Meetings Blog Apr 03, 2017
Consider Bleisure (business with leisure), a current popular trend. It consists of a business trip that combines work and leisure: the traveler who goes to another city or country for work and extends his stay for one or two additional days to enjoy the sights or to atttend an event outside of work.
According to a study by IE Observatory and MasterCard, there’s a growing number of business travelers who want to take advantage of their stay to visit museums or other points of interest in the city as well as to add some leisure and relaxation. Take advantage of this trend: as an event organizer try to schedule cultural and leisure activities within the agenda of the event or for the guests’ free time. Attendees will appreciate the gesture if the suggested leisure activities come from the organizer, ensuring an event where everyone is satisfied, helping to achieve even more customer loyalty.
Look for a destination that not only meets the needs for your event and fits into your budget, but will also be attractive to attendees. It’s essential that the city has an interesting down town, with a good culinary and cultural offering. Monuments and museums are always attractive, but you can also choose destinations that stand out at particular times of the year. Think about locations near beaches, or a mountain destination where guests can ski.
Selecting the hotel where you hold your event and host your guests is almost as important as the choice of the city. You’ll hit the mark by choosing a centrally-located hotel that allows the attendees to get to know the city. It’s essential that the hotel is in a very well communicated area, either in the center or as close to the interesting part of the city as possible. Our hotels are strategically located in city centers and near transportation hubs so that your attendees are within walking distance of everything there is to see in the city. See what we offer.
Don’t forget that shopping is a big part of most trips. There are even destinations with worldwide fame for their shopping areas, either by offering luxury stores (Milan, Madrid) or for the quantity and quality of outlets (Miami) or for the number of technology stores (Japan). There are countless fabulous destinations that will make it very easy for your attendees to choose a gift to bring home to their loved ones. Some of our hotels even provide a personal shopper service, which is an added value for this growing shopping trend.
With regards to what the hotel offers, you can make attendance at your event very attractive if the accommodations for your guests offer interesting extras, like a spa or a world-famous restaurant. There’s no doubt that cuisine draws a crowd in many sectors and if the hotel you’ve chosen offers food tours or has an area for tapas nearby, the destination will be much more interesting. An offering of lavish spreads, cocktails or menus inspired by Chefs with Michelin stars is a luxury that not everyone can afford and that will transform your event into something even more exceptional.
Finally, don’t forget that there are hotels that, while they may be away from the hustle and bustle of city life, deserve the trip in and of themselves. They’re historic hotels or hotels with an impressive architectural design. At NH Hotel Group, we have several historical palaces that have been converted into five-star hotels such as the NH Collection Palacio de Avilés, a magnificent building that was formerly a palace in the 17th century, or the NH Collection Amsterdam Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky that dates from 1855. What’s more, it’s located in the main square of the city where you can enjoy spectacular views of the Royal Palace.
Offer your guests a complete 360 experience so that, in addition to enjoying your event, they take advantage of the trip to see the sites and head home wich double the learning experience. Putting this mission into the hands of NH Hotel Group always means success.
