Scotland, Northern Ireland and London debut new luxury and boutique properties
New and renovated hotels in pristine UK locations unveil redesigns with the charm of their destination at the forefront. If you’re an avid golfer, read on for your next adventure. If you prefer the quiet intimate atmosphere of a small boutique hotel, get ready for a relaxing garden escape.
These properties—and their exciting destinations—are certain to thrill your attendees. Whatever their hobbies and hotel preferences, you’re bound to find the perfect stay for them.
The Scottish Seaside
Dornoch Station
Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts, known for restoring historic hotels in iconic seaside golf destinations, has debuted Dornoch Station in the Scottish Highlands. This resort, with 89 guest rooms, overlooks the Royal Dornoch Golf Club. The redesign touches all guest rooms and public spaces, and adds new green putting and fire pits.
The hotel is home to subtle seaside themes throughout, like shell-shaped lighting fixtures. The design aims to celebrate the original hotel features; cozy highlands cottage-style guest rooms feature restored wooden paneling. Velvet lounge chairs stand by windows so guests can take in scenic views of the surrounding Dornoch Firth. The redesign also introduces two new food and beverage offerings with their destination restaurant, The Golden Gorse, and the quintessential Bar Ross.
With event space for up to 200 guests, this hotel in the historic county of Sutherland offers a distinct Scottish destination experience with close-by historic castles and the breathtaking eastern seaside.
Adjacent to the world-renowned Royal County Down Golf Club is the newly updated Slieve Donard, another debut of the Marine & Lawn brand in Northern Ireland. The hotel just recently celebrated 125 years, having been built by the Belfast and County Down Railway in 1898. Throughout its history, the hotel has welcomed various icons, including Tiger Woods, Charlie Chaplin and Catherine Zeta Jones.
Many of the 180 guest rooms offer panoramic views of the mountains of Mourne and County Downe coastline. Guestrooms feature hand-carved crests mounted over the headboards modeled after the carved stone above the hotel’s front entry. The new design celebrates Irish traditions and the seaside location and preserves the building’s characteristic Victorian elements. Overhanding plants and artwork of the local landscape decorate the lobby, and the entire hotel showcases the original Victorian architectural details, like wall coverings and statement chandeliers.
Numerous meeting rooms ranging from 90 to 2,362 sq. ft. make for a space suited for meetings and events of all types and sizes.
London Boutique
The Chelsea Townhouse
Iconic Luxury Hotels revamps The Chelsea Townhouse, formerly known as the Draycott Hotel, to debut London’s newest boutique property. This 36-guestroom townhouse hotel offers a chic neighborhood retreat with the feel of a private, elegant home. Guests stay in one of three Queen Anne-style Victorian red brick townhouses.
All guests can enjoy the lofty trees and serene greenery of the exclusive Cadogan Gardens. Marble fireplaces, ornate crown moldings, antique style artwork and “objects of curiosity”—trinkets and treasures from locations around the world—maintain a timeless charm and uphold the residential feel.
The ground floor’s ‘dining salon’ is open from the morning to evening and serves as a convivial, communal meeting space to enjoy morning coffee, brunch get-togethers, suppers and late-night digestifs.
Welcome to Greater Ontario, California (GOCAL), your gateway to the vibrant wonders of Southern California. From scenic mountain views to unmatched venue options, GOCAL is the perfect meeting hub to host your next gathering, big or small. Here are five compelling reasons to consider this beautiful region for your next event.
Convenient Accessibility: One of the most significant advantages of choosing GOCAL for your meeting is its exceptional accessibility. The region is home to the Ontario International Airport, which serves as a major hub for both domestic and international flights. This makes it easy for attendees from various locations to travel to and from the area without the hassle of long commutes or extensive layovers.
State-of-the-Art Meeting Facilities: Just 2 miles away from the airport lies the magnificent Ontario Convention Center. Its ultra-contemporary design was thoughtfully planned to provide a welcoming setting with a fresh, open, and progressive vibe. The open, multi-level space offers a refreshing layout encompassing over 225,000 square feet of space and a 70,000 square foot column-free exhibition hall, accented throughout by floor-to-ceiling windows to draw in the gorgeous surrounding mountain vistas.
Elevated Culinary Experiences: At the Ontario Convention Center, the food is as celebrated as the convention space. The award-winning culinary team creates delectable options according to specific requests and needs for groups of all sizes. Ontario Convention Center provides signature and custom-made menus featuring an eclectic range of international, regional, and heart-healthy fare, all prepared with the freshest ingredients, premium meats and seafood, and produce from local farms and growers.
Nearby Attractions: But that’s just the beginning of what Greater Ontario, California has to offer! Gather at the Toyota Arena to watch electrifying AHL hockey, and basketball games and headlining concerts. The arena, accommodating 11,000 guests and boasting 36 luxury guest suites, is perfect for private events ranging from corporate luncheons to full-arena gatherings. Don’t forget the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center, a cultural haven with the enchanting Lewis Family Playhouse, the Celebration Hall’s 4,500 square feet of meeting and banquet space, and a spacious outdoor courtyard to inspire creativity.
Unparalleled Weather & Stunning Mountain Views: Prepare to be captivated by the breathtaking backdrop of the rugged San Gabriel Mountains and indulge in 300 days of glorious sunshine every year. The region’s natural beauty adds another layer of attraction to Greater Ontario, California. Attendees can take advantage of their free time by exploring nearby outdoor attractions. Hikers will find trails with stunning vistas and waterfalls while cycling enthusiasts can pedal along the scenic routes, like the Pacific Electric Trail, which winds through picturesque landscapes. Golfers can perfect their swing at courses like Whispering Lakes or head to TopGolf and test their swing with interactive games and Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park presents opportunities for fishing, kayaking, paddle boating, and leisurely lakeside picnics.
With its convenient accessibility, state-of-the-art facilities, elevated culinary experiences, entertainment options, and natural beauty, this region provides everything you need to ensure a successful and memorable event. Whether you’re planning a small gathering or a large-scale conference, GOCAL will meet your requirements and exceed your expectations.
It’s GO time! Ready to plan your next meeting in GOCAL? Visit GO-CAL.org to get started.
From a young age, Rachel Aden, CMP, was an avid explorer. She would wander around the farm she grew up on in Central Kansas—but hotels were especially exciting. Expansive and elegant, there was a lot to discover. Once, she remembers, she even got lost in a stairwell. She had to go all the way to the basement before she could get out. As she wandered to discover every nook and cranny, she would imagine herself as an adult, working in a hotel and wearing a classy suit.
This awe of hotels continued as she grew up. In high school, she attended a National Lutheran Youth Gathering in San Antonio. “I was overwhelmed by the size and complexity of it,” she says. “Although I had no clue of what was involved to execute an event of that size, I decided I wanted to figure it out.” She set out on a journey to do just that.
Where is She Now?
Aden earned a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management. Attending PCMA conferences in college solidified her interest in events specifically. She interned for the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) and afterwards, finally, her childhood dream of working in hotels was realized.
After years of working in hotels, Aden now serves as senior account manager at Arrowhead Conferences + Events. “It’s a dream come true for me, as it allows me to combine my passion for hospitality and my heart for ministry,” she says. “It’s truly a calling!”
Aden shared her favorite quote, Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” She says, “I have used this guiding principle throughout my life. It has never failed to give me peace and direction.”
Since she began with Arrowhead, she knew that this was the industry for her. Her leaders at the company encouraged her to pursue the CMP designation. She says, “I have always been interested in learning and growing both personally and professionally and discovered quickly that experience holds a lot of value in the hospitality industry.”
Preparing for the CMP Exam
Aden says that there will never be a perfect time to take the CMP exam. You will always come up with excuses to push it back. As much as you may feel inklings of imposter syndrome, trust that you are prepared to take the exam and have done the work to earn the designation. “Go for it!” says Aden. “Once you’ve earned it, you’ll be glad you went ahead and jumped in even though the timing wasn’t perfect. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment, and it’s definitely worth it.”
Aden considers herself fortunate to have taken part in a CMP bootcamp at Religious Conference Management Association (RCMA) under the guidance of Joanne Dennison. “Of course,” she says, “I also read and studied the materials, but I felt that I could do that much more effectively after receiving her guidance on how to study and what to focus on.”
As you prepare to take the exam, Aden says, “Remember to be proud of yourself for being willing to commit the time and take the risk for the reward of being part of this exclusive community.” Your learning style makes a big difference, so it’s critical to know which study methods are most productive for you, personally. “Be honest with yourself regarding how you learn most effectively, find the resources that enable you to do that, then create a plan.”
This advice has been offered by numerous CMPs, which goes to show just how relevant a person’s learning style is as they prepare for the CMP exam. Maybe you learn best by reading; there are plenty of textbook resources out there for you. Or perhaps you’re a visual learner; you can create charts and graphs based on the study materials. There are countless learning styles, and countless ways to feed each one.
“I have been pleasantly surprised by the impact that the CMP has had while in my role with Arrowhead,” says Aden. “Having it shows that you are dedicated to the industry and to professional growth. It has paved the way for many conversations I’ve had to start on a higher level. I’ve felt the respect that having the designation provides.”
Aden admires that the designation requires a combination of both knowledge and experience. It shows that CMPs do not only pass an exam but are lifelong learners, always in action. The exam is the translation of active skills onto paper and shows that those who hold the designation have demonstrated the ability to apply those skills in their professional lives.
Since earning her CMP designation nine years ago, Aden says that the biggest change is the transition to an online format for both the initial exam and recertification. “It was an extremely tedious application prior to this, so that’s a great improvement!” she says. “But one thing that I don’t feel has changed, and hope never changes, is the respect that the designation has in the industry.”
And though the use of technology has risen within the industry, Aden expresses that it all depends on personal relationships—those relationships, she says, are imperative. “I believe they always will be, which is very encouraging to me.”
Aden’s Events
After a successful event, Aden likes to celebrate with her fellow planners over a meal or a glass of wine—or, she says, ideally, both!
When asked about her most memorable event experience, she remarks, “Where do I begin?! Because I have the privilege of working with Christian ministries, I’ve had the honor to witness lives impacted and changed due to experiences at conferences.” In her career, she’s worked with a ministry of rescue missions that provides resources and care to individuals who are homeless. She has also seen hotel staff participating in other ministry conferences. She says, “The testimonies are incredibly inspiring, and I never get tired of the calls I receive from hotels asking when a group can return due to the positive impact the staff has experienced.” Aden is passionate about working seamlessly with her event team and their hotel partners to put on events that have a resounding impact for everyone present.
“Conferences really can and do change lives,” Aden says.
Belon takes on the role of president of Staypineapple Hotels, Inc. She will lead the company’s Executive Leadership Team and Business Development departments in expansion efforts through third-party licensing of the brand and property management. To do so, she will draw from over 25 years of experience in hospitality and a passion for delivering exceptional guest experiences. She has spent the last seven years of her career with the company in progressive leadership roles.
Sean Ganhinhin
Sean Ganhinhin, Prince Waikiki
Ganhinhin assumes the role of general manager at Prince Waikiki, in Honolulu. He will oversee all aspects of the hotel’s operations to ensure exceptional guest services, while also implementing strategic initiatives to uphold and elevate the hotel’s reputation as a luxury Hawaii destination. He recently served as director of operations at Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas, where he handled operations and talent management and strategic planning.
Fiona Pinette
Fiona Pinette, Wedge Mountain Lodge and Spa
Whistler, British Columbia’s newest hospitality debut, Wedge Mountain Lodge and Spa, set to open Nov. 17, 2023, appoints Pinette as Lodge Manager. With over 15 years of well-rounded luxury, international hospitality experience, Pinette is known for a continued commitment to creating an outstanding guest experience. She most recently served as events and operations manager at The Brew Creek Centre.
Stephen Husbands
Stephen Husbands, The Harbor Club, Curio Collection by Hilton
The Harbor Club, Curio Collection by Hilton, welcomes Stephen Husbands as its new general manager. Husbands brings three decades of experience in a diverse set of positions, from international director of finance at the Golden Tulip Hotel group to many other general manager positions. In this role, he will work hard to maximize shareholder value and focus on building an inclusive work culture where employees feel valued, appreciated and motivated—which only adds to The Harbor Club’s reputation for a fantastic guest experience.
Lauren Hyps
Lauren Hyps, Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau
Hyps joins Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau (VCB), Fort Myers Islands, Beaches and Neighborhoodsas national sales manager for the Midwest region. She will promote Fort Myers as a top destination for meetings and group travel to the MICE industry in her assigned region. She comes from VISIT Milwaukee, where she spent 15 years, most recently as associate director of sales. Additionally, Hyps holds professional affiliations within the hospitality industry, such as MPI, PCMA and Destinations International.
Eduardo Sampere
Eduardo Sampere, Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita
Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita, has appointed Sampere as Resort Manager. Sampere, a great lover of the outdoors and seasoned hospitality professional, will lead the brand’s first adults-only tented resort in the Americas, spanning 15 luxury tents across 48 forested acres alongside the Pacific. He is dedicated to engaging wholeheartedly with guests and offering them a perfectly unique Mexico experience.
Tiffiany Holmes
Tiffiany Holmes, Hawks Cay Resort
Hawks Cay Resort, in the Florida Keys, welcomes Holmes as resort director. Her career of over 31 years in luxury hospitality is one with a proven track record of success. She has expertise in diverse business practices and cultures, having spent 13 years in Caribbean and Latin American hospitality and 15 years in resort hotel operations. She will continue to build on this legacy as she leads Hawks Cay Resort.
Billy Thurman
Billy Thurman, Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront
Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront appoints Thurman as senior sales executive. He has worked with Marriott since 2011 and has excelled in food & beverage roles. Since then, he has shifted into more sales roles, and worked as senior catering sales executive in 2019. Thurman was born and raised in Louisiana and holds an MBA from Eastern Washington University—and true to his past F&B roles, he loves to cook.
Mark Ley
Mark Ley, Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica
Ley joins Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica as director of marketing. As the property undergoes lifestyle renovations and repositions itself as an elite Latin America costal destination, Ley will direct the sales and marketing division to reflect the transformation. Ley has served in sales and marketing for numerous hospitality brands, including Four Seasons, Auberge and Alila since 2007.
Ryan Bonifas
Ryan Bonifas, Grand River Center Convention Center
Bonifas is appointed as general manager of Grand River Center Convention Center, operated by Oak View Group (OVG), in Dubuque, Iowa. Most recently, he served as director of venue and events at the East Montgomery County Improvement District. In his new role, he will lead the OVG staff to bring inspire major conventions to bring their business to the Grand River Center.
The talking point for IMEX 2023 was Human Nature, something IMEX Group CEO Carina Bauer pointed to as important right now because people need to feel uplifted and positive about the future of the planet and the human race at a time when daily news feeds are filled with so much hardship and adversity. Smart Meetings walked the trade show floor asking people how they help put attendee humanity at the center of event agendas and found that caring for guests is something everyone is focusing on in 2023.
The Easy Button
Stephanie Glanzer
For Stephanie Glanzer, CMP, chief sales officer and senior vice president for MGM Resorts International, the goal is to streamline the customer journey. That means using technology to be more efficient as people want immediate gratification. They want to order that margarita from their phone and have it delivered wherever they are on the property. At the same time, this is still a people business. If someone wants to go to the front desk and talk to someone, MGM Resorts will make sure that is possible as well. “Remember, we’re all human beings first,” she said.
In Central Florida, Mike Waterman, chief sales officer with Visit Orlando, says the trick is making attendees feel like they are part of a bigger cause by breaking down the event into smaller pieces that are personalized for their needs. “We work with planners to find the right venue and team-building activity to connect them with the destination.” Recently, that meant introducing everyone to local small businesses for their amenities, including a fragrance company, a cookie maker and a coffee vendor. “They were able to experience authentic Orlando,” he said.
Another way Orlando cares for the people who attend events at Orange County Convention Center is through a new partnership with Orlando Health to establish a concierge phone number for access to visitor-specific wellness tips and individualized health resources and an Orlando Health Virtual Care Center in the west concourse that will be staffed during major events and have access to medical providers 24-hours a day. That way if someone forgets their medicine or is feeling dehydrated, they can get help quickly. “This is game-changing,” said Waterman. “We all get sick and when you are on the road, it is nice to have access to someone who can help.”
Well-being Reimagined
Jessica Shea
At Hilton, the shortcut to increased productivity, greater engagement and effective networking is to infuse compassion and holistic wellness into a meeting. “When attendees return to the office, they feel rejuvenated rather than burnt out because their individual needs were taken into consideration,” explains Jessica Shea, Hilton vice president of wellness, retail and leisure operations.
She suggests designing for mind, body and soul connection with social activities such as Mayan rituals and energetic cleansing ceremonies at Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya, a sensorial journey through lighting, artisanal design and Palo Santo fragrance at theArizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, and the physically and creatively challenging sand sculpting workshops on the beach atthe newly renovated Casa Marina, A Curio Collection by Hilton. Other options for infusing local cultural mindfulness during breaks include sound healing atHilton Los Cabos and traditional Hawaiian blessings at Hilton Hawaiian Village.”
When it comes to sitting in a conference room, less is more at events. Instead of scheduling eight hours of speakers, Yigit Sezgin, global chief brand and commercial officer with Accor’s Fairmont brand, suggests focusing on connecting attendees with those who have common interests. “Post-Covid, you can’t have people in meetings, meetings, meetings, throw them into the bar and then end the event. People are looking for different things,” said Sezgin. “You have to give them balance.”
Sezgin also emphasized the importance of being good matchmakers. “People attend meetings from different generations and different backgrounds. We need to make sure people are sharing opinions and ideas, debating and finding common ground. That is how you make people feel that they belong to this organization. Often it is a small thing that connects people, vintage cars or sailing or the color pink and that can make people feel valued.”
Mental Wellness
Kelly Gleeson Smith
Caesars Entertainment is putting a spotlight on not just physical wellness, but also mental health by offering a Wellness Menu of catering options, services and vetted speakers. “So many people shy away from that, but it’s really important that we recognize that it is an opportunity for us to give planners the tools to accommodate all of their attendee needs,” said Kelly Gleeson Smith, vice president of sales with Caesars. “This is stimulation overload,” she said, indicating the trade show floor around her. “By making it easy to offer yoga or Tai Chi, we can help keep everyone centered,” she said.
Break Free was the imperative the event technology company Encore issued at IMEX America 2022 and explored deeper at IMEX America 2023 with “The Journey Continues” experience. The immersive theater presentation emphasized the importance of accommodating attendee physical and emotional needs.
Encore President and CEO Ben Erwin said, “the goal is to design for impact and deeper understanding of where events are going.” To that end, Encore has invested in technology, people—9,000 in 18 months—and training to catch up to the needs of meeting professionals who came back quickly. “People feel more comfortable in their roles and we want to use all the information we have about planners and what works and doesn’t work for them to customize the experience. We want to join the planner journey.”
Colleen Pace, chief sales and marketing officer with Greater Palm Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau, demonstrated the CSR they help meeting professionals execute by donating $20,000 that would have otherwise gone into a new IMEX trade show booth to funding for people with food insecurities in the community. Meanwhile, the Greater Palm Springs Tourism Foundation supports workforce development by providing scholarships and opportunities. “Meetings create an ecosystem that serves the community,” she explained.
The newest place to gather in Indian Wells is Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa where Director of Sales and Marketing Robert Hatfield understands that gathering is at the center of humanity and doing so with sophisticated island style makes meetings event more powerful. The property opened Nov. 1 and in keeping with the lifestyle brand will offer brunch all day, a subtle, more open ambiance and include surprise and delight moments in the meeting space, such as custom breaks and soothing scents.
If the experiment in desert luxury meets island style hospitality is successful, Hawaii, Florida, New York could be next, Hatfield said.
Human Connection
Tracy Berkeley
Yes, as a cluster of islands 600 miles east of North Carolina, Bermuda offers easy access to year-round sun and sand, ease and sophistication for incentives and events, but Tracy Berkeley, CEO of Bermuda Tourism Authority, says it is the nurturing—some would say micromanaging—nature of the people who live in the country that sets it apart.
“Tell us what you don’t want and we will help you craft the perfect itinerary,” she said. “We’re always talking to visitors; we’re always suggesting a place that you can go eat or drink or an art show or a food festival. All you have to do is ask. We are open for business.”
The Joy of Belonging
Jacques Martiquet
The trick is to focus on how guests feel, said Jacques Martiquet, who spoke as The Party Scientist at IMEX about the power of both belonging and joy.
“These two things combined create so many health and productivity benefits, not to mention customer loyalty,” he explained. “When we have that sense of joy, and belonging, collaborations are smoother, we connect with more people on a deeper level, our brain functions better.” Movement and giving people permission to be vulnerable and emotional is one way to spark those feeling and create lifelong relationships and recurring attendance.
Greg Bogue, Maritz Enterprise vice president of brand, experience and innovation ecosystems, has been evangelizing the idea of moving from designing events for audiences to designing with them. Maritz CEO David Peckinpaugh says that hyper personalization is the carrot that will convince people to invest their precious time to get on a plane, go to a hotel and meet in person. “The currency of experience is time and it better be worthwhile, the ROI had better be there or people will not attend.”
What do people see as worthwhile? It could be education. It could be edgy content or networking. For some people CSR and sustainability are priorities. Job one of the meeting professional is to understand the specific characteristics or personas—not demographics—of their audience and design a tent around each one of those. People want to be understood in all their uniqueness.
Robin Mack
In Australia, the landscape speaks to the souls of attendees, according to Robin Mack, Tourism Australia Executive General Manager of Commercial & Business Events. “It has all the modern facilities and accommodations you would expect and it is safe but those big landscapes really play to that human nature side of people and they leave feeling differently than when they arrived.” Mack also pointed to an established, holistic approach to sustainability that includes Tourism Australia’s own events where plastic is never used. Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre was the first in the world e awarded six stars from the Green Business Council Australia. Adelaide Convention Centre achieved EarthCheck’s Master status. Mack also encourages planners to meet the First Nations people and engage as part of their events with a welcome to country from an indigenous elder to explain the history and authenticity of the place. They are world’s oldest living culture at 65,000 years.
One of the biggest trends in fashion and design has been “dopamine dressing.” Designers and social media influencers have used this hot concept to incorporate bright colors into clothing styles and rooms.
You may be asking the question, “What is dopamine dressing?” Dopamine dressing brings psychology and design together. The idea comes from color theory and suggests that certain colors can evoke specific moods, attitudes, and behaviors.
In this article, we’re going to look at how you can incorporate dopamine dressing into your next event and how CORT Events can help you achieve it easily and successfully by bringing bright colors that drive certain feelings into your design.
Shine Bright With Yellow
Yellow is a cheerful, bright hue that suggests happiness. No wonder we associate it with warm memories of summer sunshine. It ties in well within an overall bright color palette, especially for events in hotter seasons.
You may not want yellow as a dominant color, but you can evoke the happiness and joy that it brings by using it as an accent color within an overall bright spring color palette. Seating elements like the Bowery Chair and the Beverly Bench bring large pops of bright summer colors into a space.
Orange is one of the more controversial colors — people either love it or hate it, but it evokes excitement and energy. On first glance, you might associate orange with sports teams or Halloween, but you can bring the energetic nature of orange into your event in more subtle and tasteful ways.
You can also hop on the curved furniture trend by tying the Endless Large Curve Low Back Sofa in white with the Marche Swivel Ottoman in a dramatic burnt orange. Alternating orange pillows with pillows in more understated colors works well as accents on curved furniture.
Immerse Yourself in Feelings of Mystery, Royalty, and Imagination With Purple
One color with a long-established association is purple. From ancient times, purple has symbolized mystery, royalty, and imagination. Think of how the entertainer Prince built an entire career as a creative and mysterious genius using purple as his signature hue. You can use purple as a sophisticated, luxurious way of bringing in bright winter colors.
Purple furniture pieces tie in well with classy, elegant pieces in basic colors. For instance, the Chandler Chair and the Beverly Small Bench Ottoman in Lavender provide a striking contrast to the Cloud Table while the Marche Swivel Ottoman in Plum pairs beautifully with the Munich Sofa and Loveseat.
Bright-colored rugs in shades of violet, such as the Lustrous Visions Rug, and smaller accents like the Velvet Pillow are great ways to bring purple into an event design. Use purple shades with curved bar furniture like the Midtown Bar for an elegant look at a nighttime or winter event.
Take a Deep Breath and Find Peace With Pink
Pink may be the perfect mood-boosting color at a time when the world seems uncertain. It evokes calmness and kindness, and we associate it with romance. Pink is a versatile hue as well, equally at home in a bright color palette or a more muted environment — so don’t be afraid of it.
For an elegant addition to curved furniture like the Endless Powered Large Curve High Back Sofa, pair curved pieces with more geometric pieces in shades of pink like the Beverly Bench Ottoman in fuchsia. The Chandler Sofa Geo Group, which combines a modern rosy sofa with a bold geometric gold and glass coffee table, pairs well with earthy, natural colors like what you find in the Capri Sofa.
Pink is a classy accent color in pieces like the Gigi Pillow, the Dusty Coral Pillow, the Marche Swivel Ottoman in Rose Quartz, or the Vibe Cube Ottoman in Desert Rose Vinyl. Curved bar furniture like the Midtown Bar becomes even more vibrant when you combine it with fuchsia round bar tables.
Feel Comforted and Hopeful With Green
Green represents safety, nature, and luck. Bright green color palettes can seem overwhelming but CORT offers some great large pieces of furniture such as the Capri sofa and chair set that can help you stay on the bright color palette trend but in a tasteful way. For a bolder look, incorporate the meadow green infinity rug and Lena chair together with the gray Sterling sofa and green splendor pillow. Use the geo cocktail table which has a base that will complement the geometric pattern of the bright-colored rug.
If the larger green pieces are too much of a pop of color, stick with the white Fairfax sofa and chair and accent with the solid moss green pillow, swivel ottoman in meadow green, and Alondra cocktail table on top of the tonal rug in moss green.
Dopamine Dressing Your Event Space With CORT Events
Creating a memorable, exciting, and satisfying experience for your guests doesn’t have to be a heavy lift. With CORT Events, we provide customizable solutions through furniture rental that can take your event to another level. From the planning phase until the last attendee leaves, we’re with you every step of the day. Find your inspiration with CORT Events.
Walking tours provide distinct experiential learning that you can’t get any other way
As incentive travel continues to be a critical tool for retaining and motivating talent, planners are looking for ways to make excursions more meaningful and memorable. One of the simplest ways to do so is by employing a local organized walking tour.
Smart Meetings spoke with representatives from three leading walking tour companies about how tours can help to truly transform a meeting experience.
A walking tour is a minor commitment in terms of both budget and time, but a major investment in your attendees. They can get a closer look at the true culture of the destination by seeing areas they never otherwise would have explored.
The next time you’re planning an incentive trip, or any destination meeting, don’t underestimate how much a walking tour can turn a routine meeting experience into one that expands attendees’ worldviews and leaves a lasting impact.
“Oftentimes, when people travel, they’re looking for connection. The way to make that connection is through contextual understanding.”
Andrew Luan started ExperienceFirst Walking Tours in the wake of the 2008 financial crash. At the time, he was working as a trader for Deutsche Bank. When a friend visited from Vancouver, he joked about Luan giving him a Wall Street tour. Luan, however, took his request seriously. Upon conducting extensive research, which included taking other tours of Wall Street, he found that nobody was talking about the recent crisis. “I thought this was a travesty,” he says. “How can you not talk about the biggest financial event to impact our lifetimes?”
Andrew put together a tour for his friend centered around the 2008 crisis. From there, word spread amongst friends and family. One friend, who was a professor at Columbia Business School, brought his colleagues and some members of the financial media. Soon enough, Luan saw they had published a story about his tour. It was unlike any tour these people had ever been on.
Luan quit his job, resolving to see where he could take this newfound passion. He took groups to two major investment banks and ended with a trading game as a fun team-building activity that stimulated what it was like to do open trading. “When you come to Wall Street, it’s really just a series of buildings. It’s not that exciting to look at,” he says. “As someone who’s familiar with the financial markets and went through experiences there, I can share a personal connection.”
Real Experiences Make for Engaging Tours
A walking tour with ExperienceFirst
The type of tour that ExperienceFirst provides is right there in its name. Luan says, “Memories are formed when you have an intense emotional reaction. That intense reaction is usually caused by a connection you have formed with that location—because something clicks within you. You find common ground and gain a new perspective–that aha! moment. Meeting planners who want to create an impactful event can look to walking tours for this kind of interactive connection.”
An insider perspective is at the center of ExperienceFirst’s tours. As Luan’s organization grew, he began to hire tour guides around New York City: a professional actor would lead tours of Broadway; a 9/11 tour would be led by a person who witnessed that devastating day. “We believe that a tour guide who is a local, whether they’re an expert in their field or are very familiar with the area they’re speaking about, can provide context and connection for the visitor.”
Now, ExperienceFirst holds walking tours all over the United States and in major international locations like Paris. These tours are always interactive, and the team is careful to make sure they never feel like a walking lecture. They want customers to feel like they are in a distinct, three-dimensional space, and have all their senses engaged as they gain historical understanding.
“What a great way to treat your team. They’re going to take away these memories and it’s going to help them remember you and your company.”
Lisa Chen, ToursByLocals CEO, says that the company’s goal is to humanize travel. As an experienced traveler herself, this mission is near and dear to her heart.
When she joined ToursByLocals, she found a company that provides both travelers and guides with a connection like no other. ToursByLocals offers “a direct line to local experts [by] pairing travelers with guides that help shape lasting memories.”
Tailored Tours
Guides are highly vetted, and run commissioned, curated and often completely customizable tours. ToursByLocals helps guides to build out their profile and itinerary and continually coaches them to meet and exceed expectations.
“You might find a tour guide that has particular expertise—maybe they were a former chef or a gallery curator. You might like something about a tour that we have on our website, or simply like someone as a tour guide,” Chen explains.
Once customers choose their guide or tour, they can communicate through the ToursByLocals platform with their guide to adapt the tour for their needs. Perhaps the group wants a sitting break, or a meal incorporated. Maybe one member is a vintage collector; the guide can take them through local vintage shops.
Why take walking tours?
Walking tours provide an opportunity to experience a place in a distinctively intimate way. Chen says, “You can get a sense for the energy. You gain a deeply enriched understanding of the place you’re visiting.”
It’s also invaluable to her as an oftentimes solo female traveler. “Doing these walking tours at the start of my work trip is actually really important for me because I feel more comfortable and confident. I can ask, ‘Should I stay away from here? Is this place safe at night?’”
Walking Tours for Groups
When it comes to meetings, walking tours can provide a host of benefits.
A walking tour with ToursByLocals
Chen remembers an instance when she was attending a small meeting in New Orleans. Though it wasn’t in their itinerary, their planner encouraged them to take a walking tour to check out the area. Right before the tour, her team had an intense planning session where they struggled to reach a consensus.
“When we reconvened after that walking tour,” she says, “the entire energy had changed. The bond that we made through the tour allowed us to be even more productive when we came back. We were able to break through in some of the places we weren’t able to earlier.”
“10 years after someone does a trip, they might remember the airline—if they’re a frequent flier. They can probably remember the hotel room, but they may need to google the name of the hotel. But they’ll remember what they did. They’ll remember their favorite moment, what they saw, the culture, the food, an activity.”
Walks’ Beginnings
Walks was founded by two Americans, Stephen Oddo and Jason Spiehler. When the two met in Rome, neither had any experience in walking tours, but together, they had eclectic educational backgrounds in history. They began to hold free tours outside the Coliseum simply by calling groups together from the crowd milling about outside. They saw a market for tours, and this inspired them to set up a company.
Oddo’s and Spiehler’s love of doing tours remains at the center of all the company’s decisions and actions to date.
The Heart of the Company: Tour Guides
Nicola Cox is director of sales at Walks. The company prides itself on its good relationships with their guides. Cox says, “You can do all the selling and marketing and planning, finance and organizing, you can get the best access, you can put together the best itinerary, but if you don’t have a great guide on the day, your clients aren’t going to have a good experience.”
Their guides are very specialized and do tours based on their skillset. “We’ll have an archeologist on Pompeii, and a chef who does the pasta class. And we have some gold stars who can maybe do a little bit of both, lead city tours and activities. It’s really about them doing what they love, and that comes across to the client.”
What Makes a Tour Special
Cox explains that there is certainly a culture around seeing the top sites. “These are often the reasons people are inspired to go. These are the iconic images they see. They want to go there, and we want to take them there. We excel at that…but I don’t think it’s enough to just skim the surface and see the big sites.”
The State of Giordano Bruno
Cox shared a story of her own experience on a walking tour in Rome, during which the tour guide showed the group a statue of Italian philosopher, poet and cosmological theorist Giordano Bruno, in the Campo di Fiori. To her, it looked futuristic—almost like a Star Wars Jedi. The guide explained that Bruno had been sentenced to death by the Catholic Church in the 1600s. He was burned alive in the Campo di Fiori because he proposed ideas that weren’t found to be true until centuries later, such as the idea that stars were actually distant suns, and all with their own planets. The statue places his toes just slightly over the edge of the pedestal, which shows how forward-thinking his ideas were. And nobody would ever know unless the guide told them, because it’s not visible at the site of the statue, but Bruno faces directly towards the Vatican—as if he’s staring them down for all eternity.
Cox says, “I’ve been to Rome probably 20 times since that tour, and every time I walk through [the Campo di Fiori] I feel just a little bit more connected.”
Why Take Your Group on a Walking Tour?
In terms of business travel, Cox says, “If you’re going to fly your staff around the world to come to a city, they’re going to be excited about it. And if they arrive, then go to the meeting room, then leave, you’ve failed, really.” Though it’s not realistic to pay for an extra one or two nights for business travelers to explore, finding an affordable and time-efficient way to work in an experience really is a game changer. Tours are exactly this.
“[Walks] can do tours that will get the very best of the city’s essence in an adept amount of time and in a financially astute way. It’s benefiting your budget and your time—because time really is money. It’s also benefitting your employees and making them feel valued.”
In today’s fast-paced corporate environment, stress and burnout are widely experienced yet rarely discussed. Workplace culture can sometimes lead us to believe that these harmful states are simply the price we pay for a lucrative or successful work life. What if I told you this was a false dichotomy? Would you believe it possible to have career success and a peaceful state of mind? Let’s explore how integrating wellness into demanding corporate settings can help us achieve the best of both worlds!
Addressing Stress
Even before the pandemic, the World Health Organization had recognized burnout as a diagnosable medical condition. For many of us, however, burnout surged amid the conditions surrounding the Covid crisis. In fact, more than half of U.S. employees report work-related stress as a significant issue. The time has come for us to take proactive steps to address these challenges in the corporate meeting space. Company leaders must recognize the profound impact that work-related stress has on employees, and consequently, the overall success of organizations.
As a corporate meeting and event industry professional with over 25 years of experience, I have witnessed first-hand the negative impacts of work-related stress. The damaging consequences of work pressures became apparent to me, not only among my clients but also for myself. For years, I struggled silently with stress and burnout. Looking back, I now realize I lacked a deep understanding of how the pervasive effects of stress have repercussions for the body and mind.
At the time, I had approached these challenges as my personal issue—something to be endured as endemic to the career I’d chosen. Eventually, my desire to heal led me to immerse myself in the practices of meditation, yoga and positive psychology. I learned the importance of self-care, listening to my inner voice, and being mindful of stress and its effects on my life and the lives of those around me. With the right tools in place, I began to navigate daily stress and avoid burnout with ease—not only at work but also in all aspects of life.
Since then, I’ve experienced many transformations in my personal and professional journey, including becoming a certified mindfulness expert and mindset coach. Time and again, I have seen people adopt small changes, yet achieve sweeping results. Embedding simple practices into everyday activities enables people to show up as the best versions of themselves in all areas of their lives.
Whether you’re looking for ways to improve your meetings or transform your life, it is my goal to share practical yet impactful ways you can bring mindfulness into your life, anywhere and anytime.
Why Wellness Matters Most in Corporate Meetings
Stress has Become an Epidemic, Especially in the Corporate Arena
Stress is pervasive in the workplace. It casts a shadow on employee well-being and disrupts an organization’s productivity. Employees grappling with stress often struggle to get things done as they combat emotional turmoil, and in some cases, health issues. Simply put: every company should have a game plan for dealing with stress management. It will enhance the overall health and performance of individuals and teams.
Meetings Can be Sensory Overload Zones
Corporate meetings and trade shows are notorious for being sensory overload zones. The constant influx of information, bright lights and incessant noise can lead to overstimulation and impaired focus. Designing programs that integrate wellness activities, such as breathing exercises, simple stretches, or Zen moments can refocus and refresh attendees to help them pace themselves and concentrate on meeting content.
For many employees, the idea of engaging in social interactions in a high-pressure environment in a concentrated span of time can trigger anxiety. More often than not, individuals may turn to alcohol to cope. Wellness practices, including simple tools such as proper breathing, gratitude exercises and journaling, can help individuals manage anxiety, make healthier choices and feel more comfortable in social settings.
Employees Deserve to Experience a Commitment to Well-being
Organizations that prioritize wellness in their corporate culture demonstrate a genuine commitment to their employees’ mental health. This, in turn, fosters a positive workplace environment, leading to more engaged and motivated employees. In a recent study by The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, employees who took advantage of wellness programs and made lifestyle changes saved companies about $353 in recouped productivity per person annually.
Wellness Strategies for Event Professionals in Corporate Meetings
Plan for Mindful Moments like ‘Zenerstitials’ During Sessions
Incorporating mindful moments during meetings is a subtle yet potent approach for resetting and refocusing groups in high-intensity environments. By adding customized transitions throughout the show on the main stage, attendees can partake in ‘Zenerstitials.’ These 3-minute activities allow attendees to step back from the technology and content and enjoy a moment to recenter themselves. The beauty of these brief moments is the instant focus and calm energy that washes over not only the individual but the entire room.
Create Workshops, Meditation/Breathing Rooms and Mindset Coaching Sessions
Wellness workshops are another great option for managing overstimulation and social anxiety. Meeting planners can provide dedicated spaces for meditation or relaxation, offering attendees a sanctuary to decompress and recharge. To really enhance the experience, hire a mindset coach to lead sessions at various intervals throughout the conference so attendees can take time to learn how to harness their positivity and creativity.
Develop Tailored Wellness Programs
For a comprehensive approach to wellness in corporate meetings, partner with an expert like Mindful Moments. An expert can assist with planning the meeting program and guide you on how to implement moments of well-being for the greatest benefit to your participants. For example, experts can lead transitional mindset breaks throughout the main session, on-site classes, stress management workshops, gratitude sessions, mindset coaching sessions and customized retreats. These offerings are designed to fit seamlessly into your corporate event, promoting well-being and improving performance.
How We all ‘Win’ with Wellness in Corporate Meetings
Enhance Productivity
Employees who regularly practice wellness techniques are better equipped to manage stress, remain focused and perform at their best. This translates into better employee experience, as well as enhanced productivity during meetings and beyond the workplace.
Create a Culture of Empathy and Innovation
Wellness initiatives foster a culture of empathy where employees feel valued and supported. This culture nurtures innovation since stress-free and fulfilled employees are more likely to contribute creative ideas and solutions.
Improve Employee Retention
Companies that prioritize employee well-being experience lower turnover rates. Employees tend to stay with organizations that actively demonstrate they care about employees’ physical and mental health and that provide resources for managing stress and burnout.
Inspire Personal and Professional Growth
By encouraging wellness in corporate meetings, employees are empowered to thrive both at work and in their personal lives. These practices help with the daily grind and are uniquely impactful when dealing with stress, overstimulation and social anxiety. Best of all, these techniques can make a person feel a deeper sense of balance and purpose.
Conclusion
Integrating wellness into corporate meetings is not just a trend; it’s an essential investment in your company’s future. The time is over for thinking that stress and adrenaline actually make us better at our jobs. The benefits of wellness are multifaceted, from increased productivity and enhanced innovation to improved employee retention and personal growth. With the added challenges of stress and burnout at work and overstimulation and social anxiety at meetings and trade shows, addressing these issues is of vital importance to organizations’ success.
Not so long ago, many people would never have imagined yoga and meditation in a meeting program. But based on experience, more teams are asking for these moments, and many are adopting them in their personal lives. If you’re ready to embrace wellness at your next event, reach out to Mindful Moments to curate a customized wellness package for you and your meeting attendees.
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Charlotte Frederick is a corporate meeting and incentive industry expert with over 25 years of experience. After overcoming personal battles with stress and burnout through mindfulness techniques, she founded Mindful Moments, a woman-led company dedicated to enhancing well-being in the corporate world. Charlotte believes in empowering organizations and individuals with the right tools and strategies. By embracing mindfulness and self-care, individuals can show up as the best versions of themselves in every facet of their lives.
Charlotte’s commitment to sharing her knowledge and helping others is rooted in her own successes and the transformative power of wellness. She is a certified integrative health and mindset coach, a certified meditation teacher, a certified yoga instructor, and a certified positive psychology coach.
A Survey Exploring the Motivations and Values of Independent Planners Might Help Lean Planning Teams Elevate Events
The future of events is a little unpredictable, to say the least. Predictions of a recession and headlines about military and health crises seem to pop up every day. That leaves companies hesitant to plan too far ahead or even fully staff their event teams. Once companies do decide to hire, many report they can’t find the right blend of technical skills and human strengths or recruiting, hiring and onboarding is too expensive. And while predictions of a hybrid future don’t seem to reflect our current reality, a shift to virtual for some events can lead to a scramble for personnel who know how to manage the nuances of streaming meetings.
Tracy Judge, CEO of the event talent platform Soundings, thinks freelance talent could harness some of the skills still floating around after the massive pandemic layoffs to solve challenges companies face when planning meetings and conventions for 2024, but only if we have a better understanding of free agents and manage expectations and working relationships appropriately. That is a big “if” and the reason she is working with Temple University School of Sport, Tourism and Hospitality Management along with professors from Purdue University, Penn State and San Diego State University to survey this growing resource as part of a study called “Exploring the Motivations and Values of Gig Workers.”
How Do Event Professionals Get Started in the Gig Economy?
As the workforce changed, many were laid off or furloughed from full-time positions and aren’t looking to go back to a 9-5 office environment. Others—particularly parents and women—found they needed the flexibility the gig economy offers to manage their own workload and schedule. Still others had experience in some aspect of events and wanted extra income if they could find a way to market themselves on an event basis.
“Coming out of Covid, I think a lot of people learned that they don’t want to be on the treadmill all of the time and they like being their own boss,” Judge said. “Freelancing gives them the ability to have the best of both worlds—to manage their life and their business priorities.”
Judge is particularly proud of the possibility that a freelance network can empower women to stay in the workforce while taking care of their families. A Harvard Business Review study showed that of the more than a million people who dropped out of the labor force in August and September of 2020, 865,000 were women. Two-thirds of highly skilled women said they would not have dropped out if they had access to more flexible job arrangements.
“It’s not just the schedule, it’s the stress of the job and the emotional and physical burden involved,” she explained. “Freelancing gives women the opportunity to have the career that they want at the time they want it.” That may mean working full time for a company when they are young and then, when they have children, staying involved by working 10 hours a week on a project basis with summers off. Allowing meeting professionals to maintain their productivity and find balance helps the planner and companies reach their goals.
The Emergence of Event Specialists
One of the developments Judge has seen as she has worked with hundreds of meeting professionals and companies is the emergence of event specialists. As the meeting professional career has become more complex, many have taken the time to learn advanced skills. In-demand specializations include registration website building, marketing, copywriting and brand development, executive producers and stage managers, and a relatively new one, AI event specialists.
Conversely, a company may only need that skill set for a limited number of applications so hiring a full-time person might not be practical. Gig workers can fill the temporary need with advanced experience honed over many different types of events.
“We believe in playing into your strengths,” said Judge. “If you use your top five strengths in your daily work, you’re happier and more productive.” That may mean performing that work with multiple companies rather than taking on tasks outside your core abilities to make up the productive hours at one company.
At the same time, some may be looking to learn new skills and see temporary work as a way to expand their repertoire or a first step toward a possible full-time position.
Fine Tuning the Freelancer Relationship
Despite the upside for both parties, the freelancer relationship is not always a perfect one. Challenges remain. According to the results of a pilot study with 25 freelancers on Soundings’ Future of Work Advisory Board shared at IMEX America in October, gig workers worry about the unpredictability of finding work, benefits and camaraderie. Companies may struggle with managing workers who don’t “fit the mold.”
That is why Judge is eager to hear from independent planners and former planning consultants about what they need from the relationship and what motivates them.
“It is important to understand what gig workers are looking for in an organization, the culture and expectations so companies can build models that will help them be successful when incorporating agile talent in their organizations,” Judge said. That is why the next step is a qualitative study.
Judge hopes to foster supportive work environments to effectively engage, retain and elevate the independent cohort of talent. “The freelance workforce can solve a lot of industry challenges if the events industry knows how to engage them,” she said.
Take the “Exploring the Motivations and Values of Gig Workers” survey today. The deadline to have your experience included is Nov. 27. Participants who complete the survey will receive a complimentary StrengthFinders assessment and be entered for a chance to win a 2-night stay at the Four Seasons Punta Mita.
Results will be shared in January of 2024.
Some familiar names and kitchen-tested ideas are behind the launch of Appellation, a new hospitality company planning to open boutique properties with a local edge in popular luxury tourist destinations in the West. Chef Charlie Palmer, the father of “progressive American cooking,” made his mark in the restaurant world with a combination of classical French cooking techniques, innovative American spirit and an attention to detail that makes napkins stand up straighter. His philosophy is that “Genuine hospitality is the way a restaurant makes you feel before you even take a bite of food. It’s an elusive quality, but it’s also very down to earth.”
The New York icon (Charlie Palmer Steak, The Patio, Aperibar, and Spyglass Rooftop Bar to name a few) and his wife, Lisa, found their way to northern California’s Wine Country in the 1990s. The place kept calling them back. In what at that time was still the small agricultural town of Healdsburg, they settled in on a farm in the early 2000s to escape the mayhem and raise their four children while managing the reigns of his Charlie Palmer Collective business. “There is something about this area of Sonoma County that gets down into the deeper layers of what it means to be in wine country. It’s a different vibe here than in Napa,” he said.
Palmer was soon apron-deep in projects in the area, applying his local-done-well aesthetic to hotels, opening the award-winning Dry Creek Kitchen at Piazza Hospitality’s Hotel Healdsburg and investing in its sister properties the sustainable h2hotel, and most recently Harmon Guest House.
He has now partnered with Four Seasons alum Christopher Hunsberger (pictured above on left with Palmer) to launch Appellation, a hotel brand that will develop and run community-based venues that incorporate local cuisine, art, crafts and people. The first one has broken ground in Healdsburg (108 guest rooms, a 160-seat restaurant, rooftop bar and 15,500 sq. ft. of event space with more for lobby activations and 53 workforce housing units) and should be open in 2024, with more in the works in Petaluma (45-minutes away on Highway 101 with 93 guest rooms, 3,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, a signature restaurant and maker spaces in the heart of the former Egg Basket of the World’s quaint downtown), Southern California’s Pacific Grove (225 guest rooms, 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, and a signature restaurant on 5.5 acres across from Monterey Bay) and Sun Valley, Idaho (73 rooms, 5,500 sq. ft. of event space and a rooftop observatory)
The Healdsburg property is across the road from the hotel and residential Montage Healdsburg development and is co-located with Enso Village, a 32-acre mixed-use that includes a Zen-inspired luxury active senior living community.
Smart Meetings sat down with Palmer, Hunsberger and Ed Skapinok, Appellation chief commercial Officer, at Healdsburg’s Little Saint for a plant-based brunch to find out what the trio is cooking up.
Unique and Boutique
Model room for Appellation Healdsburg
“We really think there’s this niche for what we call approachable luxury,” said Palmer. “We want people to come to places where they can discover and experience the way of life.” The company is working on projects in unique places with high barriers to entry and established luxury properties with boutique options that are four-and-a-half-star luxury. They are well-appointed, but not the most expensive in the market. They bring a sense of place and connectivity to the destination.
Rooms are thoughtful and comfortable with lots of outlets and largely locally sourced touches.
A focus on culinary property-wide includes quality glassware and a bottle of wine in the room, pour-over coffee and “proper” tea equipment and accouterments. Healdsburg will feature a pantry on almost every guest floor with snacks and filtered water bottle refill stations, and cocktail kits that can be taken back to the room. Murals of a vineyard sunset anchor the warm wood and crisp white linens while acting as a headboard.
One thing that will be standard in every room: functionality. “It blows my mind that in brand-new hotels, they just aren’t functional. There’s no place in the bathroom to put your stuff, you can’t find the hairdryer, the outlets are hidden behind the headboard,” Palmer lamented. Don’t get him started on the lighting. It should be easy to turn on and off all the lights without reading a manual or calling someone to help you find the switches. It needs to be simple. A lot of this is just common sense.
And, because this is a foodie brand, the catering will match the richness of the dining room. The kitchen is being built so that it is experiential. It can be used for teaching and chef dinners or just admiring. Buffet stations will be like walking into a private kitchen and picking what you want for dinner. Skapinok calls this making the invisible, visible, something he thinks their “curious traveler” demographic will appreciate.
The team is partnering with local bakers and roasters for unique coffee experiences to showcase the richness of the area and activating the lobby area with experiences.
“Hotels should not be static,” said Hunsberger. “They should be active community places with lots of things going on.” Guests can choose to be involved in many or as few of them as they like. From crafting classes to wine dinners, when locals feel comfortable stopping by to participate in the activities, guests get to know the character of the place. When they find they are sitting next to the winemaker involved in creating the beverage in their glass, that is pretty special.
Bill Foley Takes Over Management of Forestville’s Farmhouse Inn
Bill Foley, the man behind the Fidelity National Financial turnaround and eponymous winery, is investing in Forestville’s Farmhouse Inn, a luxury Sonoma County boutique hotel, destination restaurant and spa 90 miles from San Francisco International Airport (SFO). The move is an expansion on his interests in Sonoma County hospitality.
Catherine and Joe Bartolomei, siblings and fifth-generation Russian River Valley farmers who have owned Farmhouse Inn since 2001 and transformed the historic property into a top-rated luxury resort, will retain partial ownership of the property. But Foley Entertainment Group, which already owns a boutique property in nearby Healdsburg and Foley Family Wines in Santa Rosa, will manage as part of Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ Legend Collection.
Day-to-day strategy and operations at Farmhouse Inn will be overseen by industry veteran Warren Nocon, executive vice president of the company’s hotel division. Nocon currently oversees the strategic operations of Hotel Californian in San Diego, Hotel Les Mars in Healdsburg, and Black Walnut Inn & Vineyard in Dundee, Oregon. He previously served as managing director of Hotel Californian.
A Storied History
Boutique 25-room Farmhouse Inn has been lauded nationally as a five-star retreat on the site where Russian River Lodge, the first gay resort in the area once stood with an array of illegal bath houses. Only one legal bath house, Grange, remains.
After a stint as a bed-and-breakfast, the farmhouse was completely restored, new guestrooms and a luxurious spa were added. Almost immediately, Farmhouse Restaurant earned a Michelin Star and maintained the honor for 14 years under Chef Steve Litke, who retired in 2021.
“We are excited for this incredible new synergy between two well-rooted Sonoma County families, joined by a common vision to enhance an award-winning brand synonymous with luxury and authenticity—a testament to Joe and Catherine’s dedication over the past two decades,” said Foley in a statement when the partnership was announced.
Tracy Judge
