Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) President and CEO Mike Dominguez is bullish about the demand for group bookings and the path for building up the capacity to service meeting professionals sending RFPs in a compressed market with shrinking booking windows. His company is filling the gaps in specialty areas to support hospitality clients by hiring specialists.

“The frustration we hear is that meeting professionals are having trouble reaching hotels,” he said in a phone call from Europe, where he sees hotel partners having the same conversations about the rush to return to meeting he heard in the United States three months ago. They opened their borders a little later, so are just a few steps behind on the path. “We need to support hotels while they get staffed up,” he said.

Filling the Gap

One of the places where Dominguez sees gaps is in specialty markets, such as sports verticals, including golf markets and coaches’ meetings and the like. “There is great opportunity to expand here,” he said.

Read More: Lessons for Managing The Great Contemplation

He also sees opportunities to grow in the niches of religious and fraternal groups. “These markets are relationship-driven and we can help meet those needs,” he said.

ALHI recently announced the arrival of two new global sales directors. Dan Meisler will be based in Dallas-Ft. Worth and will manage sports, Texas universities and medical systems verticals. He shares an MGM Resorts pedigree with Dominguez and sold sponsorships for Chicago Bandits professional softball team in Illinois.

Delray Beach, Florida-based Barbara Rodriguez will focus on expanding the company’s relationships in South Florida, the Caribbean, and Latin, Central and South America. She brings over 20 years of hospitality experience in Latin America, an area Dominguez sees as an opportunity for growth. Most recently, Rodriquez worked extensively in her native Puerto Rico, representing Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve and the five-star, five-diamond Eau Palm Beach Resort and Spa.

With these hires, Dominguez reported that ALHI is now above 2019 staffing levels in response to an increase in RFPS that are up 150% from pre-pandemic levels.

Fast Ramp Up

At the hotel level, in particular, Dominguez advocates for fast-track onboarding. “We don’t have the luxury of training the way we used to train,” he said. He suggested outlining the basics of how to get someone in a room, change rooms and get around the hotel. For anything beyond that, a SWAT team of specialists can be available to step in.

In his view, full-service hospitality will continue to be largely a people business for the foreseeable future. “Hotels are so high-touch, we may not be able to automate as easily as at hotels where everything is designed the same,” he said.

Read More: Could Gig Workers Solve Hotel Staffing Shortage?

The key to attracting people to the events industry, Dominguez suggested, is to show a career track, just as many of the leaders in the industry, including Dominguez, started in entry-level roles and worked their way up decades ago.

Because hospitality jobs range from service and finance to marketing and operations, he advocated recruiting from other industries to bring fresh ideas to the meeting space.

Plan with Confidence

 

An easy drive from many of the largest cities in the Southeast, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort offers a perfect blend of majestic mountain scapes, luxurious accommodations and authentic, entrancing Native American culture. A 56-acre mountain paradise, Harrah’s Cherokee indulges guests with a range of experiences from superb dining and entertainment to a luxurious 18,000-square-foot spa oasis. Meeting planners will feel equally pampered. Harrah’s Cherokee has 115,000 square feet of flexible meeting space  and a variety of one-of-a-kind venues set against a backdrop of spectacular mountain scenery with 1,800 deluxe guest rooms and suites. And with the exceptional service and support from our dedicated events team, Harrah’s Cherokee makes it easy to take your meetings and events to new heights.

 

What’s New
With an expansion set to be completed by October of 2021, the Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort in Cherokee, North Carolina will add 83,000 square feet of additional meeting and exhibit space and 725 new guest rooms making it the largest hotel conference center under one roof in both the Carolinas. An easy drive from many of the largest cities in the Southeast, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort offers a perfect blend of majestic mountain landscapes, luxurious accommodations, and authentic, entrancing Native American culture. A 56-acre mountain paradise, Harrah’s Cherokee indulges guests with a range of experiences from superb dining and entertainment to a luxurious 18,000-square-foot spa oasis.

 

Unique Venues
The Event Center – The 16,815-square-foot Event Center can be configured six different ways to accommodate 100 to 1,500 guests, and offers four VIP suites, box seating, and more than 1,100 balcony seats. The 3,000-seat Event Center can be used for meetings, general sessions, exhibits and more. It’s home to the World Series of Poker and has hosted big-name concerts like Dolly Parton and Alicia Keys.

Mandara Spa – The Mandara experience began on the spiritual island of Bali, inspired by the beautiful tradition of healing touches, which is deeply immersed within the culture and passed on from mother to daughter from generation to generation. These time-honored therapies, combined with European methods and natural elements indigenous to the spa’s region, meld together to provide the most unique and indulgent spa treatment. Drawing on world-inspired therapies and philosophies, visitors will be immersed in the cultures of Asia, India, the Mediterranean, and the New World. Each region is symbolized by one of the four elements and evokes a sense of place and self.

The Pools – Soak up some sun, or don’t. Harrah’s Cherokee has both indoor and outdoor pools located steps from one another. The pool can provide a nice change of scenery from the banquet room when used for outdoor receptions. Another outdoor pool is being added with the new hotel tower opening soon.

Ultrastar Multi-tainment Center – With 24 lanes available, the center provides a family friendly bowling experience with on-lane dining and multiple bowling themes for all ages and levels of bowlers. Visitors can also enjoy UltraStar Game Center, a large arcade area featuring the newest and hottest video and redemption games.

Quick Facts:

  • Soon to be 115,000 sq ft of meeting space, the most meeting space under one roof in the Carolinas
  • Harrah’s Cherokee is ‘nestled in nature’ and sits in a lush mountain surrounding
  • Easy drive for attendees from many major cities in the Southeast
  • Indulge attendees with spa treatments at the 18,000 sq. ft. Mandara Spa

 

Meeting professionals are not just in the events business, we are in the business of helping people define who they are. That was a reminder from Greg Bogue, chief experience architect at Maritz Global Events and keynote speaker last week at Smart Meetings Incentive Experience in Riviera Maya at the all-inclusive Hotel Xcaret Arte.

“Experiencing new things and offering new perspectives helps people find themselves,” he said. “It is not a coincidence that of the millions of pictures posted on social media, most aren’t pictures of money, but experiences. We have gone from trophy value to selfie value. Experiences are the new status symbol.”

Authentic Experiences Create Powerful Connections

dinosaur sculpture in cave

Incentive meeting professionals are masters of designing motivating experiences by personalizing the adventure based on guest data. Attendees at this exclusive resort learned over three days how to engineer those emotional moments by living them.

Read More: Western Mexico: An Incentive Paradise

The immersion started with a dramatic Mayan ritual at registration. That flowed into a Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead) party on the shores of a cenote that meanders through the property. The gathering ended with a white party catered as a five-course gourmet meal. The caviar in a coconut shell, Wagyu beef and lobster courses were accompanied by authentic local musicians and a laser fountain show in a stunning outdoor amphitheater at sunset.

Because Hotel Xcaret Arte, which was completed in Playa del Carmen in 2021 with 900 guest rooms, is part of a complex that includes Hotel Xcaret Mexico’s 900 guest rooms and Xcaret Park, team building was built in. Underground rivers for swimming and canoeing, five extreme zip lines, ATVs and cultural attractions were the backdrop for competitive exploration.


In addition to this fast-growing destination, the state of Quintana Roo, which includes Cancun and Riviera Maya, has become one of the largest hotel destinations in North America with 120,000 guest rooms (third only to Las Vegas and Orlando, Florida), many in exquisite resort settings.

Gifting was also taken to a higher level with local bags coordinated by Terramar, a DMC Network company and Revo sunglasses from Wet Paint Group.

To ensure everyone remembers the experience vividly, live painting artist John Bukaty captured a colorful sketch during the opening night accompanied by Grammy Award-winning DJ Logic. Attendees are being gifted a print as a keepsake.

The Great Retention

In the era of “quiet quitting” and The Great Resignation, incentive travel is a secret weapon that can keep employees happy and engaged. It is no secret that the industry lost mind share during the pandemic as long-time employees retired, were forced to stay home with kids, started their own businesses or switched industries.

And those who do still show up are not staying as long because millennials and Gen Z behave differently than their boomer counterparts. They average 2 years rather than 8 years. Dick Finnegan, inventor of the “Stay Interview,” shared that increased pay, while part of the solution, will not be enough to bring them back without better engagement.

The solution, he said is to have meaningful conversations on a regular basis instead of waiting for the exit interview to find out what went wrong. Here is a sample script from his Stay Interview format:

  • What do you look forward to?
  • What are you learning? 
  • Why do you stay here? 
  • When was the last time you thought about leaving our team and what prompted it? 
  • What can I do to make your experience better? 

Maritz executive Greg Bogue agreed that personalizing our interactions is how we create transformation. “The pandemic changed the way we value our time,” he said. “The experience economy is here.”


 

When it is time to build an incentive experience, Bogue suggested starting with empathy. Make the announcement of an event in itself so people start anticipating and become hungry for it. Make the earning process fun and easy to track. Go through the registration platform yourself to test it out. Engage everyone on their terms during the incentive trip and extend the excitement by sharing photos and gifting after they have returned so they start getting excited about the next year all over again.

“Scarcity and novelty are two powerful human motivators,” Bogue said. “Our brains get caught in autopilot. Only by interrupting the ordinary, do we get people’s attention.

“When a group of people experience a sense of awe together, it creates prosocial behavior.”

The new contract-based permitting model allowing restaurants to operate sidewalk dining parklets in Miami Beach was upheld by a Miami-Dade County judge this week following a legal challenge brought by a small group of businesses who disputed the new model, which goes into effect Oct. 1.

The nine restaurateur plaintiffs argued that the contract-based model infringed on their vested right to do business on city property.

The new permitting model was approved by the Miami Beach City Commission on June 22 and establishes specific terms and requirements that businesses must abide by to operate on city property or risk having their permit revoked.

The Miami Beach city manager now has the power to revoke the operating permit of any business that violates the contract, including soliciting pedestrians, playing loud music, taking up too much space, not listing prices among other violations.

“It’s an important ruling because it establishes our right to control our public spaces,” Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said. “This will allow us to establish minimum standards that make clear to our businesses and visitors that this is not an ‘anything goes’ city.”

And this is an important detail for event planners seeking to host an event in the vibrant, palm tree-laden island city while utilizing some of Miami’s meeting venues such as the Miami Beach Convention center.

Read More: Epic Lessons from an Only-in-Miami Experience

“Miami Beach has very high standards as a city,” says Miami Vice Mayor Alex Fernandez. “We want people to be able to enjoy their meal,” noting that the city’s goal is to protect visitors and residents while ensuring that people have a positive experience through proper code enforcement.

The use of outdoor dining parklets went into effect during the Covid pandemic as part of the city’s business recovery program. However, there were no real avenues for courts to uphold ordinances prior to transitioning to the contract-based model.

“The city has a continuing interest in what happens on its property,” the court held. “Nothing that has happened created any vested property rights in any of the plaintiffs and all prior ordinances made clear that the grant of a permit was conditional.”

To date, Miami Beach has entered into 152 concession agreements with local restaurants, permitting them to continue offering outside dining on city property.

 

Plan with Confidence

Are you in search of a meeting destination that breaks free of the usual options? The kind of destination that checks all the boxes without feeling like it’s simply checking boxes?  One that will make people want to see more, do more and be more? Then Reno Tahoe is exactly what you’re looking for.

Even though we’re about as far from expected as it gets, when it comes to planning and hosting events of any size, we have everything you could ask for. Starting with our team of experienced planning professionals. Whether it’s helping to find unique venues or connecting you with trusted local resources, our staff will work closely with you from the get-go to help you create the event you’re imagining.

Speaking of imagination, picture a productive day inside a convention center with 600,000 sq. ft. of modern meeting space, then heading to a reception on the rooftop bar of a local brewery. After a few samples of craft beer, you walk to one of our funky local favorites for dinner before venturing out on neon-lit streets that lead to an array of gaming, live music and nightlife options. Did we mention that your recently renovated hotel is also just a short stroll away?

While a thriving, walkable downtown is certainly a huge draw—and one that makes things oh-so-easy on attendees, Reno Tahoe offers a number of benefits that make life much simpler for planners too. Because we operate and manage the area’s four largest meeting venues, we’re able to give you more flexibility without the restrictions and red tape you’d find elsewhere. Better still, these venues are all within close proximity to Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO), which welcomes non-stop and one-stop flights from more than fifty airports worldwide.

Beyond the urban oasis created by our Midtown, Downtown and Riverwalk districts, lies a landscape carved by nature and built for adventure. Reno Tahoe offers the highest concentration of ski resorts in North America, 50 golf courses, plus scores of hiking and biking trails and crystal-clear lakes. Not to mention, 300 days of sunshine a year that make our great outdoors even greater.

If, after learning about all that Reno Tahoe has to offer, you’re wondering when we’re going to get to the really persuasive part, we like how you think. You see, we’ve worked hard to put together customizable incentives and rewards that meet the needs of your group. These include a $5,000 Signing Bonus to be applied towards group’s master account or expenditures when you book new business between now and Dec. 31, 2022 with 1,000 or more room nights and, because most of our convention hotels remain independent, full 10% group room commissions.

Then there’s our Come See, Fly Free program. It’s an opportunity for you to come and experience Reno Tahoe for yourself. We’ll create an itinerary that matches your interests and give you an all-inclusive insider’s tour you’re sure to find unforgettable.

Learn how Reno Tahoe can help make your event a success at visitrenotahoe.com/meeting-planners

 

 

Hurricane Fiona hit parts of Puerto Rico yesterday and left a trail of disruption. According to The National Hurricane Center, the storm is now unleashing its wrath on the islands of Turks and Caicos as of Wednesday, Sept. 21, 11 a.m. PST. Weather experts are expecting the hurricane will narrowly miss Florida and the East Coast, but the storm is increasing in wind speed and rain volume to classify it as a Category 3 or 4 as it heads towards Bermuda and the Bahamas before eventually hitting the eastern tip of Canada.

The Caribbean islands depend largely on tourism for economic stability. Natural disasters such as Hurricane Fiona impact flights, power, water and public perception, even though much of the area referenced broadly in news accounts may be completely unaffected.

As meeting professionals, what can we do to feel secure in planning events at these desirable destination resorts during hurricane season? And, what can we do to aid these islands with funding, resources and continued business?

Travel Insurance

Hurricane season refers to tropical or subtropical storms moving into the Northern Hemisphere of the Atlantic Ocean that threaten the Caribbean islands and the North American east coast. The season typically begins in early July and can extend into late November. Although the season coincides with what many consider to be an ideal time for travel, planning an event in a destination that is vulnerable to unpredictable elements can be risky. As a meeting planner, you want to make sure you have a contingency plan in place and invest in travel insurance if the worst-case scenario occurs.

Read More: How to Prepare for the Next Crisis: Event Insurance Tips

Rajeev Shrivastava, CEO of VisitorsCoverage Inc., sheds light on how to protect yourself and your event during the unpredictable hurricane season and emphasizes the importance of travel insurance.

“To be covered for hurricane-related trip cancellations, you must purchase your trip insurance policy before the tropical storm or hurricane is named,” Shrivastava says. “If a hurricane or any other natural disaster leaves either your home or your lodging accommodations in your destination country inhabitable, you may be able to cancel your trip and be reimbursed for any prepaid expenses.”

Can We Help?

In the rare event that an event actually has to be canceled or postponed, that is when the meetings industry kicks into assistance mode. The meetings industry has proved that it can come together to think of ways to aid the people and the economy of the devastated destinations.

Read More: Have You Created a Medical Contingency Plan for Your Event Yet?

American Airlines has stepped up to aid the Caribbean and utilized its partnership with American Red Cross to create an offer for its AAdvantage members that can aid Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos and all Caribbean islands affected by Hurricane Fiona. For every donation to the Red Cross over $25, American Airlines will reward its customers with 10 miles. As a member of the Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program, American Airlines is urging travelers to contribute to the relief fund in the wake of the storm.

American Red Cross also works with American Express, who has donated $50,000 to both Red Cross and Hispanic Federation each. The funds will aid relief efforts to regions effected by Hurricane Fiona and provide essential supplies to those in need.

The SEARCH Foundation, a charitable organization focused on providing aid to special event, meetings, catering and hospitality professionals facing illness or environmental disaster, is ready to help.

“Anyone in the industry who is suffering through a crisis or catastrophic loss caused by the hurricane and needs immediate funding can reach out to SEARCH Foundation.org and we can provide funds to them directly in under 72 hours,” says Kate Patay, CPCE Chairwoman, SEARCH Foundation.

PREPARE

In November of 2021, President Biden created the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) as an effort to aid in handling climate change and natural disasters. In response to Hurricane Fiona, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (NSA) Jake Sullivan released an Action Plan to bolster PREPARE and engage with partners to prevent the gravity of destruction from happening to these islands during hurricane season.

The 3 pillars to the NSA’s PREPARE Action Plan are Knowledge, Plans/Programs and mobilizing resources:

Pillar 1: Knowledge

This knowledge pillar emphasizes the importance of observing climate changes and early warnings. Real-time monitoring of disaster warnings should be increased and shared and the accessibility to this data should be universal.

Pillar 2: Plans and Programs

Pillar 2 focuses on infrastructure, sustainability, resilience and water. PREPARE will implement programs to strengthen infrastructure by ensuring resilience is a key factor in design and strives towards “climate smart” master plans. Healthcare reform, food security concerns and displacement are also addressed in Pillar 2. Pillar 2 promises the U.S. Government will address both excessive water during storms due to global warming as well as scarcity of water affecting roughly half the world.

Pillar 3: Mobilizing Resources

Pillar 3 calls for an increase in finance allocated towards climate adaptation, with a focus on funds for universal access to climate information and disaster warnings. The Action Plan is working toward long-term observation and modeling systems for sustainable dissemination of local disaster warnings in poorer countries and requesting participation from both private and philanthropic entities to help develop, finance and apply these models.

 

Whether walking 10,000 steps, working at a standing desk, lifting weights or hitting the yoga studio, wellness, in its many forms, has been getting increased attention over the last few years—attention unlikely to stop anytime soon. People around the globe have become more health conscious—even before Covid sparked obsession with cleanliness—and the proof is in the numbers.

In 2021, the global wellness industry’s estimated worth was $4.5 trillion and is projected to continue a 5-10% increase year-over-year, culminating in a worth of $9 trillion by 2040, according to Delaware North. Wellness tourism currently accounts for roughly 17% of the travel industry’s total spend and is growing faster than any other travel sector.

Another space has received increased attention over the years: the spa. Lacey Matsumoto, Four Seasons Resort Lanai’s new spa director for its Hawanawana Spa, has witnessed this trend.

“In the last two years there has been a heightened need for mental and emotional wellness, as people move towards living a more healthy and meaningful life,” Matsumoto says. “Removed from their daily routines, we are finding guests are more open to new experiences that are truly going to benefit them. Attendance over the years has gone from one extreme to the other. Covid and the health crisis hit the spa industry really hard, however, as we move toward normalcy, we are seeing an increase in guest visits.”

Read More: 5 Major Wellness Trends for Meeting Planners to Know Now

Not only are leisure guests finding themselves incorporating more spa and wellness into their stays, but so are corporate groups.

Matsumoto says they’re incorporating more wellness programming into their visits, with activities like traditional yoga and meditation classes, to more innovative classes like aerial yoga, sound healing and cocoon meditation (meditating while suspended in an aerial silk). “Companies are increasingly more aware of the benefits of wellness and taking care of their employees and are open to ways to incorporate activities into programs,” she says.

This increased incorporation is reflected in the wider United States population, as well; 50% of U.S. consumers report wellness as a top priority, an 8% increase from 2020, a study by McKinsey & Company found. This desire for wellness is most prevalent in millennials and Gen Z, who surveyed at a rate 6-7% higher than the average consumer.

How Groups Can Incorporate Wellness

Companies can, and often do, offer spa treatments as an activity during their stay, but Matsumoto says there are more ways to leverage spa and wellness during group stays, whether the need is prompted by time constraints or to give a wider range of options for frequent spa goes and non-spa goers. She offers some suggestions.

“Look to breakout sessions or a wellness lounge between meetings where the spa provides mini sessions,” she says. “Provide wellness amenities for guests to use in room (facial kits, bath soaks, etc). Offer poolside services, 30-minute neck and shoulder massages while guests are relaxing at the pool is a great way to relax and de-stress while still enjoying coveted pool time.”

Matsumoto also recommends looking beyond the typical spa location. Four Seasons Lanai offers yoga and meditation classes on its Manele Golf Course, which she says is a beautiful private location for its overlook of the ocean. There’s also tailored golf classes, where instructors highlight specific muscle groups and movements for better performance. Matsumoto says it’s a great way to include guests who may not normally sign up for a class.

For meeting professionals who have first-timers in the group, Matsumoto has recommendations.

Read More: Simple Wellness Activities Can Go a Long Way at Your Next Meeting

“Plan to arrive approximately 30-45 minutes prior to your treatment time to tour and enjoy the facilities, she says. “I would recommend a Swedish, Lomi Lomi or signature massage to allow the therapist to customize the pressure and massage to their specific needs.

“These modalities are a wonderful introduction for someone receiving a massage for the first time. This allows the guests to comfortably relax while evaluating if deeper pressure or a more specialized treatment is needed for future massages. Let attendees know if tipping is included in treatment, so there’s no worry.”

The Future of the Spa

Beyond the increasing financial value of the wellness industry, its future is also a story of transition from an activity for the few to an activity for the many, from a one-off experience at a resort to a lifestyle conducive to longevity.

“Something once perceived as a luxury is moving into a preventative and prescriptive medicine, as people are more aware of the benefits of massage, health and wellness, fitness and meditation,” Matsumoto says.

“Guests’ expectations are shifting toward a more scientific and evidence-based wellness to promote a deeper healing. Guests are looking for experiences that are truly going to benefit them. Spas are starting to partner with different medical aesthetic providers as guests are expecting more results-driven and long-term benefits. Wellness is moving towards a more individualized definition, as people are looking to live in the most healthy way possible.”

 

Airline satisfaction is down, according to a new study by J.D. Power. As passenger numbers ramp back up to pre-pandemic levels—91%, to be exact—and labor shortages continue, this has resulted in flight cancellations, delays and crowded terminals.

The 17th-annual study, “J.D. Power 2022 North America Airport Satisfaction Study,” ranked mega, large and medium airports in the United States and Canada by six criteria with a possible score of 1,000: terminal facilities, airport arrival and departure, baggage claim, security check, check-in and baggage check, F&B and retail.

In the study, “mega airports” are defined as those with 33 million or more passengers per year; “large airports” are those with 10 to 32.9 million passengers a year; “medium airports” are characterized as those with 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year.

Read More: 5 Best Airports for Layovers

Mega Airports

Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) ranked highest in mega airports in passenger satisfaction, with a score of 800. Minneapolis is home to the largest event space in the Upper Midwest, the 1.6 million-square-foot Minneapolis Convention Center, including a 3,400-seat auditorium and 55,000-square-foot ballroom.

Beyond the convention center, Minneapolis is home to eye-catching venues for both tight-knit and sizable groups. Mill City Museum, for example, was once a flour mill and is now not only an architecturally aesthetic venue, with brick, steel and wood facades, but is also a place where groups can learn the history of the milling industry.

Another is Create Dining Studio, which adds to the dining experience by allowing diners to interact with chefs and watch their food be cooked and prepared. The venue also hosts cocktail classes, whiskey tastings, wine tastings and winemaker dinners.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) ranked second with 796 points, and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) tied for third, at 791 points.

Large Airports

Tampa International Airport (TPA) took the top spot among large airports with a score of 846.

Tampa is home to the 2.6-mile Tampa Riverwalk, which runs from Hillsborough River to the Garrison Channel. With the option to walk, bike or scooter down the walk, groups will have access to many attractions, bars and restaurants. And the one- or three-day Riverwalk Pass allows groups to save on the best attractions on the path. This is near the 600,000-square-foot Tampa Convention Center, which can be accessed via streetcar, trolley or water taxi, the convention center being one of its 17 stops.

Read More: South Florida Meetings: Health, Wellness and Productivity

Following TPA are John Wayne Airport (SNA) with 826 points, and Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), ranking third at 825 points.

Medium Airports

Among medium airports, Indianapolis International Airport (IND) ranked first, with 842 points. In 2025, Indianapolis will have added $1.7 billion worth of new developments to the city.

This includes an expansion of Indiana Convention Center, which will add more than 190,000 sq. ft. to the convention center and connect to a new 800-room Signia by Hilton property, and will add another Hilton property nearby; and Eleven Park, which will feature a 20,000-seat stadium to be used by the United Soccer League’s Indy Eleven and a boutique hotel.

With 839 points, Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) came in second. Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) tied for third with 826 points.

Lowest-ranking Airports

Mega Airports

Of the 20 ranked mega airports, the five lowest-ranked airports are Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ; 755), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS; 754), Los Angeles International (LAX; 753), Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD; 751) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR; 719).

Large Airports

There were 27 airports ranked in all for the large category, of them the last five are St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL; 765), LaGuardia Airport (LGA; 761), Kansas City International Airport (KCI; 760), Honolulu International Airport (HNL; 758) and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL; 729).

Medium Airports

Among medium airports, there were 18 ranked. The worst-ranked in this category are Omaha Eppley Airfield (OMA; 791), Bradley International Airport (BDL; 789), Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE; 780), Kahului Airport (OGG; 767) and Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR; 763).

Other Findings

While satisfaction of individual airports is varying, overall satisfaction with airports in North America has dropped 25 points to 777 points. In 2021, passenger satisfaction was at a record level, when passenger volume was at one of its lows. Fifty-eight percent of those travelers described the airport as severely or moderately crowded; in 2019, 59% described it as such.

With inflation at an all-time high, 24% of respondents reported not making any purchases of food or beverage because they were too expensive. Although, this isn’t much different from pre-pandemic levels, where 23% of respondents made the same remark.

Shortages of space in the parking lot caused satisfaction in this area to decrease 45 points from 2021; in addition, 14% of travelers reported parking was more expensive than anticipated, a slight increase from 12% in 2021.

Rachel Thompson

headshot of rachel thompson

Thompson is catering sales and event manager for The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, Avon, Vail Valley in Colorado. Thompson comes from Sonnenalp Hotel in Vail, where she worked in multiple roles, most recently as its concierge. She also worked as reservations agent and manager in training for conference services and groups sales.

Nadeem Siddiqui

photo by nadeem siddiqui

The Gwen in Chicago named Siddiqui general manager. In his 18 years in the hospitality industry, Siddiqui has worked with several large hotel brands, most recently having worked as hospitality and multifamily consultant for The Shephard Hotel in New York City. Siddiqui has also worked with Waldorf Astoria Chicago as director of operations, among other positions, and Conrad Chicago as the opening team’s assistant director of operations.

Thomas Harlander

headshot of thomas harlander

Harlander is managing director and director of project services for Rosewood Amsterdam, slated to open late 2023 as the brand’s first property in the Netherlands. Harlander previously worked as managing director of Rosewood Bangkok. Before his role in Bangkok, Harlander worked with Park Hyatt in managerial and senior F&B positions that took him to properties in London, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Tokyo and Seoul.

Pierre O. Kranzle

image of pierre kranzle

Kranzle is general manager of Hilton Monterrey in Mexico, scheduled to open early spring 2023. Kranzle joined the Hilton Hotels team in 2012, serving as general manager for Hilton Mexico City Reforma; most recently, Kranzle was the opening general manager of Hilton Guadalajara Midtown in Mexico. In his 25-year career, he has worked on the opening team in six countries: Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki in Greece, Hyatt Regency Mainz in Germany, Hyatt Regency Merida in Mexico, Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok and four of his own restaurants in San Antonio, Texas.

Michael J. Deutsch

headshot of michael deutsch

Hilton Garden Inn Austin University Capitol District in Texas named Deutsch general manager. Deutsch comes from Sheraton Bucks County Langhorne in Pennsylvania, where he worked as general manager. Deutsch has also worked in leading roles with Northeast-based properties for Hilton, Hampton Inn, DoubleTree and Embassy Suites.

Chantaye Avery

headshot of chantaye avery

Avery is director of reservations and revenue strategy for The Gant Aspen in Colorado. Before moving to Colorado, Avery worked as regional director of revenue management for Hospitality Ventures Management Group in Atlanta. In her 15 years of hospitality experience, Avery has worked with Wild Dunes, a Destination Hotel in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, McKinley Chalet in Denali National Park, Alaska, and The Shores Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Cynthia Boyett

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Boyett is director of sales and marketing for The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. Boyett comes from Florida, where she worked at The Ritz-Carlton Hotels in South Beach and Bal Harbour as director of sales and marketing. Before that, she worked as complex director of sales and marketing for Conrad Fort Lauderdale and Hilton Fort Lauderdale beach in Florida, during which the property received the Sales Team of the Year Award.

Marion Ryan

headshot of marion ryan

Ryan is area director of sales and marketing for Dorchester Collection’s three U.K. properties, The Dorchester and 45 Park in London, and Coworth Park in Ascot. In her most recent position, Ryan was director of sales and marketing for Four Seasons Hotels’ U.K. collection. Before joining Four Seasons, Ryan was director of sales and marketing for The Savoy in London, as well as head of sales and marketing for The Lanesborough in London, where she was responsible for the launching of The Lanesborough Club & Spa.

Tony Yousfi

headshot of tony yousfi

Yousfi is chief sales officer for The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas. Most recently, Yousfi was senior vice president of sales, catering and conference services for Fontainebleau Las Vegas; before that, he worked with Carver Road Hospitality as chief growth officer and MGM Resorts International as vice president of sales, services, catering, group dining and weddings. In 2019, Yousfi was awarded the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Top 25 Award.

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Marie E. Scalia

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Destination Cleveland has promoted Scalia to chief marketing officer. Scalia joined the organization in 2012 as senior director of marketing and was later promoted to vice president of marketing. In 2021, she was awarded the Distinguished Sales and Marketing award from Sales & Marketing Executives.

The meetings and events industry is returning with a lot of confidence, and face-to-face gatherings are trending upward with the potential to surpass pre-pandemic numbers. For example, this past spring, Georgia International Convention Center (GICC) hosted Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated’s 69th South Atlantic Regional Conference, a gathering of 8,000 members from Georgia, Florida and South Carolina. 

Another notable example is The Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup, held in May 2022 at the Gateway Center Arena. This was the largest-ever single gathering of esports conference commissioners, university leaders, and gaming communities, which brought 63 teams and 480 athletes together from across the country to compete for the ultimate titles. These gatherings illustrated some emerging trends we are seeing that may require meeting professionals to rethink how they approach gathering.

Meeting Trend No.1: Less Is Faster

While in-person meetings are on the rise, meeting planners are booking much more short-term with less prep time. Prior to the pandemic, large events were booked up to three years in advance, whereas now, many are booked within the year.

Planners are also taking on more responsibility to cut their costs. For example, instead of hiring a third-party vendor, they are doing it themselves, becoming their own designers. In many ways, there is a trend toward self-sufficiency.

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As a result, they are doing smaller, more frequent shows. So, we are finding things are happening on a much shorter timeline. Many of those shows with long lead times are being replaced with this book-plan-execute within the same year.

Smaller and more targeted events, as well as larger company and industry-wide events, are breathing new life into the event world and will continue to thrive. 

Meeting Trend No. 2: Creative Staffing

Labor shortages are significant factors on the planner and venue side. Everyone from restaurants to convention centers are impacted by the fact that the labor pool is now much smaller and labor costs are much higher. This is an unwelcome trend, but it is undoubtedly part of the new normal.

We are finding that younger people aren’t all that interested in entry-level, labor-intensive positions. To combat that, we are now cross-training staff. Planning looks different because we might have a longer lead time for load-in. After all, we consistently have fewer people doing what it takes to get the same end result.

The interesting part about that for someone who may be new to the hospitality industry, is that even if you don’t have a lot of experience, if you have a desire to serve, you will be rewarded and moved up the ladder much quicker.

 Meeting Trend No. 3: New Age of Security

Meeting professionals and attendees are focusing on safety. Georgia International Convention Center successfully achieved Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) Star Facility Accreditation, reserved for facilities that demonstrate the ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from bio risk and infectious disease situations. One thing we have learned is to expect the unexpected, so we felt that being named a GBAC Star Facility is essential to make our attendees, employees, and stakeholders feel safe and secure. 

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A focus on sanitation, cleanliness and hygiene is not going to go away any time soon. Many of the protocols implemented to combat Covid at the start and throughout the pandemic are here to stay. While mask mandates seem to be moving more toward an individual preference rather than organizationally mandated, we still have them available throughout the facility to our guests, as well as hand sanitation stands.

 Additionally, instead of offering the traditional buffet as we have in the past, there has been an uptick in plated meals and individually packed options.

 All vaccines are important for protecting ourselves and those around us. We always have and always will receive our annual vaccinations. 

 Andrea Smalls is director of event operations at Georgia International Convention Center. Smalls recently earned the designation as a certified venue executive from the International Association of Venue Managers.