Meetings Strategies
The Value of Drive-to Gaming Destinations
By William Ng
August 2, 2010
In our August issue, Successful Meetings looked at the many advantages of gaming destinations within a short drive of major cities. Here we take a closer look at the budget-cutting benefits they offer.
In the current fiscal crunch, a fact of life is that corporations are booking meetings in a much shorter time window, as they vet all activities before approving monies and also hunt for group deals. Gaming resorts say some groups are booking as close as one month out, and the competition to win their business is intense. For buyers, it is practically open season, as they can expect suppliers to push deals and give significant concessions.
One area is attrition. Christopher Perry, vice president of hotel sales and marketing for the popular Mohegan Sun destination casino resort in Uncasville, CT, notes, “Groups that have been conservative with room blocks are requesting more rooms as contracts come to fruition, as they’re discovering greater attendance. We’re being flexible with that.”
“As this prolonged economic slump continues, it puts a little more hurt on suppliers,” says Perry. “Groups are looking everywhere for deals and getting offers. We’re certainly more attractive in our pricing versus two years ago, and we’re offering rebates, waived fees, and comped meeting room rentals.”
“They are shopping for bargains,” Esneault says of meeting buyers. Among the incentives that Foxwoods and MGM Grand at Foxwoods offer, she points out, are food and beverage discounts, suite upgrades, airport transportation assistance, and discounts on shows like Legends In Concert and Cirque Dreams. “Our rates, catering prices…and outdoor space is superior to city properties in the Northeast.”
Valerie Morris, mid-South regional vice president of sales, communications, and community relations for Harrah’s Entertainment, says the company’s three properties in Tunica, MS—Harrah’s Tunica, Horseshoe Casino & Hotel, and Tunica Roadhouse Casino & Hotel—offer various value packages depending on group size, including complimentary transportation to and from the airport, parking, turndown service, and welcome amenities and receptions.
“What these value incentives have done is entice groups that know they are having meetings to book a little earlier,” explains Leaks, of moves at L’Auberge such as complimentary welcome receptions and continental breakfasts and more flexible attrition agreements.
Others, like Tulalip, are “building in” value with free in-room Wi-Fi and bottled water, as well as valet parking. “We made a conscious decision to put in the latest state-of-the-art projectors and drop-down screens and not charge planners for AV,” Longwith adds. “Little things add up in this economy, and they are not things we will take away when the economy gets better. I think we’re building some loyalty here.”
Planners requiring small meetings with small lead times can also expect heightened levels of service from regional gaming resorts. “We are making a concerted effort to win more meetings business…we have hired additional regional sales managers to work in our regional markets,” says Morris.
“We’ve redistributed resources to handle the shorter turnarounds,” says Leaks, noting that L’Auberge has inside sales personnel who handle groups with 25 or fewer peak room nights booking within 60 days.
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