Keeping Meetings Current: Relevant Content and Technology Learning & Teaching Tools — Photo by East Carolina University

Group meetings and events held at a hotel venue require a new and current framework to offer a great experience.

Technology is more important than ever to provide an outstanding group or event experience.

Some conference attendees may still want to attend virtually or at least hybrid. Jordan Hollander in a Hotel Tech Report (March 2023) noted, that many thought these trends would be short lived ; however, as the pandemic extended over the last 2 years, these trends that were once thought to be short term grew more and more ingrained in our long term behaviors.

Content is still king, but group meetings is also about forging meaningful connections and having unique and unforgettable experiences that attendees have missed in the past two years. A parallel frame of reference for this topic also touches on my own job or at least part of it. Students, like meeting and event attendees, have options or channels to use to participate.

In our case, we provide a mix of on-campus courses and online courses and in either case, hybrid courses that include activities and or assignments and include technology to be used by both segments of students. Program offerings include an online option for students in addition to the traditional on-campus programs. The issue for hoteliers and ourselves is, can we provide the same broad experience online as we do in person? The answer is yes!

To accomplish creating equivalent high-quality participation (online or in person), a great deal of planning, research and teaching, and training expertise is needed, as well as a diverse selection of technology tools. On the meeting and or event side, a hotel meeting planner needs to be prepared for the event or meeting by knowing the mix of attendees, whether they are online, in-person, or hybrid, and the technology needed to include all attendees.

Hotel meetings and events typically offer networking opportunities with other hoteliers and vendors, education sessions, and social activities. The social activities might be the most difficult for the online attendee. For example, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) notes that they provide a variety of industry-leading events that give members exceptional professional development seminars, unbeatable networking opportunities, and a forum for the latest hospitality technology.

Educational opportunities are inclusive of practical, research and industry-connected content, including professional designations utilizing multiple technology tools. From a higher education perspective, this is akin to what many universities provide and will continue to provide for all students who can be considered meeting attendees and or members. Higher education hospitality business programs strive to provide students with networking opportunities with their classmates, faculty, industry recruiters and local business operators. The business of higher education is like exceptional professional development, that is, universities provide high level hospitality business learning opportunities and life-long education in the same way professional associations provide opportunities for their members.

Virtual meeting technology and real-time communication tools mean that work and or event/conference attendance does not need to be limited by location. For hotels, this has meaning for meeting attendees and a hotel's labor force. For example, some hotels already have remote revenue managers, and these trends could enable even more hotel staff to work off-property on occasion or all the time. Given the demand for travel, many group attendees will seek the optimal destinations. However, some guests might prefer to attend a meeting virtually and need to be given that option. The realities for higher education and the hotel group meetings segments are that guests, attendees, employees, and students can attend or work a meeting or a class remotely.

The meetings and events industry headlines continue to say that "in-person" is back. I agree, there is pent up demand and a desire to travel but many, however, some guests, employees, and in our case, some of our students, are opting for virtual channels for learning and or work. What university programs have found is that students impacted by the pandemic were sent home, secured jobs at home, and stayed enrolled in classes. They were able to do both work and attend university by using virtual teaching and learning tools.

Now that we are in the pandemic recovery mode, a segment of those students has decided to stay at their current location, keep their jobs and complete their education online at the same time. The same can be said for guests and attendees of meetings, events, and conferences. Some experts note that face-to-face business meetings in the digital age is a sustaining trend. The Hotel Tech Report also notes that teams are common, so companies rely on in-person off-site meetings to bring employees together for training, launches, or team-building exercises. These options are relevant for some group meeting guests.

Workforce Issues: Hotel Meetings and Events

The global business travel segment is expected to recover fully by 2024. According to HotelAVE, group demand should bounce back to around 90% of pre-pandemic levels next year, but a five percent year-over-year increase in group rate will push the performance past the 2019 mark. Moreover, 63% of marketers have planned to spend more on live events in 2023 and beyond, and only 40% of marketers plan to increase spending on virtual events, while 16% actually plan to decrease spending in favor of live events.

Combined with the rebound noted above, the industry continues to face labor shortages in many segments of hospitality and tourism. In a digitalization era, some positions have been replaced and or curtailed in hours by mobile technology and other operational innovations that provide efficiency. Chip Rogers, president, and CEO of AHLA, notes that the association's foundation is focused on growing the industry's talent pipeline through workforce recruitment and retention initiatives.

To ensure the level of service a guest expects, planners could include in meeting contracts minimum personnel numbers for the hotel's event-services team as well as for meals and receptions. However, another area where planners are finding difficulty is with hotel sales teams, which experienced significant turnover during the COVID-19 era and now have many less-experienced reps in place. One pet peeve of many planners right now is getting no response to requests for proposals, or simply getting a response of "no" rather than a counteroffer to one or more elements of an RFP. These observations note the lack of professional sales force personnel and or training.

Other workforce trends related to hotels in general and meetings and events include "co-living." For example, solo travelers or remote workers who stay in one place for a while might opt for a "co-living" space, designed specifically for its inhabitants to share living spaces, and sometimes workspaces, with a common attitude or goal. Also, "co-working" notes that as remote work becomes more common, entrepreneurs and remote employees flock to co-working spaces. These spaces provide fast Wi-Fi and desk space and networking opportunities. More interestingly, international hotel giant Accor launched its own co-working brand Wojo and hip boutique brand Hoxton is rumored to be working on a similar concept called Working From. Enhanced workforce innovations will continue to be created.

Technology

Guests, in general, want more technology at hotels so they can conduct business and enjoy the hotel facilities. From access to streaming services to a room key on your smartphone, the essential hotel amenities in a guestroom are becoming increasingly digital. For rooms and service, guests want concierge services or temperature controls at the push of a button (or tap of a finger), and voice-activated controls are expanding beyond simply asking Alexa to play your favorite song. These trends might sound futuristic now, but in a few years, guests will expect them. Many of these innovations require only minimal changes to a modern guestroom, so a forward-thinking hotelier can implement them quickly and efficiently.

Some technology innovations include:

  • Bring your own streaming: for example, portable streaming devices like Roku.
  • Wireless device charging: wireless charging transfers power from a charging "mat" to a device like a smartphone or headphones.
  • Smart controls: digital rooms and spaces.
  • Tablet-based control.
  • Soundproofing tech: a new standard of soundproof windows use acoustic technology to minimize noise.
  • Voice-activated controls: upgrade to a smart speaker.
  • Keyless entry.
  • Concierge video chat: talk, text, or video chat with hotel staff in real-time. In addition to guest rooms, meeting only attendees (online) can text questions and or concerns about the quality of a connection and or assistance needed.
  • Smart TVs.
  • RFID tech: radio frequency identification (RFID) is a type of contactless security and communication technology. that uses radio waves to transfer information.

Innovation in the hotel technology sector has been blazing ahead at a rapid pace; previously expensive technologies like artificial intelligence and digital room keys are now more affordable than ever, and advances in payment systems and app capabilities mean that hoteliers and guests have exciting new options when it comes to booking, paying for, and experiencing a hotel stay.

Virtual Learning

As noted in Travel Daily News, the world of meetings and events is looking at what is described as the triple threat of hybrid, virtual and in-person event types. The digital transformation of the industry, driven by the pandemic, means that hybrid events and virtual components of in-person events are here to stay as they can reach more attendees, and the recorded content can live on long after the event is over. Meeting and event venues must be prepared to support these hybrid events.

Additionally, having the latest technology and the ability to help planners create high quality video content requires experience, a healthy investment and technology expertise. As a supplement, if needed, lodging venues can provide a list of experienced vendors who can assist planners in bringing their vision(s) to life.

Virtual learning is important for meetings and events, and the hotel venues. It is additionally important for higher education hospitality management programs to provide their students and faculty with the latest in technology teaching and learning tools. Online learning is much more than an instructor sharing their presentation slides. High quality online teaching and learning is a huge faculty commitment. Universities and their programs must have easy-to-use learning platforms and mobile options and be able to integrate in-class and virtual students in courses and class discussions. Students must be self-motivated and pursue their education aggressively. On the planning side, faculty and presenters optimum use of the technology and tools are helpful to provide unique learning opportunities.

For example, VR is an emerging trend in the event industry, It's quickly gaining popularity because it provides event guests with a realistic experience. VR headsets allow people to immerse themselves into a completely different world. They can see what others cannot, and they can feel as though they are there. Additionally, virtual reality options can include VR headsets to see exactly what the event space would look like when guests arrive or during the keynote address at a conference. Furthermore, VR headsets could be used by those attending a meeting or event virtually. Technological advances like this would certainly save time and increase the salability of a venue.

In higher education, another learning channel is interactive virtual courses. In what is referred to as Global Understanding, its courses (our program offer one such course) connect globally with at least three universities for "Live Links" in a semester for students and faculty, discussing content and making comparisons country to country regarding business practices, policy, tourism, sustainability and more. Referred to in general as virtual exchange, the global experience, engagement, and communication value of the courses is invaluable. This hospitality course has partnered with universities in France, Mexico, China, Poland, Japan, Malaysia, Lebanon, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan, India and more. Our students and their global partners complete a global project and meeting in a synchronous timeslot for the course and then also meet independently with their group partners. The course is a notable example for virtual global learning and how higher education is preparing the next generation of global meeting leaders.

Additionally, Gartner Research emphasized that the principles of hybrid and fluent effective meetings are to embrace virtual meetings, be video flexible, and integrate audio, video and in person. Visibility, engagement, flexibility, and diverse delivery methods combine to offer a great meeting venue. By investing in technology and training meetings, a lodging venue will develop a great reputation as a meeting destination either in person or virtually.

Going Forward

Hotel meetings, events in general and group meetings specifically have evolved and changed in the last few years. The integration of technology, mobile apps and the application of sustainability concerns and relevance, diversity awareness and the use of social media, have all become part of the makeup of the best events. We have previously discussed technology applications, virtual education, and other factors to be considered in hotel group meetings. A few other factors can also be considered.

Track Your Meeting Metrics

Per Cvent, as you plan your event marketing strategy, ask yourself and your team:

  • Whom do you want to reach?
  • What do they want to learn?
  • What problem do you solve for them?
  • What action do you want them to take?
  • When is the best time to reach them?
  • Where do they – virtually – hang out?
  • Why should they care about your event?

The answers to these and other questions will provide a great baseline for your meeting and event metrics. Then at the event, Cvent suggests additional metrics to consider.

  • Users: the number of unique event app downloads.
  • Event starts: the number of times the event is opened within the app, including revisits and refreshes.
  • Check-ins: the number of times attendees checked in to activities.
  • Average usage: the average amount of time users spent within the event.
  • Bookmarks: the number of times users bookmarked organizations, activities, and speakers, and the average number of bookmarks per attendee.
  • Detail views: the number of detail pages viewed by all attendees, and the average number per attendee.
  • Scheduled items: the total number of activities added to all personal schedules, and the average number of activities added per attendee.
  • Notes taken: the total number of notes taken by all attendees, and the average number taken per attendee.

Tracking these metrics can help develop your group meeting database and will be critical in optimal decision making for delivering high quality, effective and efficient events.

Use Social Media Optimally

Social media is here to stay and can be useful to promote an event and or serve as a resource for the event. Social media channels have become part of the decision-making factors in selecting meetings and events to attend. Additionally, make the social media options part of the networking attraction for the meeting and or event. Now that hotels have mastered Facebook and Twitter, there are new platforms to focus on. Hoteliers can reach additional audiences with strategic use of videos and other story apps.

The following is a question to consider. Does your hotel have someone managing your social media? In my own situation, I utilize Facebook and LinkedIn, but I must admit my expertise on social media is limited after that. To fix that in my own business-higher education business education, we now have a student social media coordinator. That student works with multiple social media platforms and has brought our efforts beyond Facebook and LinkedIn, to include Twitter, Instagram and more. Planning efforts hopefully will include video social media options. The student employee collaborates with me and the Public Communications Specialist for the College of Business on content and which social media channels are appropriate for our diverse news postings.

The goal for a meeting planner or a university is to make the meeting, or event optimally attractive. Additional options to attract attendees could include:

  • Live streaming events.
  • Sustainability focus for events and venues.
  • Accessibility for digital and in-person events.
  • Privacy and security for events.

Wrap Up

To wrap up this discussion, other resources noted meeting concerns when integrating or using technology innovations. An Amex Global Business Travel study noted that meetings and events concerns include technical issues and lack of engagement as the top two challenges faced by respondents conducting virtual meetings and events. The study also reported a lack of knowledge and experience with virtual meetings and the technology. Finally, the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA) 2023 TOP TECH TOPICS, noted its technology trends that include: artificial intelligence, robotics, sustainability, cybersecurity, and privacy. What does this all mean for the hotel group meeting sector? Group meetings are rebounding, and hotels are working diligently to re-capture their markets. The "new" normal includes sustaining trends that have met or already exceeded industry standards. It also means that there are new areas of expertise that hoteliers will need to master and apply.

The new knowledge includes much of what has been discussed here and will need to be made available to professionals and students and aspiring leaders of the next generation of the lodging industry. For example, a working knowledge of lodging technology options will be critical. Added to that cyber security, AI, sustainability, and more are needed to be part of the next generation of leadership education and professional development. It seems hard to keep up with all the changes. Online education is not going away, and universities and their faculty will continue to need and be supported for professional development in our dynamic education systems and the dynamic hospitality industry.

Often, graduating students will say, "I will never go to school again," but, never say never; learning and professional development is forever. Graduates become employees, supervisors, managers, and leaders and are in a learning mode all the time. Learning and virtual and digital tools will continue to be part of their future. Lodging organizations and associations do and will continue to offer professional development opportunities, in all channels, in-person, virtually, and hybrid.

As noted, lodging meeting planners must now organize their events for two audiences one in-person and one virtual. The investment will be in people, equipment, and collaboration with meeting planners, lodging conference managers and a multitude of vendors and of course the attendees.

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

Robert O'Halloran
Professor & Director
+1 252 737 1604
East Carolina University