< Previousing the use of multiple hotels,” McKenna said. “Orlando, on the other hand, generally has more room availability but requires advanced bookings due to high demand during short-term events.” Like other planers, the high demands and subsequent rising rates have led McKenna to explore other cities and even virtual alternatives. “We’ve opted to book more events in second-tier cities or surrounding areas of major markets due to pricing and room availability constraints in our pre- ferred locations.” Emilie Perkins, CMP, CMM, CAE, PMP, CED, senior director of client & conference services with Raybourn Group International, a full service Association Management Company in Indianapolis, IN, is in a similar place. She said they are seeing compression next year and into the following in most first- and second-tier cities. Some of her groups prefer a warm-weather destination for their annual meetings in February, for example, but room shortages and prices out of sync with budgets have neces- sitated changes. “Given these constraints,” she said. “we’re trying to be more flexible in our day patterns and consider alternate months.” That said, Las Vegas remains a good fit for Perkins’ groups. As many locations have limited space availability, having a place that has more properties available with bigger meeting spaces and more rooms certainly helps. “The problem that we fall into is that the room-to-space ratio is not attractive for many properties,” explained Per- kins. “Vegas is the exception. We have a group booked next year and are in the process of a contract the follow- ing year as well.” When planners have challenges with room availability as they try to accurately predict room-block counts, they often turn to companies like Helms Briscoe to help them to research and contact venues for their events. “Kudos to our industry planners who have toiled over getting the room block just right in order to avoid this problem,” said Nell Nicholas, director of global accounts for HelmsBriscoe in Cornwall, CT. The company stream- lines the meeting planning process by managing the time- consuming task of researching, contacting and evaluating venues for meetings and events. “I’m seeing planners spend countless hours getting the room block at an exact number by working with sev- eral of their departments to get to the right number for internal meetings. Conference planners have a tough job in this arena, relying on market research and current trends,” said Nicholas. In her own site-selection work, Nicholas faces the same situation as her colleagues. “What used to be an ‘easy hold’ from a hotel while waiting for clients to make a decision has become less of an option. With demand so high, some hotels are not offering a hold without a contract.” The best advice Nicholas is getting from CVB partners is to act quickly without hesitation to get the hotel the cli- ent wants. “This isn’t an easy task when having to marry this concept with budgets,” she explained. “There’s a pro- curement process and clients can’t always move as quickly as hotels require to secure the space. It’s a tough environ- ment to be sure.” Like others, she’s had to look at different hotels and/ or different cities in this environment. And even then, she added, availability is still tough. “One client had to pivot to Las Vegas in order to get better availability and we still didn’t have the choice we thought we would,” she said. Adding to the challenge, shoulder seasons might no longer offer the reduction in prices they used to. Nicholas gives the example of Miami in June, which she notes used to be shoulder season. Now, she’s seeing higher rates at this time than were previously typical, which doesn’t just impact rooms, but also budgets. Equally concerning, Nicholas is seeing a change in what hotels offer in terms of meeting space. “I’m seeing hotels offering smaller-than-normal square footage to planners for their meetings. This is a big watch-out for us; we need to pay close attention to the square footage to be sure the size of the room is comfortable and can accommodate A/V for the program,” she said. Leisure travel is also still impacting meetings that had to be rebooked because of the pandemic, especially in those destinations extremely popular with leisure travelers and business groups. “As an example,” Nicholas stated, “a client needed to implement a rebooking for next year for a program in Orlando. The only dates for the entire year that the hotel could even consider for the rebooking were in August. The remainder of the calendar year was fully booked. In order to use the rebooking credit, the client booked those dates, Courtesy of Visit Orlando Orlando generally has more room availability thanks to its more than 480 hotels. The much-anticipated Evermore Orlando Resort (pictured) is now accepting reservations for February 2024. 60 November 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.comwhich was not an optimal time of year in such a warm cli- mate and toggling with summer vacations.” CVBs Perspective In spite of the current challenges, planners aren’t blaming hotels for taking advantage of a high-demand market; after all, the pendulum will eventually swing back the other way. What they do wish, however, is that partners would help more in finding solutions. We asked two CVBs, one mid-size and one large, for their take on the situation. First, leisure travel demand is definitely a reality. Both Milwaukee and Orlando have seen a significant increase in leisure travel. Visit Milwaukee saw a 15% increase last year and a year-over-year demand causing compression through- out its market. In Orlando, domestic leisure travel last year exceeded pre-pandemic levels. But things may be moving in a positive direction for meet- ings as demand is evening out, according to Casandra Matej, president & CEO of Visit Orlando. “That demand was not sustainable, and we see leisure demand normalizing, she said. “Orlando’s leisure demand has been pacing behind last year since March. Earlier in the year, group was displacing leisure travel in some convention properties.” With demand coming back down to normal, prices may be going down as well. The last few years, Matej said, they saw prices increasing due to leisure demand, but they are seeing this stabilize this year. Short-Term & Seasonal Bookings Short-term booking windows are the biggest problem planners are seeing in places like Orlando. While it is up to corporations to try to change that dynamic and book further out, Matej believes DMOs really are a strong partner for planners looking for solutions. “To help planners navigate these shorter booking windows and find a hotel that fits their needs, we highly recommend they include Visit Orlando on their RFPs. Visit Orlando’s Desti- nation Experience team can work closely with them to under- stand their group’s needs. And, since Orlando is home to more than 480 hotels with nearly 130,000 rooms, and more than 200 unique venues and attractions, we’re able to provide a variety of choices and alternative options that will fit those needs.” In Milwaukee, short-term bookings are also the big prob- lem. Yet, corporate bookings and high leisure demand aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. “Leisure demand is impacting hotel availability exclu- sively for groups who are looking to book last minute,” said Leslie Johnson, VP of sales and event experience, Visit Milwaukee. “These last-minute groups are running into the challenge of finding availability, and they’re also see- ing an increase in the rates offered. For groups that typi- cally book their venues much further out, the last-minute leisure demand on venues hasn’t affected their ability to secure those venues — as long as they are sourcing them in advance. Also, the variety of inventory in Milwaukee allows for meeting spaces and venues to plan leisure events around corporate bookings.” The Season Shift As Nicholas pointed out, destination high and low seasons are shifting and will probably continue to do so. And moving forward, that is something planners are going to have to work around in many destinations. In Milwaukee, for example, the city has done more and more to draw winter business. “Seasonal destinations like our newly added Enchanted Christmas, our professional sports teams and Milwaukee Theater District are attractions that bring in visitors from across the country during the winter months,” Johnson said. “Also, our businesses are getting more creative in developing experiences to draw leisure visitors during these times. They’re creating hybrid indoor/outdoor spaces and find- ing ways to make outdoor experiences more comfortable.” Whatever challenges planners have, Visit Milwaukee is confident it can be a good partner and find solutions. “A CVB can assist planners in finding an alternative location based on their needs. If the meeting/program is one that can’t be accom- modated in an individual property due to limited availability, the CVB can assist in finding a similar hotel in close proximity that can accommodate the remaining portion of a room block.” The bottom line is that meeting groups are critical to the health of many destinations, and partnerships are the solu- tion for challenges faced by all facets of the meetings indus- try — planners, hotels and CVBs. Second- and third-tier cit- ies may be uniquely suited to offer solutions to planners in this particular market, and planners have an opportunity to try something new to bring excitement to their meetings. They just need to be creative, open to change and outside- the-box thinkers. As Perkins notes, switching things up can be a real posi- tive. “We’ve made the conscious decision to look closer at smaller cities that were not considered previously. Second- and third-tier cities have so much to offer and were often neglected in the past because of preconceived notions. It’s been refreshing to widen our searches to include some of these hidden gems.” C&IT TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | November 2023 61 Conference planners have a tough job in this arena, relying on market research and current trends. NELL NICHOLAS Senior Director of Global Accounts, HelmsBriscoeW hen Cvent, an industry-leading meet- ings, events and hospitality technol- ogy provider, returned to compiling an annual list of top meeting destinations in the U.S., following a pandemic-induced three-year pause, there was no surprise which city was still the one. Orlando. Prior to the pause, this virbrant city was the top-ranked destination for five years in a row and by popular demand, it has retained its top position. “We’re thrilled to be the number one city on this year’s Cvent Top Meeting Destinations list,” said Casandra Matej, president and CEO, Visit Orlando. “With a state-of-the-art convention center, an abundance of hotel rooms, ease of acces- sibility, award-winning dining and world-class entertainment, Orlando offers everything meeting planners need to create memorable experiences for their attendees.” Meeting planners agree. “Orlando is built for hospi- tality,” said Meghann Swiney, director of events & customer training for industrial dis- tributor HD Supply in San- tee, CA. “There are incredible hotels, fun offsite venues and, of course, the theme parks. There is a rich food culture, and most critically, a wealth of incredibly talented partners in conference planning, who are connected to the deep pool of local talent for entertainment and logistics support.” The destination has not spent the pandemic era test- ing on its laurels. There are constant renovations and improvements. The Caribe Royale Orlando completed a $140 million renovation, including a new lobby with an expansive skylight and a new 50,000- sf grand ballroom. The property has 240,000 sf of total meeting space and offers 1,217 one-bedroom suites and 120 two-bedroom villas. At the beginning of next year, the resort will open the multi-sensory, sports-themed Stadium Club. Caribe Royale’s high-tech, immersive sports entertain- ment bar will feature a selection of multi-venue private buy- out areas, covering an area of 9,000 sf over two floors. The Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando in Disney Springs, the newest Official Disney Partner Hotel, offers more than 17,000 sf of meeting space and shuttle service to all four Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Also new this year, the Brightline Orlando Station opened at Orlando International Airport (MCO), connecting domestic and international visitors traveling via high speed train between Miami and Orlando with stops in Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach. Attendees will enjoy touch- less ticketing, premium in-station lounges, complimentary WiFi and about 15 daily departures from South Florida daily. Transportation access was one of the key reasons the Georgia-based software company BeyondTrust, a world- wide leader in intelligent identity and access security, chose Orlando for a company kickoff event this year that drew 1,250 attendees worldwide. “We wanted to keep the event on the East Coast,” explained Kim Richard, BeyondTrust’s vice president of customer mar- keting, in Ponte Vedra, FL. “It was also important to pick a location that offered direct flights from a wide range of air- ports. Most of our employ- ees are based in the U.S., but a large contingent travels in from Europe and Canada, so being easily accessible was paramount.” The last time they hosted a company-wide meeting was in Atlanta during the winter and temperatures were freez- ing. So, Florida was a great option. “In Orlando, we had a great chance of the weather being temperate, all the while having options to offer excit- ing entertainment within proximity to theme parks and their amenities,” she said. BeyondTrust chose the 1,011-room Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace, due, in part, to its proximity to Disney Springs, an outdoor shopping, dining and enter- tainment complex. “We did not have to share any space with any other groups, and the hotel was filled 100% with Beyon- dTrust employees,” said Richard. “Although not a strict requirement, we especially liked that we had the ability to brand just about everything in the hotel to cater to our group. The hotel even changed the lights at the top of the building to glow orange, which is our company color. Their flexibility and openness to all of our branding ideas was really above and beyond.” Richard said a sales manager took the time to study the group’s resume and make the initial site visit memorable. During the event, the resort made sure that every need was met, handling all the rooming changes and tweaks made by BeyondTrust’s employees. Courtesy of Caribe Royale Orlando The Caribe Royale Orlando recently completed a $140 million renovation. 62 November 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com Orlando BY DAVID SWANSON DESTINATION UPDATEThe meeting space sprawls across 120,000 sf, ranging from unique outdoor venues to ballrooms, with the largest measuring up to 18,000 sf. “With everything being all in one tower, it was a breeze for attendees to get from their rooms to the conference center, which was just one level below the main lobby,” said Richard. “I was expecting a bottleneck at the elevators, but the hotel seemed to manage the full capac- ity without any major delays or hiccups.” Another plus when it comes to meetings is the quality of the food and beverage, something at which Richard felt the hotel excelled. “The food at the Hilton was top-notch, especially considering how many people we were feed- ing,” she said. BeyondTrust also hosted an off-site evening event at the House of Blues Orlando in Disney Springs. The group had exclusive access to the entire venue and were able to offer both a party atmosphere in the theater space, as well as more of a laid-back atmosphere in the restaurant. “It was nice to be able to offer two different environments for our very diverse employee base. Once the event wound down, our group had either a short trip back to the hotel or they could carry on and check out the other venues within Disney Springs,” she said. One caveat Richard passed along to her plan- ner peers was an unexpected restriction on branding at the hotel, due to its location on Walt Disney World property. She said that none of their branding could be visible from Dis- ney Springs, and due to its proximity, this required them to move down some of the artwork that was being projected onto one of the outside building walls. While it didn’t cause any major upset, she encourages planners to ask questions about what those restrictions may be before finalizing any plans for branding and décor. For Brian Toy, vice president of experiential marketing for B2B software provider e2open in Orlando, the city offers an abundance of suitable hotel venues with the right balance of meeting space and sleeping rooms. They selected Univer- sal Orlando Resort to host a 550-attendee client conference. “Orlando is easily accessible to most of our attendees and it offers a variety of attractions for those who choose to bring their families and make it a mini-vacation,” explained Toy, whose team also used the facilities at Loews Royal Pacific Resort. “A few members of our team have done events here and had a great experience and positive attendee feedback,” said Toy. “The nice thing about it is that it’s surrounded by sister properties. In the event you need to overflow anyone for hotel rooms, there are plenty of options within walk- ing distance, and our housing coordinator helped us secure a few extra rooms at a couple of those hotels.” The resort is within walking distance of Univer- sal CityWalk and served by water taxis as well. The group enjoyed the close proximity to the Universal theme parks, where they hosted evening events. The conference facility at Loews Royal Pacific Resort covers 132,000 sf of meet- ing and function space, including the new Oceana ballroom with about 36,000-sf to complement the existing about 42,000-sf Pacifica Ballroom. Just steps away is the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort, with an addi- tional 115,000 sf of meeting space. The company hosted an awards dinner in one of the ballrooms and requested a plated menu that would allow attendees to choose from three entree options. “They typically ask that groups of our size choose just one option for the whole group, with exceptions only for those with special dietary needs. However, once we explained what we wanted and gave examples of past offerings, they Courtesy of Meghann Swiney The HD SUPPLY CONNECT 2022 tradeshow was held at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, FL. TheMeetingMagazines.com | Corporate & Incentive Travel | November 2023 63 Orlando offers a variety of attractions for those who choose to bring their families and make it a mini- vacation.were willing to work with us and we came up with a menu that fit the needs of our group,” explained Toy. Toy cautioned that planners should be aware of seasonal fluctuations in theme park demand. The company was there the week before the opening of Halloween Horror Nights and all the hotels in close proximity to Universal Orlando were either sold out or almost sold out. Planners should take that into account and make sure they contract all the rooms they may need well in advance, if they’re booking dur- ing that time of year. The company took the entire group to Islands of Adventure for an exclusive private event one evening. They hosted a golf tournament at the Arnold Palmer-designed Shingle Creek Golf Club, one of Orlando’s top courses.The 18-hole golf course is connected to Rosen Shingle Creek, another of the area’s top meeting resorts. The AAA Four Diamond hotel sits on a 225-acre property that comprises the headwaters of the Florida Everglades. The hotel’s meeting space covers 524,000 sf and includes the 95,000-sf Gatlin Ballroom. Extensive restaurant choices include the new Emma’s Creekside Farm, along with the hotel’s 15 other dining options, offering farm-to-table fresh- ness from the onsite gardens. The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin is an iconic resort located between EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Attendees enjoy some of the same benefits as when staying at a Disney resort, such as early park admission and transportation. The Swan and Dolphin features 23 restau- rants and lounges, multiple pools, three health clubs and the Mandara Spa. With a combined 2,267 rooms, the Marri- ott-managed property offers 333,000 sf of meeting space, including 110,500 sf of contiguous convention/exhibit space. The Swan Reserve, a 349-room standalone boutique hotel is across the road from the main complex featuring 15,000 sf of meeting space. The Orlando Evermore Resort, which is set to open at the beginning of next year, is a 1,100-acre property that provides an array of stay experiences, ranging from single homes to villas, flats and hotel guest rooms — 10,000-bedrooms in all. The anchor hotel is Conrad Orlando, which will offer 40,000 sf of indoor meeting space, a full-service spa, multiple din- ing options and a signature rooftop experience, as well as an eight-acre swimming lagoon with white sand beaches at the heart of the facility. HD Supply selected Orlando for their HD Supply Connect Conference last fall. “Right from the start, the level of support that Visit Orlando and Experience Kissimmee offered during our research phase was critical,” said Swiney. “Their teams were eager to share their knowledge about the area, and they ensured we were leveraging all the resources they had to offer and were proactive in connecting us with the right people to help us host an incredible event.” HD Supply’s conference chose the 1,718- room Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, a facility with more than 500,000 sf of meeting space including five ball- rooms, with the largest measuring 48,505 sf. Located in Kissimmee, the Gaylord Palms is a 20-minute drive from the airport, and minutes away from the Disney theme parks. “When we were looking for our host property, we came in with a laun- dry list of needs. We wanted a space that we could transform for the confer- ence — onsite lodging for a large portion of our attendees, meeting room space, a ballroom that could accommodate all 4,000 attendees at once for our general session and keynote, and closing party enter- tainment on a main stage built to impress. We needed outlets and unique spaces to create VIP parties, large team gather- ings, and creative spaces for activations during our evening and networking events, all while having special menus for each day. The Gaylord Palms supported all these requests and helped us find ways to push beyond what we thought was possible,” she said. For Swiney, and other planners, Orlando is still their number one destination in the U.S., for many reasons. The hotels, with their ever-expanding meeting spaces, as well as outstanding dining, nightlife, world-famous amusement parks and other unforgettable amenities, are among the fac- tors. This is not to mention Orlando’s workforce — one of the most courteous in the country. And bonus — this magical city is one of the most affordable destinations in the U.S. This is a win-win situation for any planner. C&IT Employees of BeyondTrust gather in the general session room at Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace to kick off the week with the opening address. WHERE IMAGINATION KNOWS NO LIMITS Meet the Moment Innovation is only the beginning. Discover a new standard of luxury at the reimagined Caribe Royale Orlando. Emerging from a $140 million complete evolution, the exceptional has been made incomparable at this stunning all-suites meetings hotel. Meet us where productivity and play come together like never before—and embrace each moment as your next Orlando meeting exceeds every expectation. • 240,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space all on one level including the new 50,000 sq. ft. Palms Ballroom and The Grove, a new 20,000 sq. ft. outdoor event lawn, opening Fall 2023. • The new Stadium Club, a two-level sports bar and entertainment venue for up to 600, featuring pro-level sports simulators and a dedicated Skybox Suite, opening Q1 2024. • 1,337 newly reimagined one-bedroom suites & two-bedroom villas CARIBEROYALEMEETINGS.COM 407 2388000 SALESCARIBEROYALE.COM 64 November 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com We had exclusive access to the entire venue and were able to offer a party atmosphere in the theater space. KIM RICHARD Vice President of Customer Marketing, BeyondTrust C o u r t e s y o f K i m R ic h a rdWHERE IMAGINATION KNOWS NO LIMITS Meet the Moment Innovation is only the beginning. Discover a new standard of luxury at the reimagined Caribe Royale Orlando. Emerging from a $140 million complete evolution, the exceptional has been made incomparable at this stunning all-suites meetings hotel. Meet us where productivity and play come together like never before—and embrace each moment as your next Orlando meeting exceeds every expectation. • 240,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space all on one level including the new 50,000 sq. ft. Palms Ballroom and The Grove, a new 20,000 sq. ft. outdoor event lawn, opening Fall 2023. • The new Stadium Club, a two-level sports bar and entertainment venue for up to 600, featuring pro-level sports simulators and a dedicated Skybox Suite, opening Q1 2024. • 1,337 newly reimagined one-bedroom suites & two-bedroom villas CARIBEROYALEMEETINGS.COM 407 2388000 SALESCARIBEROYALE.COMBEIRNES ON THE MOVE // KARAKANRODGERSADDISJACKSON The Amelia Island Convention & Visi- tors Bureau hired veteran Paul Beirnes as their new vice president, effective Nov. 20. Before this role, Beirnes was the executive director of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB. He also was the director of destination market- ing with Hilton Worldwide and worked with Visit Orlando and in the marketing division of The Walt Disney Company. KSL Resorts has brought Frank Rod- gers on board as global sales director. With more than a decade of experience, he most recently worked for the Waldorf Astoria’s Grand Wailea Maui resort. He also worked with Arizona Biltmore, Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, High- gate Hawaii Hotels, The Royal Hawai- ian, Sheraton Waikiki and Starwood Resorts of Waikiki. The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay hired Rosie Karakan as their director of sales and marketing. Karakan has worked with The Ritz-Carlton before in Dear- born, MI; Tysons Corner, VA and at the corporate office in Chevy Chase, MD. She also worked with multiple hotels in Los Angeles for more than two decades in the industry. The Dayton Convention & Visitors Bureau has brought Kim Addis on board as their director of sales and services. While working in the industry for 16 years, she has worked with Marriott and Hilton properties in Columbus, OH, and Nashville, TN, and assisted in opening an upcoming hotel in Dayton, OH. The Statler, a Curio Collection by Hilton hotel, hired Stacey Jackson as director of sales. With more than 20 years experience, Jackson most recently worked with Hilton Richardson Dallas. She also worked with Renais- sance Dallas North, DoubleTree Dal- las Near the Galleria, and with brands such as Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Carl- son Hotels & Resorts, Sheraton and the Adolphus. C&IT THEOMNIHOMESTEAD.COM 888-796-5838 Reintroducing the South’s grandest destination. Make your next meeting anything but conventional. Discover The Omni Homestead Resort, a destination unlike any other, recently revitalized with an extensive $150 million investment. Special rates available for January - May 2024. An American ENCORE. 66 November 2023 | Corporate & Incentive Travel | TheMeetingMagazines.com©2023 Celebrity Cruises Inc. Ships’ registry: Malta and Ecuador. CALL | VISIT CELEBRITYCORPORATEKITCOM OR CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL ADVISOR There are many reasons to choose Celebrity Cruises®, including destinations and stunning ships that represent the ultimate in travel for hosting meetings, incentive trips, or other corporate events. Your planning team will seamlessly coordinate the whole trip, and with virtually everything included—accommodations, Michelin-star dining, beverages, Wi-Fi, tips, A/V, meeting spaces, entertainment, and activities—you and your aendees will have an exceptional experience. Plus, with sailing dates ranging from to -night itineraries, we can tailor your cruise on one of our revolutionary ships to best suit your company’s needs. Contact us today to learn why planners trust Celebrity to organize incentive trips and company gatherings. 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