According to a recent Maritz Hospitality Research Group study of meeting planners, hotels that don’t woo planners will have a much tougher time bouncing back from the recent slump in the hospitality sector.
The results of the study, a survey of more than 1,700 planners, found that what will bring meeting professionals back to a facility is a collaborative partnership that extends from first contact through to the meeting’s end. Hotel staff that do simple things like thanking planners for their business during the post-con help to create loyalty, the study found.
Even when things go wrong at the meeting—as 30 percent of those surveyed said happened at their most recent event—hotels can mitigate the damage by being responsive and providing excellent service. Still, even if the problems were resolved satisfactorily, 40 percent of planners who experienced problems said they weren’t likely to bring more business to that facility, and 63 percent wouldn’t recommend the property to others.
To buy a copy of the "2003 Meeting Planner: Choice, Experience, Loyalty Study," call Maritz Research at (877) 462-7489.