How hotels can increase their B2B market share during the pandemic
Covid-19 has impacted the global hospitality industry, causing havoc across all segments –business travel, leisure, health and wellness tourism, MICE, weddings and even dining-out. Whilst many hoteliers have focused on the B2C and leisure segments with creative offerings, such as day rooms, tailored dining experiences and special wellness packages, the B2B segment is a vast one that has not yet seen recovery, of the same scope as B2C.
Most meetings, conferences and expositions are now conducted virtually, over video-conferencing tools such as Zoom, Teams, Skype and others. Companies have cut down on their corporate functions due to reduced revenues, social distancing requirements and health regulations. International business travel has almost ground to a halt due to constantly changing travel and border restrictions. Under this climate, how can hotels maintain some B2B market share? City hotels in particular will have invested in B2B market-specific resources such as meeting and conference rooms, business traveller features in rooms, business centres and video-conferencing equipment, for example.
Here are some tips for utilising those resources.
Socially Distanced Meeting Venues
Pre Covid-19, meeting venues were marketed based on size - a 20 pax venue was suitable for small meetings, whilst the larger, 50 to 100 pax venues were reserved for bigger gatherings. It was not uncommon to have the meeting table take up at least half of the floor space in these small venues, with modest space for chairs, side tables and other ancillaries. No doubt these venues are all vacant in the Covid-19 era.
What is the point of having all venues vacant? Market your larger venues as ‘socially distanced meeting rooms’, where tables and chairs can be spread out to ensure the safe distancing, and clients who desire face-to-face meetings over virtual ones can be reassured to hold them at your venue. For example, your 20-pax venue can be re-arranged to accommodate 5-6 pax for a small meeting, whilst your 50-pax venue can now be re-configured to accommodate up to 15-18 pax for a medium-sized gathering – all executed under the new social distancing norms. And of course, there’s always the associated catering opportunity to boost incremental revenue!
Rooms into co-working spaces
The co-working space craze has hit hard, and is in great demand, even in the thick of the pandemic. If your hotel occupancy has consistently been low during the pandemic, why not convert some guest rooms into co-working spaces? A typical guest room can easily accommodate 4-5 pax once the bed and other unnecessary furniture are removed and replaced with work desks and chairs. Small companies will appreciate this, as your rooms offer a massive advantage which most co-working spaces cannot – and that is privacy. Add a totally separated area, with attached washroom to go with. If you do decide to take this route, you should first market it to your pre-Covid corporate clientele, with some attractive concessions and extras.
Power Lunches in a pinch
The typical ‘business lunch’ should be around half an hour - with 45 minutes a stretch. Curate a menu that can be served and consumed during lunch, within this timeline, and offer it to those occupying your meeting and co-working spaces as an ‘extra’. Brainstorm with your F & B team to come up with something unique – for heaven’s sake; avoid the mundane, ‘Fried rice, devilled chicken, chop suey and chilli paste’.
Tech upgrades
Your meeting and conference facilities will no doubt have some rudimentary tech equipment installed, or available for rent, such as projectors, teleconferencing equipment, digital whiteboards, podium microphones and sound systems. This is a good time to evaluate their age (obsolescence), functionality and features, and upgrade where necessary, in preparation for recovery – which will happen in time, as business volumes recover, vaccinations rollout, and the workforce returns to office after the long ‘work from home’ hiatus. Finally, upgrade your Wi-Fi and internet connectivity – the last thing any business client would like to experience are weak Wi-Fi signals, high lag times and sluggish browsing speeds.
Work & Play packages
Don’t restrict your day-work packages to offering only business-oriented benefits. Throw in a free session at the gym, sports centre, or pool (subject to health regulations) as well, so that those who avail themselves can unwind after a long day of sitting in front of computer screens.
Ashraaq Wahab - Technical Director Hospitality Sri Lanka, Automotive Journalist, Marketer and Writer, who enjoys penning his thoughts, insights and ideas on a variety of topics.
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