Hotels are making more decisions with less information, more rapidly than ever before. The difficult truth is that 75% of Groups do not meet their contracted rooms pickup. This fact, coupled with meeting planners consolidating the RFP process with a small number of companies and the proliferation of widely distributed leads via automated platforms makes the group meetings business extremely difficult. There is a solution to the challenges hotels are facing in the group/meeting industry, and the answer may not seem obvious at first. The solution is an ox. READ MORE

Research indicates that a planner's experience with a CSM is one of the main reasons they will rebook with a venue for future events. A well-rounded CSM can help increase the ROI for hotel executives looking to grow their event/meeting business to compete with other surrounding venues in their area. CSMs are extremely valuable resources to planners coming into an area and play a vital role in securing repeat business. READ MORE

The movie “Up in the Air” cast the Hollywood spotlight on the perceived drudgery of business travel. For two hours, the audience watches George Clooney hustle through a faceless airport en route to an equally bland hotel. Happily, this kind of dull corporate travel is becoming much less of the norm, particularly in the meetings and conventions market. Over the past decade, meetings have evolved to incorporate a wide variety of experiences for the attendee. From new technologies that allow for deeper engagement and more meaningful learning, to unique and interesting venues, to room set-ups for enhanced connections and dialogue, today's meeting attendee expects the total experience will be a transformative one. READ MORE

LinkedIn, Tumblr, TripAdvisor, Foursquare… With so many sites to navigate, it is easy to see these new media as a replacement for personal relationships or even as a threat to our industry. But in fact, it is vital that group sales teams view social media as a valuable tool to leverage future opportunities and stay on top of their competition. This is an in-depth look at how the group sales landscape has changed with the arrival of social media and my top tips on what do to (and not to do) to ensure success for your group sales team. READ MORE

What does your hotel's customer ecosystem look like? Impactful first impressions, personalized service and pleasant surprises sound like terms ripped right off of a customer service checklist: is your hotel employing them? Are you leveraging your employees to build meaningful relationships with your guests? Do you consider the idea of community engagement a necessity to success? Learn why personalized attention in hotels is reshaping the way we offer guest service, and how your team can create advocates for your brand through something as simple as understanding what your guest really wants. Hint, it's not a fancy lobby. READ MORE

It is unquestionable that we are faced with strong economic conditions, especially in the United States, which have had a dramatic impact on the lodging industry. For the past five years, all success indicators (occupancy, average rate, and RevPAR) have climbed steadily and most owners have enjoyed record profits. In New York City alone, demand for the first six months of 2014 increased by 6.6%, breaking all records, per Smith Travel Research (STR). READ MORE

Gathering places for people to meet and hold events have been around since mankind began and there have been many fascinating meeting venues which have been built over the centuries where historically significant decisions have been made to shape the world we live in today! Back in 1981, a group of hoteliers recognized the need to provide a serious concentration on the productive meeting environment and founded the International Association of Conference Centres. In the years since the term "conference centre" was coined, and for IACC, it represents a total commitment to the concept. READ MORE

Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim summed up the key to a successful marriage in the musical Company by noting in the song 'Perfect Relationships' that “it's the little things.” So too with the partnership between a meeting planner and a hotel—it's the little things that add up to a booking, a successful meeting and the potential for repeat business. CMA Association Management (CMA) has provided comprehensive association management services to national and global professional and trade associations for over 25 years. In that role, we have staged hundreds of meetings, conferences and trade shows, most of which have been at hotels across the country and the world. READ MORE

As the economy continues to improve, hotels are finally luring back business travelers, with business travel in the United States expected to increase by nearly six percent in 2014, and a continued upward trend anticipated into 2017. This is great news for the hospitality industry across the board, as business travel accounts for up to 40 percent of total revenues for hotels. But as business travel resurges above and beyond levels seen before the recession, many standard hotels are scrambling to find innovative ways to entice guests. READ MORE

The traditional group business meeting is becoming a thing of the past. Meeting planners want to ensure innovative events capture the hearts and minds of meeting attendees. Business travelers want and expect knowledge sharing and networking that show a real return on investment. Stepping up to the plate to address these needs are savvy hoteliers, who offer unique and differentiating experiences to their group hotel guests. This article highlights German hotel innovators and best practices. It also offers tips for hoteliers who want to maximize their guests' immersive experience as part of group travel. READ MORE

Event technology has been simplifying life for planners since the late '90s as entrepreneurs have used the most advanced tech to solve industry pain points, and to respond to constant demands from planners for new functionality. This article looks at 15+ years of event technology advancement, comparing old and new methods, offering anecdotes on tech adoption's early successes and challenges, and looking ahead at how technology will continue to change the meetings & events industry. READ MORE

With the power of the internet, business doesn't need to be conducted face-to-face. Even with this grand technological advancement, however, the act of meeting in person is still a highly productive activity. And oftentimes we overlook the impact of personal hotel spaces on the overall conference experience. By incorporating several key upgrades to guestroom design, a meeting or convention attendee can be better connected, work more effectively and have an elevated mood while staying at a property, thereby improving guest satisfaction, word of mouth and overall demand to allow for an increase in ADR and in turn revenues. READ MORE

Hotels are critically dependent on revenue from events such as conventions, trade shows, and exhibitions. The more successfully and efficiently hotels can execute meetings and events, the more they can garner both return and referral business, a very essential way to increase room revenue and profitability. However, for any executive or business meeting planner, when deciding where to host an important event or other large gathering, there is a lot at stake. The decision to choose the correct venue is one that can be incredibly time consuming and potentially determine the turnout and overall success of the gathering. While the destination is always an important factor, site size, flexibility of layout, comfort of chairs, audiovisual (AV) capabilities, Wi-Fi access and strength, lighting, and even power outlet accessibility are also critical factors to consider when determining an event space. A hotel can accomplish more effective events by creating modern, sleek, but still warm and welcoming event spaces that meet these needs yet are also comfortable and convenient, and leave hosts and the guests with outstanding experiences for the most efficient group event. READ MORE

The reasons that people attend tradeshows depend on whether they are exhibitors or attendees, although the purposes cited by the two groups intersect, according to a study of 2,257 tradeshow participants. Exhibitors are strongly focused on developing sales leads and demonstrating products, while attendees are chiefly concerned with educational opportunities. Tradeshows are increasingly using technology solutions to support those goals, including matchmaking and scheduling software, as well as on-site wi-fi, mobile apps, and internet cafes. Also important to participants' satisfaction with a tradeshow are sustainability programs, notably recycling and a reduction of paper collateral. READ MORE

Closing the Deal with Tough Customers in a Competitive Environment: Closing the deal with a tough customer in a competitive group hotel environment can be challenging - but it doesn't always have to come down to price. Even when the client has a handful of hotels from which to choose, these strategies will help your hotel sales team weave together a customized plan of attack that hits client hot buttons, maximizes relationships and showcases standout site benefits that can make the sale…while steering the conversation from price to value. READ MORE

The economic downturn of 2009 caused dramatic changes in the hotel group sales market, primarily in the automotive, financial services, insurance, and pharmaceutical industries. The number of incentive trips and meetings were drastically reduced and even cancelled across all industries. Five years later, meeting planners are faced with a new wave of opportunities and challenges and now have to re-think and understand how the "groups game" has changed. Here is a brief overview of best practices for how meeting planners can maximize their success in today's competitive landscape. READ MORE