Do you ever feel like you are just going through the motions with online RFP channels?  Do you even know if you are taking advantage of the technology in front of you? Now you can be sure by taking advantage of the helpful guidance in the Venues Overview section. This five-paned window will help you...read more

Whether you’re planning a familiarization (FAM) tour or marketing an event, there can be a lot of gray area for a non-traditional public relations team at a CVB or hotel. For instance: How far in advance should you send an event press release? Should a release be sent after the event as well? Who...read more

Since the "GSA Scandal" and "AIG Effect" prompted a media frenzy a few years ago, it seems as if most of the meeting industry has continued to shy away from resort hotels and conference centers because they might appear as opulent or over-the-top. While these two meetings were egregious examples of...read more

Technology solutions such as the Cvent Supplier Network have made it easier than ever before for planners to research destinations, find venues and send electronic RFPs (eRFPs). Prior to the existence of eRFPs, it was difficult for planners to identify ALL of the possibilities for their upcoming...read more

One of the best ways to market a meeting venue is to share your story through digital and print magazines. For a larger brand, a media team exists at the corporate level/home office, but for hoteliers without these resources, what can be done? In an interview with Randy Hennen, Publisher for Midwest...read more

“Location, location, location” has been the longtime stock answer to what's the most important aspect of opening a business. Hotels smack dab in the middle of a mixed-use development renaissance are finding themselves in a right-place-right-time scenario. To the one-stop-shopping concept of...read more

If we knew what makes a meeting planner “tick”, then overall our sales teams, hotel marketing and delivery of services are improved.    For instance, last month USA Today’s Hotel Columnist, Barbara De Lollis revealed what women want from hotels; the list included items that women would rather leave...read more

When trying to understand a meeting planner’s needs for their upcoming event; the facts are essential, but understanding the demographics is beneficial too.    Have you ever made an assumption about the preferences of the planner or the attendees based on their age(s)? Maybe you assumed Gen Y places...read more

While living in metro Detroit for over thirty years, I have experienced the highs and lows of the great Motor City. What is happening now is so exciting that talking about it with you brings me chills! The media has provided the nation with a plethora of perceptions, focusing on the darkest days for...read more

In the events world, SMERF groups may need extra guidance from the hotel staff. When you think about new projects you’re tasked with at work, if the task is foreign to your job, it can be a challenge to find the right resources as you approach it with caution. It may require extra guidance or...read more

Planners using the Cvent Supplier Network are on a hunt for the perfect venue. In order to find the ideal venue for their event, they need unique and persuasive information at their fingertips…which starts with your venue profile. One way to ensure your profile is not only complete, but also...read more

Do you sometimes feel like you’ve exhausted all ideas for increasing group business at your venue? Or maybe you’re struggling with the ways you currently handle attracting group business. Whatever the case, you need dive in deeper, take a look at your group business plan and come up with ways to...read more

Watkins Research Group, a business-to-business research organization, published its  2012 Meeting and Convention Planners Survey where they polled 730 veteran planners about their love/hate relationship with CVBs and DMOs. Below is a synopsis of the research as presented in the January edition of...read more

Speed-dating a potential client isn’t a bad idea, is it? Especially when it guarantees you’ll be able to talk and make a one-on-one connection. Reverse trade shows where suppliers meet buyers for seven-minute appointments has skyrocketed. Where traditional trade shows were the original format,...read more

Balancing response time with proposal quality is a challenge I hear from my venue clients.  My best practice tip this month is to use the new In Progress option to time stamp a response, let the planner know that you are actively working on their opportunity, and communicate internally on your...read more

Leisure, group business, and weddings are three traditional avenues that generate revenue for your hotel. Both a destination and a hotel can have peak, low and shoulder seasons based on how individuals and group business travel; influencers on these cycles can be geographic weather, the fiscal year,...read more

The last few weeks demanded a great deal of energy and time from you as the revenue manager at your hotel, but the 2012 reports are on the books and you have done everything you can with your team to build the bottom line most successfully. Just when you thought you could exhale, the fiscal cliff...read more

The business teeter-totter from 2008-2011 really began to level off in 2012, giving relief and hope for a better bottom line. Time spent finding new ways to fill rooms, juggling dates and rates and scrambling to stay afloat creatively has defined a more streamlined approach to group rooms business....read more

t’s true, hospitality professionals don’t always take time to invest in their professional development. Instead, we take pleasure in satisfying clients that invest in their organization’s performance and morale at our meeting venues. On the other hand, there aren’t many educational workshops for the...read more

If you are a hospitality marketing representative, I know you answer  al lot of Request For Proposals (RFPs). And even though "dates and rates" are still part of the process, they are not the total package. Think instead of your RFP response as a way to tell your story. Yes, it will take more time...read more