F & B
“ That was the immediate ‘ aha ’ moment , the – oh my gosh , people are taking pictures and putting this on Instagram ,” she says . “ Now it ’ s got to the point where , if people are not taking pictures of the food , you feel defeated .”
This year , Hilton dropped the pilot , instead encouraging all hotels to riff on their own versions of healthy meeting offerings while still using the Meet with Purpose brand ( For instance , Hilton Chicago Oak Brook has opted to focus on micro-greens via its “ Living Salads ” offering ).
In terms of ROI , Zoblotsky says the Meet with Purpose packages are comparable to Hilton ’ s published meeting menu prices . For Yoga and Yogurt , the yogurt parfait is similarly priced to a catering
Sushi rolling class at the Kimpton Donovan
option and a hotel will contract the yoga instructor , with the instructor ’ s rate then passed on to the client .
ROLLING OUT WELLNESS After the success of cooking classes in the hotel ’ s Japanese restaurant Zentan , the sales and marketing team at Washington , D . C .’ s Kimpton Donovan decided to add to its meeting offering a sushi-rolling class with the restaurant ' s head chef Yo Matsuzaki .
Mark Robertson , area director of sales and marketing for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants , says the sell on such an experiential option can sometimes be tricky – planners can be reluctant , often unsure whether the time spent rolling out sushi
WYNDHAM ’ S MARK ANDERSON :
“ Everybody wants to learn to make new martinis . They may know how to make their favorite cocktail already , but it ’ s honing that ability to expand on their entertaining agenda . Everyone wants to learn to make the newest , latest , greatest martini .”
KIMPTON ’ S MARK ROBERTSON :
“ What we ’ re seeing is that companies are really focused on their social responsibility through the entire event – they ’ re looking for the essence of the whole event to be sustainable and organic and that ’ s from the food served , to the materials used to create the event décor , so they can make a stand on a social cause . The companies are really true to that , it ’ s no longer just jargon . They ’ re looking to be a part of something bigger . And I think us understanding the seriousness of that for them and truly figuring out how we can jive with those goals is a trend that I think we hope stays . Actually hearing that message is the challenge – us sales people like to talk , but we ’ ve got to hear them and listen .”
Hot smoked salmon from sustainable fish stocks in Scotland , via Steigenberger Hotel Group ’ s Green Meetings
44 hotelsmag . com May 2017