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HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW

September FOCUS: Hotel Group Meetings

 
September, 2021

Hotel Group Meetings: Spirit of Innovation


Naturally, the Hotel Group Meeting business has been rocked during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the effects may be felt for years to come. But according to planners, there is pent-up demand for hotels to resume this area of their business and savvy hoteliers are being exceptionally creative in making that possible. The key is successfully implementing all recommended safety guidelines. For example, in addition to social and physical distancing, some planners are utilizing assigned seating as a way to keep people from using multiple seats and tables throughout an event. Some planners have also initiated a color-coded bracelet system that indicates the wearer's confidence level about being physically approached. Hybrid meetings are also increasingly popular, where some attendees join in person and others are looped in virtually. Other hotels have instituted a "bubble" approach, dedicating an entire wing to smaller groups, essentially walling them off from any health risks outside their area. The September Hotel Business Review will report on what some hotels are doing to address these concerns so that the group meeting business can safely resume. 


This month's feature articles...

Andrea Grigg

The pandemic impacted many aspects of the hotel industry and the food and beverage sector was not immune. As hotels re-open and look forward to the future, new trends have emerged surrounding health and wellness, supporting local businesses and communities and utilizing new technologies for both customer-facing and back-of-house solutions that will be game changers for the hotel industry as a whole. READ MORE

Dana Pellicano

As the industry moves toward recovery, food & beverage programs at hotels have the opportunity to lean in to innovation, reinvention and shifting consumer behaviors to creatively capture increasing demand. Here, Marriott identifies new opportunities to ensure dining and drink remains at the heart of travel and the hotel experience for years to come. READ MORE

Greg  Vassos

How can the hotel industry respond to guests' patterns of desired change to make lodging less daunting for travelers? Chef Greg Vassos sheds light on the future of the F&B industry and how hotel owners and operators can respond to new health and safety standards while still providing guests with the most enjoyable experience possible. READ MORE

Mary Tabacchi

Gut Instinct!! Are hotels' immune systems at work? Talk about gut instinct – perhaps its more than we think. Should hotel owners, managers, and staff care? Peer reviewed science journals connect gut-brain immunity. Your hotel is a safe haven. A bit edgy? How to build immunity? Serve tasty healthful meals. Make exercise fun and readily available to all, staff included. Encourage everyone to practice yoga, sleep well and meditate. READ MORE

Robert O'Halloran

The Covid-19 pandemic exposed many of the struggles of the hospitality industry and perhaps particularly in the hotel F&B sector. Many restaurants, in general, pivoted quickly to survive and some that did not, may not open again. F&B in lodging seems to have always had an image problem and in some cases struggled with their F&B outlets. This article will discuss best practices for the F&B industry including the lodging sector and their applications planning for the future. READ MORE

Danny Py

The U.S. labor shortage is a serious challenge affecting the hospitality industry's COVID-19 recovery. In this article, First Hospitality Vice President of Food & Beverage Danny Py explores several factors that have led to the shortage and how restaurants can be more proactive in meeting these issues head on. From health and safety, to employee burn out and technological advancements, navigating the recovery period is no easy feat for food and beverage operators READ MORE

Amy Draheim

In-room dining remains on the chopping block. Along with the pandemic came a barrage of attacks on in-room dining in the form of delivery apps that could deliver on a promise of temperature controlled eats from the city's hottest kitchens to your hotel room door. Has the pandemic opened the door to a better way, or can the time-honored tradition of "room service" live to see another day? READ MORE

James Downey

Coming out of the COVID pandemic requires hotel and restaurant operators to carefully scrutinize their financial position as it stands currently. After the extreme upheaval from COVID, it might be all-to-easy to overlook standard financial measures. However, hoteliers should quickly get back into the habit of monitoring standard ratios, and create plans to bring current, post-COVID readings back to the "normal" range as quickly as possible. READ MORE

Zain Jaffer

Restaurants are an irreplaceable pillar of a great guest experience. From Michelin star dining to quaint B&Bs, hoteliers would struggle without in-house restaurant services. Tech-empowered solutions-supply chain management, sanitation, and personalized dining-will help restaurants take back their rightful role in hospitality 2.0. READ MORE

Jeff Dover

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the food and beverage industry significantly, no more so than in hotels. As hotel occupancies grow and food and beverage operations ramp up, an opportunity presents itself to make the Food and Beverage Department more of a profit centre than ever before. We will examine how hoteliers can use the lessons from the pandemic to re-image their Food and Beverage Departments. READ MORE

Ben Keliher

Hospitality has only begun to scratch the surface of reducing food waste, but there are steps that can be taken now that will provide a backbone for the industry. The Rubens at the Palace hotel in London has implemented new strategies with The Red Carnation Hotel Collection to act on this issue, by installing AI technology in their kitchens and offering a new collection of sustainable food experiences for guests. READ MORE

Thomas B. Meier

Having a solid foundation in place helped Avani, a Minor Hotel Group brand, to quickly roll out a range of enhanced safety and hygiene measures when the pandemic hit. Many months on, it has launched a number of new initiatives, while many of its hotels are re-imaging traditional hotel experiences altogether. READ MORE

Erik Wolf

The pandemic has forced changes in many areas of our lives, including how we experience travel and hospitality. Hoteliers and other hospitality providers have had to pivot and innovate, just to be able to survive. While introduced during adverse circumstances, these changes that include greater use of technology and a more concerted effort to focus on the well-being of the human workforce, are actually contributing to the betterment of our industry. READ MORE

Clifton Clark

As hotels reopen and begin to resume business, the effects Covid has had on the Food & Beverage world present new challenges. Hotels are working to balance product shortages, price increases and unpredictable deliveries while remaining committed to delivering a consistent, quality guest experience. Successfully adapting to these changes requires creativity, planning, flexibility and stronger interdepartmental collaboration. READ MORE

Stefan  Read

Before the pandemic, the lines between restaurant, grocery, and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) were blurring, and COVID further accelerated this trend, changing how they shopped, cooked, and even ate. Stefan Read from Jackman offers insight into how consumer needs and expectations have changed, and what restaurants can do to successfully embrace growing trends in the food industry. READ MORE

Guy Maisnik

Hotel lawyer Guy Maisnik discusses how hotels can create high-quality food and beverage programs while maintaining profitability. He explores the challenges hotel owners face when determining a food and beverage strategy, the legal and business issues that should guide management in navigating the post-pandemic marketplace, and whether a third party should be engaged to handle F&B. READ MORE

Cynthia Mejia

While a return to normalcy in hotel F&B operations will take some time to achieve, recruitment and retention in this area has struggled even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Post-pandemic business and recruitment strategies in hotel F&B call for a new paradigm, inclusive of the training and development of the newest generational cohort, Gen Z, now entering the workforce. READ MORE

Kim Haasarud

You never know what really is just a fad or what is signaling a change in the industry. But the rise in non-alcoholic (NA) spirits available on the market and the buzz around them is taking on a whole new momentum. The increased visibility of NA beverages is being driven by the #SoberCurious movement, sparking many Facebook groups and demands for more zero-proof drinks. READ MORE

Matias Pesce

V&E Restaurant Group's Matias Pesce discusses hotel food and beverage best practices that all hoteliers and restaurateurs should know, as well as issues impacting restaurants that reside in hotels. Matias also breaks down the opening of the restaurant group's Cafe Americano brand, and how they opened three new locations in both Las Vegas and Miami Beach during a pandemic. READ MORE

Rob Stone

Hotels and casinos are beginning to see the food and beverage industry bounce back after pivoting during the pandemic in order to benefit the guests, employees and company as a whole. THE ROW Reno's Vice President of Food and Beverage, Entertainment Rob Stone shares what he predicts to be the long-lasting trends in the F&B industry within hotels and casinos. READ MORE

Coming up in March 1970...