations, etc., and how can that data and the insights it renders be pushed to internal stakeholders — and perhaps monetized to sponsors and exhibitors.

“You really need to have a tech summit with tech providers to plan a 10,000-foot evaluation that insures interoperability and multiyear commitment by the planner and organization to reach a larger business objective,” Pierce says.

MAP Digital’s MetaMeetings platform collects granular, contextual data of live and web attendees’ content participation.

“However, our planner clients have to advocate within their organization to find a ‘home’ for this data, whether it is with sales, marketing or research, and then get the budget in which to have it analyzed and merged into their internal databases,” Pierce says. “This should be a holistic business objective for upper management to empower on the planning level — not the planning level up.”

Of course, gathering and utilizing data is inherently risky because of security issues. As Jouaneh explains, meeting planners need to be aware of these risks and put the proper controls in place to protect data and ensure it’s being used appropriately and safely.

“Meeting planners need to educate themselves on the different privacy laws per country to ensure compliance,” Jouaneh says. “As the industry grows and meeting planners take on more responsibilities, and risks with them, careful use of data will be more important than ever.”

Common mistakes that planners make can include having too much data; and collecting data that no one cares about or can use because it is not aligned with business objectives.

“The more you get to know your customer, the more you will understand their needs and their business,” Julliard says, “unless you keep on asking the same kinds of questions and not listening to them.”

That said, meeting planners shouldn’t forget about the personal touch.

“Even while data’s role and value continue to grow, it’s essential that meeting and event planners remain focused on personalization and targeting to ensure positive experiences,” Jouaneh says.

One of the additional challenges in big data collection is having planners who are not trained to deal with the selection of technology to facilitate attendees’ data generation, the measurement of it and the integration of the data into internal databases — while maintaining cybersecurity.

“Allocation of funds and the strategy behind the creating of an engaging attendee experience should come from an integrated effort by senior management in which the planner is also a stakeholder,” Pierce says.

On the Horizon

Experts agree that big data is here to stay. It enables planners to create meetings and events that they know their audience will want to attend. Not to mention, attract sponsors and exhibitors.

With all of this access to data and technology, an event planner now can provide attendees with a more personalized experience.

“In fact, I won’t be surprised if someday the large events are replaced by several smaller events that are focused on data segmentation,” Julliard says. “With big data, event planners have access to the preferences of attendees, speakers, and sponsors, which allows us to create the perfect event just for them. Soon we will know our target audience better than themselves through artificial intelligence and predicting model analysis.”

Jouaneh stresses that as more and more data become accessible and trackable, planners will be better equipped to personalize meetings and boost attendee engagement. “Data integration will also be a huge focus for the industry moving forward,” Jouaneh says. “A number of developing solutions are focused on creating integrations with meeting data and expense data. This will offer planners tremendous value in understanding the relationship and dynamics of shared resources.”

Julliard says a game changer is how you bring digital technology to your event: for example, sensor integration will allow an attendee to connect, interact and even pay through RFID technology; it also will open a new world of innovative displays and ways to interact with the audience.

“The very critical component is taking a business-first approach to any big data initiatives or analyses and focusing on the information that will help you meet your business objectives,” Julliard says. “Events are one tactic into your marketing strategy and should always bring you back to the fundamental question: How will that serve my business objectives?” C&IT

Paul Ruby, CMP, is Associate Director of Catering/Convention Services at Sheraton Dallas Hotel and current president of the Event Service Professionals Association (ESPA). ESPA is dedicated to elevating the event and convention services profession and to preparing members, through education and networking, for their pivotal role in innovative and successful event execution. For more information, visit www.espaonline.org.

We talk a lot about hospitality in the events industry, but we still have a ways to go. Inclusivity for people with disabilities must encompass more than ensuring a venue has an elevator or a ramp in place of stairs. We need to accommodate people with varying levels of abilities and circumstances and communicate our services to potential event attendees in advance so they can make informed decisions.

“Accessibility is not only about people who are blind or deaf or in wheelchairs. People have all kinds of disabilities and some are invisible to others.”

Our industry has made progress, most notably with the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the nation’s first comprehensive civil rights law addressing the needs of people with disabilities. The law prohibits discrimination in employment, public services, public accommodations and telecommunication. The law has spurred changes and awareness across the industry.

Lack of Information

However, since the ADA was passed, there has only been one book and a subsequent white paper that addressed the issue of accessibility specifically for event planning.

Think about it. Do hotels routinely tell potential groups how many rooms have roll-in showers with built-in benches or if their restaurant offers a Braille menu? Do convention centers publicize how many of their staff know American Sign Language? And let’s be honest — how many of these questions have crossed your mind before now?

Accessibility is not only about people who are blind or deaf or in wheelchairs. People have all kinds of disabilities and some are invisible to others. Others find themselves suddenly needing special accommodations. For example, an attendee who shatters his knee the week before a conference will need unexpected special accommodations.

Members of the Event Service Professionals Association have heard event planners bemoan the lack of information out there about accessibility. We want to help. Event planners need accessibility information early in the process. Having this information readily available will help with site selection and attendee communications.

But where do you find the time? After all, there’s a reason that ‘event planner’ lands in the top five of most stressful jobs year after year — site selections, contract negotiations, budgets, room blocks and the list of goes on and on.

Project Access Toolkit

This issue of meeting and event accessibility was so important to us at the Event Service Professionals Association (ESPA) that we created “Project Access: Accessible Meetings FAQs,” a downloadable resource form that hotels, convention centers, CVBs and other destinations and venues can customize with their accessibility information and branding to provide to meeting planners.

The checklists are designed sequentially, from a guest’s arrival at a destination airport, to ground transportation, lodging, meeting venues and offsite venues. There also is a resource list that DMOs can customize with state and local agencies.

So much of accessibility is about awareness and asking the right questions. That’s why we involved people at the outset who are involved in not only events and event services, but also accessibility experts and those who face accessibility issues in their daily lives. In order to truly help our industry, we needed to know exactly what information we didn’t know — if that makes sense.

Denise Suttle, CMP, who served as ESPA president when we started working on Project Access in earnest, told me she felt compelled to bring the project to the forefront because she and her team at Visit Albuquerque saw a noticeable uptick in the number of questions that event planners were asking about accessibility — from how many roll-in showers hotels had on the property to the availability of renting large quantities of motorized scooters and wheelchairs.

“While ADA has always been important, it seemed like meeting planners were suddenly focused on it and bringing it up more, wanting to know about our city’s vendors and suppliers who could meet their needs,” Suttle said.

Denise decided that Project Access would be a perfect project for ESPA. After all, our organization is dedicated to elevating the event and convention services profession and to preparing members, through education and networking, for their pivotal role in innovative and successful event execution.

“It occurred to me that ESPA should be at the forefront of this issue,” Suttle said. “We’re the people tasked with getting the answers, that’s our job. So why not do some homework up front and get this information? It’s to our benefit and to our client’s benefit to stop doing it piecemeal and to make sure the process is more comprehensive and inclusive.”

Project Access was created with the input of ESPA members who work in convention and visitors bureaus, hotels and convention centers, along with contributions from meeting planners.

Most important, we made a decision not to limit this resource to our members. After all, if we’re trying to improve the industry for the benefit of meeting planners and event attendees, we need to share this information as widely as possible. Meeting planners and others may request a copy of the Project Access template by emailing info@espaonline.org.

Making a Difference

Project Access is already making a difference. In addition to our own members, we have received more than 100 non-member requests for the toolkit to date. And one of our members at the Tampa Convention Center recently received a list of ADA questions from an event planner. She began to look through the questions, thought they seemed familiar and then realized…they were from ESPA’s Project Access.

Our toolkit is an excellent starting kit for venues, but we realize we couldn’t possibly cover every possible situation or circumstance the first time around. But what we wanted to do is to provide a framework and let venues figure out what additional services or concerns will be applicable to their potential attendees.

Please join us in making Project Access an industry-wide resource. Together we can make a positive change! C&IT

Life can be challenging for corporate planners in a seller’s market, and especially so for many of those in the medical meetings sector. Hotels in high-demand cities often have a choice of group business they can take, and pharmaceutical groups can be at a negotiating disadvantage relative to other clients. Part of the reason is the need to comply with PhRMA and internal guidelines, which translates to spend limitations and less F&B revenue for the hotel.

“Not only are we competing for very limited availability between all industries, but the HCP (Health Care Provider) meetings that require quite limited spend don’t appear to be as attractive when sellers can pick and choose business that brings the most revenue,” explains Amber Heintz, CMP-HC, HMCC, account director at Kansas City, Missouri-based Bishop-McCann, a meeting, incentive and event company. In addition, medical groups are known for being very meeting-space intensive, which can create a guest room-to-meeting space usage ratio that hoteliers may not find desirable.

Hotel Partners

How can planners try to offset these factors and make their business more attractive to hoteliers? The promise of bulk business to a hotel or hotel chain is one avenue. “We have found that multiyear deals and multiple city contracts for a series of programs has helped in leveraging options,” Heintz reports. And while spending caps on F&B can’t be circumvented for certain medical meetings, it bears emphasizing that the well-to-do attendees of these events can bring significant revenue to the hotel due to their personal spending. “Even if the company has to keep their meals at a certain amount, there is still a lot of extra spending in the outlets, the spa, etc. They spend a lot as individuals. “

“They’re sophisticated travelers,” notes Valerie Richard, CMP, manager of Superior, Colorado-based Conference Services LLC and a former in-house planner for pharma companies.

Prior to implementing any negotiating strategies, there are hurdles to clear in finding the right hotel partners. In addition to the multiple breakout capacity that many medical meetings require, it is often the case that hotels can’t be categorized as luxury or recreational properties, or exceed certain room rate caps, in order to be viable sites. This again adds to the challenge of sourcing in a seller’s market. So, five-star or five-diamond properties are typically avoided even if they meet room rate needs, and the mere appearance of “resort” or “spa” in the property name also can be a disqualifier. “That’s just optics, what they want their investors and the rest of the world to see” as far as where they choose to meet, says Richard.

On top of these limitations, planners in the life sciences space routinely contend with short lead times. “This is familiar territory,” says Heintz. “With the ever-changing nature of the life sciences industry, it is to be expected.” A common scenario is the product launch meeting that is pending FDA drug approval, and must take place within a few weeks once the approval comes through. “You may have an 800-person meeting and have three weeks to plan it. And while you know the timeline, you can’t really act until you have that approval,” says Sarah Best Port, HMCC, senior director of operations and account management, BCD Meetings & Events in Raleigh, North Carolina. “So it’s about getting everything geared up and then hitting the ground running.”

In those situations, it’s particularly valuable to have established relationships with national hotel reps who understand and value pharma meetings business, and will readily search for holes in the booking schedules throughout the portfolio. Heintz adds, “We have close relationships with our hoteliers, which helps when we are sometimes asking for the impossible.”

Planners have found that hotel sales reps with a specialization in the medical meetings sector are a great resource in this difficult market. These reps, some of whom have health care meetings certifications, “know that we don’t necessarily have control over lead times, and that is helpful,” says Port. They’re also accustomed to the space needs of these groups, and helping planners make flexible use of the function space at their properties. “We’ve had meetings where we’ve had to convert suites into breakout rooms, take out the bed and put in a conference table,” says Richard. “Oftentimes you have to be creative and use restaurant space or outdoor function space,” Port adds. “We may even have working meals in order not to have separate meeting space.”

Creative Use of Space

One example of a property attuned to these needs is the Omni Dallas Hotel, where medical/pharma groups comprise 20 percent of the corporate meetings clientele. “We routinely get creative with meeting space in order to accommodate some of the medical/pharma meeting breakout requirements,” notes Chad Enloe, director, sales. “This would include the use of suites and guest rooms as small breakouts as appropriate. In addition, we may take larger spaces and create modular rooms within that space to accomplish a greater volume of breakout rooms. Lastly, we routinely use the adjoining Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, which provides a large amount of additional function rooms in a wide variety of sizes.”

PhRMA Guidelines

Hoteliers who are educated in the pharma space also can be partners in compliance with PhRMA guidelines, as well as spend tracking and reporting. “Providing us with flexibility on the front end to meet our client’s spending caps is the first step,” Heintz says. “Additionally, while planning it assists us when hoteliers provide clear estimated costs and menu creativity.”

When it comes to F&B, there can be a bit of a balancing act in preserving quality while curtailing costs. According to Enloe, “We tailor menus and offerings to best match the customer’s tastes and expectations. This often requires substituting various items from our regular printed menus, but in doing so we strive to reach the customer’s budgeted allocation for meals while still delivering a memorable banquet food and beverage experience.”

The last element Heintz looks for hoteliers to provide is detailed final billing, which is critical to reporting. “We report on transfers of value per person; therefore, (clarity) on numbers attended/planned is helpful and, of course, clear room and tax, parking per person is appreciated.”

In January 2016, pharma companies completed the first round of open reporting of transfers of value to their physician attendees, in accordance with the Sunshine Act. While some companies even conducted mock reporting to ensure the live process went smoothly, there were naturally some inefficiencies when it came to uploading a massive amount of data to the federal government’s system. “Probably the hardest part was that the open payment act was very vague, so all the companies interpreted it differently in trying to understand how they were going to report,” Port says. Neither did the health care providers (HCPs) fully understand the new practice, she adds. “But it seems that’s kind of evolved, and they now understand what’s being reported, how it’s being reported and how to dispute anything.”

While the PhRMA guidelines essentially call for restricting transfers of value to $100 at HCP-facing meetings, companies have a variety of other spending caps that are part of their internal policies, often incorporated into their SMMP.

BCD’s Global Life Science Center of Excellence, which specializes in this sector of the meetings industry, has a bird’s-eye view of trends in these policies across their clientele. “Each client obviously has their own guidelines and policies and interpretations of the Sunshine Act or open payments, and they provide us that information,” says Port. “We then work with the internal stakeholders to ensure that they know their own internal processes, help them follow those guidelines and, if there is any deviation, point them to the right direction for approval.

“In working with such a large number of clients, we’re able to advise as to what we’re seeing across the industry as well. So the F&B caps, for example, vary from company to company. Some companies have breakfast, lunch and snack caps that they put in place (in addition to the dinner cap). And we’re able to say, ‘This is the range of what we’re seeing, and you are an outlier in that you have a much lower breakfast cap than (the norm). You might want to look at increasing that.’ ”

The caps also vary depending on the type of meeting. For example, at board of directors meetings where the company is trying to impress its board members, “they’re probably going to spend more,” Richard observes.

While compliance has become a fairly mature process, one frontier in this area is complying with the rules for European physician attendees. “There is a new policy that was rolled out at the beginning of last year by the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, and so there are countries that have agreed to be part of this guiding policy,” says Port. “It’s an overarching policy for the European pharmaceutical industry. And then within that there are individual country guidelines. So the new challenge is managing the policy as a whole in Europe, but then also the nuances from country to country. One may have a cap of $50 for dinner while another has a cap of $30.”

Face-to-Face Meetings

Given the spend limitations of pharma groups, together with their hotel type limitations and meeting space needs, navigating the seller’s market will continue to be a bit more challenging for planners in this field. But face-to-face meetings are not likely to be reduced despite that challenge. “While there are, from time to time, discussions about possibly hosting virtual meetings, everything keeps coming back to the fact that face-to-face meetings cannot be replaced,” Heintz observes.

“They are powerful and great relationship builders. Distractions are minimized and often more can be accomplished.” Instead, a hybrid approach may be adopted in some cases due to the time constraints of certain attendees and presenters, who can participate virtually.

Port’s team is in fact seeing more hybrid meetings in the life sciences industry. “The time that the doctor is out of the office is critical, so it might be a virtual meeting for the physician but then their support staff would attend live where we have the live training,” she describes.

The face-to-face medical meeting with its multiple breakouts will remain unaffected by this trend; indeed, it will be supported by the virtual component. C&IT