The Benefits of Hosting In-Person Hotel Group Meetings at Luxury Resorts

Although many industries are now fully immersed in the shift to a hybrid work environment, the appeal of traveling and convening in-person for a conference or a group meeting remains strong.

In fact, a forecast for 2023 shows that we'll see the highest increase in onsite meetings to date.

When the hospitality industry adapts to meet changing expectations with unique innovations, it can better prioritize guest experience. This evolution is paramount for the future of group meetings, which is a big focus for us at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland. While hosting an annual group meeting virtually certainly has benefits, the choice to hold an organization's conference or event in-person at a hotel or luxury resort can enhance a team's group dynamic and improve employee experience.

Prioritizing the Guest Experience

There are numerous benefits for organizations and their team members when they decide to hold their group meetings in-person. Face-to-face meetings enhance the employee experience by helping team members feel less isolated and more connected to their colleagues. This connection can improve team collaboration and strengthen relationship building. In-person meetings can also increase team members' engagement and participation in brainstorming conversations and discussions, enhancing their comfort and productivity.

Effective communication is naturally fostered through in-person connection, which allows less room for misinterpretation and better comprehension of nonverbal cues. With face-to-face interactions, the minimized use of technology as a middleman limits the risks of technological issues and potential distractions that would otherwise not be present. In-person group meetings allow team members to build new relationships and grow existing ones, promoting purposeful small talk and interpersonal dialogue for employees to learn more about each other. In turn, this connection supports employees in feeling comfortable to share their ideas freely without fear of judgment or misunderstanding.

When selecting a hotel to host a group meeting, companies need to choose a well-equipped, inclusive property that is accustomed to hosting conferences to ensure organizations and attendees have the best planning and event experience. Properties like ours offer group meeting venues and event support with access to premier amenities all in one convenient location. This allows meeting planners to focus more on the content of their gatherings.

What is the big difference between attending a meeting in your pajama bottoms versus in person? The former may feel more comfortable, but the latter offers something entirely different. The features of a meeting group space create the distinction. Our property offers hotel accommodations for meeting guests along with a wide range of activities, including gaming, entertainment, and world-class dining. These offerings are relevant to meeting guests because they enhance the experience for those who stay the night at our hotel during extended conferences or have time to spare before, after, or during their meetings. They have access to so much more than they would virtually.

Our property features one of the region's largest entertainment venues, The HALL at Live!, which is utilized for large-scale meeting events. The space can be transformed from a meeting room to a gala venue or a boxing ring within a day, giving guests a chance to do business by day, and have fun at night.

Some guests like to pop into the casino and take advantage of the over 200 table games and 4,000 slot machines onsite. Sports betting is also available in our state and growing in popularity, thanks to our property sportsbook partner FanDuel. When guests arrive at the property, they also have a chance to walk through The Cordish Art Collection, which is complete with more than 40 pieces of contemporary art from world-renowned artists, including Andy Warhol and Jennifer Steinkamp.

Additionally, Live! has nine diverse dining options, many of which have private rooms, including Zagat-rated The Prime Rib. This summer, the property will also reopen Live! Spa, which will feature a full menu of services, including massage, wellness and beauty services. Relaxing with a massage after a long day is a luxurious but accessible addition to an event itinerary.

This selection of features is unique to Live!, but also represents the different options available to guests whenever they attend a meeting or conference at a property like ours that offers a range of amenities. We provide hospitality planners equipped with the ability to create customized experiences to meet the needs of any group.

Consistent Innovation Is Key

Although the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer identified as a public health emergency, it remains a concern for many individuals. Luxurious hotels that plan to host in-person group meetings need to consider these concerns and sustain innovative practices born during the pandemic to ensure the safety of guests long into the future.

Throughout the pandemic, Live! adapted new technologies and tools to help enhance the guest experience while operating under local public health restrictions. The use of Live!'s mobile app, contactless payment and increased sanitation offerings continues to help mitigate the spread of any potential illness, while providing a seamless and future-proofed event venue for meeting hosts and their teams returning to in-person collaboration.

Providing the ultimate guest experience for those attending meetings or events takes more than comprehensive amenities and offerings. From the hotel to the casino and entertainment venue, along with our expansive dining and bar options, group meeting attendees and guests at Live!, can enjoy a memorable trip with colleagues and business partners in addition to the professional development experience.

Oftentimes, a hotel venue will offer packages for their meeting attendees. When group meeting guests stay at Live! hotel, they can choose from several stay packages, including the Business Travel Rewards Program. 24/7 concierge service ensures group meeting attendees from near and far can discover the best places and activities the area has to offer.

The constant evolution of features supports annual visits and conferences, which ensures that no visit is the same and that guests can come back for a meeting year after year. This increases an organization's comfort with the venue while also providing new ways to keep guests entertained each time.

The Power of Flexibility and Support

The features and staff of a venue are arguably one of the most essential details of any event, and one that organizations prioritize when deciding whether to host a meeting in person or online.

This is where technology and flexibility step into the frame. For properties like ours, we look at the capabilities of our event venue. The HALL at Live! is the property's state-of-the-art 75,000-square-foot, three-story concert and event venue. Organizations can utilize The HALL at Live!'s 50,000 square feet of customizable event space, which includes a large ballroom and 10 breakout rooms, and a $10 million state-of-the-art A/V system that ensures acoustic perfection for presentations and speakers at group meetings, retreats and conferences. With three massive, high resolution LED screens, a ribbon board that wraps around the space and breakout rooms with interactive screens, The HALL at Live! is designed to maintain attendee engagement with optimal audio and visual displays.

Organizations interested in reserving the space for their event would contact the professional events staff at Live!, who walk through the entire planning process and provide on-site support. This is an important benefit of outsourcing support. Since technology does sometime fail, having state-of-the-art options and hands-on assistance makes a world of difference for a smooth meeting. A wide array of Live! menus, floor plans and semi-virtual options allow the event team to adjust to any organization's specifications.

Luxury resorts like Live! take on the stress of event planning so the company can focus on the content they plan to present. When a meeting planner selects The HALL, they are partnered with an event professional who will work with them on every detail- service, production, culinary needs, and more. Live! provides meeting planners with a capable team throughout the planning process and during the event to ensure flawless execution and success.

There is underlying flexibility and care for the vision of each event at luxury venues that are illustrated in every detail. Whether an event planner is transforming the physical space of a property to elevate the atmosphere or redesigning the layout for a business convention, it is crucial for organizations to partner with a team that is dedicated to making their vision a reality. From an intimate gathering of a small company to the expansive conference of a national corporation, Live! is able to accommodate the event planner and their attendees. Our on-site support at Live! strives to evolve by enhancing offerings and capabilities each year.

The variety of onsite amenities and offerings are designed to ensure group meeting attendees have an exceptional guest experience at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland. Our restaurants accommodate large group reservations while maintaining the immaculate service anticipated of them. All our Live! offerings are designed to ensure all guests enjoy a meeting that fits their needs.

Location, Location, Location

They say that location is key, but this is especially relevant for company group meetings. An organization may be fully remote in its day-to-day work, and the employees could be located all over the map. This is an understandable factor in whether to host an event onsite or Zoom, so the location of the event venue needs to be accessible to be worthy of the cost investment.

Among the plethora of luxury resorts and hotels in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area, Live! stands out as one of the region's best locations for group meetings. Less than 10 miles from the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and train station, Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland is conveniently located for group meeting attendees gathering from across the country. The central location and easy access to transportation allow organizations to include day trips to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., in their group meeting itinerary. Companies and organizations seeking a property to host their event should consider details like this in their search.

In a new age, the need for in-person human connection and experience persists in every organization. Although the future of the hybrid workplace is uncertain, the constant adaptation of innovations and the continued dedication to customer service will positively impact the hospitality industry for years to come. Properties around the world offer unique amenities for hotel group meetings, and those seeking out these venues will be pleased to know that the opportunities are endless.

Reprinted from the Hotel Business Review with permission from http://www.hotelexecutive.com/.