AFTER LAS VEGAS
CHECKING THE RIGHT BOXES ?
TRENDING
AFTER LAS VEGAS
By BARBARA BOHN , MANAGING EDITOR
Employees of Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas weren ’ t the targets of the gunman who used a suite at the hotel on October 1 to kill 59 people and wound more than 500 at a music festival . But in the wake of such a tragedy , “ all victims – direct or indirect – will face issues that stem from a loss of psychological and physical control in situations like this ,” says James Houran , managing director of Aethos Consulting Group . “ Employees were not the immediate targets , but they understand that they could have been targets just as easily , so the symptoms or effects can be similar .”
In the aftermath of such a crisis , Houran suggests that department managers immediately explain how the crisis might affect employees professionally and personally , what the company is doing to bolster the safety of employees and guests , and what the plan is to rebuild and carry on . Managers at all levels should be prepared to listen empathetically to employees . And , he says , employees must feel and see that the company is responding first to secure their well-being and that of guests , not focusing on doing damage control in the media .
In the longer term , “ personal crisis can often lead to emotional overload ,” Houran says . Employees may experience depression , anxiety , self-doubt or loss of motivation . Physical troubles may appear – headaches and loss of appetite are common . “ Physical symptoms reinforce emotional disorders , so it ’ s essential to find resources that will help break the unhappy cycle ,” he says .
What can hoteliers learn from all this ? “ No one likes to think about tragedy and crisis situations like this , but the fact is that crisis management is one of the most important things a company can plan for ,” Houran says . “ Too often , people wait and react instead of proactively planning . A crisis of some kind will probably affect every organization at some point , so think ahead . The more organized and efficient leaders can respond when crisis hits , the better the outcomes for employees and guests .”
CHECKING THE RIGHT BOXES ?
By CHLOE RILEY , ASSOCIATE EDITOR
In September , IHG announced the launch of Avid , its midscale brand with lots of public spaces , a sleep differentiator and a snappy logo .
The brand , according to IHG CEO of the Americas Elie Maalouf , will allow the company to expand into a growing sector that includes 14 million travelers and US $ 20 billion of room revenue . Will IHG ’ s concept stand out among competitors ? “ Yes , it ’ s short , starts with ‘ A ’ and so will appear high on
Exterior rendering for an Avid property
alphabetical listings and is relatively easy to say , but it still doesn ’ t say much . It ’ s bland ,” luxury brand consultant Piers Schmidt says .
“ Names are hard these days with so many territories mined out ,” he says . “ Think how brands such as W , Edition , Autograph , Verse , Chapter , Unbound and Journal have used up nearly every moniker in the territory of writing and literature . However ... Four Seasons and Virgin aren ’ t the best names in the world but that doesn ’ t prevent them from being among its leading brands .”
IHG doesn ’ t see it that way . A company representative says the brand caters to those seeking a good night ’ s sleep , differentiating it squarely from competitors . With an expected price point about US $ 10- $ 15 lower than the company ’ s Holiday Inn Express brand , Avid – all new-builds – will have guestrooms with light-reducing shades and sound-reducing elements . The prototype features 95 to 100 keys with a minimum of three stories .
No deals have been signed as of yet though an IHG spokesman said there have been 150 franchisee letters of interest to date . Initial development will focus in the U . S . market . What Avid won ’ t have , Maalouf says , are official meeting spaces , suites or a pool .
14 hotelsmag . com November 2017