A Guide To Safer Meetings: The Road To Recovery For Hotels

In 2020, there was a halt to traditional in-person meetings, but the industry’s innovation grew out of need. To rebuild even stronger, we must draw upon the lessons learned during the last year. As hotels and venues continue to recover, this post outlines all you need to know about organizing safer meetings.

Because of Covid-19, meeting and event planners and venues have had to make significant adjustments. As a starting point, venues may focus on a few important areas to ensure that meetings and events are secure. Here we investigate how venues can completely equip themselves with the tools and resources they need to keep meetings and events on track. This also provides guidance and ideas from industry professionals and many more needed on the path to recovery.

In addition, for safer meetings and events, hotels and venues must remain updated on all local, state, and federal regulations.

 

1. Drive the marketing strategy towards safety and responsibility.

A cleaning strategy is essential for any event venue wanting to book group gatherings and prepare for future in-person events. And it is not just necessary to have rules in place. It is also crucial for the venue to convey that strategy to event professionals.

Planners will not find out about it by themselves. There’s no reason a planner would know your safety message if you don’t have a strategy to promote it. If you are committed to safety, you must also commit to spreading the word about it.

The marketing message of a hotel should convey to planners that they observe all existing Covid-19 requirements. It should also highlight particular steps taken to keep events safe, such as social distance and mask regulations, touchless services provided, and room cleanliness. 

Venues can communicate their safety policies through all digital channels, such as blog posts, email marketing, and even microsites that share testimonials from event professionals and satisfied guests about their previous experiences. To show that your hotel or venue takes safety seriously, consider posting photographs of successful hybrid events on social media. You may swiftly and efficiently transition from “Are they safe?” to “What’s for dinner?” by using the power of digital marketing.

 

2. Set up the event space to allow for safety and social distance.

Knowing if a location can host enormous crowds with plenty of social distance is increasingly a major issue for planners. Venues are specialists in their own spaces and know how to alter them if necessary, whereas suppliers may assist in effectively optimizing layouts for a safe event.

If an in-person visit is not possible, online tools might help increase confidence. According to a survey, 60% of planners would book a hybrid event venue even if they could only see the place online.

Event planners may rely on real-time diagramming to ensure that safety and space standards are met. Photo-realistic 3D graphics make it easier to visualize how everything is arranged and what modifications need to be made before they are done in reality. Such visualizations and mock-ups may be created using specific tools. Having to know where hand sanitizing stations are going to be located and the signs contribute to some of it. Most people, however, like using 3D technology to view a location before visiting it since it informs the site visit in many ways.

 

3. Make meetings and events safer by utilizing digital tools and making them hybrid.

As per Meeting Professionals International’s director of events, Melinda Burdette, the necessity of going hybrid when they had to engage with their constituents and go ahead. It was daring when they had to move forward with an in-person and a completely live, online event.

Over the past year, hybrid events have become increasingly popular as attendees and organizers alike have become more concerned about safety. However, a successful hybrid event requires the proper infrastructure and technology to guarantee that everything runs smoothly from beginning to end.

It’s possible that a year ago, internet speed and bandwidth constraints weren’t considered to be essential capabilities for planners. Event professionals have been compelled to use technology to a greater level in recent years, and they demand the same from venues.

AV capabilities, technological assistance, and enough internet speed are just a few of the virtual needs event planners expect the venues to ensure. Even while safety requirements are still paramount, technology has become just as vital.

 

4. Give a second thought to the food and beverage options.

Luxurious buffets are not completely ignored. But over the past year, requirements have changed as safety has become more important. The best practices, for the time being, are to put community serving stations on hold and come up with fresh food and beverage concepts instead.

Using computerized menus, packed lunches or bento boxes, and the provision of outdoor seats might all be considered as alternatives. Some planners also use the venue’s minimum food and beverage options at the host property’s restaurants.

Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach director of sales, Kathy Masterson stated, “We’ve become extremely imaginative, as I believe most people have in this scenario. When it comes to breakfast, there’s usually a fruit display with muffins and danishes, all of which are served with tongs. They are being packaged separately into plastic containers presently.”

 

5. Make the most of your DMO or CVB.

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (CVBs) and Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) market both corporate and leisure travel in their respective areas, which can benefit by attracting events and people to your hotel or venue.

To regain group business, it may be necessary to strengthen connections with these groups. From the airport to the lobby to the event, they can put planners in contact with the appropriate individuals at hotels and venues to create a safer visit. They can also provide up-to-date information on a particular area’s evolving regulations for Covid-19.

There are several things you can do now to make meetings and events safer, including:

• Digitization: Our social interactions have changed dramatically because of the epidemic, and one of those changes is utilizing digital technologies to assure safety and improve the dining experience. From restaurant/room diagramming to customization, more planning and interaction are expected to occur on digital media.
• Smart Creativity: The hotel’s gorgeous outside patio is the perfect place to host a picnic rather than ‘grab and leave’ boxes and social distancing.
• Marketize: Promote your hotel’s or venue’s safety policies everywhere you can, but especially through planner-sourcing channels.
• Partner–up: Create alliances that are built on cooperation, flexibility, and competence in the areas of space, technology, and hospitality.
• Re-evaluated dining experience: Make the experience exceptional by increasing the quality. Offer discounts and themed specials to make the most of the local products. Make the restaurant in your hotel a special place to be.

To best prepare for future meetings and activities, use this knowledge to plan.

Remember that hotels and venues are critical to the industry’s recovery, which will look substantially different once meetings and events resume. Maintain your readiness so that you can provide safe experiences for everyone engaged.