Prevue May/June 2012 - (Page 44)

Previous: Club Med Buccaneer’s Creek, Martinique Right: Conrad New York Below: Hyatt Regency Atlanta Luxury is back according to meetings and incentive industry veterans around the globe as we head into the last half of 2012. A couple of years ago, everyone was predicting this would be about the time we turned the corner. Except today, we all know that the new luxury isn’t quite the same as the old luxury. That’s not necessarily a bad thing for many of us. Ostentatious extravagance is not only deemed wasteful, it’s simply uncool. That said, demand is red-lining for Nicklaus-designed golf courses, ESPA-managed wellness facilities, dinners by Ducasse and luxury hotels that make you gasp. People have come through the recession not only smarter—they’re older too. The time to focus on a more rewarding career and happier lifestyle is now. Like, right now. “Groups are going back to long haul travel and adding a day or two to their programs because companies are now worrying about losing their good players,” says Ira Ozer, president of New York-based Engagement Partners. The company specializes in creating programs designed to improve motivation, inspire loyalty and jump start innovation. “There’s a continuing pressure to be responsible and watch the budget, sure,” adds Ozer. “But every company these days needs to have a culture of recognition.... If they don’t have it, they’re going to lose business and people to those companies that do.” Forbes wrote in April that group spending was up 8% in 2011, quoting Joseph Bates, senior director of research at the Global Business Travel Association. “No one is really looking at resuming pre-recession extravagance,” he says. “There’s a balance.” The story mentions bookings are up at the 4-star ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and the perennial 5-star Colorado Springs retreat, The Broadmoor. Business is also coming back at The St. Regis Monarch Beach in California where the mainstream press descended on the infamous AIG event with a vengeance—and without too many facts or context. By the way, the group sales number for The St. Regis Monarch Beach is: 949.234.3388. For luxury golf programs, a batch of executives with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts are also reporting that bookings are on the rise. They’re smaller groups than before, for now, and the hotels are working with planners to build loyalty and cut costs. “Events of the past years, from public relations concerns to economic issues, have impacted the number of groups including golf in their programs,” says Pam Gilbert, director of marketing for Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. “Lately we’re seeing more and more groups including golf because of the beneﬁts it provides.... What has changed are the interests and needs of these groups compared to years prior. We’re seeing smaller groups who are more value conscious.” Smaller groups, of course, mean fewer group buyouts. Steven Young, director of golf at the spectacular Fairmont Banff Springs located 90 minutes west of Calgary, reiterates that golf meetings and incentives are coming back but in smaller groups. Adapting to the shift, he offers planners an innovative way to create an exclusive experience for groups on tighter budgets. “Sometimes, if planners are ﬂexible on dates, we can combine two small groups in order to allow them to buy out the entire course,” he says. “For example, if we have an 80-player group and a 40-player group, we can send all 120 players out in a shotgun start. Both groups will have an excellent experience and enjoy better pricing.” 40 | prevue magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue May/June 2012

Sheraton China + Macau
The Peppermill, Reno
Charleston + Denver
CSR with Caesars
Hong Kong's Kai Tak Terminal
Special Section: Europe
Hyatt Fisherman's Wharf
Affordable Luxury
Frenchman's Reef, USVI
Australia
Toronto
Taiwan
U.S. Gaming Hotels
Caesars/Paris Las Vegas
Grand Lucayan, Bahamas
Iberostar Cancun

Prevue May/June 2012