This content was created in partnership with Hyatt and SkiftX, Skift’s branded content studio.
Hyatt continues to listen to the needs of meeting planners at IMEX America. One of the key findings is that planners, many of whom are working with smaller teams and on shorter timelines, are looking for partners who can take some of the burden off.
This desire for greater efficiency and support—from planning to sustainability—is at the heart of Together by Hyatt. This customer-centric philosophy is designed to anticipate requests, facilitate important tasks, and emphasize the well-being of attendees and meeting planners.
A few days after attending IMEX America, Hyatt Senior Vice President of Events Steve Enselein sat down with Skift Meetings to discuss the trends he’s hearing from meeting planners. According to Enselein, the three biggest takeaways are:
- There is real optimism about the future of meetings and events, with planners predicting they will maintain or increase event numbers in 2025.
- Planners are looking for help to increase efficiency and ease the stress associated with shorter booking windows, fewer team members and reduced budgets.
- Planners are also looking for help and guidance on creating more sustainable events.
“I heard a lot of people talking about the need to support each other,” Enselein said of his IMEX experience. “How can we work together more effectively? How can we streamline processes? How can we make the whole experience feel better?
Enselein is encouraged that Together by Hyatt, the company’s new approach to meetings and events, addresses these pressure points. Key components of Together by Hyatt include:
- Hyatt Planner Portal: This self-service tool stores reservation information, activity room charts, historical reservations and billing information, and more.
- Event Experience Guide: Planners can access current and seasonal menus, meeting room graphics and video tours, local off-site experience tips, healthy event options, and an entire section dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of events. Here you’ll also find frequently asked questions covering what you need to know.
- Event Concierge App: Quickly adjust temperatures, room settings, food and beverages, and other important on-site details.
In addition, Hyatt complements these digital tools with a dedicated team, including its chefs and experienced planning managers, and a commitment to sustainability—providing sustainability factsheets that detail each hotel’s environmental practices and Campaign-specific impact reporting to help planners achieve their goals and feel more impactful.
Many Hyatt hotels offer “Daily Menu” programs, where daily menus are designed to not only make planning your events simple, but also sustainable since chefs use the same products for multiple events at the hotel. The aim is to help planners reduce planning time, ensure menu items are not repeated during planning and increase environmental awareness.
When energy efficiency, budget constraints and audiovisual costs are involved, planners can consider fewer but more impactful individual events such as breakout sessions and receptions. Everything from reducing carbon emissions to saving time and money falls into the larger theme of “less is more,” Nseilein noted.
“Quality is now more important than quantity,” Enselein said.
This content was created in partnership with Hyatt and SkiftX, Skift’s branded content studio.
