Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/646776
B M & T ••• January/February 2016 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 36 D estination Hotels, the largest operator of independent hotels, resorts and residences across the US, released key findings on 2016 meetings trends recently from its fourth annual "State of the Meetings Industry" survey. Nearly 300 meeting planners* across North America – of which 53.5 percent control more than $100,000 per year in direct meeting spend for their organizations – were surveyed on how their planning duties and their meetings are changing for 2016. The following is a sum- mary of the most significant survey results, plus front-line insight from meetings-focused executives within Destination Hotels. Work-Life Blend at Meetings Increases Attendee Satisfaction For the first time in years, responding planners cited recre- ational options at a meeting site as more important now than the previous year. Planners are looking to offer meeting attendees an opportunity to engage in leisure pursuits before, during or after a meeting in the form of a tennis outing, guided bike tour, or a block of spa appointments set aside at a discounted rate. Attendees have even begun taking advantage of meetings by creating mini-vaca- tions around their plans – 61 percent of planners advised that more than one in ten of their attendees arrive on-property before the meeting begins or stay on-property after, for leisure purposes. Flexible Meeting Spaces are Important and Beneficial Among the nearly 68 percent of respondents who ranked flex- ible meeting spaces at an 8, 9 or 10 in importance when choosing a meeting site, the two factors driving this need are 1) delivering information and insight at a level that tech-based meetings cannot, and 2) offering a variety in learning environment so that attendees remain stimulated. Destination Hotels fulfills these flex require- ments through creative use of furniture within traditional meeting and offering educational sessions in nontraditional meeting spaces such as the outdoors. Matching Budget with Rates is a Delicate Act Fewer planners will have more money to put toward their events in 2016 versus last year – 31.5 percent of respondents advised their 2016 meetings budget will be higher than the pre- vious year's, while another 57.6 percent said their total budget will remain about the same. Last year, those figures were 37 percent and 51 percent, respectively. With rate ranking 9.19 in DESTINATION HOTELS SHARES 2016 TRENDFORECASTING FOURTH ANNUAL 'STATE OF THE MEETINGS INDUSTRY' SURVEY