Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/646776
37 B M & T ••• January/February 2016 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com importance when scaling factors most critical to destination selections, the 65-straight-month gain in RevPAR for proper- ties will leave planners even more hard-pressed to achieve the event expectations set by management. To counteract, Destination Hotels recommends either volume purchasing or offering more value to the property across the various ele- ments of a meeting by keeping food and beverage and social events on-site. The Challenge in Delivering Memorable F&B Experiences at a Reasonable Cost With food and beverage pricing ranking as the third-most critical factor in placing meetings among survey respondents – 67.3 percent of respondents rated it either a 9 or 10 in impor- tance – it's no surprise that meeting RFPs typically include a request for an F&B discount. To make the most of a group's F&B spend, Destination Hotels suggests thoughtful portioning on buffet displays or "menu-matching," whereby a group has meals that share many ingredients with another on-site group's meals or the property's on-site restaurants. Easily Navigable, Standardized Information When it comes to technology that helps planners choose the site of a meeting, Destination Hotels has made big strides to meet the needs of the 41 percent of responding planners who say they most often use the internet to research and narrow down poten- tial host properties. The 2015 Destination Hotels brand refresh included a revamped website that now offers meetings-related information in a standardized way with easy navigation across all properties within the portfolio. Enhanced Service Initiative Reliable consistent support from conference services and catering staffs was a common thread that appeared throughout answers to an open-ended question on the survey asking what planners most desire from the meetings properties they will use in 2016. To meet that need, Destination Hotels has built a new training program for all catering and convention employees. Launching in 2016, the Destination Hotels Event Producer Certification Program will encompass nearly three full days of education and training for every conference services and cater- ing staffer, addressing every aspect of event planning and exe- cution while also instilling leadership qualities so that employ- ees take initiative on-site. For more information or to review the full version of the whitepaper, please visit www.destinationhotels.com. *Survey Methodology: In October 2015, Destination Hotels contacted 20,202 corporate, association, government and independent meeting planners, of which 295 responded to the survey.