Stay on Top of Meetings Trends - The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel

South Seas Island Resort

Since the meetings business constantly changes, it's always a challenge to stay ahead of the trends. But the conference resorts at The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel are doing just that. By listening to their clients and paying close attention to their needs, the properties are able to adjust their services to effectively meet ever-evolving marketplace demands.

Shorter, More Intense Meetings

"We're seeing more meetings of shorter length," said Joe Thompson, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa, which was built specifically as a convention resort. "Most events nowadays run two to three days rather than the three- to four-day events of a few years ago. Shortening the meeting helps control costs," he said. Liz Dane, Northeast Sales Director for The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, agrees. "People don't want to fly more than three hours or be away for more than three days. If planners are tagging on any activities to their meetings, it's just one day." That means meetings are more intensive.

Gone are the days of working until noon and enjoying recreational activities in the afternoon. Meetings are running from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or longer. Planners have to provide content and accomplish a great many things in a truncated window of time. "They're packing a lot into a day," says Thompson, whose team has had to respond to increasing demands for efficient flow of meeting space. "Planners are very concerned about how the meeting flows as a whole. Fortunately, we have all of our meeting space on the same floor, so that really helps us maximize efficiency for our clients." Longer meetings also have prompted the Hyatt to extend its spa hours until later in the day, since the 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. time slots are highly coveted by meeting attendees who want to be pampered after a demanding work day. The spa also is seeing more activity, says Thompson, because planners can incorporate it into their meeting schedule in less time. "A spa treatment takes one hour, but golf takes four."

Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa

Flexibility

The intensity of most modern-day meetings and their compact nature demand flexibility and a high degree of control for meeting planners, according to Paul Dugan, Associate Director of Sales for Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa. "Flexibility with contracts is a big deal these days," he says. "In the old days, contracts were two pages. Now they average 9 to 10 pages. Meetings are complex and require a high degree of responsiveness. Fortunately, being independent gives us more flexibility with our contracts."

Frank Cavella, Area Director of Sales and Marketing at South Seas Island Resort, sees the same trend. "Flexibility and partnership are the keys now," he says. "We're extremely flexible, so clients like doing business with us. We try to make it work, no matter what their requirements."

And Thompson agrees. His team is seeing a lot of demand for recreational activities built into the beginning or end of a meeting to allow attendees the option of arriving early or staying late for a golf tournament, fishing excursion of other group activity. The Hyatt, like most other properties, often extends its group room rates to accommodate the extra night or two for attendees.

Control

Offering flexibility gives clients the control they want, particularly when it comes to budgets. Both Dugan's and Thompson's sales teams are providing all-inclusive pricing and packaging when needed to help planners know their costs upfront. They can be extremely creative in the shoulder and off-seasons for the destination, which run from May through December. Rates generally are 30 to 60 percent lower during this timeframe, with the exception of holidays. "The fall is one of the nicest times of year here. The weather is just as good as in April and May, and the price value is much better," says Thompson.

Adds Dane, "The demand for value is all we're seeing from planners, so we're consequently receiving a lot more requests for dates in the shoulder periods like November."

In addition to rate flexibility, Sanibel Harbour is handing more control to planners through vertical integration in which the property partners with preferred vendors to provide one-stop shopping. Clients can book a cruise aboard the resort's private yacht or host an elaborate outdoor banquet at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates or on a small island catered by the resort so that all costs are billed to one master account. "The more you can deal with your hotel, the more control you have," says Dugan.

Control also comes in the form of minimizing distractions for meeting attendees and providing flexible meeting space. All three convention resorts offer seclusion without isolation so planners can immerse attendees in the meeting experience with fewer temptations to draw them off-site. All three also have plenty of outdoor space for planners to incorporate Florida's scenic beauty into their agendas. Many of their meeting rooms have windows for natural light, and all of Sanibel Harbour's meeting space has outdoor verandahs and terraces that are popular for break-out sessions.

Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa

Technology

"Everybody wants up-to-date technology and audiovisual capabilities," says Cavella. "Planners consider it standard operating procedure to have wireless Internet capability, T1 lines, videoconferencing and the like. It's a given in this business."

Like Sanibel Harbour and the Hyatt, South Seas offers wireless Internet access in its meeting space, common areas and guest rooms so attendees can check emails even while sunning at the pool. "People expect us to have the same type of technology that they have in their homes because it's how they're working, so they want it wherever they go," says Thompson. Hence, Hyatt has added iPod stations in its guest rooms and is looking into satellite radio technology as well.

Technology also has transformed the way planners do business, with most RFPs automated via Web sites. Like most properties, Sanibel Harbour sends all of its proposals electronically with links to its Web site for information on meeting space, guest rooms, and food and beverage options. "Planners want instant gratification," says Dugan, "and we oblige with paperless responses for greater speed and efficiency." All of the resort's promotions and other planner communications are digital.

Yet, despite technological advances, a planner's point of contact at a hotel or destination is critical to the success of a meeting, says Dane, who stresses the destination's smaller size and hands-on approach. "It's still a people business, no matter how much technology we use," she says. "People are still important, and old-fashioned one-on-one contact is still valued."