Because high-quality hotel meeting and conference facilities are a reliable way to generate revenue and drive food & beverage profitability, experienced hotel owners and operators understand the value of great meeting and event spaces. The question is what does a "great" meeting space look like, and how has this changed in recent times. There is no one answer, of course, but with the growing trend of businesses and leaders looking for creative and non-traditional spaces for their professional events, more hoteliers are finding innovative ways to identify or create those unique environments and memorable experiences. READ MORE

The hospitality industry is enjoying a healthy period of innovation and growth, with many opportunities for differentiation among the various brands. Successfully "doing business differently" requires pioneering leadership, however, and it's not always easy to find CEOs with the right skills and attributes. With the changes brought about by technology, finding suitable business leaders for the future is paradoxically both easier and more challenging. Hotel company CEOs now need to have a completely different skill set than they did before. This article looks at six of the trends we're currently seeing in hospitality leadership and where hotel companies can source people with the leadership skills they need. READ MORE

When planning an event, the venue is vital to creating an engaging experience for attendees. A meeting space is no longer a place for people to sit and listen to someone talking on stage; it's an opportunity to engage and transport attendees with a memorable and creative atmosphere. To cut through the "predictability," it pays to choose a fresh space that break from convention. Because client entertainment is an important part of doing business, we've identified five venue categories that work as stand-alone experiences or as part of multi-event programs to meet relationship-building, client education and ROI-generating event goals. READ MORE

As meeting planners strive to integrate unusual settings into their events, more and more business is being driven away from hotels and resorts in favor of off-site venues such as zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens and museums. For our industry, it presents both a challenge and an opportunity to evolve our business in a way that meets the needs of meeting planners' shifting priorities. The way to maintain their business on-property is to adapt with creative, inventive ways to ensure hotels are just as authentic to their destination as any of these alternate sites. READ MORE

There is a new breed of traveler emerging, one that places importance on social responsibility, environmental responsibility and overall sustainable travel. This shift in the marketplace will undoubtedly encourage hospitality companies to analyze their current practices and see how they measure up. Legacy Vacation Resorts was seeking a way to do just that and subsequently became a Certified B Corporation. Now, leadership is hoping to use their conscious business model to inspire other companies in the industry and beyond to utilize their business as a force for good and focus on a triple bottom line of serving people, the planet and profit. READ MORE