The Power of a Good Resort Choosing the right venue for an off-site meeting, incentive program or event is a difficult process. The wrong venue can ruin an otherwise well planned event. The right venue can create an environment where ideas flow, culture is nourished and goals are achieved. Why then do so many meeting planners hesitate to book resorts for their important business meetings?
Many companies don’t even offer the opportunity for resorts to bid. This is really unfortunate. The fact is, many meeting objectives require resorts. The service, the quality, the atmosphere, the accommodations – important meetings need great venues to succeed and resorts don’t have to break the budget. The use of resorts for corporate meetings decreased greatly during the Great Recession. This situation was only exasperated by public outcry late in 2008 when AGI planned a $400,000 sales retreat at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort after receiving $180 billion in bailout money. AGI cancelled the event. Politicians rallied against companies who used resorts for meetings. Companies and government agencies revised their travel policies to ban resort stays. In response, resorts tried something different. This simple tactic increased corporate bookings and stimulated as much as a 10% swing in business. Did they lower their prices? Did they skimp out on the resort hospitality? No. They removed the word ‘resort’ from their names. This simple act broke through the stigma and these former resorts were once again invited bid on corporate events. The decline in resort use wasn’t entirely due to price or budget. It was due to stigma. Allstate meeting manager, Laurie Fitzgerald illustrated this point when she commented on the cancellation of all 2009 off-site meetings, “Our meetings were completely canceled by perception, not cost.” All company events have goals – desired results. These results are important to the company. That is, after all, why your company is spending the time and resources – because when an event produces the desired results, those results are worth far more than an event costs on paper. A meeting or event at the wrong venue is far less likely to produce desired results. This is a waste of an investment. Nice hotels and resorts really do make all the difference when your objective calls for it. Here are a few examples: Sales Team Incentive: You’re planning a meeting that should say, “Congratulations! You’ve worked hard all year and surpassed your quota. We value all your hard work and hope you do the same next year,” Which option expresses your message best? A trip to Deerborn, Michigan for a stay in the downtown Double Tree –or- A couple’s getaway to the Caribbean Resort? The answer’s pretty obvious. The first option belies the message. It says, “You did a great job and we feel obligated to provide an incentive trip, but we don’t really value you.” With the Caribbean getaway, your sales staff feels appreciated. When they get back to work, they’ll be biting at the bit for a chance to attend next year’s incentive. When people do a good job, they deserve a reward. There is no onus when a company properly rewards its deserving employees. Bringing change to an organization: Sometimes the choice to use a resort isn’t so cut and dry. If your objective is to make a fundamental change to your organization, you should consider using a resort. Bring the right people and the right speakers together in the right atmosphere and you have a powerful formula for change. People are more relaxed. Their guard is down. They’re removed from the pressures of work and home. And they’re having a really enjoyable time. You don’t have to pay for their massages or golf games. But by bringing them to such a place – where play and relaxation is easily coupled with enjoyable work- your team will be far more apt to make the significant behavior changes your company requires. Here at TEAMINGS we know a meeting is only successful when it achieves its objective. The right venue can really make a difference. Choose a venue that will help you have a successful meeting by making sure it enriches your objective. TEAMINGS can help. We offer free venue procurement services. We’ll find you the best deal at a venue that truly augments your objective. Call us at 866.278.9040 or get started today.
