Book Your 2021 Meeting Now!
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While no one has a crystal ball to see the exact state of the pandemic in late summer or fall of this year, indicators such as vaccination progress, increased capacity allowance for indoor venues and lowering rates of infection in the US lead us to believe that holding meetings and events in person – with health and safety measures – is feasible. In fact, in-person meetings and events have been happening already on a limited scale. Given that the typical booking horizon is 90 - 180 days, now is the time to begin to plan and prepare for your organization’s next event.
Considerations such as venue availability, planning timelines, pent-up demand for in-person events and the need to align attendees with best practices as they have evolved during the past year all point toward beginning the process sooner rather than later.
Venue Availability
Due to the huge number of cancellations and re-bookings during the height of the pandemic, along with new events coming onboard, venue availability is becoming very limited. The sleeping bear of the meeting and event industry is awakening and coming out of hibernation! Organizations that have been waiting for the outlook to improve are more comfortable looking to the future and are making forays into in-person meetings.
Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando
However, Brad Magarity, Vice President of Sales at Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) advises that “due to this limited availability and increased demand, rates are higher than one might expect.” Because demand has increased so quickly, earlier predictions of discounted rates are proving to be fleeting.
Magarity suggests that “resort properties are even more popular than before which leaves more availability (and lower rates) at many downtown hotels.” Additionally, he has seen that groups actualizing this year and into first quarter 2022 will still find flexibility with attrition policies, but after that, more standard clauses will be in effect, with the level of flexibility varying from one property to another.
https://www.adamgrant.net
Reconnect & Reset
With so many people working remotely for the vast majority of the past year, employees, customers and vendors have been feeling the drain of pandemic restrictions. In his New York Times article, organizational psychologist Adam Grant, defines this feeling as “languishing”. Grant identifies enjoyable experiences, meaningful work and uninterrupted time as an “antidote to languishing.” Offsite meetings provide a vehicle to encapsulate all of these! Why not try gathering your team in a pleasant, offsite environment to be together in person, gaining much needed contact (aside from pets and children!) and diving deeply into work without distractions (from pets and children!)? Consider adding a CSR (corporate social responsibility) activity to increase the meaningful connections.
Reevaluate Best Practices
During COVID, pivoting, innovating, and adapting quickly were the priorities. As the dust from all of the upheaval begins to settle, teams need to gather to facilitate sharing of new best practices, problem-solve issues that have arisen and plot the way forward in your organization’s new configuration. Taking some time to acknowledge the challenges of this time and to assess current status will pay dividends into the future. When scheduling an offsite meeting to avoid office distractions, include evening activities to encourage re-connection and bonding. And who knows, some long-standing issues might just get solved, too!
Build on Energy and Enthusiasm
Regardless of your company’s plan for continuing work at home or returning to the office, bringing everyone together for some much-needed eye contact, access to body language, personal connection via chit-chat and shared meal-time, will result in increased energy and enthusiasm. Employees who have attended a well-planned, offsite meeting return to the office or the field rejuvenated, excited and ready to tackle the months ahead. Quarterly offsite meetings with your leadership team are a proven strategy to keep the momentum going.
Team Building and More - Venues are Ready
We suggest including time in your agenda to purposefully build energy and enthusiasm. Outdoor team building events, wellness activities, and time to interact and network in person are all ways to bring your team together. Many hotels with outdoor space are “stepping up their ‘outdoor game’ with unique offerings and spaces,” states Magarity. Hotels and other venues have been implementing health and safety protocols and are ready to receive guests!
It is Possible!
All of this is possible… with safety adaptations, live events are happening now! Some things that might have changed since your last in-person meeting are COVID precautions, contact-less check-in, distanced room settings, food and beverage service standards, temperature checks and COVID informed give-a-ways.
Book now, and you’ll be ready to make progress towards meeting your organization’s goals, as well as avoid increasing rates and decreasing flexibility!
Contact CRCaporale@LeadDogOnline.com or call us at 610 690-5184 so we can discuss how to make your next meeting or recognition event spectacular! Your employees and customers will thank you.