CASE STUDY #1: PFISTER HOTEL

• In 2018, the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, WI celebrated its 125th anniversary with several holiday events including its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony, a Thanksgiving brunch, a holiday themed marketplace featuring local artists, and Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus in the hotel's ballroom.
• The hotel also collected food for Hunger Task Force and encouraged guests to bring non-perishable food items for the drive.
• These events were promoted across online news sources such as Lodging Magazine and in local blogs and news such as the Milwaukee Mom's Blog.
• While it is hard to find specifics on how these events impacted the Pfister Hotel brand, it can be assumed that these events left a positive impression of the hotel and its association with Christmas traditions. The Pfister Hotel is one of the top hotels in the city. As a AAA Four Diamond hotel and has a good reputation.

CASE STUDY #2: OMNI HOTELS & RESORTS

• In November 2017, Omni Hotels & Resorts offered a few holiday packages for guests where they could save money on booking their stays in honor of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
• One of these packages was the "Season of Savings" package. Guests could have a $99 starting rate at several hotels and resorts across the country.
• Another package was the "Sip, Stay, & Save" package. Guests who booked this offer received 15 percent off their stay, two vouchers for complimentary holiday cocktails, and a late (1 PM) checkout.
• The "Sip, Stay, & Save" package offer was available from Nov. 14, 2017 to Dec. 30, 2017 and the "Season of Savings" package was available from stays from Nov. 14, 2017 to Feb. 28, 2018 and needed to be booked by Nov. 28, 2017.

Research Strategy:

BEST PRACTICES FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

• To promote the event, event planners can create a weekend package which would include a two-night stay at the hotel and an exclusive access pass to attend the party.
• In addition, event planners must tie the theme of the event party into the destination, keeping in mind what consumers expect to experience during their holiday at the destinations.
• One of the examples of themes includes local chefs competing to create the most delicious soup which the guests can sample for free.
• Another example could include a warm cocktail competition using only warm mixers such as hot chocolate, apple cider, tea, etc.

•  Special Christmas and New Year’s Eve dinner parties have become an important source of revenue from guests staying at the hotel or visitors.
• Event planners can organize a special Festive Bazaar, ideally with a charity character, in which the hotel would sell Christmas ornaments and decorations, in addition to local wines, products, and delicacies dressed up as Christmas gifts.
• With the bazaar’s charity aspect, event planners can emphasize their high level of social responsibility resulting in its raised reputation among old and new customers.

• Event planners can design hotel events around unusual holidays with custom menus, activities, decorations and costumes to encourage locals and guests to attend.
• Some occasions for unusual holidays include St Patrick’s Day, Remembrance Sunday, St Andrew’s Day, or the Queen’s Birthday. Events can also be planned around the anniversary of a celebrity’s death or a theme around a local hero.

• In order to increase the banquet check average, event planners can sell and wrap gifts that can be given to guests at the party.
• In addition, gifts with logos help increase brand awareness.
• To limit the time required for gift exchanges, event planners can invent a fun game with easy directions that can be played in a short amount of time.

RESEARCH STRATEGY:

•  Create themed weekend packages: The article specifically talks about how hotels can increase their revenue during the holiday season. The article is published by SiteMinder, one of the leaders in the online hotel distribution industry. The company offers cloud-based distribution products that help hotels to increase their online revenue, streamline business processes, and decrease operational costs. The company has more than 11,000 customers in over 105 countries.
•  Derive revenue through festive sales: The article specifically talks about how hotels can increase their revenues during the holiday season. The article was authored by Nikos Morantis, founder of tourism startups such as Travel by Interest, Destsetters, and Hotelier Academy. Nikos helps both hotels and companies succeed in the tourism market.
• Create events specific to popular holidays: The article specifically talks about creative promotion ideas for hotels in the holiday season. The article was authored by Tikky Dawwalee Davies, the founder of companies such as Channex.io, the Booking Factory, and Hotel Tech Entrepreneur.
•  Distribute themed gifts: The article specifically talks about how hotels can increase their revenues during the holiday season. The article is authored by Beth Goodell, co-founder of ReServe Interactive Software, with over 10 years of experience as a Sales and Catering Director with Hyatt Hotels and Wente Vineyards.

MILLENIALS AS A GROWING MARKET

• In the United States, millennials have surpassed baby boomers in the workforce, and their control is expected to continue into the year 2034. This group can afford to travel frequently and are the early embracers of new smart tech. Therefore, they represent a growing market for the hospitality sector.
• Hence, companies operating within the hospitality industry are expected to appeal to this age cohort with technological trends, including affordable gourmet dining, streamlined check-ins, and more.

GOING GREEN AND BEING SUSTAINABLE

• From business providers, consumers anticipate sustainability. Also, there is a growing demand for companies in the hospitality industry to go green, particularly from millenials as they are "twice as likely to support brands with strong management of environmental and social issues, and expect brands to not only manage their impact but communicate it."
• According to Verdant, regarding prominent smart techs, hotels are expected to persist in the adoption of smart energy management solutions since energy consumption serves as the most significant utility expense.
• Sustainable trends in the hospitality industry in response to this include ventures such as the installation of locally procured supply chains, the decline in food waste, and the utilization of locally culled ingredients.

SMART GUEST EXPERIENCES

• Companies in the hospitality industry are utilizing smart tech and big data to further accommodate guest experience, along with guest expectations.
• Smart tech is expected to enable hotels to personalize and estimate "a number of guest services" according to aggregated guest data and previous visits (Source 2), which will cause there to be more frictionless customer experiences in the hospitality industry.
• An estimated 22% of air bookings and 39% of hotel currently stem from smartphones. Additionally, in four years, the forthcoming 5G upgrade is forecasted to advance connectivity 1,000-fold, while covering around 90% of the nation. Mobile is expected to have an even bigger impact in the hospitality industry by 2020.
• To anticipate and position themselves for this trend, hospitality companies such as hotels are now investing in implementing virtual key check-ins, apps, smart rooms, facial recognition systems, and more.

Research Strategy:

Trend #1 — Technology

•  Every expert site we found stated that using technology was a projected trend for 2019.
• The trends range from Virtual Reality (VR) being used to engage participants, to projection mapping, and an increased use of event management solutions and AI, including some where event organizers will have access to live data to inform ongoing decisions.
• The impact of the technical trends will differ depending upon the technology being used. VR will ensure attendees enjoy and remember the event, while AI and technical solutions will improve the registration, attendance, and feedback experiences for the attendees.
• The use of these technologies are expected to expand to RFID bracelets or facial recognition software to streamline events, attendee tracking systems to redistribute guests, or an app that provides a map of the event.

Trend #2 — Social Responsibility

• Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) offers one of the top hospitality programs in the world. One of their projected trends is based on the statement that "Social responsibility is a moral and an economic obligation."
• Sustainability is becoming increasingly important to customers and they want to know the businesses they are dealing with are ethical.
• The impact of this can be seen in the fact that 51% of meeting planners say they book meetings only in eco-friendly hotels.
• This is being embraced in a number of ways, including using recyclable items, energy efficient lighting, organic or regional cuisine or donating leftover or unused items to community organizations like senior living facilities or homeless shelters.

Trend #3 — Transforming Event Spaces

• Planners are beginning to rent areas that would previously have been off-limits.
• Professionals expect that event planners will up their game by using multiple projectors to show images on walls, floors, or ceilings. Video projection mapping can transform any object into a screen. Projection mapping can take a "real-world object, such as a building, and project onto its walls without any distortion."
• This technology will allow for unlimited personalization and customization from one event to the next with limited set up and breakdown.
• Examples include projecting Santa Claus at a party or projecting a relevant visual onto a nearby building.

Trend #4 — Security

• People often think of stopping violent attacks when they think of security, but equally important is ensuring the safety of the data being used.
• As the trend to use technology increases, (see trend #1), EventMB found in their research, just in the past year, "breaches in major ticketing platforms, event apps potentially accessible by anyone with bad intentions, hotel chains hacked and subsequent data theft".
• The impact of this includes brand damage to the company planning the event, even though the fault usually lies with the software vendor.
• Event MB suggests all event planners deeply vet new and existing software vendors, ensure the security of the event location's network and ensure indemnity so the planner is protected from liability and pay attention to details (WiFi, USB, social media use) which can compromise the data.

Trend #5 — Personalization

•  Amadeus Hospitality recommends a review of the plan and/or agenda early on and look for opportunities to personalize the attendees experience.
• Customers are more interested in experiences than things. 83% of millennials are willing to allow brands to track their habits if it means a more customized experience.
•  Personalized recommendations from drink specials to pre or post stay activities to engaging activities recommended by the attendees are all potential ways to personalize an event.

Research Methodology