HOTELS Magazine on Tuesday presents Part 2 in series on meetings business research conducted by UniFocus to help upscale hoteliers understand which features and services offered at their properties most impact a meeting planner’s intent to return and recommend. By placing an operational focus on these key opportunities, thereby improving performance, a hotel can look forward to an increase in their own market share relative to each meetings segment.
Identification of an upscale properties’ strengths relative to the market segments it is attracting offers the ability and potential to impact marketing and sales strategies for growth, while fine-tuning operational delivery.
Key opportunities relative to the meeting planners who hosted events within the upscale hotel segment include the following areas, which if performance growth could be obtained could result in an increase in meeting planner satisfaction and loyalty:
- Quality of the food and beverage provided at meetings
- Food and beverage service during the event, including an appealing presentation and timely set up
- Effective communications and follow through before and during the sales process
The key opportunities for association event planners and those items that hotels targeting the association market segment for growth include:
- Event space temperature
- Hotel guestrooms and ease of reservations
- Food and beverage quality and service
To improve satisfaction and loyalty ratings amongst the planners hosting corporate and SMERF meetings, upscale hoteliers should be aware of the following key opportunities:
- Food and beverage quality, including appeal of the presentation
- Variety and range of choices for food and beverage
- Event space temperature
By focusing on what’s most critical to meeting planners’ satisfaction and intent to return, by market segment, hotels can better target markets where they excel, while increasing return business and referrals.
