Skift Take
Industry players are saying that the booking process is finally starting to shift. Still, there are significant challenges when it comes to finding a solution that works for all parties.
The events industry is slow to change, and this is especially true when it comes to booking meetings. While large events will probably always require a lot of negotiating between planners and venues, this doesn’t have to be true for small meetings.
But even when new technology makes instant booking possible, everything stays pretty much the same. Companies are still filling out 10-page requests-for-proposal and going back and forth with hotels to negotiate meeting details.
We dig into the reasons why the booking process is so slow to evolve, and talk to event execs about what it will take to fix it. Plus, the CEO of Mobility Mojo, a company that provides companies with accessibility software, discusses what hotels can do to become more accessible.
Check out these stories, and many more, below.
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— Isaac Carey, Travel Reporter
The Future Of Events And Meetings
Is the Events Industry Finally Ready for Instant Booking? This isn’t the industry’s first attempt to change the booking system. So what makes this time any different?
Skift Global Forum Preview: True Innovation in Hotel Accessibility Hasn’t Arrived Yet: When it comes to serving travelers with disabilities, hospitality is taking small steps in the right direction, but disruption is scarce. Hotels could even take a cue from airports on this — and leverage a huge market that’s there for the taking.
Luxury Accommodations Head Outdoors in Creative Ways: We’ve been reporting on alternative luxury accommodations like glamping, yurts, and tiny homes for the past couple of years. But now the hotel-less caravansary is going one step beyond, offering a variety of alternative accommodations all in one location.
Around The Industry
Marriott’s Alibaba Joint Venture in China Is Part of Its Direct-Booking Strategy: Marriott could do a lot worse than tying its fortunes in China to the e-commerce juggernaut Alibaba. Rest assured that this won’t be the last big partnership for Marriott in the country. These are, after all, early days.
Bridging the Disconnect Between Destination Marketers and Communities They Serve: The talk at the Destinations International annual conference in St. Louis was all about how destination marketing organizations need to transform themselves into destination management organizations. The shift is starting to take place. Progressive destinations that have a head-start on this strategy will take a bigger slice of the pie.
The La Quinta Brand Is Receiving Plenty of TLC From Wyndham: Chalk up La Quinta’s poor performance in the second quarter to nothing more than a blip. The brand has always performed in line with direct competitors. But Wyndham wants to take it to another level.
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Skift Senior Enterprise Editor Andrew Sheivachman [[email protected]] curates the Skift Meetings Innovation Report. Skift emails the newsletter every Wednesday.
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Tags: meetings, meetingsiq
Photo credit: Flex space meeting room at the Moxy Hotel in lower Manhattan. Moxy Hotels