As group demand recovers, hoteliers prioritize profitability

Group business, both large and small, becomes more crucial as leisure demand normalizes for filling hotel rooms and generating revenue

At the 2023 Hotel Data Conference's "Revenge of the Group" session, hoteliers and hotel sales experts talked about how they collaborate with groups and conference organizers to obtain the most lucrative bookings.

Key takeaways

• According to Knowland, 14 out of the leading 25 markets have now reached the same levels as those observed in 2019. For the remaining markets that haven't reached that point, there are expectations of achieving double-digit growth in both 2022 and 2023.
• Regarding volume, longer events are recovering strongly. Two- to three-day events have risen by about 15%, while four- to six-day events surged by roughly 40% compared to 2019. However, one-night events still show around an 8% decline;
• Experienced planners remain, but a new trend is rising, particularly for smaller events, where less experienced planners lack organizing and contracting skills. As a result, hotel sales teams spend significant time training these planners on business conduct in this area.

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