Times are tough in the hotel market. One area of the hotel business that seems to have weathered the recession quite well is the conference and meetings market.
This is a mainstay of hotel revenue and if managed well can create higher margin business. The boom times of corporate excess and major set piece conferences and exhibitions are long past. However, a regular stream of small scale conference business is extremely welcome. It is easier to manage, less likely to be cancelled and less disruptive for running the rest of the hotel operation.
My recommended approach is to target local small and medium sized enterprises. This type of business may well exist without a formal marketing budget but has a demand for meeting and training facilities and the occasional piece of low level client entertaining. This type of operation requires straight forward technology, the odd banner stand and flexible catering arrangements.
A favourite target is the organisation which is of sufficient scale that it can employ 3 or 4 directors with their own expense accounts and the ability to put company incurred expenditure on their personal credit cards.
