Skift Take
Meeting organizers are pretty mixed on whether or not the Doral is a good fit for the summit. But even the ones who are in full support of the venue say it's impossible to take the politics out of it.
President Trump announced last week that he knew the No. 1 best place for 2020’s Group of Seven (G7) Summit: his own golf resort in Miami, the Trump National Doral. Not surprisingly, this raised a few moral and legal concerns, with many critics pointing out that it may help him profit off of his position as president.
But what about the venue itself? Does the Doral suit the needs of an event of this caliber? What are the most important things to look for when deciding where to host a high-profile, international summit?
To find out, we talked to meeting planners who have spent decades in the industry, and we compared the resort to prior G7 venues. Plus, we looked at alternative, less politically entangled properties that could host the summit.
Check out this story, and many more, below.
If you have any feedback about the newsletter or news tips, feel free to reach out via email at [email protected] or tweet @ikcarey.
— Isaac Carey, Travel Reporter
The Future of Events and Meetings
Meeting Planners Weigh In on Trump’s Idea to Hold the G7 Summit at His Miami Resort: The property is definitely large enough, and is located near an international airport. On the other hand, there are major internet security concerns, and the hotel is a little impersonal. Plus, is the political fallout really worth it?
Hoteliers Take a Harder Look at How They Set Room Rates: Amateurs cut rates to fill hotel rooms. Pros take more sophisticated approaches, such as coordinating to stimulate demand from the most profitable customers.
Dubai Tourism Launches Ads as Hotels Show Softness Ahead of Expo 2020: As Dubai deals with disruptions while planning for Expo 2020, the tourism authority is leaving no stone unturned to market the destination on a global level. But while tourism volumes are increasing steadily, the hospitality sector needs to work toward bumping its rates back up.
Best Western’s Newest Acquisition Points to Long-Term Reservations Strategy: Property management systems are not the most exciting topic to discuss when assessing a hotel’s tech prowess, but they are core to any company’s ability to sell as many rooms as possible.
Around the Industry
Hotels Embrace Role as Curators of Niche Products: As brands struggle to break through with consumers, they need to consider introducing themselves within the environs of hotels. It’s a means to create a new relationship in a contextual way. And hospitality brands have a huge opportunity to introduce tastemakers to up-and-coming products.
Mews Raises $33 Million to Challenge Oracle Hospitality in Hotel Tech: Game on, Oracle. But like everything in the hotel sector, the battle between next-generation hotel tech players and established titans will take years to play out.
Prince Harry Launches Sustainable Travel Initiative With TripAdvisor, Booking.com: Prince Harry is now applying his environmental activism to the industry of travel. While the efficacy of this initiative won’t be determined for a long time yet, he’s certainly succeeded in getting some big names on board.
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Travel Reporter Isaac Carey [[email protected]] curates the Skift Meetings Innovation Report. Skift emails the newsletter every Wednesday.
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Tags: g7 summit, meetings, meetingsiq, trump
Photo credit: Fountain in the middle of the golf course at the Trump National Doral golf resort. NSA Florida / Flickr