Kindred Resorts & Hotels has released the results of their survey to 64 of their properties.
“Across the board, 2017 booked business is up and the group trends we are seeing are centered around experiences and health,” says Bree Brostko, managing director. “Meeting planners are looking to break off from the traditional board room conferences and offerings and get outside, experience the destination and truly get a taste of the local culture and cuisine.”
To start, they found that 61 percent of properties met their projected revenue for group business in 2016, and 66 percent showed booked revenue is trending upward for 2017. The second and third quarters are slated to be the strongest quarters with 39 percent each. The survey also shows there’s a higher focus on health and wellness. Kindred found that gluten-free menus have been highly requested at 61 percent and vegetarian meals at 32 percent. Because of this rising trend, Kindred offers sustainable, local, organic foods, specialized menus and healthy cooking classes for groups.
Kindred expects outdoor programming and experiential teambuilding activities to increase. Groups are looking to experience more of the area in which they are visiting and get involved with the local community, as community service projects are becoming more popular as a teambuilding opportunity.
While some trends are on the rise, others on the decline. For example, groups are looking for less formal or traditional meetings and events, as casual receptions are becoming more favorable. Now, there are so many unique venues, like barns, boats and gardens, there is less need for traditional spaces.
