By Ann Bagel Storck on 2/29/2012
Houston-based Benchmark Hospitality International has released a list of 11 top meeting trends for 2012 observed by its 35 hotels, resorts and conference centers.
1. Luxury is back.
Luxury resorts are no longer a pariah, Benchmark reported, but corporate accountants are still watching the meeting budget closely.
2. Meeting demand is growing and is the strongest it has been since 2008.
Booking pace remains short-term, but the “meeting sale” is over, according to Benchmark.
3. Meeting size is trending up, and space is at a premium.
As the business climate continues to strengthen, hotels and resorts are being more selective with the bookings they take, electing to fill their properties with larger meetings at a higher rate. Customers are finding the “no vacancy” sign posted once again for preferred space booked short term, Benchmark said, and the flexibility of many hotels and resorts is waning with the strengthening of demand.
4. Twenty-first-century meeting space is different.
Today’s meeting planners are looking for properties with outsized meeting rooms outdoors, inspirational and non-traditional nooks and crannies for small gatherings and breakouts inside, and are requesting oversized chairs and meeting accessories as an occasional alternative to ergonomics.
5. Meetings technology has leapt into the 21st century.
Apps downloaded on smartphones and tablets, easily accessible mobile sites and meeting-dedicated Facebook pages are assisting planners and conferees with the registration process, enabling quick access to event itineraries and offering an easier method to gather feedback from participants after an event. Tablets also can help with note-taking during meetings and are even interfacing with traditional technology like LCD projectors, Benchmark noted.
6. The meeting package is coming back strong.
Although the past few years saw a slide in demand and an unbundling of the meeting package, in 2012 planners are once again embracing meeting packages. Instead of unbundling, planners today are more apt to request customization of the meeting package.
7. Slowly and carefully, meeting pricing is trending up.
They are still looking for the best value, but planners seem prepared to see price increases in 2012.
8. Teambuilding budgets are continuing their comeback.
Properties with creative, built-in teambuilding opportunities such as volleyball on the beach, kitchens designed for cooking classes, mixology programs and even golf courses on which conferees can test their mettle as a group are winning meetings business, Benchmark said.
9. We’ve seen this before; we’re seeing it again.
As the economy strengthens, corporate America is once more ramping up training budgets. This time around, training is more intense, and meetings tend to be longer.
10. Increasingly the meeting destination is as important as the meeting venue.
Time invested in a meeting is more valuable than ever before, and the need to counter-balance this with destination experiences is taking on new meaning. It's about affordable destinations offering great value and a relaxed atmosphere where business can get done and recreation can offer new opportunities for learning in a more relaxed setting, Benchmark reported.
11. Socially responsible meetings and the need to give back remain strong.
From initiatives like Clean the World to an afternoon supporting Habitat for Humanity or a local soup kitchen, investing in the community is as important for planners and conferees as it is for the hotel or resort serving as the meeting venue, Benchmark found.