Rosen Hotels & Resorts in Orlando, FL has announced that it has secured GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council on behalf of its three convention properties as part of its ongoing, heightened focus on associate and guest safety and security, "Rosen’s Total Commitment."

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) on Thursday released its “State of the Hotel Industry 2021” report, outlining the forecasted state of the hotel industry in 2021 and into the immediate future. The report examines the high-level economics of the hotel industry’s recovery, the specific impact on and eventual return of business travel, and consumer travel sentiments. 

To help its clients better navigate the new normal, Maestro has embarked on a training initiative that is helping hoteliers adapt to change and meet the demands of today’s vigilant travelers.

To start the new year, Kempinski Hotels is launching a new global MICE campaign, which includes more flexibility in bookings and cancellations compared to previous offerings, as well as improved benefits for bookers.

Meeting Spotlight spoke before the holidays with Deborah Dickerson, director of operations at East West Connection (EWC), a full-service meetings and events agency. She said she expects virtual events and small, face-to-face meetings to continue midway through 2021.

How has your segment of the industry changed since March? 

Following an announcement by the Abu Dhabi Emergency Crisis and Disasters Committee, effective December 24, 2020, entry restrictions into Abu Dhabi will be relaxed. International tourists, residents and travelers from selected destinations, flying with Etihad Airways, will be allowed to enter the emirate without the need to self-isolate for 14 days. 

As part of ongoing steps to help instill confidence for meeting professionals and attendees, Marriott International will be offering COVID-19 testing, which meeting professionals may select for group meetings at certain Marriott-branded hotels in the United States, beginning in January 2021. The optional health protocols build upon initiatives already in place as part of the recent launch of Connect with Confidence.

The optional health protocols for meeting professionals to consider include:

Meeting Spotlight spoke with Kari Lynn Larsen, president and CEO of Dragonfly Meetings, a full-service conference and meeting and event management agency. We covered how COVID-19 has affected the industry, how the company has pivoted and what to expect going forward. 

How has your segment of the industry changed since March? 

Ambassadors of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition (MMBC) have issued a statement on the state of the meetings and events industry, as well as the Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID), which is still set to take place next on April 8, 2021. Overall, MMBC says that the industry rose to the occasion “time and time again,” calling 2020 “one of the most challenging [landscapes] in our history.”

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has announced a new initiative, "SingapoReimagine," to reintroduce travel to Singapore and around the world. The "SingapoReimagine" platform will kick off with “Reimagine Travel –Global Conversations,” a series of forums around the world to catalyze discussions among STB and its global partners on how to reshape global travel.