Great Hotels Organisation's top ten meeting and incentive tips and trends for hoteliers
Great Hotels Organisation, the London-based hotel sales and
marketing alliance representing 3-5 star hotels under the brands Great
Hotels of the World, Special Hotels of the World and Metro Hotels has
announced its top ten meeting and incentive tips and trends for
hoteliers.
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Budgets are growing but still a deciding factor
The meeting
and incentive market is slowly becoming more optimistic following a
considerable contraction throughout 2009. Budgets are cautiously growing
in comparison to last year and are predicted to increase further in
2011; however this is still very much a deciding factor when it comes to
booking a venue. Many companies are again realising the importance of
face-to-face meetings (corporate clients in particular) and the number
of meetings, incentives or events organised through GHO's MICE desk have
increased by 30% YTD in comparison to the same period two years ago, a
figure forecasted to rise further in 2011.
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ROI is even more important than ever
Proving return on
investment (ROI) is a big challenge that is becoming increasingly
important for buyers as companies start to invest again in meetings and
incentives. Although budgets are slightly higher this year, they are
highly scrutinised by CEOs and buyers need to prove that every penny
spent has a recognised return. With this in mind, special offers and
packages are becoming more popular as buyers look for value for money
and added extras.
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Shorter lead times
Shorter lead times are becoming a
noticeable trend, often booked only a few months before the event is to
take place. The lead times for events booked through GHO's venue-finding
desk increased by 40 days in May 2010 - a difference of over seven
weeks in comparison to the same period two years ago. Many companies are
wary of booking too far in advance in the event of cancellation or
postponement which in some cases is associated with hefty fees whereas
some are simply taking advantage of favourable last minute rates and
packages.
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Relationships are key
There has never been a more important
time to invest in face-to-face meetings between suppliers and buyers.
Buyers with short lead times are more likely to go to suppliers with
whom they have a good relationship as they can rely on them for a fast
response and the need for flexibility. Suppliers who want to win
business should be investing in face-to-face meetings and focusing on
creating good working relationships with buyers. Investing in Great
Hotels Meeting Forums or Road Shows are both cost-effective ways of
developing new relationships.
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Flexibility and value for money
In an ever-changing market,
buyers are looking for flexibility, added value without extra cost and
fast responses to RFPs. Suppliers need to be flexible with a variety of
deciding factors such as dates, price, cancellation and deposit
procedures and payment options in order to stay ahead of the
competition. Responding within 24 hours to a RFP is vital to create a
good first impression and suppliers should work with the buyers in
partnership to make sure the event can go ahead. Great Hotels
Organisation offers "Your Event, Your Choice" - a promotion giving
buyers flexibility and choice in order to help them plan a successful
event.
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Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
CSR and environmental
awareness continue to be hot topics for the meetings and incentives
market. Many buyers are specifically seeking hotels that have addressed
some elements of sustainability and green programmes as companies aim to
reduce the environmental impacts associated with meetings.
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Spa and golf not as important
With bigger but highly
scrutinised budgets, buyers are focused on getting the most out of their
money and on the bare essentials - with decreased attention on spa and
golf facilities. The "no-frills" approach focuses on the basics and
team-building activities, if any, are often incorporated into the body
of the meeting with little or no time allocated for specifically for
networking or incentive activities.
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More business, less pleasure
During the height of the
recession, many businesses cut down on pure incentive trips, focusing
their budgets on business meetings. Incentives will be slowly coming
back on the menu towards the end of 2010 and throughout 2011, albeit
more discreetly than usual. The pre- and post-dinner networking
activities traditionally incorporated into meetings are making a steady
comeback.
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Emerging destinations
Popular destinations for enquiries
coming through GHO's MICE desk throughout the past year include
Barcelona, Paris and Berlin. New destinations such as Tallin, Vilnius
and Sofia are also growing in popularity as companies seek
cost-effective venues in up-and-coming destinations.
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Social media grows in importance
The world of social media is
creeping into the meetings and incentive industry. Face-to-face contact
is still seen as having the most value, but many buyers are utilising
social media tools such as Tripadvisor to seek feedback on venues as
well as developing relationships through Facebook with suppliers they've
already met. Suppliers are also promoting their venues through Facebook
and Twitter.
For more information on GHO's meeting and incentive venue finding
service, their collection of meeting and incentive hotels, or to become
an alliance member email mis@ghorg.com or call +44 (0) 20 7380 8557.
Great Hotels Organisation
| Great Hotels Organisation (GHO) is
part of Big Worldwide, a global, privately owned travel, technology and
media company headquartered in London. Great Hotels Organisation's
family of brands include Great Hotels of the World (www.ghotw.com), Special Hotels of the World (www.shotw.com)
and Metro Hotels. GHO provides a range of products, services and
innovative technology solutions for over 1,500 hotels worldwide
including trade shows, e-marketing, business travel consortia sales,
meeting and incentive sales, public relations, Meeting Forums and a
private label GDS chain code (GW). Membership of GHO is by
invitation only and hotels must meet strict criteria before being
accepted. By acknowledging that each hotel has a different set of
marketing requirements, GHO allows its member hotels to choose from a
comprehensive collection of sales and marketing initiatives in order to
build their own ‘à la carte' membership programme tailored to meet their
individual objectives. By doing this, members are able to choose and
purchase only the services they require, thus ensuring that membership
fees are focused on their specific requirements. Further information on
Great Hotels Organisation can be found at
www.ghorg.com.
CONTACTBrooke Jester
Marketing and PR Executive
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7380 8561
Email:
bjester@ghorg.comORGANIZATION
Great Hotels of the World Organisation
www.ghorg.com22 Stephenson Way - Third Floor
London , NW1 2HD
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7383 2335
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7383 0357
Email:
info@ghorg.com
Great Hotels Organisation, the London-based hotel sales and marketing alliance representing 3-5 star hotels under the brands Great Hotels of the World, Special Hotels of the World and Metro Hotels has announced its top ten meeting and incentive tips and trends for hoteliers.
