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At the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach, meeting director Melody Elrod can recommend table placements to give planners the best options — and beautiful views.
Whether you’re designing an intimate meeting or a large annual conference, finding the right hotel is the first piece of the planning puzzle. To make the rest of the logistical pieces fit together, you need a meetings team that is equally committed to your group’s success. As you look ahead to your next event, consider these four tips from IHG Hotels & Resorts for stronger collaboration.
Start the Conversation ASAP
Worried about finding the right space — and finding enough money to pay for it? Join the club. According to Global DMC Partners’ Q3 Meetings & Events Pulse, 80 percent of planners report that higher accommodation rates are a persistent challenge, and 42 percent say that availability is a common issue most of the time. If you’re planning a large conference, aim to lock in your room block at least one year prior to the event date to find the most competitive room rates. However, you’ll also want to think about ways to be flexible with the start date: Hotel meeting teams can recommend shoulder season dates to accommodate smaller budgets.
Stacy Seaborn, director of sales and marketing at the InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk, said sharing an event’s budget up front helps the hotel create an event that meets all an organization’s goals.
Communicate Clearly and Include Every Detail
Once you lock in the dates, it’s time to turn the hotel into an extension of your team. The best way to do this is simple: Talk to each other — a lot. Determine a regular cadence to discuss your meeting’s objectives and attendee preferences. For Stacy Seaborn, director of sales and marketing at the InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk, no detail is too small — sharing the budget up front, she said, helps the hotel create an event that meets goals, satisfies attendee needs, and optimizes costs.
Ask On-Site Experts for Opportunities to Optimize the Space
As you’re planning your upcoming attendee experience, the hotel meetings team is seeing what works with a wide range of other groups that come through the doors. They may be surprised to see how a group leverages an underutilized area of the property, or they might identify a potential hiccup in your seating plans for a big banquet dinner. With that in mind, ask for their tips and tricks. For example, at the Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach, meeting director Melody Elrod recommends table placements based on foot traffic patterns, elevator and escalator locations, and attendee flow — information only an insider can offer.
Count on the Same Experts for What’s Outside the Venue
A dedicated meetings team isn’t just for what’s inside the property; they’re equally knowledgeable about the rest of the community with a network to score those tough-to-get reservations and impress VIP attendees. Case in point: The team at the InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile helped the organizer of a recent business gala secure reservations at a top Michelin-starred restaurant, along with tickets to a sold-out show. At the Kimpton Armory Hotel in Bozeman, Montana, the meetings team builds Wild West–inspired itineraries that feature rustic hikes through nearby Yellowstone National Park, fly-fishing excursions, and riverside barbecues.
Visit ihg.com/meetingsandevents to learn more about the IHG Hotels & Resorts global portfolio of more than 6,000 properties and the dedicated meetings teams that distinguish the company.
