Meetings with ‘hatitude’
Creating a must-see experience capitalizes on FOMO. Set the gathering in a unique destination and offer time for attendees to experience it as a team. “An in-person event must have time for people to connect with one another,” Clark says. “It’s not about building in free time, but time for attendees to be together to connect in and through the destination.”
Niche destinations provide experiences attendees can’t find elsewhere. “Attendees’ expectations are not just to gather together and attend educational sessions, but they’re looking to really get something out of their time in the host city,” says Sonia Fong, senior vice president of convention development for Louisville Tourism in Kentucky. “Event organizers are craving authentic, value-added experiences.”
Louisville continues to increase corporate leads, recovering 77 percent since 2019. This year, the city not only expects to increase those leads but possibly double them, Fong says. “We’ve seen several meetings in Louisville well exceed their anticipated attendance numbers,” she says. “For many groups, this is the first time they’ve been able to meet in person in years, so they are seeing substantial increases in attendance.”
Louisville offers a central location, walkability, flexible meeting venues, and unique experiences and attractions. “Groups can tailor their experience while here to offer an authentic experience unique to Louisville regardless of the time of year,” Fong notes. “We’ve been known to celebrate the Kentucky Derby in December, complete with an opportunity for attendees to build their own hat or fascinator to wear to the event.”
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices did just that, providing their attendees the full horse-racing experience even though it wasn’t race season. “They hosted a large party with two live bands and created a really fun customer experience using the famous paddock space,
with executives donning air-filled horse costumes to race against one another, brought in a horse carousel/merry-go-round, and really just went all out using the Kentucky Derby theme to go the extra mile,” Fong says. “Louisville Tourism offered attendees a ‘hatitude’ station on their trade show floor ahead of this party so guests [could] create their head fashion to wear.”
Northwestern Mutual hosted its first event in Louisville last year. The event took advantage of the flexible space at the Kentucky International Convention Center, a venue the group appreciated for its large windows overlooking a park. “A space that showcases natural light and green spaces is an added bonus because attendees really do notice it,” Castino says. “That combined with the flexibility of the space to create a huge advantage to hosting in Louisville because it allowed us to activate the venue in a unique way.”
As part of the event, Castino’s team brought in local vendors to give attendees the full Louisville experience. Themed areas were decked out in everything the city is known for, including Churchill Downs (home of the Kentucky Derby), native son and champion boxer Muhammad Ali (complete with a boxing ring), the Louisville Slugger, and even a modified Bourbon Trail with tastings from eight distillers. “It was incredibly diverse with so many vendors and a true authentic experience,” Castino recalls. “It went so well I can see us returning there in the future.”
Myrtle Beach is another niche destination that’s continuing to host an increased number of corporate groups thanks to its unique experiences and teambuilding opportunities. Besides the attraction of the beach and golf, eco-tours are popular in Myrtle Beach, including dolphin tours and the Murrells Inlet tour. “It’s completely safe for all of the sea life, and it allows for participants to get hands on with creatures like sea urchins and puffer fish,” Harris says. “It’s educational because they learn all about the local environment, and it’s a great bonding experience for all involved. Groups really love it, and it’s a great ice breaker.”
Creative budgeting
The drive to get together in person has run into a hefty roadblock called inflation. Rising travel costs, steeper hotel fees, soaring food and beverage costs, not to mention supply-chain and staffing issues, are hitting some events hard. “Budgets are being blown out of the water,” Clark says. “We had one group recently host an event, and the budget they intended to go with ended up only being half of what was actually required.”
Many corporate groups have been surprised to find budgets that worked three years ago are no longer sufficient, Radabaugh says. “If a group takes their 2019 budget and says they want the same number of people at the same place, it’s not so much about the destination as it is the cost of getting the people there and executing once there,” she notes. “If they intend to have the same 2019 budget, they have to understand some hard choices are going to have to be made, whether it’s having fewer people, fewer days, or finding other things to take away. But it’s also a balance of making sure we’re not taking too much away from it to impact the experience.”
Planners need to have the difficult conversation with clients to help them understand the new reality and figure out the best use of funds. That typically means carefully thinking through the entire event and re-thinking every line item to see what can be eliminated. “It all comes back to thinking about it through the lens of their constituents and what they really need,” Clark advises. “Perhaps you leave off the soft drinks and only offer coffee and water, or move a dessert to the afternoon and use it for a snack instead. Or maybe you drop the A/V and make the theme of the meeting about trying to unplug. There really has to be a reason behind every purchase now.”
A silver lining: The pandemic raised the planner profile by proving the value of human connection, and that gives event professionals more clout in helping clients develop budgets. In addition, budget restrictions can spark creative problem solving, which can lead to better events. “We had one group save money by going offsite for lunch instead of staying at the hotel,” Clark recalls. “It was honestly better than it would have been at the hotel because everyone got a chance to get outside on a beautiful sunshiny day. This small shift in mindset benefited the budget and allowed for attendees to still have a great meal that was enjoyed in a memorable way.”
The lesson, as Clark says: “Thinking slightly differently can ultimately provide the same great experience while also being cost effective.”
