Case Study: Meeting Consultants resort events
Who: Terri Dotson, Senior Project Manager
What: Meeting Consultants Inc. event management company
Q: Why do you regularly choose resort properties for meetings?
A: For the size of meetings I typically manage, a resort usually fits my major requirements. I am normally working with a minimum of 1,000 to upward of 10,000 attendees so there are many needs/wants that have to be addressed. The resorts have the meeting space I require, the large number of sleeping rooms I am looking for with overflow properties nearby, and they are capable of offering amenities on pre/post show days or evenings when the conference does not have any scheduled events.
Q: What factors do you consider when choosing one type of property over another?
A: In the last few years, budget is on the top of my priority list so I look at venues that can be an answer to my budget parameters. This does not always mean that the venue with the lowest room rate wins the contract. I look at items such as: meeting space that can handle all my meetings without using a secondary location possibly resulting in more rental fees; number of hotel rooms so that I can keep as many of my attendees at or near the area of where the meetings will be held, which avoids additional transportation costs; and amenities such as restaurants, pool area or outdoor space so that evening events can stay on property saving on extra rental, transport and outside catering charges.
Q: What meeting formats are better suited for certain types of properties?
A: Meetings are like snowflakes. There are never two that are alike, which is why we have different types of venue options available. A resort works best for my customer/business partner events. If I had a small- to medium-sized internal sales meeting that had a short agenda loaded with meetings from morning until night, then I would lean towards a hotel or a conference center within walking distance of a hotel. IACC-certified conference centers typically have some great meeting rooms with upgraded audiovisual features. I would look at this type of facility for a board meeting or even a conference that the attendees were local or responsible for finding their own housing and willing to travel to the facility.
Q: Describe a success story you experienced working with one of these types of properties.
A: I had an agenda that required a conference networking event for 5,000 attendees on one evening, but also allowed the attendees to set up their own functions the next evening. The venue we chose had a large pool area and ballroom that accommodated our networking event nicely. It also had more than 10 restaurants on property and smaller meeting space that allowed the individual groups to throw some great evening events the following evening without feeling they were seeing the same space as the night before. The sleeping rooms were all within the venue, and we had additional rooms at a property immediately next door so attendees could leave the events at their leisure. This made for some very successful functions that might not have been as successful if we had to transport our guests to an off-property venue.
