Terri Woodin, CMP, is Senior Director of Global Meeting Services at Meeting Sites Resource. MSR is a strategic meetings management solutions organization with a 23-year track record of meeting excellence. This includes global hotel sourcing and custom contract negotiations, professional meeting support services and Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) consulting. Terri contributes articles to industry trade publications and speaks at many industry events. She also serves on many industry advisory boards including MPI, PCMA, APEX  Standards Committee and the School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University.

It is safe to say that today, there are increased expectations from senior management and stakeholders for improved meeting planner productivity, added meeting value, cost savings, contract risk mitigation and ROI. This heightened focus on value can be traced to many factors, including concerns over a turbulent global economy, increased competition and the introduction and impact of the Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) initiative. All this has fueled a new era of meeting planner scrutiny and expectations for measurable meeting value and reporting.

Why Make ‘The Shift’?

Many thought the Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) initiative was a knee-jerk reaction to the recession, but in reality, this meeting accountability and value business model is here to stay. Whether corporate and association meeting planning meeting responsibilities are enterprise-wide, within a department, division or cluster of meetings, it is essential to embrace and implement SMM components that will work for you. A carefully planned and implemented SMM can save an organization 12–20 percent annually, which is a good way to get the attention of key managers and stakeholders. There is an umbrella of benefits, including a focus on stakeholder goals and objectives, improved meeting management systems and procedures, improved team productivity, emphasis on core competencies, leveraged spend and cost savings, contract risk mitigation, attendee communications and learning, and more.

Leveraging Meeting Data

The reality is that meeting planners are sitting on mounds of important meeting information, but generally, this data is “in silos” and is time-consuming to access. A couple of years ago, an industry survey of meeting planners who had implemented Strategic Meetings Management standards, revealed that 43 percent did not feel that they were leveraging meeting spend and maximizing overall meeting value and ROI results. Don’t be overwhelmed by the process to collect and use meeting and spend data. Since you are sourcing and contracting with hotels and venues, this is the low hanging fruit. Track your RFP distribution and which specific hotels and venues that you contract with. Capture important information, such as contracted rooms (the hotel’s biggest profit center), versus actual pickups, by night, including pre and post rooms, your actual F&B revenues (second biggest profit center), audio-visual/production and miscellaneous spend (business center, spa, etc.).

“A carefully planned and implemented SMM can save an organization 12–20 percent annually, which is a good way to get the attention of key managers and stakeholders.”

Now what, you say? When you are negotiating with a hotel or venue, print a report that breaks down revenue contributions, by category, as listed above. In addition to the value generated by the RFP being evaluated, clearly, consolidated revenues to a specific hotel or chain will improve savings and value-based outcomes, often by an additional 5–15 percent. When meeting planners track and leverage total meeting spend and create value reports, they will be “armed and dangerous” when communicating with managers and stakeholders.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution, so conduct your own needs assessment and game plan. Additionally, it is important for planners to grow their company business knowledge. For corporate and association planners, improving business acumen is a combination of both an in-depth understanding of “how your organization works” and how meetings and events can play a role in achieving stated stakeholder goals and objectives for each meeting. A good place to start is to evaluate your organization’s annual report, website, mission and vision statement, and strategic initiatives announced by the company.

Getting Heard at the Top

Communicating meeting value to senior management is an important part of the equation. Senior managers seldom have career paths in meeting management, so it is important that they understand your role and how you will achieve stated goals and deliver ROI (some with dollar signs, some not) for these investments called meetings and events. If you do not have access to senior managers, perhaps your direct report does, and if you prepare them with good meeting value data, they can be your path to the top.

Tips for Communication With Senior Management

• Build your business acumen/understand how your organization works/business priorities.
• Understand management and stakeholder goals and priorities for each meeting.
• Create transparent metrics to define and measure results.
• Track and leverage all meeting activity, data and spend by category (individual hotel and chain).
• Prepare meeting value reports, including cost savings/risk mitigation, by meeting.
• Communicate SMM benefits/meeting value reports to key stakeholders.
• Introduce SMM technology that integrates multiple meeting management functions, automates workflow and delivers 24/7 data access.

Today, it is essential for planners to know what value lens their senior managers and stakeholders are looking through. As drivers of strategic solutions, we must all focus on what is important to each stakeholder, and post meeting, report on what was requested, and specifically, what was delivered (yes, you must keep score).

Conclusions

There are many factors that make the shift from logistics to strategic essential for corporate and association planners. The good news is that today, business executives see meetings as essential to solve business challenges and achieve company goals, and the tools and resources are there to make this happen. So enhance your communications with stakeholders, track and leverage your meeting spend, and create metrics and value reports for each meeting. When you make “the shift,” you will see a big impact to your organization…and career!

For a complimentary copy of Terri’s “SMM Action Plan for Success,” contact twoodin@meetingsites.net. C&IT

Arizona is a place where the term “larger than life” might have originated. The scale of grandness here is off the charts, starting with the mother of all grand things, the Grand Canyon. Even Arizona’s state flower is, by comparison to most flowers, larger than life, blooming as it does on those soaring towers of the Sonoran Desert, saguaro cactus.

Some of the state’s most famous, and infamous, characters loom large in our history and collective imagination — Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Geronimo and Cochise, among them. Arguably the most famous shootout in American history, the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, took place in Tombstone, Arizona, and the incident still conjures up the very essence of the Wild West, a place where those who were strong enough, fast enough, smart enough, brazen enough and bold enough could not only survive but thrive — at least long enough to make a fortune or a name for themselves…or both.

The inherent wildness of the West lives on in the vast landscapes of the Sonoran Desert and in the culture and history of Native Americans and cowboys, which visitors can tap into; however, brand-spanking new, trending and sophisticated define the state, too.

“Three hundred thirty sunny days a year, friendly locals, inspiring sunsets, vibrant nightlife, fine dining, wine bars, microbreweries, world-class resorts, historical properties, Western ranches, destination spas and the best Prickly Pear Margarita you will ever taste — those are just a few reasons for a planner to consider Arizona.”
— Heather Husom

The combination of all the above makes Arizona a compelling meeting destination — that and glorious weather much of the year. As for summers, budget-friendly options pair nicely with AC, and most desert evenings cool down to surprisingly pleasant temps. Beyond all that, each city and region also brings its own special something to the meeting table.

Valley of the Sun

Part of the greater metropolitan area called The Valley of the Sun, Scottsdale embodies everything that name conjures up — a stunning valley edged by mountains under deep blue skies with the bright Western sun shining down. Upscale and the epitome of modern sophistication, Scottsdale also celebrates its Western roots in Old Town, where some of the city’s top restaurants can be found alongside galleries and eclectic shops.

That’s just the start of its diversity. Heather Husom, DMCP, general manager of Scottsdale-based Hello! Arizona Destination Management, says, “A planner may bring the same group several years in a row, yet each year the guests will be in awe of the experiences and discoveries to be made.”

She notes that incorporating local culture, for example, has almost endless possibilities. “It may include entertainment such as Native American storytellers or hoop dancers, an all-female mariachi band, an aura reader, potbellied pig racing, state historians or a foot rodeo.”

Ditto activities. Of course there’s riding horses and learning about cowboy life, Husom notes, and there are historic native ruins and ancient petroglyphs that provide insight into the past. But, she adds, groups also can book four-wheeling adventures in the desert in a variety of vehicles, from Jeeps and Hummers to a military-grade Tomcar off-road vehicle, and there’s rafting, fishing, kayaking and even drone shooting, too.

And because Scottsdale is “the embodiment of casual elegance,” Husom says it’s possible to create extraordinary events on the desert canvas.

“We recently had a client who wanted a unique evening to reward top producers and make them feel incredibly special. The group had a history of fine dining, so we created a sensational desert dining experience of a lifetime. We built 20 tasting tables, each to seat 12–15 people. Each custom table had its own décor, menu, wines and its own award-winning chef who prepared a four-course dining experience under the stars — 20 chefs at 20 tables.

“Each table featured a menu to showcase the chef’s signature dish plus a pre-selected wine pairing to enhance the culinary experience. The artistry of the individual chefs coupled with the individual table décor, entertainment and the backdrop of an Arizona sunset mesmerized our guests,” Husom says.

The event was a huge success, but it’s just one of countless possible custom experiences to be found or created in the Sonoran Desert.

Scottsdale accommodations range from moderately priced hotels to opulent resorts. A favorite is The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, which brings the region’s Scottish heritage into the mix with a resident bagpiper who plays to the sunset each evening, and a Scotch Library where individuals and groups can learn, among other things, about Scotch pairings and taste from an extensive collection of fine Scotch whisky, both blended and single malt. There are even a few very rare bottles among the more than 200 labels.

Ed Siegel, president of Pittsburgh-based EBJ Consultants Inc., brought the IMARK Group Inc. to The Westin Kierland for the company’s 2012 annual meeting. Based on the success of that meeting, the group is booked at the resort for its 2016 annual meeting, which will take place in October.

“Scottsdale has just about everything we look for in a meeting destination: great and dependable weather, a very good airport with nonstop service from many of our participants’ home cities, excellent optional dining and shopping opportunities, and an enormous number of quality golf courses for our very avid players,” Siegel says.

The resort met the group’s requirements for “superior meeting space, a large number of upscale sleeping rooms in an easily accessible area, high-quality recreational facilities and a reasonable rate during the high-demand convention season.” Its walking distance to Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Quarter was a bonus.

Siegel says The Westin Kierland’s sales team and staff were also factors. “Tracy Davies and Lara Anderson made us feel welcome and comfortable during the negotiation process, and were very visible and helpful in follow-up during our weeklong conference. The staff of the golf shop, headed by Nancy Dickens, could not have been more professional or helpful to both myself and our guests, before and throughout our stay.”

The group utilized a large number of breakout rooms and the Kierland Grand Ballroom for the two-day, one-on-one sessions and group banquets. The Marshall’s Outpost area worked well for the outdoor welcome dinner, which included more than 700 guests. Siegel says many of the attendees used the Agave Spa, and a large number of golfers “thoroughly enjoyed the very fair yet challenging golf” on the resort’s Troon-managed course.

“Since our meeting in 2012 was such a success, there is very little that we plan to change for this year’s meeting,” Siegel notes. “We did add entertainment to our welcome dinner at Marshall’s Outpost, where we once again expect over 700 guests to enjoy a warm October evening in an outdoor setting.”

Siegel advises planners considering the property to reserve the space as far in advance as possible. “The hotel is extremely busy during the high seasons and is even heavily booked in the traditionally slower seasons of winter and summer,” he says.

Phoenix

There’s so much new in Phoenix, especially in the downtown area, that planners may have a hard time keeping up. Within a mile of the Phoenix Convention Center are more than 3,300 hotel rooms with an additional 320 coming in 2017.

Occupying the historic former Professional Building, Hilton Garden Inn Phoenix Downtown melds art deco architectural details with a stylish design and stellar location. In April, the Lexington Hotel reopens as FOUND:RE, a property centered on local and modern art. Lurhs City Center Marriott will open this year downtown, featuring two Marriott brands, a Courtyard and a Residence Inn. Just north, The Camby, its name a nod to horizon-defining Camelback Mountain, offers more than 20,000 sf of meeting space and a look that’s timeless, bold, innovative and contemporary all at once. Perhaps most interesting, Phoenix now has the state’s first and only distillery using locally grown grain. Arizona Distilling Company won a double gold in one prestigious competition for its Desert Dry Gin. Ask about private tours for groups.

Greater Maricopa County: Mesa, Carefree and Paradise Valley

Maricopa County doesn’t end with Phoenix and Scottsdale. It has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to hotels and resorts, and its towns showcase the diversity of the extended metropolitan area.

Arizona’s third largest city covers 133 square miles. Sitting 20 miles east of Phoenix and less than 12 miles from Sky Harbor International Airport, Mesa prides itself on offering planners the Arizona experience they want for their attendees — at a lower cost. The city’s multitude of lakes and rivers and its proximity to Tonto National Forest make it easy to incorporate Arizona’s natural landscapes into a meeting via offsites and teambuilding options. Mesa hotels include 5,452 guest rooms and 140,000 sf of meeting space; some have adjoining conference centers.

Among the city’s stellar venues is Mesa Arts Center, with performances, meeting spaces and a host of programs, including immersion art experiences and options for spouses and teambuilding. Several area museums have meeting space and education opportunities, particularly related to native cultures, and Visit Mesa’s Fresh Foodie Trail takes attendees to local farms, gardens, a dairy, a winery and mills in Mesa and neighboring Gilbert and Queen Creek, as well as to farmer’s markets and food-truck events.

Thirty-five miles north of Phoenix, Carefree encompasses 8.9 square miles of spectacular nature. The Boulders Resort & Spa has thoroughly embraced its landscape and made it part of the resort experience — a bonus for guests and for planners looking to inspire attendees and incentive qualifiers. The resort encourages attendees to get out of meeting rooms and into its 1,300 acres.

Options include Cowboy for a Day programs and a culinary hunt via golf cart where every clue leads to a striking vista and interesting culinary bites. The resort offers a glowing hot-air balloon and nighttime vertical rides above its golf course, and foraging for edible goodies under the guidance of a master gardener. Wellness programs include outdoor yoga and brain-fitness classes, as well as a group shamanic experience for spiritual growth. Perhaps the most endearing option is inviting Miija and Burrito, the resort’s two “beer burros,” to a group’s reception where they offer beer from their saddlebags and memorable photo ops.

Paradise Valley, 14 miles northeast of Phoenix, is known for its dramatic mountains, including Mummy Mountain in the central valley and Camelback Mountain to the south. It is also known among C-suite execs and high-end incentive groups as home to Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort, where luxury, privacy and exclusive amenities provide a top-tier experience. The resort’s private homes offer a combination of luxury lodging and a venue for intimate gatherings and high-level meetings, and they’re close to all the resort offers. Debuting this month is the Spa House, a 3,500-sf, four bedroom private hideaway for executive corporate gatherings and featuring in-home spa services. Nearby are four new 875-sf casitas.

Tucson & Marana

Tucson has its own compelling geological drama, surrounded as it is by five mountain ranges. It sits at 2,643 feet above sea level and is one of the sunniest cities in the nation. In addition to miles of paved bike paths, Tucson also has more than 300 miles of mountain biking trails and many more miles of trails for hikers, horseback riders and shared use, giving outdoor enthusiasts plenty to do when business wraps up — no wonder the city draws 7 million visitors annually.

Tucson’s historical roots include Hohokam people who lived and farmed in the valley for 4,000 years, Spanish missionaries, soldiers, Mexican families, Western expansionists and others. The rich cultural mélange gives Tucson a colorful vibe, and planners will want to bring some of that culture into meetings to provide a compelling sense of place.

The city and surrounding area have no lack of meeting-friendly hotels and resorts to choose from, and there are ranches where groups can mix business with authentic ranch activities that foster teambuilding and leadership training. At White Stallion Ranch, for example, groups can participate in Wisdom Horse Coaching, a highly interactive leadership program that requires no previous equestrian experience. There also are resorts with phenomenal golf and tennis facilities, The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa and Loews Ventana Canyon Resort among them.

Hotel updates in Tucson include the historic Tucson landmark Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch, which just completed a multimillion-dollar expansion that added 32 guest rooms and a new 5,100-sf event space, the Casa Luna Ballroom.

Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort embarked this spring on the largest makeover in its 34-year history. Renovations of all 428 guest rooms and the lobby will be completed by spring 2017. Started last fall and completed this spring was a redesign of the pool area and the addition of new courtyards.

Miraval Resort & Spa recently introduced a program that offers a new taste of the area — an immersive beekeeping experience led by a local resident professional beekeeper. Participants don protective gear and harvest honey; partake in a tasting of local honeys; and learn all the buzz on bees’ role in our ecosystem through a series of lectures.

Desert Diamond Casino & Hotel adds something else to the meeting experience. Owned by the Tohono O’odham Nation, Desert Diamond is a place where attendees can enjoy gaming in their free time, but also where they can experience native culture firsthand. Planners can incorporate a traditional basket-dance performance into receptions or learn about and taste traditional native foods at a local co-op farm. The Mission San Xavier del Bac, a historic Spanish mission on the Tohono O’odham San Xavier Indian Reservation, provides insight into the history of missions throughout the Southwest.

Marana

In Marana, just west of Tucson along I-10, are more choices for planners. To start, Marana is home to the AAA Five Diamond Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, with more than 40 options for meeting and function space, from ballrooms and boardrooms to outdoor venues with the Tortolita Mountains as backdrop.

Groups can participate in such activities as cooking classes, nighttime golf, guided rock art tours to discover ancient Hohokam petroglyphs, geocaching hikes, cactus discovery tours and astronomer-guided stargazing, to name a few,  all of it enhanced by Ritz-Carlton’s impeccable service and upscale amenities. Attendees also can gain some cultural inspiration during a nightly Spirit of Adventure Celebration that features a Native American flutist performing from the surrounding Tortolita Foothills.

To more meaningfully connect with the local community, The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain also offers VolunTeaming programs, which combine teambuilding activities with community service volunteer activities.

Marana is more than an adjunct to Tucson. The city has its own draws including easy access to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (100 miles) and Tucson International (31 miles), as well as its own regional airport where private jets can touch down and their passengers can be at five-star resorts in minutes.

Toby Parks, tourism and marketing manager for Discover Marana, a local DMC, says, “Been there, done that? Check out Marana. As the gateway to Southern Arizona, Marana is brimming with adventure, excitement and fun for the whole family or the most serious of meetings.”

Among the city’s highlights, Parks points out, are an array of accommodations from five-star to mid-range hotels, venues for every possible purpose, outstanding local restaurants and catering, easy-to-navigate roadways, easy access to I-10 and exceptional recreational activities — especially in the Tortolita Mountains.

“The Tortolita mountain range offers nationally recognized hiking and biking trails,” Parks says, “and a visit to awe-inspiring Saguaro National Park provides memories that will last a lifetime.”

The national park is home to the nation’s largest cactus, the giant saguaro. Although it’s found in only a small portion of the United States, this desert giant is a singular symbol of the American West, especially when silhouetted against a brilliant orange sunset.

Sedona

Sedona is a four-season destination with typically balmy temperatures and 300 days of sunshine annually. Add its famously rose-hued rocks, widely acknowledged spiritual connections and a location almost halfway between Phoenix and the Grand Canyon, and it’s a destination with powerful drawing potential.

Sedona offers a range of resorts and hotels to meet a planner’s needs and easy access into a surrounding landscape that can be described without hype as breathtaking. It effortlessly provides what incentive groups are looking for — “wow” and all. But it’s also an ideal site for an executive retreat, a corporate teambuilding event or a leadership training session. Phoenix’s airport is just two hours away.

For those who may not make it as far as the Grand Canyon, Sedona offers its own smaller but incredibly beautiful Oak Creek Canyon, which sits within Coconino National Forest. The red-rock canyon gives visitors plenty to do, from hiking to fishing and swimming in Oak Creek. Slide Rock State Park, within the canyon, is a must-visit for outdoor enthusiasts, kids and kids-at-heart. The famous natural slide on the creek was named by USA Today as one of the nation’s 10 best swimming holes.

It is Sedona’s more mystical elements, however, that set it apart. It’s said that powerful vortexes in the area emit energy that has a positive effect on all who come in contact with it. Sedona is known as a place of spiritual healing where meditation and self-exploration enhance personal growth. Many visitors feel that Sedona is inspiring and rejuvenating, a place that’s good for body, mind and spirit. Those elements may make it ideal for leadership sessions, which require self-reflection and openness to doing things in new ways. Life coaches, spiritual counselors and shamans are all on hand to offer their expertise. Whether one believes in the specifics of Sedona’s mystique or not, there is no question that its incredible natural beauty will inspire anyone who visits.

Among Sedona’s most inviting properties is aptly named Enchantment Resort, tucked into a red-rock canyon where the juxtaposition of grand geologic formations and luxury amenities wields a seductive power. It makes a planner’s job easy — attendees need no coaxing to come here. Enchantment Resort’s Meeting Village was designed with flow of space in mind. The Village Terrace is the centerpiece, situated perfectly for al fresco dining. Spanning 5,100 sf, the grand Anasazi Ballroom with adjacent foyer, boardroom and business services center is ideal for general sessions. And the Juniper House, a separate space replete with fireplace and exposed beam ceilings is a comfortable “war room” for event planners seeking both privacy and proximity. Ample breakout space is available opposite the terrace in the Agave and Ocotillo Ballrooms, along with the exquisitely designed Manzanita Executive Boardroom.

In addition to the award-winning spa and a golf course surrounded by 100,000 acres of Coconino National Forest, Enchantment offers a wealth of group activities, including rugged jeep tours, horseback riding, hot air ballooning, air tours of Sedona and the Grand Canyon, private train excursions, hiking and mountain biking, archeological site tours and more.

Arizona’s Powerful Sense of Place

In total, Arizona is home to three national parks — Grand Canyon, Saguaro and Petrified Forest — and 14 national monuments, plus numerous national forests, recreation areas and historic sites. All are able to add immeasurably to a meeting experience by providing attendees with a deep sense of place via immersion in the powerful natural landscapes of the West.

As if that weren’t enough for meeting planners to put Arizona at the top of their destination lists, Husom adds this: “Three hundred thirty sunny days a year, friendly locals, inspiring sunsets, vibrant nightlife, fine dining, wine bars, microbreweries, world-class resorts, historical properties, Western ranches, destination spas and the best Prickly Pear Margarita you will ever taste — those are just a few reasons for a planner to consider Arizona.” C&IT

Cliff Kennedy is the founder and president of Kennedy Speech Communications, which has offices in Chicago, Illinois and San Diego, California. He is an executive speech coach who has spent his entire career creating high-stakes, high-impact audience experiences. His background as a creative director, writer and executive producer of corporate events has given him unique insight into what audiences expect and how they connect with speakers and presenters. cliff@kennedyspeech.com

You can’t have a successful event without successful speakers. They bring your agenda to life and engage your audience on a personal level that can’t be replicated by any other meeting element.

From the keynote speeches in a general session to the breakouts, improving the effectiveness and impact of the speakers at an event leads to real and meaningful results: ideas and messages are communicated more clearly and effectively, the credibility of the speakers and the organization is enhanced, and the audience is inspired to believe and motivated to act. This leads to an event with increased impact and value, as well as one that generates a much greater ROI.

As a meeting planner, you have an incredible opportunity to elevate the performance of the speakers at your event. Though you may not work directly on the development of each speech or presentation, you can help to create a plan for the success of every speaking opportunity.

Engage. Empower. Energize.

The process begins with a clear strategy. I believe that every event, and therefore every speech or presentation at an event, must engage the audience by offering a clear vision that appeals to their interests. It must empower the audience with the information and direction needed to achieve this vision. And finally, it must energize them with a clear call to action. Though not all speeches and presentations at an event have to achieve all three of these strategies, each must focus on at least one.

A Theme That Works

Great event themes don’t just sum up the purpose or topic of an event, they also guide and support the development of the speeches and presentations. To work in this manner, a theme should represent the overall vision of the event or organization. It then becomes a verbal shorthand that speakers can use to share this vision with their audience. And, even better, the audience can use it to spread this vision beyond the event.

The Experience Arc

Audiences don’t just listen to speeches and presentations, they experience them. Just like every other aspect of your event, including the lodging, meals, social activities and entertainment, the speeches contribute to the overall experience. Great speech experiences lead to a great event experience.

Remember this when you are developing the master agenda for your event. Don’t look at each session as a series of speeches, but as an opportunity to add to and enhance the audience experience.

Primary and Secondary Messages

Speeches are made of messages: Primary messages, which are the conclusions, and secondary messages that support those conclusions via facts, data, arguments, comparisons and stories. Speakers often spend the majority of their time discussing the support and never really get to the key takeaways. Make sure your speakers can clearly identify their primary messages.

Here’s an exercise I use with my clients: Pretend you only have three minutes to speak and you can only make five declarative statements. What would those statements be? Those are your primary messages.

Meaningful Media

Your speakers’ graphics and other media should support them and their messages, not the other way around. Many events provide a graphics template for speakers to use. Why stop there? How about offering a collection of stock images or high-end illustrations to help create more exciting and dynamic graphics? Or, if budget allows, hire a professional graphic designer to oversee and guide the media creation process for all speeches and presentations.

Design Great Panels

What’s the difference between a dull panel and a great one? Conflict or, more specifically, healthy conflict. Differences in ideas and perspectives that lead to real dialogue, real insights and a real experience for your audience. This means interaction between panelists who may not agree with each other. And that’s okay. But, it’s critical to choose the right person to moderate. Make sure he or she knows their role is to guide the discussion to a conclusion that has relevance to the audience.

Support Your Speakers

By providing your speakers with information and guidance, you will help them succeed.

Develop a clear process for speakers to follow in preparing for their speaking opportunity at the event. This could include a development schedule with key delivery dates for drafts and media as well as a detailed briefing packet that includes information about the audience, key messages and an explanation of the event theme. Further support may include a broad program of activities, including webinars on content development and public speaking skills and pre-site and onsite rehearsals.

Finally, include the speech and presentation development process in the master schedule for the event and make sure the speeches are always on the agenda of every status meeting.

Measuring Outcomes

To raise the bar and create even better events in the future, closely look at the speech and presentation outcomes you are measuring. Instead of just asking audiences to rate a speaker on a scale of one to five, try to dig a bit deeper. How engaging was the speaker? Did he provide value? Did she create a memorable experience?

Great events come from understanding what the people in your audience believe is valuable.

• What do they need?
• What are their concerns and challenges?
• What is happening in the world that affects them?

Your audience is the final arbiter of success. If you want to know what they consider important when it comes to the speakers at your event, ask them.

Change Your Perspective. Change Your Expectations. Change Your Results.

Whether you are a seasoned pro or are just getting started in your event planning career, I strongly recommend that you look at your events from a fresh perspective. One that recognizes the critical role of the speeches, presentations and panel discussions. This new perspective will lead to greater expectations and more meaningful and lasting results.  C&IT

The Global Center for Health Innovation in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, houses the HIMSS Innovation Center, which has 30,000 sf of space. Credit: HIMSS Innovation Center

What makes a city a major player in the medical meetings industry? The answer is manifold, ranging from generic advantages such as great airlift and diversified lodging options to factors that are more industry specific, such as a strong local medical community and suppliers who are cognizant of strict compliance guidelines. Many cities, both domestic and international, appear to have the formula worked out, as they do significant meetings business in this sector.

American Express Meetings & Events, with a clientele that is over 30 percent health care companies, has a bird’s-eye perspective on site selection trends. “Within North America, Chicago, San Francisco and Boston are predominant cities for congresses and conventions,” observes Richard Parker, director of health care. “For standalone medical meetings, we see a lot of activity in Philadelphia, although not as much in Jacksonville or Cleveland. Globally, Barcelona, London, Vienna, Munich, Copenhagen, Paris, Rome and Milan are also key cities.”

“Cities with “an adequate number of venues that are within spend and compliance guidelines are ideal hosts for medical meetings.”
—  Richard Parker

In any of these destinations, planners abiding by the pharma code can have confidence that they will find supplier partners who can provide value while respecting their budget limitations. Cities with “an adequate number of venues that are within spend and compliance guidelines are ideal hosts for medical meetings,” Parker says. Additionally, medical meetings-friendly CVBs and hoteliers take into account “confidentiality on leads, exclusivity (full disclosure/approval on competitors in the same hotel) and the ability and flexibility to provide food and beverage within stringent meal caps.”

According to Kristin Wilcox, team lead, pharma purchasing for ITA Group, “The pharma company that I support has really come down on being audited and whether they are following the F&B and room rate guidelines, from an open payment standpoint and the transfer of value to the health care providers. So definitely that’s what we’re looking for when we send out our RFPs.”

Compliance-Savvy Hoteliers

Hoteliers who are especially keen on catering to pharma and medical device groups can earn the HMCC (Healthcare Meeting Compliance Certificate) offered to both planners and suppliers by MPI and St. Louis University. “Hoteliers may not need to understand (compliance) like a planner would, but just knowing that there are rules and how to be sensitive to meal caps and why planners are requesting what they’re requesting makes (the certification valuable),” says Taya Paige, business development manager with ITA Group and contributing author to the CMP-Healthcare (CMP-HC) certification. “It’s really hard to work with people who have no education in that area. And definitely the CVBs can play a role. They can insist with their hoteliers that if you’re handling pharma, you need to obtain this compliance certification so that we know that you understand this industry that we’re going after. So they’ll recommend the property for pharma bids that come in.” Paige adds that it is helpful when hoteliers have purchased a subscription to My Compliance Wizard, an app launched last spring by Pat Schaumann, director, professional development, health care sector at MPI, and BusyEvent Mobile. The tool keeps users up to date on changes in compliance rules for HCPs from various countries.

In short, the destinations most appealing to the medical meetings market are those whose suppliers are knowledgeable and proactive when it comes to compliance. They are not “complacent” when it comes to those rules, Parker explains, “but instead embrace compliance initiatives, invest in their people to make sure they are informed about international regulations governing health care meetings, and commit to a creative approach, despite the obvious budgetary limitations. Compliance does not mean innovation should be stifled.”

Medical Communities

Apart from the proficiency of local suppliers to accommodate these needs of medical groups, a secondary advantage that a city can offer is a robust medical community. Among the standout cities in this regard are Orlando, with its Medical City in Lake Nona under development; Philadelphia, with its dynamic biotech startup scene; and Cleveland, with its Global Center for Health Innovation. The presence of these companies and facilities can mean stronger local attendance for client-facing meetings, the availability of medical institutions for offsite events, as well as the possibility of culling speakers from the institutions. “These resources are advantageous for medical groups meeting in these cities as they offer access to a larger pool of key opinion leaders and facilities that enable showcasing medical, surgical and hospital goods,” adds Parker.

For example, management consulting firm Stafford Snyder found Cleveland’s local medical facilities advantageous when holding its health care executive conference, Disrupted Healthcare, in the city last September. The Global Center for Health Innovation has 27 tenant partners, including HIMSS, Siemens Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Cardinal Health, GE Healthcare and the Cleveland Clinic. Stafford Snyder was able to utilize several speakers from tenant companies. According to Dave Johnson, director of public relations and communication for the FirstMerit Convention Center of Cleveland and Global Center, “Health care is far and away the leader in terms of events that we host; 27 percent are health care related. The Global Center hosted over 300 meetings last year, all health care related, primarily in the tenant partner suites.” Half of those events took place in the fourth-floor HIMSS Innovation Center.

An indirect benefit of the presence of numerous health care companies and institutions is that it tends to promote an awareness of the industry among local hoteliers and DMOs. For example, Paige notes that Newport Beach, California, is up-and-coming in the medical meetings arena, an initiative spurred in part by the medical community surrounding the venerable Hoag Hospital. “It’s really driven them to understand that environment,” she says. “So while (the presence of a strong medical community) may not be the first thing a buyer thinks of, I believe suppliers may have a better understanding (of the medical meetings market) if they have a strong medical community. Visit Newport Beach, for instance, is making sure that all of their hoteliers have the HMCC, and so they attend shows like the Global Pharmaceutical and Medical Meetings Summit and the Pharma Forum where the certification is offered, and they additionally exhibit there.”

The Perception Factor

The initiative Newport Beach has taken may compensate for its “resort” image, which can be a deterrent for medical groups bringing in HCPs. “The perception factor is a key component, especially for meetings where HCPs are in attendance,” says Parker. But the concern tends to apply more to hotels than destinations. “For my clients, if there is ‘resort and spa’ in the property name, we are not to select that or even send out a bid,” says Wilcox. “Some hotels will even (identify as) a four star vs. five if they really want to go after pharma groups, or they will change the name of their hotel (to exclude ‘resort and spa’),” Paige adds.

Nashville Experience

One of Nashville’s primary meeting hotels balances “resort” with “convention center” in its name: the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. Health care IT company eClinicalWorks found the Gaylord to be an ideal hotel partner, in part due to its ability to handle the numerous breakouts medical meetings are known for. Within the hotel’s 700,000-plus sf of function space, eClinicalWorks staged 120 breakouts in eight concurrent sessions for its 2015 National Conference, bringing in thousands of doctors, office managers, physician’s assistants and others medical professionals.

Nashville itself was quite appealing to the group. “Our attendees loved going to Nashville, everything from the Southern hospitality to the entertainment options,” says Jennifer Moore, event team lead at eClinicalWorks. “We always provide opportunities for our attendees to enjoy the city itself.” The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation assisted with information booths at the meeting so attendees could learn of various free-time entertainment options.

The historic Grand Ole Opry served as the site for eClinicalWorks’ keynote speech, given by the company’s CEO and founder. “Having the keynote at the Grand Ole Opry is a bucket-list item, you feel like you’re part of history,” says Moore. “For us to be there and see the gold albums on the wall and to know that Dolly Parton sang on this stage, it was magical in a lot of ways. People truly loved it.”

The city also has a vibrant medical community, including HCA Healthcare and Lifepoint Health, companies that are clients of eClinicalWorks. “They truly appreciated the fact that we were in their hometown, and we were very proud to be in their hometown,” says Moore. “I don’t think (their presence in the city) made us choose to go there, but it was one of the added perks. People (from those companies) knew we were there and that allowed them to bring more attendees and welcome us to their city.”

Los Angeles Option

Like other top medical meeting destinations, Los Angeles has a rich infrastructure of medical organizations, including UCLA Health, Orthopaedic Institute for Children, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute and the Los Angeles Medical Center. And opening in August in the heart of UCLA’s campus is the new 254-room UCLA Meyer & Renee Luskin Conference Center, which will host medical meetings in 25 meeting rooms and a total of 25,000 sf of meeting space, equipped with advanced AV and videoconferencing technology.

Genetic testing company Natera, based in San Carlos, California, finds L.A. to be ideal for its consultant board meetings and national sales meeting.

“We have several employees and doctors (flying in from overseas) and we try to look for locations where airports have lots of direct flights, so that’s one component. And L.A. has a major airport that’s easy to get to,” notes Connie Cruz, MAE, marketing manager, global events. “L.A. also has great nightlife and a lot of activities, so that way after the meetings are done there are many opportunities for our doctors and our employees to also have fun without having to travel very far.”

Accordingly, Cruz looks for hotels that are in walking distance of entertainment. She also needs hotels to be flexible with logistical details and support a significant number of breakouts. “We can have last-minute room list changes because the doctors have a lot of last-minute requests,” she says. “We use 300 guest rooms (for the national meeting) and we need anywhere between 20–25 breakout rooms. Our group likes a lot of small breakout rooms, and finding a hotel that can meet that is important.”

Cruz has found the 628-room Loews Hollywood Hotel, with 76,000 sf of flexible meeting space, to be accommodating on all these counts. Yet another site criterion has become a familiar one in the industry: the ability and willingness to work within compliance guidelines. Natera became a public company in July, Cruz notes, and the “pharma code is new territory for us.” C&IT

Houston designer David Peck (3rd from left) created a stylish wardrobe collection for hotel associates at the JW Marriott Houston Downtown. Credits: JW Marriott Housotn Downtown

Neither hoteliers, nor meeting planners themselves, can afford to ignore the preferences of the most rapidly growing demographic within corporate America. Millennials, aka Generation Y, are often defined as those born between 1980 and 2000. According to Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data, Gen Y surpassed Gen X to become the largest share of the American work force in the first quarter of 2015. By 2020, they are expected to comprise almost half the work force.

Hoteliers know this is a customer they need to focus on, and certain brands, such as Starwood’s Aloft and Hilton’s Curio, are especially geared toward that segment.

“You can’t do a sales or summit meeting for millennials without it being active and interactive. You can’t show them an experience; they have to be a part of that experience.”
— Amber Allen

“Our clientele is made up of the new emerging global traveler — those that are hyperconnected, hypercurious and hypercommunal,” says Paige Francis, vice president of global brand management with Starwood’s Specialty Select Brands. Sandra Heydt, director of sales and marketing at The Logan Philadelphia, Curio Collection by Hilton, also stresses the prevalence of the millennial customer, having observed a high percentage of them in advertising, legal, fashion, technology, retail and political organizations, and in the meetings those organizations conduct.

“It’s important to note that many organizations have young associates and millennials in support roles, and they plan happy hours and networking events for their organization to drive engagement and collaboration with their coworkers,” Heydt says. “Additionally, the technology sector has exploded in the past 10 years, with meetings becoming more of a dynamic way to roll out new products. Many technology companies also use meetings as platforms to drive employee engagement via social media and other avenues.”

By partnering with hotels that cater to millennials, the planners of these meetings go a long way toward engaging their audience. Numerous aspects of the hotel environment, including event space flexibility, local flavor, F&B service and technology, can make the experience Gen Y-friendly.

Event Space Flexibility

Millennials are not opposed to traditional meeting rooms, but they also tend to enjoy gathering in a variety of informal spaces. “As these groups continue to grow, we’ve noticed that more areas in our hotels are being utilized for meetings beyond our tactic rooms,” Francis observes. “Since all Aloft Hotels are fully equipped with fast and free Wi-Fi as well as ample charging stations, on any given day there could be brainstorming sessions being hosted in the lobby over a game of pool, or during happy hour at the WXYZ bar. We’ve even noticed huddle sessions held poolside on sunny days.”

Part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, The Highland Dallas is a prime example of a hotel that offers event space flexibility. The 198-room boutique hotel is certainly well stocked in traditional meeting spaces, with an overall 13,490 sf including the 6,470-sf Opus Grand Ballroom, Fresco and Impressionist meeting rooms, and Maestro Boardroom. But the hotel is open to planners using nontraditional event spaces in order to design meetings with a spontaneous feel that appeals to millennials.

Amber Allen, CEO of Austin, Texas-based Double A Events, has partnered with The Highland Dallas to create a dynamic meeting for a major U.S. multinational technology company and Anderson Merchandisers that extended well beyond the meeting rooms.

With numerous clients in the video game industry and other areas of high tech, Allen (a millennial herself) understands that a straightforward general-session-and-breakouts format won’t keep these professionals fully engaged. Says Allen, “We focus on how to make the conference not boring, how to get them out of the ballrooms and mix it up. You have to get them out of there after three hours or you lose their attention. The problem with some hotels is that they only think ballrooms and conference room breakouts.”

It wasn’t a problem at The Highland Dallas. “Literally they let us take over their entire hotel,” says Allen. For example, the group utilized the top-floor storage space for a live-music event in an industrial setting (the idea was suggested by Sarah Springer, the hotel’s catering sales and conference services manager — also a millennial).

A digital scavenger hunt included part of the restaurant and lobby, where attendees also created music videos and engaged in fun challenges. “We had executives in their 20s running down the stairs going to the lobby area where the next challenge was,” Allen recalls. “You can’t do a sales or summit meeting for millennials without it being active and interactive. You can’t show them an experience; they have to be a part of that experience.” The conference concluded in the pool area where attendees enjoyed drinks and conversation about their experience, complemented by live feeds from their iPads to the TVs.

“The Highland Dallas couldn’t have been a more perfect fit for our national meeting,” says Mark DuBose, director of client services, Anderson Merchandisers. “Finding a hotel that meshed with program culture was critical, and a young, modern vibe was just what we were looking for. …Our event couldn’t have been more memorable and team motivating.”

Local Flavor

As compelling as planners can make the onsite experience, “Gen Y attendees want to experience the city when they travel,” says Judy Anderson, CMP, director, meetings and travel with Grapevine, Texas-based GameStop, “so that’s what we give them.” The meetings Anderson plans are typically 85–90 percent Gen Y, which is to be expected in the video game industry, and they look for “the total package” when it comes to the meeting experience, she notes.

Thus, a hotel caters to millennials in part by being in a location that these attendees will want to explore. “We secure hotels that offer a competitive rate, available (hopefully comp) Wi-Fi and an engaging location,” says Anderson. “Within four to six blocks of the hotel there must be restaurants, bars/nightlife and things to do/see to keep our attendees engaged and excited about the event. This is a tall order, but our team is successful at securing hotels in a great area for our attendees.”

Hoteliers can facilitate the exploration of the neighborhood through concierge services or specialized programs. For example, The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte recently introduced a new option for event planners — Meetings on the Grid, which allows attendees to network while experiencing the city of Charlotte “like a local,” including the thriving craft beer, recreation, art and entertainment scenes in nearby neighborhoods.

Several offsite meeting venues can be booked through the program, such as Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the North Carolina Music Factory and the U.S. National Whitewater Center.

The Logan Philadelphia, Curio Collection by Hilton, brings local flavor inside the hotel walls with artwork that “connects all guests to the story of Philadelphia’s evolution by making the city the thread that ties the design together,” says Heydt. “Regarding Curio – a Collection by Hilton as a whole, each hotel is a part of the city it calls home — embodying the distinct culture and spirit of its communities.”

Starwood’s Aloft brand also integrates local culture in an artistic way, via a social element. “Social offerings like Aloft’s ‘Live at Aloft Hotels’ intimate acoustic performances enable guests to enjoy the local culture while enjoying a hand-crafted cocktail in the WXYZ bars,” Francis notes. “For example, Aloft Liverpool, located in the city that’s home to one of the world’s most famous bands, The Beatles, has built a strong cult-like following through the Live at Aloft Hotels series as a way to showcase the area’s history and emerging artists, as well as pack their WXYZ bar with regulars.”

F&B Services

A more literal “local flavor” comes from destination-inspired F&B offerings, which answers to the foodie trend that is especially strong with millennials. “This is where The Logan Philadelphia truly shines thanks to our Urban Farmer Restaurant and banquet offerings,” Heydt says. “The farm-to-table/food sustainability movement has become incredibly important to this generation, and it is a huge selling point for us vs. our competition in the Philadelphia market.”

The Ritz-Carlton serves up numerous experiences with local food across its properties. Examples include The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island’s Honey Break, served by the resort’s beekeeper with both honeycomb and honey-infused treats; The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas’ “Sea to Sails” experience, where guests greet the fishermen daily and hand-select their fish and lobsters; and The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis’ themed coffee breaks with pretzels, local Fitz Root Beer and Kaldi’s Coffee served to the sounds of jazz.

“Tailoring custom experiences for attendees has always been a priority for us, and today the localization of those experiences has become extremely popular,” says John Harper, vice president, sales with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

Healthful options also are important to Gen Y, Allen adds. As hors d’oeuvres, “we did these cups with hummus and veggies, so it’s easy for them to walk around and use their other hand for their phone.”

Also well received were trendy items such as liquid nitrogen popcorn and interactive F&B experiences such as a hot chocolate bar where attendees could create their drinks. “They want to create their own experiences and choices in their food,” Allen observes.

Dressing for Success

According to some experts, 93 percent of millennials say they want a job where they can be themselves at work, and that includes dressing in a way that makes them comfortable and stylish. Thus, the trend is for more and more hotels to design staff uniforms (often millennials) that also are appealing to millennial meeting-goers.

The recently debuted Hilton West Palm Beach visited sleek bars in Manhattan to develop looks that would speak to trendy millennials, while channeling the popular “Palm Beach Chic” look. Valet staff wear all black Shell Top Adidas, known as Superstars. Bartenders flaunt leather vests and baristas wear trendy flat caps.

In Houston, the JW Marriott Houston Downtown called upon local designer David Peck to create a wardrobe for their associates.

“Traditional uniforms can mask individuality so we wanted the JW Marriott Houston Downtown associates to stand out and feel confident,” said Peck. “The employees have to wear the clothes all day, so they need styles that last, would pop, but not be too cumbersome. Everyone loves that the clothes are made here, and the quality is better than you would typically find in a standard hotel uniform.” The wardrobe includes elongated pencil skirts, jackets with defined shoulders, sheath dresses and blouses with neckties.

“The inspiration for the wardrobe program came from the building itself and its rich heritage,” said Peck. “I love that it was Houston’s first skyscraper and that it has been brought back to its original splendor. The hotel’s thoughtfully curated art program, its iconic architectural design and décor and its exquisite attention to detail inspired us to create a wardrobe program that the associates could have in their own closets and make personal, but still remain put-together, stylish and appropriate for a luxury hotel.”

Technology

Most hotel guests, and millennials in particular, appreciate the latest technological conveniences. Aloft is Starwood’s frontrunner when it comes to tech innovations. “Many of our team members are testing these innovations at home so that we truly understand how it works and, in turn, can better understand the guest experience,” says Francis.

She discusses some of the brand’s latest developments: “Aloft Hotels became the first hotel brand to ‘employ’ a robotic butler, Botlr. Other high-tech experiences that attract millennials include SPG Keyless, an evolution of Aloft’s Smart Check-in, which allows guests to use their smartphone as their room key. We also are currently testing Smart Carpet, voice-activated technologies (imagine asking your room for a toothbrush!) and other ways to marry technology with the guest experience.

“Our guests are the first in line to buy new smartphones and test new high-tech toys for their home, so why should their hotel stay be any different?”

In the mobile app arena, The Ritz-Carlton App is a particularly robust example. In addition to mobile check-in and check-out, the app includes features such as real-time service requests, food and beverage ordering, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards account review, hotel offers review, concierge tips powered by the brand’s FourSquare “World Concierge,” and Travel Poster memories for attendees to download and share.

In terms of connectivity, hoteliers are increasingly catering to millennials’ desire for free Wi-Fi, but capacity for live streaming is an area that could stand to be improved in many cases, Allen points out. “I really wish more hotels would get this. We have to stream these events, (and we need) an Internet that is strong enough because these millennial tech companies have offices all over the world. They’ll sign on because they’re so used to streaming things in Twitch anyway, so they just stream the conference on a separate monitor at their desk. The Highland Dallas was really good at understanding that I just needed a straight fiber line in, but a lot of (hotels) really don’t get that.”

Social Media

Most hoteliers do “get” the social media trend and are continually finding ways to use these media in their outreach to planners and groups. For example, Ritz-Carlton’s Art of Meetings Pinterest page is intended to inspire planners to craft, photograph and share images of memorable events by The Ritz-Carlton.

The company’s social media team curates images of meeting setups, F&B presentations and indoor and outdoor venues.

But it’s not just about hoteliers being active in social media; it’s also about facilitating its use by attendees as part of the event. For instance, The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte offers as many as four breaks and room turns during a single morning or afternoon session, so that participants can take a few minutes every hour to audit social media. (The hotel also can set up a customized Spotify playlist for attendees to enjoy while on break.)

In addition, hotels are facilitating live social media feeds at meetings and special events. “During our Live At Aloft Hotels concerts, there was a real-time screen on display during each performance that showed live social media updates from guests and attendees,” notes Francis. “We are always looking for fun new ways to make an experience more interactive with social media.”

While millennials are keen on interactivity, Allen stresses that a certain balance must be maintained during sessions. “It’s still a job, and you’re still teaching them; otherwise, you’re not running the meeting, the millennials are. So you’ve got to keep your sessions to where you’re still respecting your speakers,” she explains. “The easy way to do that is you give them a private Facebook page as a forum — because ‘I don’t want my boss to see my page’ is their attitude. And then as they’re in the sessions they can go in and ask their questions. And then after the presentation we go into that forum, and we can read off the questions and provide the answers, so they’re still getting their say.”

Hoteliers’ initiatives to cater to Gen Y can have a lighter side, but overall it’s serious business. Developing brand loyalty in younger clientele is critical in any industry, and every hotelier wants to ensure they engage the guest — and meeting attendee — of the future. C&IT

ShowStoppers at Wynn Las Vegas is a grand example of the built-in entertainment at hand at gaming resorts. Credit: © 2014, Joan Marcus

Gaming, one of the planet’s oldest forms of entertainment, appears to be more popular than ever. According to the online statistics portal Statista, the gaming industry makes a direct contribution of more than $100 billion annually to the U.S. economy and employs more than 700,000 people. Much of this activity takes place in casinos, which once were legal in only a few states but are now found across the country. As many casinos are located in luxurious as well as rustic hotels and resorts, these destinations have evolved as an appealing option not only for private outings, but also for corporate meetings and incentive programs.

Most casino hotels and resorts offer built-in entertainment onsite and at all hours, which is a big plus for meeting planners. Conference participants can complete all their business and go on to enjoy a welcome change of pace by going to a first-class show, playing the slots or even relaxing during a round of golf with clients and fellow meeting-goers. All this without even leaving the property or the immediate area.

“Gaming destinations are becoming very bullish on the meetings market. There is some tremendous value to be had, especially if your corporate meeting is over midweek days and stays away from Friday and Saturdays.”
— Jim Wood

Jim Wood, president and CEO of Meet AC, the tourism economic development agency for Atlantic City, New Jersey, says that gaming resorts offer both value and strong entertainment options.

“Gaming destinations are becoming very bullish on the meetings market,” he says. “There is some tremendous value to be had, especially if your corporate meeting is over midweek days and stays away from Friday and Saturdays.” He notes that Sunday through Thursday patterns can receive all the benefits of a world-class casino resort, but without paying the higher room rates over traditionally heavy weekends for the gaming destination.

At the same time, the readily available entertainment can be a real plus.

“A destination that offers gaming usually has a built-in entertainment component, which is a major benefit to any corporate meeting,” Wood says. “Companies can enjoy headliner entertainment that the casino is already providing so there can be savings to a company from that aspect alone.” He adds that should a corporate planner look to hire entertainment for an event, casinos have strong relationships with entertainers that can be useful in booking talent.

Wood says that meeting planners and event participants alike may be surprised at the variety of attractions available, making gaming resorts attractive to non-gamblers as well as those who enjoy gaming.

“They can enjoy brand name retail stores and restaurants owned and operated by renowned chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay and Wolfgang Puck, just to name a few,” he says. “Other features include spas, health clubs, pools and nightclubs. Too, those resorts located on the water may offer the extra benefits of a beach setting.”

Popular Choices

From coast to coast, a variety of resorts offer attractive options for corporate meetings.

Deb Hammond, a vice president at Kent, Washington-based Worldwide Distributors whose duties include meeting planning, has found the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, Nevada, a favored choice among meeting attendees. The company holds two trade shows a year at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, with about half of the attendees staying at the Atlantis during the event. Participants are buyers or owners of retail stores or sales representatives in the sporting goods industry. Each meeting draws about 1,000 to 1,200 attendees.

Hammond says gaming offers an enjoyable option.

“Many of our attendees come from smaller communities and enjoy having the opportunity to gamble in the evenings after work,” she says.

And both the city and the resort offer highly appealing features.

“Reno is a comfortable-sized city for our group,” she says. “It’s easy to get around and offers a variety of food and entertainment.” She adds that the Atlantis is convenient for attendees to access the convention center.

“The Atlantis also gives us a convenient option for holding events in their ballrooms,” she says. “They have an excellent catering staff and always exceed our expectations.”

Hammond also lauds the relationship with the Atlantis sales staff.

“They always work to meet our needs while we’re there,” she says. “They have also worked as an advocate for us with the convention center.”

An additional consideration is that there are no unions to deal with in Reno.

“This allows a lot of flexibility for our exhibitors and cuts the expense of attending,” Hammond says. “We work on a tight budget as do most of our attendees, so it is a great value for us.”

With 824 guest rooms, the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa offers 50,000 sf of meeting space, all located on the same level. It has direct access via a skybridge to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, which features an additional 500,000 sf of event space. Along with eight restaurants, guests can enjoy the facility’s more than 60,000 sf of casino space. With slot machines and a variety of gaming tables, it also has a race and sports book, a poker room and several non-smoking gaming areas.

Because of optics, a casino resort may not be at the top of every planner’s site selection list, however, there are countless alternative options for meeting attendees who are not interested in gambling per se. In fact, many casino hotels locate their guest rooms and meeting spaces apart from the gambling areas.

More a Plus Than a Minus

Janet Lampert, president and COO of Dynamic Communities Inc., an IT support organization in Tampa, Florida, acknowledges that a gaming resort might be viewed by some as a less desirable location for a conference since the nightlife and other activity could be a distraction to the event. But she and her team found the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa an ideal venue for an October 2015 summit attended by 4,200 participants. Along with a large room block and substantial number of room upgrades used as appreciation gifts, the lively environment was seen as a plus.

“The gaming and nightlife atmosphere provided our conference attendees with greater opportunities for networking and casual, face-to-face meet-ups,” she says. “We also liked the variety of dining options, and the availability of several intriguing venues for partner parties and formal networking receptions.”

While the main meeting was being held at the Atlantis, several related events also were also held at the convention center during the same time frame.

“Our event’s expo and meal hall were located in the convention center, so it was a huge plus that the Atlantis had enough meeting space to accommodate the summit and was connected to the convention center for easy flow of traffic between sessions,” she says.

Reno’s proximity to Lake Tahoe was another draw.

“Oftentimes, we hear of attendees extending their trip to meet with family and friends to explore the city,” Lampert says. “We knew our attendees would be eager to explore Lake Tahoe and would appreciate being only a short drive away from exploring.”

She adds that quality of service provided by the resort’s staff was a major consideration.

“When planning an event, there needs to be trust and confidence in the team you’re working with to plan, prepare and successfully execute the event when arriving onsite,” she says. “The Atlantis staff was fantastic to work with during our planning process, and they were very quick to respond to our requests onsite.”

Lampert’s group also found the large meeting spaces a plus.

“The meeting space was most definitely adequate for a large group,” she says. “We hold several site visits a year to prepare for future events, and meeting space within a hotel is not always guaranteed. We appreciated having all of our attendees sitting in sessions within the same location during our annual event.”

If nothing else, the gaming option expands possibilities for planners who seek some variety and attendance building.

“It’s nice to offer options to customers,” says Janine West, operations manager for Ferguson HVAC – EastWest Air, a wholesaler based in Louisville, Kentucky. “The more attractive the venue, the higher number of attendees. Gaming offers that.”

She has held meetings at Indiana’s French Lick Resort and Casino in both fall and winter, with attendance varying from 50 to 100 business owners.

“The facility is wonderful,” she says. “It has so much to offer.” She says that along with the gaming options, feedback from customers shows they enjoy taking in the hotels’ history and listening to live music.

Two hotels offer a combined 686 guest rooms. The meeting and event center totals 105,000 sf of space, including a 22,000-sf adjustable ballroom. Groups ranging from 10 to 2,000 attendees can be accommodated.

New and Noteworthy

Already known for its spacious rooms, The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas has recently renovated 3,000 suites with new paint, wall coverings and carpet, along with enhanced technology including larger televisions and updated connections for electronic devices. Its meeting options continue to accommodate the largest of groups thanks to the huge amount of convention space available within the entire complex, which includes The Palazzo and the Sands Expo. In 2015, the final phase of the multi-year renovation of The Venetian and The Palazzo Congress Center and Sands Expo was completed. Recent improvements at Sands Expo included a new $6 million, 12,000-sf kitchen designed to provide higher quality food for trade show attendees, support show growth and increase energy efficiency by 35 percent. This is in addition to the recent total remodel and redesign of all lobbies and common spaces; construction of a 60-foot central atrium with a 30,000-sf, 3-D articulated ceiling; reconstruction of meeting rooms and business center; renovation of the building facade and porte cochere; and upgrades to the exhibition halls.

Another large resort, the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, continues to grow. Currently it combines three casinos offering more than 300,000 sf of gaming activities with a 34-story hotel tower featuring 1,200 guest rooms —and another tower now under construction. Other features include a large retail shopping area, spa and a 10,000-seat arena. Along with big-name performers, it hosts championship boxing and the home games of the Connecticut Sun WNBA basketball team. Among the many options offered by the three casinos are 5,000 slot machines and more than 300 table games.

The more than 100,000 sf of meeting and function space includes a 38,000-sf ballroom, 14,000 sf of prefunction space and a number of meeting rooms.

As if this isn’t enough to satisfy virtually any meeting needs, the new hotel tower is slated to open in the fall of 2016. Featuring 400 guest rooms, an indoor pool and fitness center, the new facilities also will provide expanded meeting space.

Also offering impressive facilities is Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, which bills itself as the largest resort casino in North America. Along with more than 150,000 sf of meeting and convention space, the huge complex features six different casinos, four hotels and other attractions including spas, theaters, golf courses, nightclubs, a bowling alley and retail outlets. Event space, which accommodates up to 2,000 guests, includes a 50,000-sf column-free ballroom.

Owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, the resort has more than 2,230 guest rooms and suites at four onsite hotels: the Grand Pequot Tower Hotel, Great Cedar Hotel, the Fox Tower and Two Trees Inn.

For a different type of setting, Arizona’s We-Ko-Pa Resort & Conference Center offers a desert location combining the attractions of the Fort McDowell Casino with golf and other activities. Along with 246 guest rooms and suites, there is indoor and outdoor meeting space totaling 55,000 sf. The 25,000-sf Wassaja Conference Center, featuring traditional motifs of the Yavapai Nation, includes an 18,000-sf ballroom divisible into smaller event areas ranging from 1,500 sf to 3,000 sf each. A 3,600-sf executive meeting facility has a 640-sf conference room and five similar-sized meeting rooms. The Fort McDowell Casino offers 866 slot machines, a variety of card games and a 1,200-seat bingo hall.

At the MGM Grand Detroit, some 30,000 sf of event space accommodates about 800 people. A 14,000-sf ballroom can be divided into four salons, and three 1,600-sf meeting rooms handle up to 86 people each. There are 400 guest rooms.

In Las Vegas, as the 50th anniversary of Caesars Palace approaches, the evolution continues with the reimagining of the iconic hotel’s original tower, the Roman Tower, which was reborn as the new Julius Tower. The new 587-room tower features new design-savvy, modern rooms and suites.

The guest room amenities include 55-inch TVs equipped with Sonifi system, luxurious Beauty Rest Bouvet Island Mattresses, a specially curated minibar and English-themed Gilchrist & Soames in-room toiletries and amenities.

Caesars Entertainment also has three properties in Atlantic City. Bally’s offers 1,760 guest rooms, many with ocean views, and 147 guest rooms in Bally’s Tower have recently been renovated. The hotel provides 80,000 sf of meeting space, all located on one level, with 23 meeting rooms, from a 20-person boardroom to a ballroom for 1,900. There also is the Bally’s Legends in Concert Theater, with 450 seats and plenty of technological capabilities.

Another Caesars Entertainment property in Atlantic City, the 1,144-room Caesars Atlantic City, has 28,000 sf of meeting space, including the 17,135-sf Palladium Ballroom, with its generous prefunction space and elegant atmosphere. Ten meeting rooms range from 490 sf to 1,262 sf, and can be combined to create a larger space. The renovated Circus Maximus Theater at Caesars has comfortable seating for more than 1,500 guests for special events, and renovations of 286 guest rooms in Temple Tower will be completed by May. And, of course, for planners booked into Bally’s and/or Caesars, meeting options can be extended at sister property Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City and its new Waterfront Conference Center.

Harrah’s $125 million Atlantic City Waterfront Conference Center made a big splash when it opened in September of last year, and it is now gearing up for the 2016 World Education Congress (WEC), hosted by Meeting Professionals International (MPI) in June 2016. The WEC will attract more than 2,500 attendees, including corporate, third-party and association planners, suppliers, industry faculty and students, and it will be the first time that MPI has hosted a congress in Atlantic City. The Waterfront Conference Center offers 100,000 sf of meeting space and state-of-the-art technology throughout the venue. The huge amount of meeting space can be easily reconfigured into as many as 63 individual meeting rooms, including two 50,000-sf pillarless ballrooms that can accommodate up to 5,000 guests.

“We are happy to be partnering with Caesars Entertainment in hosting MPI’s WEC in 2016,” says Meet AC’s Jim Wood. “This is a strategic direction for Meet AC and for Atlantic City as we continue to diversify our mix of business. Showcasing Atlantic City to over 1,000 meeting planners and over 2,500 total attendees will definitely help us grow the meetings and conventions market.”

Harrah’s Resort’s other features include 2,590 hotel rooms, directly accessible from the Waterfront Conference Center, a 1,200-seat theater and an indoor pool covered by a 90-foot glass dome.

Atlantic City’s 2,000-room Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa provides 70,000 sf of event space, accommodating 10 to 3,500 people, including a 12,000-sf meeting room. All meeting spaces at Borgata have built-in lighting systems, extensive video and sound technology, with additional meeting venues at The Water Club, the 800-room upscale hotel adjoining the Borgata. The 18,000 sf of meeting space at The Water Club includes 13 venues accommodating 20 to 200 people, with its own banquet and catering department, signature in-room dining and banquet menus by noted chef Geoffrey Zakarian, and access to Immersion, the 32nd-floor, 36,000-sf spa and lap pool.

The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa recently announced plans to invest more than $50 million into the improvement of its property throughout 2016: Borgata Festival Park will be transformed into an outdoor pool beginning this summer, featuring more than 400 chaise lounges, daybeds and cabanas, a full-service canopied bar, entertainment stage, and a variety of lawn games and activities, all centered on a 3,200-sf Roman-style pool. Debuting this spring is Premier, an 18,000-sf nightclub offering “a theatrical experience for partygoers.”

Encore Resort and Encore Tower Suites at Wynn Las Vegas began a refresh in summer 2015, including updated furnishings, floor coverings, technology, aesthetics and custom bed linens. Also of note is that the Wynn Fairway Villas and Encore three-bedroom duplex are now available for guests to rent. The 5,829-sf Encore duplex features a billiard room and private massage and exercise room with floor-to-ceiling views of the city. The dining area seats 16. The Fairway Villas overlook Wynn Golf Course.

The Buffet at Wynn Las Vegas has unveiled the restaurant’s new concept, which elevates the traditional buffet to that of a more sophisticated dining experience. C&IT

The Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center hosted UBM’s 2015 Enterprise Connect conference.

As the world without roils in turmoil, sometimes the well-trod path of the familiar beckons more forcefully. As corporate meeting planners can attest, one of the biggest draws of Orlando, the country’s most alluring city for events, is that it remains the bedrock of the known unknown.

“Orlando provides a predictable environment,” says Jon Osing, group operations manager for UBM LLC, which is why the annual Enterprise Connect conference has been held there for more than a decade. The March 2015 systems and software exposition drew 6,000 vendors, designers and buyers.

“Our conference has continued to grow ever since we moved to Orlando,” Osing says, citing March in Orlando as “better than lots of parts of the country” with an “opportunity for the tacking on of vacation.”

“Our conference has continued to grow ever since we moved to Orlando.”
— Jon Osing

His preference is to create an all-inclusive event at the host hotel, with no offsite meetings or events. As such, the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center, which opened in neighboring Kissimmee in 2002 and currently has some 1,400 rooms and 400,000 sf of total meetings space, has met his needs. “It’s the right mix of conference and expo space, fits the size event that we are, and has the right kind of facilities for seven or eight breakouts. Divided in half between the hotel and the conference center, once you make your way to the hotel, we can put signage as we need to on the various levels and areas. Once you do it once, it’s pretty simple.” Because the Gaylord room block sells out quickly, his team also uses “overflow” hotels — including the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress and the Sheraton Lake Buena Vista Resort — and runs shuttles between them and the Gaylord conference center.

“Sometimes we have to find ways to make it all work,” he says, noting that he sometimes thinks “wouldn’t it be great if we had 100,000 sf of ballroom space? But we haven’t run into an issue we haven’t been able to solve. Not something that’s serious enough that we would consider moving for that one feature.” His loyalty to Gaylord Palms is based on how “corporate-focused” the venue is, which has two components for him: one, attendees and exhibitors like it; two, Gaylord Palms has also been loyal to him. To wit: “In 2008–2009, much of the industry was under a lot of pressure, and in a situation like that — the economy is down, travel is down — having partners willing to work with you is really valuable, and maintaining and keeping those partnerships alive is really important. We were able to come to the Gaylord and say we need some help here; they took a long-term view and helped us keep the event solid, and we’ve managed to survive because of partnerships like that.”

To foster and maintain such partnerships, he advises planners to create a “positive domino effect” by being organized and communicative with vendors and partners. “Your partner is only as good as you are; they can’t read your mind. Real advantage is gained in making the little things easy — if you’ve already laid the groundwork, by the time you have to ask for a favor, you’re putting the person in a spot where they can say yes. If you don’t, you’re not partnering, you’re taking and taking.”

Partnerships and Pixie Dust

One planner who has created a partnership in Orlando is W. Scott Spohn, partner and chief of staff of DHG Healthcare, Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP.

He plans three “microevents” of 40 to 60 employees and one outside event for 200 to 300 clients and prospects each year, all at Disney properties: Boardwalk Inn, making use of the convention center, parks and overall boardwalk area; Contemporary Resort; Yacht and Beach Club Resort; and for clients, Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. “It keeps the experience fresh to go to different properties,” Spohn says. On the other hand, “I don’t have to go to different people to use the different resorts.” On the contrary, Disney works with him to provide continuity. Even when, as happened last year, a convention services manager moves on to a different location, the manager “came with us so we could have a consistent experience.”

For attendee attitude adjustment, too, Spohn has found Orlando invaluable: “When people come to Disney, they have a different mindset that they take on. It’s like they get sprinkled with a little pixie dust. I’ve had cantankerous groups that have come down for micro experiences, maybe a little against their will, frankly. But it’s like people come inside a bubble there, and they just open up.”

Spohn says he appreciates the “palette that is Disney” and how customizable it is. He notes that he uses the full sweep of Disney’s offerings, such as the Disney Institute and the Disney Event Group, including set design, production staff and creative media support. “This feeling that I always have with the Disney folks — they are an extension of our event planning team — so intertwined in what we’re trying to accomplish. We got a chance to combine our show preferences with what we could do at Disney. Whenever the Disney folks are there taking pictures, we know we’ve done it right.”

Another chief draw of Orlando for his company is the cost-effectiveness of meeting in a central hub. The company headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, requires by his estimate $575 average airfare to shuttle in attendees; to Orlando, it is about $235. “When you think about the disparity in air cost, it’s very economical to do it in Orlando.” He also saves tremendously on rental cars since attendees use Disney’s Magical Express transportation. “All that money we would have spent we can reinvest in the event and really make it more meaningful,” he says.

But don’t take Spohn’s word for it. His event last year at the Grand Floridian elicited a net promoter score of 82 from attendees. “I would love to say that’s due to me, but a big part of that is what Disney does for you,” he says.

Comfortably Familiar

Ed Chase, vice president of conferences for LRP Publications Inc., whose team coordinated this year’s Future of Education Technology Conference in Orlando, also appreciates the city’s solid reputation. “Orlando has a sense of familiarity that helps us market it and helps us bring people in; it just seems comfortable to the vast majority of people.” The conference, which convenes teachers, school administrators and school IT executives, has been held in Orlando for the last decade. With its 7,000,000 sf of total meeting space, Orange County Convention Center was, as in years past, the venue. This year, the January meeting came with a new twist: the event needed both the North and South halls to accommodate the nearly 9,000 attendees and exhibitors.

“The layout of the facility made for a longer walk than our attendees were used to in the past,” Chase says, but the convention center helped him with advice on managing traffic and the best places to put signs to guide attendees. Attendees later indicated they were especially pleased with a wide, avenue-like aisle on the expo floor that provided a space for them to “meander and wander.” Chase was careful to walk the routes himself the weekend before the conference. “Everything on paper seems OK, but until you actually get your feet on the ground to be the shoes of the attendees, you’ll never know how it will be for them,” he advises.

Buses were rerouted to stop at the south end of the center and continue to the north end so attendees could maneuver more easily. There also were shuttles throughout between the Hyatt Regency Orlando (where some of the workshops were held and which shares a walkway with the convention center) and half a dozen other nearby hotels.

Part of the convention center’s five-year improvement project includes two three-day trial runs of a minibus route connecting the West and North/South concourses for two March conventions. The buses can hold about 25 passengers. The renovation continues with Vision Gardens, a 2000-sf aeroponic space to be set up in the Westwood Lobby to grow herbs and vegetables — 81 towers will have 44 growing spaces per tower — and the South Building’s 7,300-sf Destination Lounge, which will be dedicated to high-tech networking.

“When we started to market outside Florida, we realized January-February was a draw in itself,” Chase notes. It’s warm, of course, but it also “just has a different attitude. It’s a little more relaxed than Chicago or Vegas,” he says. “As far as infrastructure, the airport is 15 minutes from the convention center and there are lots of direct flights. Once you’re there, there’s really not much reason to leave. It’s walkable, with restaurants up and down I-Drive and lots of things to do once the conference has closed.”

Attendees, he notes, are used to coming to Orlando, so they often know exactly where they want to go. Or they think they do at first. “Orlando changes so much from year to year; there’s going to be a lot that you haven’t seen before. There are other cities that don’t have that level of change from year to year, so we see that as a plus,” says Chase.

Another plus: present and attentive convention center staff. “The convention center treated us like a hotel would treat us,” he says. “The event manager was there with us every step of the way. We had a lead person assigned to us — she was visible the 16 hours a day we were there.”

New & Renovated Hotels

Planners who book a fall 2016 meeting at the new 1,000-room Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, opening this summer, can take advantage of special room rates. Universal Orlando’s fifth hotel will have more than 115,000 sf of meeting space, with a 41,000-sf ballroom, 31,000-sf hall, 16 meeting rooms, 11,000 sf of outdoor meeting space and three dedicated meeting planner offices of its own. It also will be connected by an air-conditioned walkway to the Loews Royal Pacific Resort. The combined space — The Loews Meetings Complex at Universal Orlando — will offer planners a total of 247,000 sf of meeting space and 2,000 rooms to work with. The Loews Sapphire Falls Resort will have an island feel, complete with a 16,000-sf resort-style pool and a white sand beach, and the full-service Amatista Cookhouse will echo the Caribbean theme with an open kitchen and outdoor dining.

The Hyatt Regency Orlando and the Hilton Orlando are pitching the “Orlando 3000” to meeting planners who need mega space: the two hotels, which are connected by covered walkway to the Orange County Convention Center, offer a combined 3,000 rooms and 490,000 sf of meeting space.

The 3,000-room, condo-style Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa also is offering incentives to early-bird planners as it wraps up its 20,000-sf meeting space expansion, for a total of 36,000 sf of meeting space, when finished this year. DoubleTree by Hilton Orlando at SeaWorld’s 2016 renovation will culminate in a new 20,000-sf ballroom and 100,000 sf of upgraded meeting space.

Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek plans to have completed its upgrade, which will add 7,000 sf of meeting space, by this May.

Following the recent $17 million renovation to its 146 guest rooms, the Villas of Grand Cypress has reconfigured its Mediterranean-style Executive Meeting Center, a standalone complex that houses 7,200 sf of flexible indoor/outdoor event space with four meeting rooms divisible into eight self-contained spaces. The four-star, four-diamond resort, which claims 1,500 acres in Lake Buena Vista, boasts 45 holes of Jack Nicklaus Signature-designed golf; a golf academy; an equestrian center with options for equestrian-themed shows to entertain reception or banquet guests; and the Nine 18 Restaurant, which doubles as a fully equipped meeting space for small groups.

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel is undergoing the largest renovation in its history with a multiphase, multiyear, $125 million redesign project that will wrap up in 2017. Work on the Swan Hotel’s 758 guest rooms has been completed; and updates of the Dolphin Hotel’s 1,509 guest rooms are underway. The hotel’s meeting and convention space also recently was equipped with the latest advancements in high-density Wi-Fi technology.

Places to Eat

Mango’s Tropical Cafe, a South Beach mainstay since the early 1990s, is now open. It features 50,000 sf of nightclub space for cabaret-style shows and 12,000 sf of dining space. STK Orlando, billed as a “chic, modern” steak house, is opening this spring at Disney Springs, the erstwhile Downtown Disney dining and retail space. Disney Springs will have four different “neighborhoods” surrounding a water source when its expansion is complete midyear: The Landing, Marketplace, West Side and Town Center. The Landing recently welcomed The Boathouse and Morimoto, both with private dining rooms, as well as Fulton’s Crab House.

The first-ever NBC Sports Grill & Brew opened at Universal Orlando Resort’s CityWalk in October with great fanfare and a slew of NBC sports commentators in attendance. The restaurant features private dining spaces, nearly 100 HD screens so guests can be immersed in the sports experience no matter where they sit, an expansive menu of the best game-day food and more than 100 beer selections including craft and regional brews and the restaurant’s own proprietary 862 Orlando, a draft you can find only here.

Former chef to Oprah, Art Smith will introduce his Homecoming: Florida Kitchen and Southern Shine this summer. As the restaurant’s name suggests, the menu will be Southern specialties with Smith’s own twist, such as blackstrap pork chops with sawmill gravy, along with comforting low country shrimp and grits.

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant features more than 6,000 bottles of wine in plain view, and for lovers of spirits, 42 different types of martinis are on order at Blue Martini in Pointe Orlando; the eponymous drink as served here is vodka, blue Curacao, sour mix and OJ on the rocks in a large snifter. Also at Pointe Orlando is the New Orleans-style restaurant and piano bar Itta Bena, focusing on steak and seafood.

Places to Play

Top Golf, a state-of-the-art golf range facility, is slated to be built near International Drive in 2017. The three-level location will be 65,000 sf and offer 102 climate-controlled hitting bays for up to six players each. The venue also will include up to 3,000 sf of private event space.

Kung Fu Panda Po and Brazilian soccer player Neymar are two of the newest waxy recruits to join Madame Tussauds Orlando in the new I-Drive 360 shopping and dining complex on International Drive that also includes the Sea Life Orlando Aquarium and the Skeletons: Animals Unveiled! exhibit. The centerpiece of the complex is the 400-foot-tall Orlando Eye observation wheel. Event spaces include the I-Drive 360 courtyard, capacity 1,100; Orlando Eye terminal building (900) and hospitality room (100); Sea Life Orlando Aquarium (250); Madame Tussauds Orlando (400) and VIP room (120). All meetings and events can be booked via Orlandosales@merlinentertainments.biz.

Opening this summer at SeaWorld Orlando is Orlando’s fastest roller coaster, topping out at 73 mph along almost a mile of track. At 200 feet, Mako, named after a speedy type of shark, also will be Orlando’s tallest.

Also debuting this summer is a new attraction at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure: “Skull Island: Reign of Kong,” which will honor one of the most monumental figures in movie history, King Kong.

Orlando can never have too many water parks, and Universal does not disappoint with Volcano Bay, a full-blown water theme park coming in 2017. Volcano Bay will join Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure as the resort’s third immersive park.

Artegon Marketplace offers attendees the option to throw caution to the wind at a teambuilding event at indoor trampoline court emporium Sky Zone Trampoline Park or walk the talk on an indoor ropes course at Sky Trail. This spring will see the advent of NYZ at Orlando, a 45,000-sf indoor laser tag space that challenges attendees to survive a zombie apocalypse. C&IT

Forever Living Products International’s Global Rally at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore included cultural entertainment. Credit: Sander Jurkiewicz/Forever Living Products International

Global business travel spending hit a record US$1.2 trillion in 2015, with growth expected to remain strong through 2019, according to the Global Business Travel Association. GBTA reports that the Asia-Pacific region represents the lion’s share of the spend, continuing to be the largest business travel region in the world. Although much of this growth will come from locally sourced businesses, American-based planners also are discovering the extraordinary (and often affordable) experiences that participants can enjoy during a meeting or incentive trip to this part of the world.

Australia

When the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre successfully hosted more than 4,000 delegates and 2,500 media representatives for the G20 World Leaders Summit in 2014, the well-publicized meeting focused attention on Brisbane as an international business events destination. And since then, Australian DMCs, including Tourism and Events Queensland and Brisbane Marketing, have been expanding their presence in the MICE marketplace.

The G20 effect was a catalyst for many business, tourism and investment opportunities for Brisbane and the rest of the country. Australia has many cities, hotels and venues to choose from when planning a corporate meeting or incentive event; it is a large country with diverse terrain and attractions, and all of these options make it easy to match your group’s interest and budget to ensure that all objectives are met.

“In April, 2015, I worked with a top-level VIP incentive group of 60 participants from Amway North America,” says Sonja Söderbom, AFMEA (Associate Fellow of Meetings Events Australia), director, destination management, for Ovation Australia. “The company was looking for that wow factor, a high-end, luxurious experience they couldn’t plan or create themselves. The properties we used, qualia on Hamilton Island, on the Great Barrier Reef, and Shangri-La Hotel Sydney, were chosen for their location, high level of service and attention to detail. It was important we could create high-end, bespoke experiences capturing the best of each destination, be it chartering a vessel and snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, or chartering a seaplane and landing at an exclusive lunch venue in a national park. Each component of the program needed to be executed seamlessly with a strong focus on brand presence at every turn, from branded gifts such as Ugg boots, Visa cards and golf carts on qualia, to name a few.”

Throughout Australia, hotels, meeting venues and transportation options are being upgraded to appeal to international meeting planners.

In the heart of Sydney, the new International Convention Centre Sydney at Darling Harbour is scheduled to open in December 2016. Including the convention center, hotel and adjacent residential neighborhood, which is already open with vibrant cafés and shops available to visitors, the harbor is undergoing a $2.5 billion overall revitalization. The final space will feature more than 430,000 sf of exhibition space, including a 54,000-sf event deck with views of both the city and harbor.

In Canberra, Australia’s underestimated national capital city, the Canberra Convention Bureau has welcomed the Australian Capital Territory government’s decision to provide AU$5.4 million (US$4.2 million) for the refurbishment of the National Convention Centre Canberra. The refurbishment, due for completion by the end June 2017, includes the upgrade of existing technologies and security systems, new seating and a makeover of bathroom facilities.

Qantas restarted flights between Sydney and San Francisco last December, four years since it shuttered the route in May 2011. This brings fresh competition to United Airlines, which is currently the only carrier offering direct flights between the two cities, and the competition certainly will help planners in their airfare negotiations. “San Francisco is now the most popular onward destination for Qantas’ customers traveling to the U.S., and we’re thrilled to be going back” said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce. American Airlines began daily direct flights between Los Angeles and Sydney as of December 17, 2015, the first time American Airlines has flown to Australia since 1992.

A quick look at some of the new properties that Starwood Hotels is opening in Australia in the near future demonstrates how important the continent is becoming for international hotel brands: Aloft Sydney (2016); The Westin Perth (2017); the Four Points by Sheraton Melbourne Docklands (2017); W Brisbane (2018); and Aloft Adelaide (2018).

China

American meeting planners have been bypassing China’s biggest cities, including Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, for the smaller but more manageable cities in other areas of the country. With China’s tremendous growth in American branded hotels, as well as expansion of the country’s high-speed train lines and regional airports, it is no longer an imperative for planners to book corporate groups into the more costly, frenetic environment of China’s biggest cities.

The Hilton Yuxi Fuxian Lake opened last spring, becoming the first Hilton-branded hotel in southwest China’s interesting Yunnan Province. Yunnan is a growing area for tourism and manufacturing, and this new property is equipped with six meeting rooms (729 sf each), a 4,000-sf multipurpose room, and an 11,000-sf ballroom. The 346-room Hilton property sits on a private lakefront, white-sand beach, and guest rooms feature balconies with lake and garden views. In addition to an adjoining golf course and driving range, the property offers six bars and restaurants, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools, hotel-wide Wi-Fi and a fully equipped business center.

Xining, the capital of Qinghai province in western China, is the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau, with 2 million residents (small, by Chinese standards). The new Sofitel Xining, the city’s first internationally branded hotel, has 494 guest rooms and suites, and is part of the Xining Xin Hua Lian City Complex, comprising the hotel, shopping center, office buildings and residential towers. There are multiple dining venues, swimming pool, fitness center, spa and 26,000 sf of function space.

Another area worth considering by planners is the idyllic island province of Hainan in south China, often referred to as the “Hawaii of China” for its sunshine and beaches. Hainan continues to grow as a meeting and incentive destination, with 48 luxury resorts and more than 20,700 rooms currently under development. The deluxe Sanya Beauty Crown Hotel complex offers more than 6,600 rooms and serviced apartments in its nine buildings that are designed to look like giant Lego trees. The complex includes the International Convention Centre, shopping and entertainment. Other top hotels coming to Hainan are the Hard Rock Hotel Haikou, the St. Regis Qingshui Bay Resort and Swissotel Sanya.

Conrad Hotels & Resorts continues its expansion in Asia-Pacific with the addition of the 300-room Conrad Ningbo, scheduled to open in 2020, adding to an existing pipeline of more than 10 Conrad properties in Asia-Pacific. The new Conrad Ningbo will take up the top floors of a 1,480-foot super structure, which will become the city’s landmark building. Designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, known for the World Financial Center in New York and the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, the hotel will have 19,000 sf of event space, including a 10,000-sf ballroom.

Of course, incentive planners who want to provide their winners with the “highest” reward may want to look into the possibility of booking rooms in the world’s second tallest structure, the Shanghai Tower, at 2,073 feet, which was completed in 2015 (but not yet open to the public as of press time) in the city’s skyscraper-heavy Pudong district. The five-star Shanghai Tower J-Hotel, owned by Jin Jiang International Hotels, a major Chinese group, will occupy floors 84-110 of the tower, with the lobby on floor 101. The property will have 258 rooms, three restaurants and a spa, with high-tech bells and whistles everywhere.

Shanghai Disney Resort will host a multiday, grand opening celebration on June 16, 2016. Located in the Pudong District of Shanghai, it will be Disney’s first destination resort in mainland China, featuring classic Disney storytelling and characters with all-new experiences tailored for the people of China.

Fiji

Fiji continues to be one of the Pacific region’s top choices for upscale incentives and corporate meetings. The recently reorganized Fiji Convention & Visitors Bureau and Tourism Fiji has a new website and is aggressively marketing its islands to U.S. corporate meeting planners.

Despite Tropical Cyclone Winston’s Category 5 impact on the island last month, hotels generally weathered the storm with most suffering little or no damage, according to Tourism Fiji.

Planners can organize events at of one of Fiji’s five-star resorts, including the Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort, Westin Denarau Island Resort, Shangri-La’s Fijian Resort & Spa, and the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort, or charter a yacht for a small, exclusive conference, stopping at some of Fiji’s small, private islands, complete with white-sand beaches and palm trees.

Tourism Fiji, through the newly established Convention Bureau, understands the importance of MICE events, as visitors in this category have a higher average daily spend than most leisure visitors, and many planners don’t mind taking advantage of lower rates for off-season visits. The Tourism Fiji Convention Bureau is an impartial organization that will coordinate bids for large-scale MICE events.

“I highly recommend Fiji to corporate meeting and incentive planners as a destination with aura, romance and…it is more affordable than many other Pacific destinations.” 
— Mark Faldmo

“In the past year we have done two incentive trips to Fiji, one had 86 participants, and the other 122, all flying from the U.S.,” says Mark Faldmo, CTC, president of Columbus Travel in Bountiful, Utah. “Fiji is a destination with an aura of the South Pacific, and because of that it is very attractive to the people that many companies are trying to motivate with an incentive trip; people work hard to qualify to go to Fiji. We have had groups there previously, and we keep it on the radar as we present destination possibilities to our clients. Fiji has advantages of not being as costly as some other Pacific destinations, it offers many adventure activities, and it’s a wonderful place to decompress and relax.”

As for the reaction among incentive participants visiting Fiji for the first time, Faldmo says the feedback is always good. “People love it. We receive many very positive comments each time we take a group to Fiji. We like to use the InterContinental Fiji Golf Resort & Spa. It is a little removed from outside restaurants and urban activities, which is an advantage in many ways, but can be a disadvantage if a group is interested in lots of shopping excursions. The property also has a great beach, while other resorts in Fiji may not.”

The InterContinental Fiji has a total of 266 guest rooms, including 91 suites, and is located on the west coast of Fiji’s largest island. “I highly recommend it to corporate meeting and incentive planners as a destination with aura, romance and, comparatively speaking, it is more affordable than many other Pacific destinations. It certainly is a destination people will work hard to earn a trip to,” says Faldmo.

“There are also some wonderful resorts on the smaller islands of Fiji. These are more suitable for executive or top performer groups than larger incentive groups. The small island resorts are also more expensive, but do provide memorable Pacific island beach experiences,” says Faldmo.

Japan

The country continues to attract incentive groups, not only because of its five-star hotels, cuisine and service, but its off-site attractions for corporate groups have proven to be real winners. This is especially true for visitors to Kyoto, one of Japan’s most beautiful and spiritual cities.

One of those attractions is the artistic Kou-An Glass Teahouse in the eastern mountains of Kyoto. Perched on the wooden observation deck of Seiryuden Temple, the transparent structure is made from thick glass panels and minimal metal supports, and is a visionary exploration of Japanese culture by artist Yoshioka Tokujin. Participants can enjoy not only the majestic displays of light that appear around the installation due to its beautiful curved form, but also the unhindered views of Kyoto from nearly 660 feet above sea level where the teahouse sits.

Meeting delegates or incentive participants now can visit a private temple located in the hills of Kyoto for a very unique and memorable experience. Designed to immerse groups in the traditions and unique cultural facets of life in Japan, the encounter introduces participants to activities such as sword fighting and sampling the traditional kimono. The first stop is at a private temple located in the hills of Kyoto, a former capital filled with thousands of temples and boasting a well-preserved heritage. After a guided tour through the temple and its manicured gardens, groups will have the opportunity to change into a Japanese yukata (summer kimono) and participate in a traditional sword combat lesson. Under the instruction of a master teacher, each delegate will learn the basic moves involved in defending and attacking. Afterward, the event ends in a more peaceful way, by attending a traditional Zen mediation class led by an English-speaking monk.

To attract corporate planners in Texas, the Japanese airline All Nippon Airways (ANA) has increased its flights from Texas to Japan. Added frequency from Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport to Tokyo has begun, offering daily service with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft equipped with 250 seats, including eight suites in first class and 52 lie-flat seats in business class.

Touring Japan’s islands via cruise ship offers incentive participants a unique perspective of the destination. For example, Princess Cruises’ 2,670-passenger Diamond Princess offers 26 itineraries of four to 17 nights with departures out of the ports of Tokyo and Kobe from April to November 2017. Highlights include opportunities to explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites, experience cultural festivals and more.

Macau

With casino revenues in Macau down due to Beijing’s anti-corruption crackdown and a slowing Chinese economy, this gambling hub is reinventing itself into a family-friendly mass-market destination, while still attracting corporate meetings and incentive groups.

The former Portuguese colony, located a short ferry ride from Hong Kong, has resorts that offer everything from fine dining and malls to theme park rides and shows, alongside gaming. And, like Las Vegas, they are competing among themselves for the most over-the-top attraction. Melco Crown’s Studio City, due to open later this year, will include Asia’s highest Ferris wheel, while the recently opened Galaxy phase two has a sprawling rooftop waterpark complete with river rapids. Sands’ Paris-themed resort, with a replica Eiffel Tower, is due to open next year, as will the Wynn Palace and a new casino-hotel from MGM.

Two newly opened five-star hotels in Macau that will be popular for business meetings and incentive groups are the JW Marriott Hotel Macau and The Ritz-Carlton, Macau. The properties are located within Galaxy Macau, a huge hotel, entertainment and gaming center in the Cotai district of Macau, just south of the historic center. There are four other hotel properties in the Galaxy Macau complex, each with their own atmosphere and price points

Like Las Vegas, Macau is searching for more leisure and MICE travelers to fill all the new hotel rooms in Macau and stimulate spending across the non-gaming suppliers in the area. For meeting planners it’s a good time to consider Macau for future international events.

New Zealand

New Zealand’s largest annual showcase for the business events industry took place last June in Auckland. Meetings NZ 2015, run by Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) announced that 190 exhibitors from 18 regions around New Zealand were present, a result of the country becoming extremely active in the meetings and incentives business.

Although Auckland is by far the largest city in the country, this two-island (North & South Island) nation has so many stunning locations and efficient tour operators that meeting and incentive planners have a choice of many second-tier cities and rural resort venues.

“(In 2014) we held multiwave incentive programs for an investment firm at the Hilton Queenstown for U.S. and Canadian guests,” says Karen Newberry, senior travel buyer for Maritz Travel. “The total guest count was more than 700 people and six groups that included families with children. Each group was booked into a six-night stay in Queenstown. We will be using the same destination and property for our 2016 incentive program.”

Newberry says the property itself, as well as the activities available at this specific destination, played a big role in choosing New Zealand. “Our client chose the Hilton Queenstown, which was a new property at the time of their first program in 2014, as Queenstown has always been a highly rated destination among our incentive winners. The Hilton Queenstown is in a particularly beautiful setting on the shores of Lake Wakatipu, on the South Island, which allows for unique transfers by jet boat from the airport and into the downtown area for shopping and touring. The location was awesome, with a great range of activities, including helicopter rides, Milford Sound, Dart River Jet Boating, Glenorchy Paradise and Skippers Canyon. The beauty of New Zealand and the friendliness and hospitality of the people made this trip very memorable,” says Newberry.

Traveling long distances to Pacific outposts such as New Zealand may be off-putting for some meeting planners, but Newberry says that the rewards of these destinations out-weight the long plane ride. “Prepare your guests for the length of the journey from the U.S. to New Zealand. It is a sizeable distance to travel, but the reward of visiting such a unique country with countless options for touring and exploring the destination make the trip worthwhile.”

A great offsite activity when visiting this area of New Zealand is the 120-passenger vessel Spirit of Queenstown. This state-of-the-art ship caters for offsite event options from breakfast meetings or sunset cruises with cocktails and canapés, to wine master-classes or product launches, all with the stunning backdrop of the idyllic alpine scenery.

Milford Sound is another location for group events, and the Spirit of Milford carries more than 200 passengers, while Milford Discovery is an intimate vessel for small groups of up to 10. The flagship vessel Pride of Milford is currently undergoing refurbishment to include a VIP lounge with catering for up to 50 guests. The travel supplier Southern Discoveries can organize these and other cruise options while in New Zealand.

Singapore

Singapore offers an excellent range of state-of-the-art convention centers, exhibition halls and meeting venues to suit a variety of requirements and budgets. The city’s growing list of attractions also meet the growing demand for more interesting and nontraditional meeting venues and experiences outside of the conventional boardroom. Singapore has a multicultural heritage, which provides a colorful backdrop for exciting delegate and spouse experiences for both sightseeing activities and dining options. Some of the ethnic heritage districts in Singapore include Chinatown, Little India and Arab Street, which are great places for meeting or incentive participants to experience the traditions of colonial Singapore and the very modern city that has developed.

Singapore has many attractions, including the Gardens by the Bay, Night Safari, National Orchid Garden, Sentosa Island and the Singapore Flyer, as well as many amazing restaurants that offer unique settings for offsite culinary events.

“We held our annual incentive, Forever Global Rally, at the Marina Bay Sands from April 19-26, 2015, with over 7,000 participants from 105 countries,” says Ashley Hower, director of marketing for Scottsdale-based Forever Living Products International. “We always seek to take our Forever business owners to exotic locations around the world that provide luxury destinations and engaging cultural experiences. The size of the Marina Bay Sands was a huge benefit as we were able to house all of our delegates in one hotel that also contained expo space for our event and meetings throughout the week. There were convenient locations near and in the hotel that were suitable for a variety of smaller meetings, dinners and recognition events that suited our group very well.”

The Marina Bay Sands property is one of Singapore’s most iconic structures, with the world’s largest rooftop swimming pool spanning 450 feet across three 55-story towers, and with extensive meeting facilities, restaurants and more than 2,000 guest rooms. “Our participants thoroughly enjoyed the luxury of the Marina Bay Sands, and the ambience of the hotel and Singapore as a whole,” says Hower. “The sheer magnitude and scale of the venue make it an impressive destination, and the amenities they provided left our guests very impressed. They enjoyed the cultural experiences, food, ambience, weather and diversity of Singapore. The Marina Bay Sands provided the convenience of housing the entire event in one location; it was a tremendous luxury venue allowing our participants ample amenities right at the hotel.”

Singapore continues to be among top destinations in Asia for business meetings and events. These include being named the “World’s Easiest Place to do Business” nine times by the World Bank, as well as Asia’s “Top Convention City” for the 12th consecutive time in ICCA’s Global Rankings.

South Korea

Seoul is where most corporate meetings and incentives take place. This capital city has such a business-friendly attitude that U.S. meeting planners cannot often pass up the financial and logistical benefits available for choosing this busy, modern, commercial and cultural hub of the country for business groups.

Excellent airlift from the United States to Seoul’s Incheon International Airport is available from both coasts, and Incheon is often rated as the No. 1 airport in Asia. South Korea’s national airline, Korean Air, has been recognized by the International Air Transport Association for its constant effort in minimizing passengers’ waiting times at Incheon. The airport even prepares a warm welcome message for meeting delegates on the multiscreen LCD displays above the 23 baggage carousels at Incheon International Airport.

The Seoul Convention Bureau (SCB) assists meeting and incentive planners who are considering bringing group events to Seoul. Their services include assistance in the preparation of proposals, a one-on-one presentation workshop and consultation on a successful bidding strategy. For site inspection trips, hotel accommodations and transportation within Seoul may be provided by SCB for corporate board members or executives considering Seoul for an upcoming meeting. City tours, site inspections of convention facilities and unique venues, and information on tourist attractions also are offered as a courtesy gesture.

The SCB provides promotional videos and a “Meeting Planners Guide Book,” and can offer financial assistance to meeting planners bringing groups to Seoul. According to the SCB website, “A certain amount of financial support is offered for corporate meetings and incentives that are attended by 50 or more international participants staying at least two nights in Seoul. The eligible event may receive support for both the bidding of the event and the actual hosting of the event.”

With dozens of five-star hotel properties, several top-quality convention centers, a plethora of offsite dining and entertainment venues, museums, sporting facilities and recreational opportunities, the choices for non-meeting activities in Seoul — as in the other equally enticing Asia-Pacific destinations — are endless. C&IT

Oracle’s mission at their OpenWorld conference in San Francisco was to hold “the most sustainable conference in the world.” Credits: Shawna McKinley

For Rebecca Schnitzler, event operations manager at Aimia in Minneapolis, sustainable meetings are a key way for her company to promote good corporate social responsibility across the meetings and events they hold.

“In our daily lives, we don’t mind taking a couple of extra steps to place something in the recycling bin,” Schnitzler says. “We should adopt the same habits when we are attending a meeting in another community.”

Aimia is not alone in its efforts to incorporate sustainability components into meetings and events. Today’s corporations recognize that “green” business means good business, especially when a more holistic notion of sustainability is embraced.

“Sustainability is extremely important for…planners to consider. The sheer impact large groups of people can have on the environment, social issues and economic impact must be considered.”
— Bonnie Boisner

Kerry Bannigan, co-founder of Nolcha, an award-winning events and meeting agency based in New York City, integrates a number of sustainable components into events. Examples include recycling of luncheon materials and food waste along with paper used throughout the day as well as donating to need-based groups.

“The conferences we host at the United Nations are all about positive world social impact, booking green locations and venues, while providing sustainable elements such as tote bags as the event goodie bag.

“We are in a society that is slowly becoming more educated on the importance of sustainability and how to integrate it into our personal and professional lives. It is important that meetings and events continue to introduce and encourage sustainable components as the impact can be vast due to the amount of people attending events,” Bannigan says. “The more people actively participating in ‘green’ practices makes for a better place to live for us all and positively impacts others.”

According to Bonnie Boisner, vice president of event management at Aimia, organizations have become increasingly scrutinized for their impact on the environment.

“We all have a footprint on this earth with a duty to protect and sustain it,” Boisner says. “The greater the organization or event, the bigger the impact, whether that be positive or negative. Recent crises such as the water shortage in California have forced every industry to rethink sustainability initiatives. This issue particularly hits close to our industry as many of the largest business conferences and events domestically are held in California.”

Additionally, increased global travel has generated a greater awareness for other sustainability issues uncommon in the U.S., creating increased awareness and thoughtfulness in planning.

“Sustainability is extremely important for meeting/event planners to consider when orchestrating an event,” Boisner says. “The sheer impact large groups of people can have on the environment, social issues and economic impact must be considered. When you are planning events for thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of people, it is imperative that we are cognizant of the impact and try to maximize our positive impact and minimize harm.”

Jeff Chase, vice president of sustainability at Freeman in Dallas, says that a common misconception on the part of corporate and incentive meeting and event planners is many saying, “I would love for my event to be more sustainable, but I do not have time to focus on this.”

“However,” Chase says, “Over the past few years, our event industry has been transforming to help the event organizer with methods and procedures to track and measure their event’s footprint on the environment. All you need to do today is ask for it from your vendors, and most of them have the ability to generate a good impact report for their event.”

Promoting Zero Waste

An outstanding example of how far meetings and events have advanced in the sustainability arena is to review what Oracle has accomplished at their OpenWorld annual conference in San Francisco with the help of MeetGreen, which provides sustainability consulting services for Oracle. In 2014, there were 50,327 participants at the Moscone Center, and according to Oracle, the waste footprint of each OpenWorld participant is equal to the weight of eight baseballs. In 2014, they managed three baseballs fewer than in 2012. The company’s aim is to “pick up the pace of reduction and recycling to reach zero waste to landfill by 2018.”

In addition, they say their onsite carbon emissions have dropped by 41 percent since 2011 due to reduced shuttle fuel use and energy efficiency upgrades at venues, which “puts us on track to achieve a 50 percent reduction in onsite emissions by 2018.” Oracle offsets 100 percent of these emissions and compliments their attendees for also choosing to offset their travel footprint — more than 6,161 metric tons of carbon emissions were offset in 2014.

Other ways in which Oracle sets a fine example for the rest of the industry includes donating meals such as the 9,390 meals donated in 2014 to local charities.

Debunking the Myths

Misperceptions about sustainable events and meetings abound within the meeting industry. Here are a few that industry experts often experience:

Myth. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is just a trend. It will not last.

Reality. According to Boisner, corporate social responsibility is a motivating factor for attracting, retaining and rewarding employees. In fact, 87 percent of companies with CSR programs have employees who exhibit strong company loyalty. (Source: Incentive Marketing Association’s Performance Improvement Council.)

What’s more, according to the 2014 SITE Index, CSR components of programs are here to stay and are part of budgets.

“These stats support the fact that CSR is a necessary component to the success of an organization,” Boisner says. “It isn’t a ‘nice to have.’ Your employees and buyers are both interested and invested in the impact you are making on the world. Meetings and events can be a great opportunity to show these audiences your commitment to sustainability.”

Myth. Only millennials want to participate in sustainability initiatives during meetings and events.

Reality. This is completely false. For example, Aimia incorporates CSR initiatives in many of their programs.

“Whether our participants are tagging sharks in Miami to learn more about the decreasing shark populations, making wheelchairs for the United Way or simply filling backpacks with school supplies for children in South Africa, we have noticed every generation wants to be involved,” Boisner says. “While the type of activity may vary based on your audience interests, one truth is apparent: People care. And, this is not limited or defined solely by generational nuances.”

Myth. “Sustainable” is a synonym for “green.”

Reality. Sustainability differs from the term “green” as it is more holistic in nature. Sustainability encompasses environmental, economic and social and/or behavioral issues, whereas green focuses on only two parts of the three — environmental conditions and economic strength. Meetings and events have the ability to influence all sustainability initiatives — not just those that are coined green.

Chase adds that green relates more to the 4Rs — rethink, reduce, repurpose, recycle — and sustainability is broader in scope to bring a balance to the economic activities, environmental responsibility and the social/community programs together to be an overarching effort for an event.

Myth. “Green” is all about recycling.

Reality. Promoting good green practices goes beyond using the right bin — it’s all about learning a sustained behavior.

Angeline Holder, CMP, director of catering and events at Conrad Miami recently had a meeting where the planner wanted to ensure that their attendees reused their water bottles through the entire event, and beyond that, cultivate the practice of having a reusable bottle after the meeting ended. A vendor created the reusable water bottles, and Conrad Miami had water cooler stations through the meeting space with water infused with lemon and berries. “Attendees were able to replenish their water bottles during and in between sessions,” Holder says.

Myth. Sustainability is too expensive.

Reality. “In reality, yes, back in 2006 it did cost more to do your signs on a recyclable material, but in the last 10 years, the world has changed and now the cost is the same or lower,” Chase says.

Jody-Ann Rowe, founder of Event Certificate in Ontario, Canada, says that as companies move toward integrating more sustainable practices within their events, they can pass on the higher cost if necessary for supporting these practices and using more efficient materials through a “green tax.” Or they can work with suppliers and vendors to communicate their needs and collaborate to gradually reduce cost.

Aimia recently identified five simple, cost-effective practices they use to reduce their carbon footprint at events:

• Efficient transportation practices such as encouraging use of public transportation within a certain radius of the event.
• Biodegradable serviceware.
• Digital invitations and event communications, and mobile apps and event websites for onsite communications.
• Water cooler stations maintained throughout the event.
• Donation of leftover food and beverages to local charities.

According to Karen Kotowski, CEO of the Convention Industry Council (CIC), one of the biggest myths about sustainable events is that they come with major commitments of financial resources on the part of the event organizer.

“What sustainable meetings require is a commitment to thoughtful choices and informed purchasing,” Kotowski says. “Cost savings in some areas will offset others. In fact CIC’s APEX/ASTM standards include a “Level 1” outline specifically designed to be cost neutral to event organizers. This offers a great roadmap to planners.”

Myth. Once you understand the concept, hosting sustainable meetings or events is easy to figure out.

Reality. While the concept of sustainability is not difficult to grasp, oftentimes certain restrictions and event needs can make event logistics more challenging.

“For example, sourcing local and organic ingredients can be problematic due to seasonal offerings and quantities,” Boisner says. “It might require a greater time commitment and network to determine how to make this happen.”

Chase stresses that there is nothing in the event business that is a breeze. “We learn to use best practices and plan for every possible thing that might change, but as you incorporate sustainability practices and do your best to use all your resources in our industry that can help guide you like the Green Meetings Industry Council materials, you will be better equipped to reach some very cool goals for sustainability,” Chase says.

Myth. Sustainable events require compromises to the attendee experience.

Reality. Kotowski says that simply isn’t the case, and she’d argue that the commitment to thoughtful choices and design puts greater holistic focus on the attendee.

“I think if we look at other consumer experiences, say automobiles or dining out, we can see analogous situations where sustainable products can successfully reach a range of customers from the budget conscious to the luxury buyer,” Kotowski says. “The same applies to meetings.”

Myth. Knowing how to plan a sustainable meeting is specialized knowledge for just a few.

Reality. In fact, CIC’s CMP International Standards include sustainable meetings as part of the essential body of knowledge for meeting professionals.

Myth. The event/hospitality industry is the second most wasteful industry behind construction.

Reality. “From all the indications that we have, we are a very environmentally focused industry, and we are working on many sides of the event industry to continue to reduce our waste and set higher waste/recycling diversion goals to keep more out of the landfills,” Chase says. “New recyclable materials and local farm-to-fork programs are all helping to reduce our waste and GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions as an industry. We are all working to do the right thing for the planet.”

Myth. Sustainability will happen organically as technology improves.

Reality. Technology has and will continue to create some of the biggest changes in this arena. For example, the industry has seen a giant shift in the amount of paper printed and provided at events.

However, according to Rowe, while it is true that advances in technology can reduce the need for certain practices such as the volume of printing for an event, it’s only effective if the event organizer recognizes and uses these systems.

“Even with the advances in technology, I have still attended events in the past year that printed a 20+ page program with speakers’ information and biographies for attendees,” Rowe says.

What the Future Holds

Experts agree that sustainable events are here to stay. Naturally, the way we address space, signage, recycling, food and beverage and other social and economic issues will continue to evolve over time.

“Technological advancements will allow us to be more creative and innovative in the way we address sustainable events,” Boisner says. “Event industry professionals are passionate about helping our clients support their initiatives and will continue to stand behind a common goal to reduce our carbon footprints and make our world a better place.”

Chase says that the concept of sustainability is reaching the point of becoming more expected at an event.

“From the supplier and venue side, we see that sustainability means being more efficient and being more cost-effective, so they are doing it anyway because it makes good business sense and helps the bottom line,” Chase says. “The corporate planners need to show that their company cares, and the association planner has their membership that cares, so they need to align with the things they care about. Both need to show that they are doing the right thing for the planet and not just adding to the problem.”

As Chase explains, sustainability will become the standard way you do every event.

“Europe has already been operating with sustainable practices as their standard operating procedure (SOP) for several years, and the Americas are heading that way also,” Chase says. “Canada, Mexico and the U.S. are all embracing sustainable events; they are becoming more part of the SOP and will continue to be stronger every year.” C&IT

Once upon a time, planners submitted requests for proposal (RFPs) to hotels via snail mail and fax. Planners were selective about the number of properties they contacted because it took so much time to prepare the proposals and several days or more to get a response. As a result, hotels were confident that most eRFPs were good for business. But not anymore.

After eRFP technologies came into play in the late 1990s, planners began to bombard properties with proposals at the touch of a button. The overload, combined with limited hotel staff, prevents properties from reading most eRFPs, forcing them to triage responses and answer only quality leads. And those responses can be late or incomplete — often in a formatted reply instead of a competitive proposal.

Add to that to a seller’s market, with properties knowing they can fill rooms without responding to most eRFPs, and it’s clear that rampant distribution is self-defeating. Yet, the e-blasting continues, causing eRFPs to fall far short of their potential to make planners more efficient and productive.

“Narrowing the field initially demonstrates the value of your meeting to properties, and you get a better response.”
— Christine Shimasaki

There is a heightened awareness that eRFPs are becoming counterproductive for planners. “We haven’t had that perspective because the thinking has been that any eRFP is a good eRFP,” says Christine Shimasaki, CDME, CMP, chair of the Convention Industry Council’s APEX Workgroup on eRFP and managing director of DMAI’s empowermint.com. “However, the current market conditions of limited hotel supply and great demand make hotels much more selective. While it might have seemed like a good thing to send out a bunch of eRFPs, the potential business opportunities they represent aren’t as welcomed by hotels.”

The lack of responses is vexing for planners. “What I hear from them in seminars and other education settings is their frustration about not getting complete, competitive, timely responses,” says Shimasaki. “They feel like the hotels aren’t paying attention to their needs, and it’s all about the properties’ needs.”

Following are recommendations from experts and planners for preparing eRFPs that are more likely to get a response.

Limit the List

First of all, don’t scattershot eRFPs to see which hotels respond and then decide which properties fit best. Instead, first cull the list of hotels to three to five that are the best match. “People think if they check lots of boxes they will save time because they won’t have to go back and forth,” says Shimasaki. “But it may add time to the workload. The more boxes checked, potentially the more responses you get, which means more time to consolidate and present them to stakeholders. Narrowing the field initially demonstrates the value of your meeting to properties, and you get a better response.”

Details, Details

Provide detailed information about each group including its needs and goals. Send a profile of attendees, including demographic information. Also provide at least three years of meeting history that includes the number of attendees, the properties used, size of room blocks and spending on food and beverage. Such information is crucial because it allows properties to estimate the revenue they can generate from a meeting, and that increases the likelihood of a response. Hotels are more like to respond to detailed eRFPs that generate revenue.

Make eRFPs detailed but not long-winded. Experts advise using bullet points that cover the following areas: agenda; sleeping rooms, including suites, corner rooms and ocean rooms; offices; meeting rooms, including breakouts, configurations and rooms for pop-up meetings; AV and technology requirements; concessions needed; date flexibility; food and beverage; room pickup; and setup time.

Setup Requirements

The setup time requirement is a detail that planners often leave out of eRFPs. “If you have a tight turnaround time, include it and ask if the hotel can handle it,” says Kathy Miller president and chief creative officer of Total Event Resources, a Schaumburg Illinois-based meeting planning company. “I had a situation where a session ended at five and the reception started at six,” says Miller. “The hotel said it could turn the room around within an hour, but all hands on deck were needed at the last minute, and we barely made it.”

In addition, Miller advises planners to include whether they need pre-setup time before the meeting starts. “Tell the hotel if you need, say, two days of pre-setup because you have a 40 x 60 stage or extensive AV and you have to rig into the ceiling,” says Miller. “The hotel needs to consider how setup impacts its bottom line before answering the eRFP.”

When it comes to meeting space dimensions and capabilities, planners can’t be too specific. “We have to be very clear with them on the actual size we need, including the quantity and quality of AV that can be accommodated within a given setup,” says Jay Klein, CMP and COO of A-Plus Meetings and Incentives in Coral Gables, Florida. “We also include the types and number of tables and chairs available, the ability to split and combine rooms as well as change setups between sessions.”

F&B

Planners also must be as detailed as possible about another factor that heavily impacts eRFP responses — food and beverage requirements. “We give as much information as we can about food and beverage,” says Miller. “That’s how hotels evaluate whether a meeting is a good piece of business, because most of their revenue comes from food and beverage.”

Date Flexibility

Being flexible about meeting dates when possible is another key to encouraging timely eRFP responses. Some planners feel that flexibility weakens negotiating ability and encourages hotels to slot meetings into dates that best benefit the property.

Klein disagrees. “Let them know whatever flexibility you have upfront so you are not going back and forth on it,” he says. “I’m a tough negotiator, but I don’t want any surprises from a room-block standpoint. For example, I may tell them my preferred dates, whether I can move plus or minus two weeks, and if the pattern must be Sunday through Wednesday or Monday through Thursday. I ask if they have a better deal on those different dates or patterns.”

Before sending an eRFP, Miller may ask the group if date flexibility should be included, or she may include it on her own, depending on the group. “I don’t see the downside to being flexible,” says Miller. “What usually happens is that planners send dates they want, and hotels respond saying they can’t meet those times and ask if there is flexibility. So why not be flexible upfront? It saves time and you show hotels you are willing to work with them.”

Miller cites an example: “A hotel might say that, for your preferred date, the rate is $229 a night,” she says. “But if I say upfront I can go plus or minus two weeks and can shift the pattern by a day, they may say that if you can shift by a week, you can get $199. That means I’ve found value for my group and provided an option. I’m also helping the hotel because they can fill room holes by offering me a lower rate.”

Shimasaki offers the following advice on meeting-date flexibility: “What we say in the industry is that planners aren’t flexible until you tell them what you can’t give them,” she says. “If not being flexible works, that’s great. But if not, having some forethought about flexibility is important. It’s one of many levers that planners can use. Giving the hotel the ability to propose alternatives and give in on others is good communication. But if the planner holds all the cards close to the vest, it doesn’t develop trust.”

Conciseness Counts

Selectively sending concise eRFPs helps establish good relationships with properties — a key to getting good responses over the long term. Klein finds that using an eRFP format helps conciseness. “It’s typically two or three pages,” says Klein. “They respond to us more quickly because we send something that’s well thought out and doesn’t get lost in the mishmash of eRFPs,” he says. “They know that we don’t randomly send it to 25 properties and are a serious contender for the business, so they pay a bit more attention to us.”

Ask Questions

Finally, ask simple questions that can determine whether a property is right for a meeting. “Say you are running a tech meeting and the hotel absolutely must have a certain bandwidth in the ballroom. Asking in the eRFP if the company has that capability can rule the hotel in or out,” he says.

Shimasaki agrees. “Reviewing an eRFP is especially important when it comes to the number of questions planners ask and conditions they want to include,” she says. “I’ve seen eRFPs with 38 questions, which takes a hotelier more than an hour to complete. Take a hard look at what is critical that you need to know.”

Even when planners do everything right, the timeliness and quantity of eRFP responses vary depending on several factors. “The responses are property-dependent and seasonal,” says Klein. “If I send it to 10 properties, maybe in one to three days I’ll have six or seven responses. If a property that I really want to hear from doesn’t respond, then I follow up with an email or phone call. If I don’t get any response, then I assume it’s because of how busy they are or how they are managed.”

Planners don’t want to waste time sending eRFPs that get no responses. Likewise, hotels don’t want to spin their wheels reading eRFPs that are incomplete or don’t match the property. Culling the number of properties beforehand helps reduce the eRFP overload and makes it easier for hoteliers to review requests. In the process, planners will go a long way in improving relationships with properties. C&IT