Recently, Texas Meetings + Events sat down with Courtney Morrow, social media and marketing manager at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, to learn how the property is using social media to enhance meeting attendees’ experiences. Here’s what she had to say:
TXM+E: How has social media changed the planning process?
CM: I joined the Hilton Anatole team as social media and marketing manager in April 2014. About a year ago, the Hilton Anatole sales team reached out to me because their clients were expressing a desire to utilize social media to enhance their programs, promote events and engage attendees. In some cases, they weren’t sure about the most effective methods.
As a hotel, we were already utilizing social media platforms as an extension of our hospitality to connect with travelers both on- and off-property, and were able to apply those same tools and principles to enhance the meeting experience. As an on-property resource, I work collaboratively with planners to develop a social media strategy based on their goals and group demographic.
TXM+E: In what ways has social media been integrated into events?
CM: We use a customized approach to integrate social media offerings that will best suit a group’s needs. For example, we work with planners to develop a hashtag to create excitement and drive awareness leading up to their event, and then amplify that message by sharing or retweeting promotional posts from the hotel account. We’d then follow through with an on-property activation, like a real-time hashtag feed display or branded “selfie spot.” These activations drive awareness of hotel and group social media handles, provoking social engagement and allowing attendees to see who else is tweeting about their shared experience.
Social media integration allows us to provide rapid response customer service by directing questions and feedback to Twitter with use of a custom hashtag. This way, if an attendee has an issue, we already have some context about who they are and why they’re on property. At the Hilton Anatole, we are also able to incorporate our SMS service, Kipsu, to interact with guests via text message. We can use social media for team-building through activities like social media scavenger hunts, which can be photo or check-in based.
TXM+E: What kind of feedback have you received from planners?
CM: The availability of social media integration as a value-add has been well-received. As social media is constantly changing, we are eager to expand our offerings and find new ways to apply this technology to the meetings world. We hope to introduce a pre-event Twitter chat Q&A and Snapchat integration in the near future.
