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Hotel Banquet & Catering Trends
Special Edition: June 17, 2008 Click here to subscribe» |
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Award-Winning Details
Wowing groups at the Hilton Suites Phoenix In the ultra-competitive world of banquets and catering, being recognized with an award is always good. But when it’s based on guest feedback, it’s even better. Hilton Suites Phoenix recently won a “Connie” award within Hilton (nicknamed after founder Conrad Hilton) as the best of the brand when it comes to meetings F&B in North America.  Action = Reaction
F&B Director Andrew Wintz says action stations are the foundation of the property’s F&B for groups. “It always adds an experience enhancement as opposed to just a dry service occasion for the guest,” he says. Some examples include:
The Hilton Suites Phoenix beat 294 other North American Hilton properties for the Connie, based on their SALT score, which stands for “satisfaction and loyalty tracking.” Guests are asked to rate particular aspects of their visit on a scale of 1 to 10, and scores of 9 or 10 are tracked over a one-year period. The Hilton Suites Phoenix had the highest number of 9s and 10s when it came to meetings F&B, so they won. “They outperformed 293 other hotels, and that should generate more focus for all our properties to raise the bar,” says Kurt Robertson, senior director, brand performance, Hilton Hotels. Hilton has been awarding Connies for 12 years, but this is the first one for the Hilton Suites Phoenix. "It doesn’t matter if it’s a Fortune 500 company or a family reunion,” says Ardith Brostowicz, group sales and catering manager, Hilton Suites Phoenix. “Attention to detail makes customers happy, and when you do that consistently, you’ll get repeat business.” 
Custom Cocktails, Loyal Customers Business-themed drinks for groups at Skamania Lodge A cocktail made to resemble chainsaw oil probably wouldn’t excite many in-house meeting groups. But if the cocktail was created specifically for a company that makes chainsaws, that would generate excitement—and it has, at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, Washington.  “STIHL Northwest holds meetings here year after year, so we invented a drink for them as a thank you. We came up with a cocktail that’s the same color as the oil in one of their chainsaws, and the drink was so popular we had to use extra glasses during the event,” says Russell Owens, assistant conference services manager, Skamania Lodge.
The STIHL cocktail experience sparked a bigger idea in Owens, which was, “Why don’t we do this for every group?” Beverage Brainstorm Owens and his team now create five to six business-themed cocktails a week for in-house groups, which can go as high as 400 people. The property doesn’t charge anything beyond the standard beverage fees agreed upon in the contract, which gives the customer perceived additional value during their stay. “On average, there’s a 15 percent increase in our bar revenues for groups that have a signature drink, because people that don’t normally have cocktails will try it, simply because they relate to the theme,” he says. 
Other drinks Owens has invented for groups include:
The customer might think they’re receiving a complicated cocktail, but everything is simplified behind the scenes. The liquor used to make the drinks is already in-house, and the bar staff gets a crash course in making the cocktail before the event. Owens says they haven’t repeated a single recipe since they started the program more than year ago. “I haven’t incurred any extra labor or cost by creating these drinks, and I’ve had groups say they look forward to coming back to Skamania, just because we’ll make their custom cocktail. Our clients genuinely feel like we’re going the extra mile.” Click here to view more custom cocktail recipes and photos from Skamania Lodge.
Reach the Beach Surf & Sand Hotel maximizes location for refreshment breaks Surf’s up—and so is repeat group business at Surf & Sand Resort in Laguna Beach, California. “We’re situated on the beach, and about 15 to 20 percent of our business groups want to incorporate it into their sessions, so we do special events there,” says Kevin Hines, director of F&B, Surf & Sand Resort. The resort developed beach-based breakouts like surfing lessons, team raft building, sand castle building, and scavenger hunts, Hines says, all of which leave attendees hungry but not necessarily wanting to go indoors for lunch.  The solution? Keep them on the sand, and bring the F&B to them. “We morphed the idea of a box lunch into a beach pail lunch,” Hines says. “We purchased oversized beach pails like the plastic ones for kids. People just grab those and have lunch there.”
A Pail Full Inside the pails is a continuation of the theme, using a menu that reflects California fast food, “which typically isn’t burgers and fries. It’s traditional beach food, like mahi-mahi tacos,” says Hines. The hotel will also make sandwiches such as ahi tuna with bean sprouts on focaccia, ham and Gruyere cheese with grilled red onions on a croissant, and roasted Kobe beef with sun-dried tomato pesto on ciabatta. Each pail also comes with Mediterranean pasta salad, gourmet chips, seasonal whole fruit, a fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie, and bottled water or a soft drink. The cost per guest is $32. Hines says the menu can always be tailored to specific dietary needs, but it also has to be practical. “In the summer it gets over 90 degrees here, so we had to develop a menu that would hold up to the heat,” says Hines. Guests don’t just grab their pails and sit on the sand. Depending on the group size, the hotel will set up beach chairs, umbrellas, and even a three-tiered glass table gourmet lemonade stand (click for photo). Hines says it’s a constant setup/breakdown with each function because the city owns the beach, so they can’t keep any permanent fixtures there. Surf & Sand can offer lunch pails to groups of up to 200 people, and Hines says the end result is a one-of-a-kind experience that locks in repeat business. “We are the only hotel right on the sand, and they come back here, year after year, because we’re on the beach," says Hines. "You can’t experience that anywhere else in Orange county with the size property we have.”
 Story of the SetupA standout display in detail It has been said that every picture tells a story. That’s especially true of banquet, catering, and meeting setup photos. In this new feature, we’ll dissect a single setup photo through the eyes of the person who constructed it. Deep in the Heart of Texas This issue’s photo is from Lakeway Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas, which has a reputation for hosting memorable events on the shores of Lake Travis, utilizing its 24,000 square feet of meeting space. Here, Banquet Manager David Rosin explains a setup that was designed to attract attention, as well as new business. Q: What was the event surrounding this setup? Lakeway was the host property and a participant in a tradeshow called Meetings Quest, which was an opportunity for hotels to showcase themselves to a few hundred meeting planners from Texas and really try to wow them. Q: What does this setup communicate to those meeting planners? It wasn’t showcasing Lakeway Resort & Spa as a whole property. It was designed to make meeting planners stop and do a double take, which gave our sales team a chance to talk to them one-on-one. Our entire booth needed to be high energy, like a casino nightclub, and it reflects an upscale bar scene. Q: Will you deconstruct the layout? We used Libbey glassware on a round piece of glass, sitting on decorative glass blocks. The underlying table is a standard conference meeting table from Maywood, and the black backdrop is a specialty tablecloth made of 100% polyester. We took typical bar elements and used them to convey energy and movement—the glassware is laid out randomly, the martini glasses are upside down or right side up, the shaker glass is falling over, and even the lemon peel conveys motion. Q: Why did you string the lemon peel like a rope? It was an off-the-cuff idea. We positioned the lemon peel flowing out of the glass, which sort of linked the whole eclectic, motion-focused theme. It’s a twist on fruit garnishes that you would typically see in a bar. Q: What other ways did you incorporate fruit into the setup? The angle of the pomegranate does the same thing the lemon peel does, which invites a closer look. Same thing with the strawberries. They’re actually floating in water. Q: What was the feedback like? Our setup was the clear favorite of the whole convention. It even received an award for best booth out of all 60 vendors. But I think more than that, this setup achieved our goal, which was getting meeting planners to take a second look. On a broader scale, any successful setup gives you a chance to interact and improve the guest experience. Q: Could this setup work in any room at Lakeway? This is suited to the aesthetics of the room we were in, which was a contemporary ballroom. I think this would have looked out of place in a traditional ballroom. We always study the clientele and the venue, then come up with a setup that suits that particular moment. It’s never one size fits all. Do you have a great setup photo that you’d like to share in the next Banquet & Catering Trends newsletter? Email it to mcosta@hotelfandb.com. 
Out of the Cellar Wine tastings entertain and educate small meeting groups The Park Hyatt Chicago’s Cellar Notes program was started nearly two years ago by Wine Director Fernando Beteta as an every-Tuesday event for the public. Using themes such as “Blind Tasting” or “Old World, New World," it became so successful that the catering department began cross-selling it to clients about a year ago. “The feedback has been excellent. People love that it’s relaxed but still educational,” says Whitney Sapp, senior catering manager, Park Hyatt Chicago. Let’s Get Small Beteta, who also conducts the meeting group tastings, says regardless of the audience, small classes are a must. In the case of Cellar Notes, 16 is the maximum. “You lose that personalized touch otherwise. It’s not about filling a tiny room with 60 people. I want them to ask questions and have fun. They always leave here with a little more knowledge but not feeling like it was a lecture or a PowerPoint presentation," he adds. 
Beteta says the most people he’s ever had for a Cellar Notes was 28, and “even though many of them wanted to learn about wine, it became more of a happy hour at that size.” Finishing Touches Cellar Notes for the public, priced at $30 per person, almost always takes place in the Cellar on 7th, adjacent to the restaurant. For in-house groups, alternate locations are used, like the hotel’s Drawing Room, which gives attendees a more luxurious experience. “It has kind of a living room feel, with a velvet couch and leather chairs, so it’s much more relaxed. It’s almost like Fernando is in your home and talking about the wines,” says Sapp. The meeting group experience must be entertaining and educational. Sapp says Beteta is the “exact opposite” of dull and monotonous. For example, he consistently develops fresh, fun themes for his meeting group classes like “Desperate Housewines” or “Women Winemakers from Around the World.” “It’s his personality, the way he engages our groups, and how passionate he is about the wine. He does an excellent job of making it interactive, and that’s why the clients love it so much,” Sapp says.
Better Banquet Sales Event reveals what customers want Hotel food and beverage departments need to constantly develop selling strategies, creative menus, and better training programs to stay fresh, focused and keep a competitive edge. Hotel F&B and Technomic, Inc. can help. The two have partnered to present the first annual Hotel Food and Beverage 2009 Trends & Directions Conference. This fast-paced, easy to attend event will focus on the most important F&B trends that your hotel can use now, including consumer dining trends; leading-edge menus and concepts in banquets and catering, restaurants, and bars/lounges; and staff hiring, retention, and training insights. 2009 Trends & Directions will be held on Thursday, September 18, 2008, in Rosemont, Illinois, near O’Hare Airport, for easy-in/out access. Attendees receive great take-home materials that can be shared with your entire F&B staff. Topics include:
For complete agenda and registration information, visit www.hotelfandb.com or call 312-506-3941. |
In this issue: Better Banquet Sales Hotel Food and Beverage Trends and Directions Conference Out of the Cellar Wine tastings for small meeting groups (with video) Story of the Setup A standout display in detail Reach the Beach Surf & Sand Hotel beach location for refreshment breaks Custom Cocktails, Loyal Customers Business-themed drinks for groups at Skamania Lodge Award-Winning Details Wowing groups with action stations (with image gallery) 
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Corporate Editorial Advisory Board Brian Abel Senior Director, F&B Development, Westin Hotels Kris Beck Director, Brand Operations Support, Embassy Suites Hotels Phil Beilke Senior Director Brand Management, Cambria Suites Mary Bentley President, Women's Foodservice Forum Terry Bickhardt President/COO, Waterford Hotel Group Don Billings President, Incentive Marketing Inc. (iMi) Elizabeth Blau President, Blau & Associates Pete Boyd VP F&B, The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino Tom Brija President, Spring USA Ernie Catanzaro VP Operations, The Dow Hotel Company Nicholas Clayton President, Kor Hotel Group Paul Daly Asst VP F&B, Hyatt Hotels Fred DeMicco University of Delaware Giorgi DiLemis VP F&B, Gaylord Hotels Andy Dolce Chairman and Managing Director, Dolce International Marion Edwards Corporate Director, F&B Experience and Concept Development, Great Wolf Resorts Matt Engels VP Hotel Operations, Red Lion Hotels Steve Enselein VP, Catering and Convention Services, Hyatt Hotels Richard Faeh Corporate Executive Chef, Starwood Hotels Don Fisher President/CEO, Fisher-Nickel Inc. Frank Fraser Catering Director, Mandalay Bay George Goodrich Corporate Director F&B, Red Lion Hotels Steve Hedberg VP Operations, Carlson Hospitality International Michael Heeb VP, Paragon Gaming David Henkes VP, Technomic Inc. Menze Heroian VP Food & Beverage, Tishman Hotel Corp. Jean-marc Jalbert VP F&B, Sofitel Hotels Dieter Kadoke President, PointSource LLC Steve Kirsch Director of Culinary Operations, Holland America Line Niki Leondakis COO, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants David McIntyre VP F&B, MGM Grand Scott McMinn VP, Benchmark Hospitality Corporation Bart Mahoney VP F&B, Bellagio Resort, Las Vegas Tobias Mattstedt VP Restaurant Development, MGM Grand Sue Morgan VP Franchise F&B, InterContinental Hotels Vito Palmietto Corporate Director F&B, JQH Hotels Gus Sader President/CEO, Hospitality Asset Services Fernando Salazar VP F&B, Wyndham Worldwide Hotels & Resorts Martie Sparks VP, Catering & Convention Services, Mandalay Bay Roger Taylor VP F&B, Columbia Sussex Corporation Frederick M. Tibbitts, Jr. President, Fred Tibbitts & Associates Rob Underwood Corporate Executive Chef, Great Wolf Resorts Matthew Von Ertfelda VP Restaurants & Bars, Marriott International Inc. Doug Zeif VP F&B, LXR Luxury Resorts |
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Hotel Banquet & Catering Trends is edited by Michael Costa and published in affiliation with Hotel F&B Magazine
and Hotel F&B Online (www.hotelfandb.com). To submit story ideas or images, contact Michael at mcosta@hotelfandb.com. © 2008 Hotel F&B Magazine, Hotel Forums LLC |