Up until recently, attending a business conference may have also meant long sedentary periods of physical inactivity-sitting in airports, sitting on planes and even more sitting in conference room meetings. The dining experience, often didn't work to enhance healthfulness, consisting of high-calorie snacks and meals that may have sustained participants' energy levels, but didn't necessarily sustain their waist lines. The recent trend toward the greening of the conference center and hotel industry has also come to include the 'greening of guests.' Conference centers are taking a holistic approach to sustaining the environment that not only involves incorporating environmentally friendly paper products, building and cleaning materials, and lighting and landscaping, but also a commitment to providing the highest quality foods that sustain a healthy lifestyle and help the planet. READ MORE

Going green is especially imperative to the meetings and hotel industries. While hotel and conference customers may not think twice about using a new towel with every shower, leaving the lights on when no one is in the room, or printing out more copies than are needed, companies like ARAMARK Harrison Lodging are taking their environmental responsibility seriously. It is important to keep in mind that the average hotel purchases more products in one week than one hundred families typically do in a year. Add to this the products and services used for learning and training events and it is easy to see why conference centers can have a huge impact on the environment. READ MORE

In good economic times, and even more so in bad, it's essential to do almost anything to keep the customers you have. They not only return to your property over and over, but when loyal, they become promoters. My article highlight several strategies that hotel staff can implement to keep guests returning and keep your hotel on their "evoked set" of preferred properties. Whether a large hotel chain or small boutique property, customer experience is key to keeping up occupancy rates. By taking care of complaints, empowering and training your customer-facing employees, and paying close attention to your customer service initiatives, you are sure to earn repeat guests and referrals. READ MORE

Over the last two years, the value of the US Dollar has significantly declined against foreign currencies significantly deflating Americans spending power abroad. The hotel and travel industries have been among the hardest hit by the drop in the dollar value as exchange rates have kept Americans from traveling to places where the dollar was once king and spending was frivolous. In today's market, room rates and occupancies have been drastically affected by the global economic condition. Small Luxury Hotels of the World sees 65% of their global business originating within the United States, thus making it crucial for member hotels to react to the current economic situation and reach out to the US traveler. With both the British Pound Sterling and Euro at their highest levels in decades, the challenges of hotels in the international markets are not only to maintain business levels but continue growth within them at the same time. READ MORE

The hotel executive must be very sensitive to the relationship between the Hotel Concierge and the guest, as it is undoubtedly a key element in the success of your property. The concierge is the link between the guest and your property and a professional concierge can develop and nurture loyal relationships between your guests, your brand and your property. After careful examination of this relationship, we must acknowledge that every element of this relationship comes down to one word, and that is "trust". Let's examine some of the qualities that a concierge must present in order to gain and build the trust of their guests. READ MORE

I believe it's safe to say that most of today's travelers are much more "travel-savvy" than ever before. They surf the internet for the best deals, the best amenities, and they are very loyal to their favorite brand or property. Are you putting your concierge team at the forefront of your best amenities and services? Is your concierge team fully prepared to surpass the expectations of even the most discerning guest? READ MORE

Working in the meetings and conferences industry has given us insight into the essential role that technology plays in nearly every group event held today. Whether the company you are catering to is a Silicon Valley Fortune 500 or a smaller, independent business, properties that think big in terms of their technological ambitions while remaining detail-oriented in execution will maintain the upper-hand in booking and planning successful, smooth meetings that have the ability to literally bring attendees 'out of the box'. The following are some tips for ensuring and maximizing meeting success through the use of what I see as the most important technologies and technological services available today. Investing in a varying scope of technological upgrades is a prime way to simultaneously ensure happy clients and to add valuable amenity draws to your property. READ MORE

As service providers, those of us in the hospitality industry are limited to how much of a meeting's content we can successfully and reasonably affect. But after 28 years in the meetings and conference industry, we have observed and applied some valuable insights on how to guide our clients as they decide the content, tone and agendas of their meetings and conferences. What we have learned is that it doesn't have to require big budgets, world-renowned speakers or even a purpose-built meetings and conference facility to pull off a meeting that will leave the attendees inspired and motivated to meet their business and organizational challenges with gusto. What it actually takes is proper planning and a conference service staff that is intelligent, savvy, intuitive and driven to exceed its client's expectations. The following are some best practice tips to help your clients meet their team building and motivational goals. READ MORE

While food trends may come and go, meeting planners always need to feed their attendees. With travelers' tastes expanding to more global flavors, today's successful meeting hotels must go above and beyond the typical banquet fare to wow today's finicky groups. As hospitality leaders, we have a responsibility to address health and nutrition concerns of our guests. In addition, we need to ensure that we are purchasing items from local vendors when possible and selecting items such as organic meats and sustainable fish. Aside from providing sustenance, culinary experiences for groups can be great team-building activities in both "Top Chef" and "Survivor" scenarios. The value of bonding over a home cooked meal cannot be underestimated. Read on to learn about five hot food and beverage trends in the meetings industry. READ MORE

While minor earth tremors are not unusual for California, in 1991, the California Appellate Court sent shockwaves across the fault line upon which Hotel management agreements rest when it issued its decision in Woolley v. Embassy Suites. The Woolley decision set the tenor for the way the courts, and consequently the industry, would view the legal relationship between hotel owners and management companies for the coming years. Essentially, Woolley stated that the relationship between an owner and its management company would be governed by principles of agency, where the owner is the principal and the manager is its agent. Over and above the contract relationship between them, the Court held the management company, like all agents, owes its principal fiduciary duties. READ MORE

The point of this article is that hotel executives and meeting planners can benefit from working with CSMs who have achieved the CMP designation, because they take pride in their work and are the best at what they do. ACOM's goal with every Hotel Executive article is to show how hotel executives and meeting planners can utilize and work together with CSMs to ultimately service the customer more efficientley. This quote used in the article pretty much sums that sentiment. Keith Patrick says: “We're all in the same little boat and the more we standardize meeting planning practices globally, the easier it is to produce consistent and efficient meeting planning results.” READ MORE

As competition in the hospitality industry intensifies, success becomes increasingly difficult to achieve. Therefore, it's more important than ever that FF&E selections be made intelligently and for specific business reasons. Color is one of those vital design decisions. Our world is visual, so color dramatically affects emotions and attitudes - attitudes which in turn affect guest satisfaction, brand loyalty, and return visits. While the fashion world sees a color palette change approximately every two years, the interior design color palette has a slower cycle, changing every three to five years. My article examines this "vocabulary of color" and how you can use it to most effectively speak with your guests. Enjoy these ideas and the benefits they can bring to your property. READ MORE

Raising awareness of and gaining additional exposure for your property is one thing. Being able to prove the efforts behind such an increase in market visibility and occupancy is a direct result of a public relations campaign is quite another. The difference lies in identifying and tracking the effect of a public relations campaign on your business, and the biggest factor is measurement. Public relations is a powerful tool in the hospitality industry. From establishing or repositioning a brand to drawing attention to a hotel opening or the addition of a new amenity, public relations can be one of the most value and credible communications tools around. Not only can a well-executed public relations program raise awareness, but it also can be a highly influential force with current and potential guests. READ MORE

The current economic climate is undoubtedly influencing the way you do business and like many, you likely are looking for places to cut back. Marketing may seem like the best place to get started, but in tough economic times it is more important than ever to keep the lines of communication open on all fronts. If you stop communicating and differentiating your organization, you risk joining the ranks of hotels viewed as commodities. Once that happens, it is very difficult to remove the label and revive your brand. In this article, I explore ways to position your hotel as a must-visit destination in cost-effective ways. READ MORE

Building a reputable hotel brand goes beyond the everyday service and hotel atmosphere. The real success comes when your brand also grabs the attention of the media. Having a media kit available for inquiries is crucial. Fresh publicity materials ensure relevant information is readily available - on hand and online. READ MORE