Dinner in a lava tube cave at
Pronghorn Resort in Bend , Oregon : “ The clients it appeals to most are the ones who have been everywhere and done everything , and they ’ re hard to impress ,” says JoAnna Eisler , group sales manager for the
640-acre resort .
F & B
THE BIG EVENT
ALL ABOARD FOR MACHU PICCHU : AMID HOT COMPETITION , HOTELS ARE TAKING GROUP MEETINGS TO THE NEXT LEVEL .
Contributed by JEANETTE HURT
Hotels and resorts are making an event out of events – taking group meetings off-site to unique dinners or private classes , and creating more elaborate offerings to stay competitive .
“ Hotels are ultimately competing with every other event space that groups could potentially go to ,” says Charmaine Houck , meetings consultant and editor-in-chief of Midwest Meetings magazine .
“ We ’ re seeing planners more apt to up their food and beverage budgets for those unique experiences , especially if they ’ re located within the venue where they ’ re holding the meeting ,” she adds . “ If regular catering is all a hotel does , it can do more . It may be all they ’ ve ever done , but a good hotel chef or chef team can do more .”
Here ’ s what some hotels around the world are doing to attract , entertain and nourish meetings attendees .
44 hotelsmag . com July / August 2019