Live Meetings Are Back! Surprising Things to Consider When Hosting a Conference

Live Meetings are coming back but what has changed? Hotels and service may look a little different than we are used to. Here is what we noticed.

Hotels Rates Are Not Competitive

Surprisingly, hotel space is more limited. Many cancelled events from 2020 have been re-booked for 4th quarter 2021 and 2022. As a result, hotel space is selling at a premium. Many travelers assume that hotels are reducing rates to attract guests but, they don’t need to. Everyone is excited to travel again, and the industry is busier than ever. Unfortunately, many amenities have been reduced in the name of COVID-19, but the sleeping room rates have not.

Hotels Are Short-Staffed

Many travelers report that the service level is not in line with previous years. According to The Points Guy, even though the hospitality industry will be booming this summer, hotel staffing is a challenge for several reasons ranging from state and federal unemployment to temporary visa expirations. Due to layoffs in 2020, there has been a mass exit of hospitality talent with many professionals seeking other industries for work and not returning to their pre-COVID careers. Make sure you know what amenities will be available and include these in your contract. Open restaurants, housekeeping, in-room dining are all important to guests but may not be guaranteed.

Social Distancing May Affect Your Budget

Many hotels are adhering to social distancing guidelines which means more meeting space could be needed for the same meeting you have hosted in the past. Your contracts may need revisions so make sure you are aware of the local social distancing policies of your location. If your company requires social distancing no matter what state or hotel the event is held, make sure to inform the hotel during the contracting period since it may affect the food and beverage minimum or other quotes. Some states do not require social distancing, and some have made it optional. Since the protocol isn't the same everywhere, attention to detail is critical.

How does social distancing protocols affect your room set, staging and audio-visual needs? What about food and beverage offerings? Will the hotel offer their full menu, or will the menu be modified? Do you need to revise your set-up for meals and breaks? Most hotels will now use disposables and instead of buffets, you will most likely have plated meals which require more staff. More staff means increased service fees.

Sales Manager Changes

Due to layoffs, a hotel sales manager may be covering more regions and industries than they did in 2019. This may result in delayed response or decisions. Your new contact may now be someone you have never met in person. They don’t know your events or your customers. This will impact relationships with clients since they are not able to host networking events or give the attention that clients have become accustomed to. The good news is that there have been some technology processes to help streamline booking and hotel sourcing. During the pandemic, many hotels dedicated resources to increasing technologies to speed up the booking process. For instance, Groups 360 and Hilton launched Group Sync to offer a direct booking solution for group room blocks. Hotels should be jumping for joy to book new business, right? They are! They just may be a little overwhelmed.

What has surprised you when sourcing new meetings this year?

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