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HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW

OCTOBER FOCUS: Hotel Conference Center Trends for 2013

 

Green Policy Hotel Conference Center Trends for 2013

An in depth analysis of green hotel conference center trends for 2013 from Great Hotels of the World and two of its member properties

By Armand Guillemot Director of MICE, Great Hotels of the World | September 2012

As awareness for green policy has greatly increased over the past few years, so has hotels' awareness on the issue. Hotels are striving to attract as many potential buyers as possible in today's current climate. Hence they will go the extra mile to make their property stand out above and beyond their competitors.

Implementing more green policies within properties will be a consistent conference center trend for 2013 as it serves as a win-win situation. The property is able to save money on energy consumption while caring for the environment and attracting environmentally conscious buyers.

However, it is still important to note that the current economic climate may be dampening the effect of choosing a green hotel over a non-environmentally conscious property. This is because these properties tend to be slightly more expensive and evidently, though sadly, price is now the main decision factor for placing an event as companies are more conscious than ever before of price.

Within the MICE segment, the most environmentally conscious market seems to be the incentive market. This is because through incentivized trips, many companies like to highlight social responsibility - for example, trips to Africa to help a charity or activities to help combat environmental issues. Based on the request for proposals Great Hotels of the World has seen over the last year, we have seen that the Scandinavian market is the strictest on finding a venue which has implemented green policy within the property.

Hotel Conference Center Trends for 2013 will be to further implement greener policies. This can be illustrated within two of Great Hotels of the World's member properties:

Hotel Quinta da Marinha Resort sits between the Atlantic Ocean and the beautiful green Sintra Hills in the town of Cascais. The luxury resort boasts 11 function rooms (nine with natural daylight) on a total of 670 square meters of conference space and an additional cottage, the former hunting palace of King D. Carlos, a conference area with 144 square meters right in the heart of Quinta da Marinha and surrounded by nature with gorgeous pine trees all around.

The property has implemented its own 'Green Meetings Project', which allows guests to have their meeting organized with environmental responsibility in mind. The meetings only use recycled notepads, pens and pencils, and water is used from large dispensers with an automatic cooling system. The lunch offerings use organic and local products, air conditioning in meeting rooms is automatically set to a minimum energy consuming temperature and all meeting rooms have low consumption lamps. In the case of the meeting rooms with natural daylight, guests can avoid the use of lighting.

The hotel was also recently recognized by Tuv Rheinland in gaining their special Eco Hotel Certification. To achieve this goal, the property had to effectively meet more than 160 checkpoints and requirements, with regard to energy management, water consumption, waste management, safety, licensing and environmental compliance. Within all these areas, the policies at the property had been made to assure a more effective daily operation with the minimum impact on the surroundings. The trend has become not only to have an internal effect but also to spread this to all companies the hotel does business with.

All the property's suppliers have been informed of their policies and some have been changed whereas others had to adjust to comply and assure they could continue to do business with the property. The certification has also required the hotel to implement specific internal training to all team members to educate them on the best practices of energy resources and waste management with specialized training security procedures, another key trend within the hotel conferencing industry for 2013.

Another important measure taken has been to implement an internal quality team, with staff from different departments. Their mission is to measure, monitor, plan and implement actions that improve environmental performance and the impact of activities upon the hotel environment, executing plans of action and presenting the results of their actions to the management team.

Environmental culture is no longer two dimensional within the MICE market. For 2013, hotels have realized that everything one does professionally or personally will have an impact upon the surroundings. Hotels within the MICE segment are now applying this culture to their own businesses and there will be a domino effect for many companies in years to come.

One may also ask the question as to whether the conference center trend for 2013 to go greener is being addressed for PR purposes or whether it is something that buyers are asking for. In Quinta da Marinha's case, it was never the PR purpose that was at stake. For them, environmental causes are a key asset to the development of the resort and it would not have been possible to forward the same experience to their guests if going green was not a priority.

According to Quinta da Marinha, all their major enterprises have tended to choose the setting for their event in places where environmental sustainability is a priority. Each year they are consulted by major Portuguese companies in order to certify their environmental commitment. Without this documental proof, they will not be considered as a possible venue for events.

But is being green really a deal breaker? For Quinta da Marinha, it has had the opposite effect. In becoming green with a non-smoking policy in their guestrooms, they have become more accepted and respected by their guests. People are more aware and better educated to understand the responsibility of promoting environmental behaviors that will assure a better future for the coming generations.

When asking the property whether certain markets were more receptive to green conference center facilities, it is clear that initially green culture was more present in Northern Europe, especially from Scandinavia where this type of education starts from childhood. However, the property feels that this attitude has expanded to include all European destinations, which are the property's main markets and which now feel equally concerned about this issue.

Another point to add is whether the current crisis has affected the property's green policy investment. However, as the property has implemented a two-year plan and has carried forward all the needed and authorized investments, all changes have simultaneously impacted the property's respect on the environment and have also had an important decrease on their operation costs. Through the implementation of various measures, such as the acquisition and application of energy efficient equipment, the hotel anticipates to reduce 7% in energy consumption, 8% in gas consumption and 9.5% in water consumption over the next three years.

Future plans for the property are to attend to guest satisfaction and loyalty with important investments to deliver more accurate and environmentally efficient products and services. This will be a main concern for hotel conference centers within the coming year.

The Palace Hotel is situated in the seaside town of Noordwijk, only 25 minutes from Schiphol International Airport. The hotel features 13 conference rooms, all equipped with modern facilities and natural daylight, and there are two executive boardrooms for smaller meetings.

The hotel now offers organic breaks and meeting packages and organizes large conferences where they serve guests sustainable and organic food and drinks from a local supplier, boast an executive floor with Coco-Mat beds (implemented this year) and LED lighting in all meeting rooms. Green policy has now been put in place with the use of FSC paper, climate control and reduction in lighting until the group arrives. The property has also employed a safety briefing where they make business guests aware of green policies.

Trends that the property will put in place for 2013 are 'Think Local', where the hotel will aim to make a difference within the local environment. Another green trend for 2013 is 'seat to meet', whereby the property is aware that business guests are now searching for more local and flexible way of work. They have thereby created a working area where facilities and free highspeed Wi-Fi are provided. The property will also support regional charities such as the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution where every guest is asked to donate one Euro. Within eight months, 10,000 Euros has already been donated.

The Palace Hotel agrees that a hotel not being green could be a deal-breaker. Companies now expect the property to work and think green. A major advantage for them has been gaining the Golden Green Key status as this certificate has translated to MICE buyers that the property contributes to the environment.

The main markets that the property has seen as more receptive to placing an event within a green property are governmental organizations, non-profit organizations, multinationals and pharmaceutical companies. These companies, especially pharmaceuticals, are very important contributors to the property's MICE business and specifically ask the property for ways in which the property is green. For the hotel, the current crisis has not affected their green policy investment. They have invested in many new products including changing the lighting to LED and installing LED televisions. Due to their green thinking and implementation of green policy, the hotel has recently won the Dutch Hotel Award for 2012 as added value was this year's theme.

Ultimately, the aim is for hotels and buyers to reach a win-win situation where green and ecological services are competitive within the marketplace. This way that buyers can encourage and take advantage of the best green practices. Any costs that hotel conference centers save on energy will then make up for pricing, providing green services at a more competitive price.

Joao Pinto Coelho, Sales Director at Quinta da Marinha Resort, Cascais Portugal and Sophie Ausems, Marketing & PR Manager at The Palace Hotel, Noordwijk aan Zee, The Netherlands both contributed to this article.

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John Mavros Understanding the Impact of the Halted Salary Threshold Increase for Exempt Employees and Key Considerations for Employers
  • By John Mavros, Attorney at Law, Partner, Fisher & Phillips, LLP

    • The Federal Labor Standards Act issued a rule earlier this year that was set to raise the salary threshold for exempt employees. However, this rule was halted by a federal district court in November before it went into effect. The court held that the U.S. Department of Labor exceeded its authority by raising the threshold too high and struck down the phase-two increase to $59,000 set to take effect on January 1, 2025. The court also struck down the first boost that raised the salary floor to $44,000 in July 2024 as well as the automatic three-year adjustments and set...

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Simon Hudson Artificial Intelligence: No Substitute for the Human Touch in Hospitality
  • By Simon Hudson, Professor in Tourism & Hospitality, University of South Carolina

    • There is a growing body of knowledge focusing on the influence that artificial intelligence (AI) is having on the hospitality industry. What the evidence suggests is that for hospitality businesses, the impact of AI to date has been very positive. Hospitality marketers, for example, are using AI powered systems to analyze vast amounts of customer data, such as booking history, preferences, and online behavior. This information is then used to create personalized recommendations for destinations, accommodation, activities and more. AI systems can also customize marketing campaigns, improving consumer engagement and conversion rates. Additionally, AI can help hospitality companies optimize their pricing strategies...

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Rekha Magon Shaping the Future of Travel, Education, and Hospitality
  • By Rekha Magon, Co-founder, Boundless Life

    • In a world that feels simultaneously more connected and more divided than ever before, the concept of global citizenship is no longer a nice-to-have; it is a necessity. The hospitality industry, particularly at the intersection of travel and education, has a unique opportunity to help nurture global citizens by design. As the co-founder of Boundless Life, an organization that empowers families to embrace location-independent lifestyles while prioritizing community and holistic education, I have seen first-hand how instilling the value of global citizenship can reshape not just individuals, but entire ecosystems. What exactly is global citizenship? At its core, it means...

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Arnaud Morandi Luxury Travelers Seek Authenticity Over Standardization
  • By Arnaud Morandi, General Manager, Fauchon L'Hotel Paris

    • The luxury travel market continues to thrive — even in these often uncertain economic times. From here in Paris as well as when I travel to attend industry conferences and speak to my colleagues at other properties, I am hearing that five-star hotels are not seeing a perceptible decline in business. In fact, for many hotels, ADR is up and business continues to be robust amongst this key demographic. What has changed however, are the preferences of this high net worth audience which continues to be on the move, expand their range of global destinations, and yearn to experience...

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Jamie Bruce The New Non-Negotiables for Today's Meeting Planners
  • By Jamie Bruce, President, Teneo Hospitality Group

    • The meetings and events industry has transformed in recent years, with wellness and sustainability rising as integral components of event planning. Post-pandemic, there’s an evident shift in attendee expectations around health and well-being, driven by increased awareness of physical and mental well-being. For organizations looking to host impactful meetings, integrating wellness and sustainable practices is no longer optional but essential to creating memorable, productive, and responsible events. In my role as president of Teneo Hospitality Group, I’ve seen first-hand how hotels and resorts are innovating to meet these new demands. From incorporating eco-conscious design to offering immersive activities to further...

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Robert O'Halloran Hospitality Entrepreneurism: What Are the Possibilities?
  • By Robert O'Halloran, Professor & Director, Hospitality Management, East Carolina University

    • Entrepreneurism in hospitality and tourism has a history and is diverse and multi-faceted. Tourism as an industry is the umbrella of the sectors related to service and hospitality. It can include public sector organizations like convention and visitor bureaus, state and national parks and forests offering recreational destinations etc. Tourism areas such as cultural, heritage, and medical speak to the products and services offered to the traveling public. Operationally, tour companies and tour guides are part of the service products within tourism. Specifically, the umbrella of tourism is inclusive of the hospitality infrastructure that is inclusive of lodging, food...

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Brent Hayhurst Elevating Boutique and Independent Hotel Bookings: The Role of Technology and Vendor Partnerships
  • By Brent Hayhurst, VP of Program Development, Curator Hotel & Resort Collection

    • In the dynamic landscape of hospitality, boutique and independent hotels are increasingly recognized for their one-of-a-kind and personalized guest experiences. However, in a world dominated by online booking platforms, stiff competition, and endless options, hotels face the challenge of standing out while ensuring seamless booking processes and exceptional guest satisfaction. To navigate these challenges, boutique and independent hotels are turning to technology and strategic vendor partnerships to enhance their approach to online bookings and to create efficient procedures. At the center of this process is a collaborative effort by independent hotels to prioritize frictionless booking and leverage...

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