We're rounding up the biggest venue news of the month—in one convenient place. Got a tip? Get in touch!
In Case You Missed It
On BizBash recently, we explored how hotel chains are adding non-fungible tokens (NFTs) into their existing marketing strategy and on-site operations, including working with cryptocurrency companies to turn bookings into NFTs.
We also looked inside a new pop-up exhibit that offers a sneak peek at the upcoming Universal Hip-Hop Museum, learned how an iconic Miami restaurant celebrated its 50th anniversary, and how another Floridian eatery drew attention during its recent opening event. We also rounded up six new restaurants perfect for your next business lunch.
Here are six more things you should know this month...
1. London venues are feeling the impact of Queen Elizabeth II's death.
Queen Elizabeth II’s passing on Sept. 8 has kicked off a 10-day plan called Operation London Bridge, which includes a period of royal mourning to be observed until seven days after the Sept. 19 funeral. A number of London-based venues and landmarks will be closed on the day of the funeral, including museums and galleries like the National History Museum, London Zoo, and the Royal Historic Palaces. But Stonegate—the U.K.'s biggest pub group that operates some 4,500 venues—plans to keep its locations open on Monday and show footage of the funeral; certain movie theater chains also plan to stream footage of the funeral for free.
Meanwhile, hotel and airfare prices are skyrocketing as an expected 750,000 people will pay their respects at the 900-year-old Westminster Hall, where the Queen’s coffin has been lying in state since Wednesday. As a result, hotel prices are reportedly surging more than 30%, according to Bloomberg, and the city’s hotel system is expected to reach 95% occupancy levels.
“Demand to stay in London over the next fortnight, especially from foreign delegations, is at its highest level since the Olympics in 2012," said Paul Charles, the chief executive of the travel consultancy The PC Agency, in an interview with The Guardian.
2. Bleisure travel is on the rise.
Perhaps due to an increase in remote work options, “bleisure”—a travel trend that combines business and leisure travel—seems to be growing in popularity. In June, for example, Forbes reported that interest in these so-called "workcations" has risen more than 25% compared to recent years, with more and more business travelers extending their stays in desired locations and bringing family members along.
This trend was reinforced at the 14th annual Hotel Data Conference, which was hosted by STR and Hotel News Now last month. During one of the show's panels, Carol Lynch, senior vice president of global sales at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, noted that bleisure travel comprised about 70% of the brand’s business, with many business travelers who come for conferences booking additional rooms for their families.
Hotel News Now recently reported that hotels are reworking some in-room design features to better serve these guests, including adding back work desks, focusing on reliable and secure Wi-Fi, and even offering partitions like movable screens or curtains to divide guest rooms and allow for workspaces.
3. The industry’s first carbon emissions calculator can be a great tool for venue selection.
Global travel consultancy Advito has teamed up with BCD Meetings & Events to develop the industry’s first carbon emissions calculator that’s certified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Planners can input a wide range of data in the pre-event planning stage—including details like how a venue’s electricity is generated, how attendees will be traveling, how the venue handles food waste, etc.—and quickly learn what impact their choices have and how they can be adjusted to decrease emissions.
“We are thrilled to be able to offer our clients the industry’s most robust emissions calculator that considers traditional elements, like the venue, giveaways, and food, but also measures the most important contributor to overall emissions—where attendees are coming from and how they are getting there,” explained Charlene Rabideau, managing director of North America for BCD M&E, in a press release. “We want to give meeting planners the tools they need to look at things like economy versus business class flights for attendees, airport transfer options, and even percentage of vegetarian meals, to help significantly reduce the emissions impact of their programs.”
4. Four Seasons’ rebrand focuses on human connection.
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has rolled out its largest paid media effort to date—and in keeping with recent trends in the event and hospitality space, the campaign centers around human connection and personalized guest experiences. The “Luxury Is Our Love Language” campaign was created by Publicis’ Le True agency based on feedback surveys and interviews, with the brand trying to play up the human element of its business by highlighting unique stories of real guests. The idea? To play up a more empathetic angle in the wake of challenges consumers are facing in their personal and professional lives.
"The future of luxury will be driven by data and insights and defined by human connection and imagination," said Marc Speichert, Four Seasons’ chief commercial officer, in a press release. "It is a bold creative platform based on our belief that true luxury shouldn't be impersonal or rigid—rather, it's about creating a meaningful sense of belonging through acts of unscripted care and the simple elegance of empathy."
5. Tipped hospitality workers debuted their own fund for reproductive care.
In the wake of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, One Fair Wage—a national coalition that represents more than 200,000 service workers nationally—has teamed up with Houston-based nonprofit I’ll Have What She’s Having to debut the Service Worker Reproductive Access Fund. The new initiative offers tipped service workers—including restaurant workers, bartenders, and other hospitality professionals—access to contraception, counseling, travel expenses for abortions, and other health care services. The fund is open now for donations as well as applications for support.
6. Kimpton launched a new program for proper breast milk storage.
As convention centers and other event venues are increasingly creating designated spaces for breastfeeding, hotel brand Kimpton is also making business and leisure travel easier for new mothers. The brand recently launched the Kimpton On Demand Family Fridge Program, which provides designated milk fridges upon request. Unlike the conventional hotel mini-fridge with limited temperature capabilities, the new offering will allow parents to easily store breast milk at the temperature required by the CDC. Each hotel will also have a dedicated fridge available to employees who may need to pump throughout the workday.
