March 2004

By Cathy Chatfield-Taylor

According to the most recent Center for Exhibition Industry Research Census, 41 percent of the 11,094 U.S. exhibitions produced annually are held in hotels – that’s 4,548 shows each year. In fact, more shows are held in hotels than in convention/exhibition centers (only 38 percent). We realize show managers who produce shows in hotels have unique needs and challenges. To address your concerns, EXPO has developed an exclusive series of in-depth

articles that will appear in three issues of the magazine this year. In July/August 2004, we’ll address making hotel shows work for exhibitors. And in November/December 2004, we’ll focus on evaluating when a hotel show makes the most sense for your event. In this issue, you’ll find four feature stories on maximizing hi-tech features and services at your next hotel show.

Cathy Chatfield-Taylor is a freelance writer/editor. E-mail cathy@cc-tunlimited.com.

Welcome to the hi-tech hotel
Where high-speed Internet and wireless access wow the most tech-savvy show goers
It’s no secret: Hotels are not known as technology leaders. In fact, most follow the lead of their customers, who asked for and now expect such basics as e-mail communication with sales and service staff, as well as high-speed Internet access anywhere on the property.

But here’s a surprise: Convention and boutique hotels alike are rolling out technologies that improve customer service and enhance the on-site experience in unexpected ways. From enterprise information systems that track customer preferences to fat Internet pipelines that burst to meet demand, the frontrunners are using advanced technology as a key differentiator from the competition.

“The planning community doesn’t necessarily know what they’ll need in five years,” says Joyce Inderbitzin, Vice President, Meetings & Conventions, Hilton Hotels Corporation, Chicago. “The technology is developing so quickly, they just ask us to stay ahead of the curve.”

Which puts hotel sales and marketing staff in the sometimes uncomfortable position of educating customers about how advanced technologies can add value to their events. Some brands have even added technology sales specialists to walk customers through the process of specifying and ordering services.

“We engage the technology sales person to work with the conference engineers through the requirements phase, not only to understand what the requirements are but also to explain the technology available,” says Craig Ratterman, Director of Strategic Systems for Gaylord Entertainment, Nashville, TN. “When we define our capabilities, it’s not expected, so our facility is exceeding the expectations of the engineers.”

Some advances are ones we’ve been anticipating, like better online planning tools and wireless Internet access. The most unexpected breakthroughs are in technical service and support, where in-house staff and their technology partners fine-tune the hotel’s performance — from securing high-speed voice and data networks to satellite broadcasting an event offsite.

“Delivering these services requires a high level of coordination between those who sell you the space and the ones who put on the event,” says Elizabeth Lauer Ivey, Senior Technology Strategist for HVS International, a technology-focused hospitality consulting firm in Boulder, CO. “The differentiating point is during the sales process. They might not offer more then their neighbor, but they’re at least knowledgeable about what clients need.”

True hi-tech hotels anticipate and deliver what show goers want, whether they know it or not. Here are some of the most exciting advances to come online in the past year.

Web-based planning tools for show management
The hi-tech hotel’s Web site is a portal to planning a meeting or convention. Customers expect to find a search engine and property-specific information such as room dimensions, capacities, floorplans and photos. What’s new is the ability to submit a request for proposal (RFP) online and get an immediate response from an automated system.

At Hyatt.com, for example, customers can login to E-mmediate Meetings to search for domestic properties by various selection criteria, then book space, rates and dates for small meetings — a capability introduced in early 2002. In 2003, Hyatt extended the service to events of any size through a partnership with StarCite Online Marketplace (www.starcite.com). Using Hyatt’s E-mmediate Response technology, StarCite delivers quotes on availability and group rates in a minute or less, then allows customers to book online.

Hilton Hotel’s new Group Reservation Identification Program (GRIP) allows customers to access a cross-referenced list of their group registration against hotel rooms reserved in select Hilton properties. GRIP helps identify attendees who book outside the official room block and so manage attrition. The program has been tested at five Hilton convention hotels and is being rolled out at 25 more properties this year.

“When we have 30 hotels with a 1,000 meetings, then we can say what the total savings would be,” says Inderbitzin. “We know that it will reduce exposure to attrition.”

Ultra high-speed data transmission for presenters
High-speed Internet access has become a staple on the technology service menu. “If it’s unavailable, it’s unacceptable,” says HVS’s Ivey.

At a minimum, expect meeting rooms to be connected to a T-1 line, which transmits data at speeds of up to 1.544 Mbps. But bandwidth can be bundled and burst to accommodate demand.

“If a conference is using 10 Mbps of bandwidth, and for some reason they have last-minute additions and have 50 percent more need, we’re in a position to burst the Internet pipe on the fly,” says Gaylord’s Ratterman.

For presenters who want to broadcast to multiple locations on property or offsite, the hi-tech hotel offers several solutions, such as satellite broadcasting, videoconferencing, Webcasting and audioconferencing. Voice and data can be transmitted through a fat Internet pipe or the hotel’s fiber optic backbone to networked meeting space and guest rooms.

Marriott’s EventCom Technologies division packages these services under one contract and provides staff to manage all the details, from selecting a site to specifying the technology. “We ask the customer, ‘What are your goals?’ If you’re doing a state of the union from the CEO, that’s fine. If you want audience response and interactivity, that’s possible, too,” says Tom Maguire, Director of Marriott EventCom Technologies, Chicago.

EventCom coordinated one event where CEOs of two companies, one in Los Angeles and one in New York, discussed a merger in an ISDN-based videoconference, which was broadcast via satellite to 175 stores for employees to watch on TV, and streamed over the Internet for off-duty employees. A phone bridge queued callers with questions, which were fielded by the CEOs on camera.

“All the technologies used to be standalone. Now you have the ability to use them together,” Maguire says.

Wireless broadband Internet access for attendees
In 2004, only about 5.7 percent of North American hotels will have wireless Internet access, or “hotspots,” according to In-Stat/MDR Analyst Amy Cravens, Scottsdale, AZ. But with more people traveling with laptops, major brands report making Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity, a.k.a. 802.11) access in public areas a priority.

For many business travelers, laptops store sensitive information that they don’t want exposed to a public network. Hi-tech hotels can segment the wireless network and issue a service set identifier (SSID), or network name, that acts as a password for each group meeting on its property. When attendees try to connect to the secure network using a wireless device, they have to provide the SSID to gain access.

Wireless access isn’t just a convenience for attendees. It can also benefit show management. “There are things our clients want and expect of us, and things we need in terms of our own logistics,” says Julio Burgo, Director of Technology for Gartner Vision Events, Bedford, NH. “We have a comprehensive extranet application that handles our registration. It requires computers and Internet connectivity, either wired or wireless. We prefer a wireless solution because of the portability around the hotel.”

The cost of setting up wireless access is negotiable. At the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, list price for a standard Ethernet connection with one IP (Internet Protocol) address is $1,100. A wireless access point with one IP address is $1,350.
“You have more value with wireless, because you can travel on three floors and get connectivity,” says Paul Whitney, Director of Convention Services and Trade Show Operations for Mandalay Bay. “If you need a lot of portability, you have that amenity available.”

Virtual Private Networks for exhibitors
Whether wired or wireless, network users want privacy and security. Hi-tech hotels hosting multiple groups can create a virtual local area network (VLAN) for each group, as well as subnetworks within a group. Then, exhibitors who want to connect to their corporate information in a secure way can set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) with their own server, which can be located on property or at the home office.

To make it all run smoothly, on-site technical support is crucial. When Sybase held its annual conference for 2,500 end users, the Gaylord Palms, Orlando, hosted VLANs for 300 Internet-connected computers, wireless access in public areas, and Internet kiosks in guest rooms. Initial demand overwhelmed the system, and a virus shut down one subnet, but Gaylord’s network technicians found a solution that left the exhibit hall unaffected.

“At a technology conference, if people walk in the door and the technology doesn’t work, it’s not good. But to their credit, Gaylord got it fixed,” says Rick Rogers, Marketing Events Manager for Sybase, Concord, MA. “It didn’t shut us down for a week. It only shut us down for a day.”

Enterprise systems and training for staff
The foundation of the hi-tech revolution at hotels is not fiber optic backbones and Category 5 cables, or high-speed Internet connections and wireless access points. It’s enterprise information systems and the people who use them that enable hotel management to deliver better all-around service.

At Hilton Hotels, a proprietary standardized technology platform called OnQ gives sales and service personnel access to information about customer preferences across the entire family of hotels. “It supports meetings and expositions, the business traveler and anyone staying with us. We’re personalizing their experience at each hotel,” says Keith Hymel, Vice President, Sales Strategy & Technology, for Hilton Hotels, Dallas. “Customers may not see it firsthand, they’ll just experience it firsthand because of the service level we can provide.”

At Hyatt, a new group billing application enables management to generate one consolidated bill accounting for all expenses charged to the master account, including guest room folios, banquet checks and vendor invoices. Hotel staff can access the group bill online and generate an interim report upon request and a final report within 24 hours of departure. That helps customers to better manage their expenses.

In addition to having such tools at their disposal, hi-tech hotel staff undergoes rigorous training to become conversant with customers about what they need.

“Customers have so many requests, we’re trying to keep the hotels educated enough so that when they get the calls, they don’t freak out,” says Marriott’s Maguire.

Hi-tech site selection checklist
Don’t assume a property has these advanced features and services

Hotel Sales and Services
o Staff is online and checks e-mail regularly
o Accepts contracts, rooming lists and other documents electronically
o Uses PlanSoft Ajenis or other meeting planning software
o Reconciles attendee registration list with hotel reservation list

Sleeping Rooms
o Desk with space and height for laptop use
o Ergonomic adjustable chair
o Easily accessible outlets, data ports and phone lines
o High-speed digital data line
o Broadband Internet access (hourly or daily fees?)
o Private networking between guest rooms and meeting rooms
o Closed circuit television broadcast
o Cell phones work in rooms

Meeting Rooms
Telecommunication/Internet capabilities:
o ISDN lines (lead time required? cost?)
o T-1 lines (lead time required? cost?)
o Cable Internet access
o ADSL (asynchronous digital subscriber line) access
o High-speed DS3 Internet access with full redundancy
o LAN, WAN and shared or dedicated Ethernet services (half or full duplex? switched Ethernet ports? auto-negotiation for all connections? connection speeds?)
o Dedicated LAN for meeting rooms
o Virtual private data networks
o Fiber optic and CAT 5 cabling (high-density? 72 strands?)
o Fully wired, requiring no additional cabling for Internet access
o Wireless Internet access (access points? cost?)
o In-house Internet service provider
o Dedicated Internet access and bandwidth for meeting (cost?)
o Wireless phone service
o Press rooms with global links
o Presentation theater
o Voice-over IP
o TDD equipment
o Micro-cell sites within facility (for what cellular services?)
Lighting controls
o Programmable controls
o In-room dimming capabilities
o Lights above screens can be turned off

Sound system
o PA system quality
o Input capabilities (microphone jacks?
accessory inputs? locations?)
o In-room dedicated mixer
o Multiple mics (regulations require operator
for multiple mics?)
o Patch fees (if any) for outside suppliers
o Sound isolation from adjacent rooms

Other features
o Ceiling height sufficient for proper screen
sizing and placement
o Ergonomic (16-hour) chairs
o Electronic audience polling capabilities
o Distributed floor outlets for computer labs
o Simultaneous translation capabilities
o Simultaneous interpretation rooms

Exhibit Space
o Designated boxes every 30 feet with fiber-optic and electrical connectivity

Registration/Public Space
o Room for networked registration computers and printers
o Secure lockable storage area
o Data ports and space for laptops at public
telephones
o Electronic message boards
o Interactive kiosks
o Digital signage networks
o Payphone data ports
o Public access Internet payphones
o Lead retrieval systems

Video Conference Capability
o Dedicated room (capacity? number of channels? connection speed? costs?)
o Portable system (components? costs?)
o Cabling (coaxial cable for video connecting in the meeting rooms?)
o Document camera
o Computer input
o Electronic slide projector
o Video data projector
o TV monitors
o Roof pads for satellite links available for customer-supplied equipment
o Audio and video recording capabilities

Equipment Available
o Satellite dish or high-speed phone line (i.e., ISDN) system such as PictureTel
o Standard used (H.320 or other?)
o Ku-/C band and other transmissions
o HDTV connections and other high-performance private networks

In-house AV/Computer Supplier
o Desktop computers (quantity? processor type? storage? memory? cost?)
o Laptop computers (quantity? processor type? storage? memory? cost?)
o Printers (quantity? type? cost?)
o Fax machines (quantity? type? cost?)
o Modems (speed, type — 33.6K, 56K [flex or X2], ISDN converter, cable)
o Software loaded (virus protection? firewall?)
o Computers and equipment can be rented by attendees
o LCD projectors (do not accept LCD panels)
o DLP (digital light processing) projectors
o High-end data projectors
o Surcharge for using outside supplier?
o Technician capabilities, experience and labor rate (computers, networking, telephony, Internet)
o Off-site backup? Length of time for equipment replacement if needed

Business Office
o Computers (quantity? processor type? memory?)
o Software loaded
o Scanners
o Printers
o Internet accessibility (access speed?)
o Open 24/7
o High-volume photocopying (pricing, speed, throughput, quality, finishing, lead time)

Excerpt with permission from “The Wired Site Inspection,” by Corbin Ball, CMP, Technology Meetings, March 2003. Copyright 2003, Corbin Ball Associates (www.corbinball.com), Bellingham, WA.

A fat pipe
Case Study: Gartner Tech Investor Summit uses ultra high-speed Internet to Webcast
presentations

There’s fast, and then there’s very fast. For the Gartner Tech Investor Summit, which debuted Nov. 10–12, 2003, at the Grand Hyatt New York, Internet connectivity had to be very fast to accommodate up to four simultaneous Webcasts from 10 boardrooms.
“The technical challenge is one of bandwidth,” says Julio Burgo, Director of Technology for Gartner Vision Events, Bedford, NH. “We had to make sure we had enough speed, so we could transmit without coming off all choppy, with robotic-type movement.”

High-speed Internet is the No. 1 technology requirement for Gartner Vision Events, which routinely bring together about 400 participants at five-star hotels for three days of intensive networking and knowledge sharing. Most hotels are equipped with multiple T-1 lines, which transmit data at speeds of up to 1.544 Mbps. The Grand Hyatt, located adjacent to New York City’s Grand Central Station, had a T-3 line that could transmit data at speeds of up to 44.184 Mbps — the equivalent of having 28 T-1 lines bundled together.

“We said, ‘Give us a fat pipe, and let us do the rest,’” Burgo says.

Burgo secured the services of TalkPoint Communications, a New York City-based provider of voice and visual conferencing services, to produce the Webcasts — about 30 in a three-day period, and as many as four at once. Each presentation was recorded, encoded and transmitted over the Internet through a dedicated T-1 line connection, which fed into the upstream T-3 line. Miraculously, all the Webcasts went off seamlessly, with no problems.

“I couldn’t sleep for three days before the show,” Burgo says. “I talked to the guys from TalkPoint maybe four times. It was like they’d been doing it for years, and they had.”
The Webcasts enabled the institutional investors who attended Tech Investor Summit to share what they were learning with colleagues back at their home offices. About 20 off-site viewers watched each Webcast. For the IT companies who paid about $1,500 extra for the privilege of Webcasting their presentations, the option gave them a bit more bang for the buck. The Webcasts were archived on the Tech Investor Summit Web site (www.techinvestorsummit.com) for 30 days after the event. About 250 people registered to view the Webcasts on demand.

For Gartner Vision Events, the Webcasts provided one more way to disseminate information to the company’s clients and prospects, as well as create good industry buzz.

“When you can provide a conduit — an event — that gets somebody’s message out there, that is the tip of the white glove. It enables you to touch everyone else who may not be there,” says Phil McKay, Vice President and General Manager of Gartner Vision Events. “For us, it’s an extreme differentiator. It gives us an edge. Not only are we in the IT space, but also we’re getting high on our own supply. Because technology is what we’re in, and we want to be seen as a purveyor and user of the technology.”

Tech Investor Summit was the first Gartner Vision Event to do simultaneous live Webcasts. Based on its success, McKay plans to roll out the program at other events in 2004. “When you have an industry-defining event, there’s a certain momentum or mass that you want to achieve,” he says. “If someone is doing a new product launch or has something important to say to the industry, they can launch at our event, and the 300 to 400 people there are not the only ones who can take part in it.”

The only limiting factor will be bandwidth. Luxury hotels with fat pipes will get the Gartner Vision Event business.

Everything is negotiable
Ignore the price list. It’s just a starting point.

The hi-tech hotel negotiates the cost of technology, from Internet access to A/V services, in the same way it negotiates every other piece of business — based on the total value of the event. Don’t make the mistake of shopping around without first asking for a deal from the hotel.

“Customers get the price list, see the pricing and don’t call back,” says Tim Wheeler, Director for Event Technology at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Washington, DC. “Call back and ask what we can do with the pricing. If you do a large program, we can create packages to make it more cost-effective.” If you do shop around for better prices, be sure to include the in-house supplier on your RFP distribution list.

As in any contract negotiation, knowing the total value of your business puts you in a better position to cut costs on technology. Using the same hotel property for multiple events gives you even more leverage to negotiate better prices.
Here are six tips from both sides of the negotiating table.

Tip #1: Get advice from a tech expert
If you’re not tech-savvy, find someone who is and bring that person on your site inspection and into the negotiating room.

“People assigned to the IT space aren’t always well versed in it, and they often order more than they need,” says Brian Leadbeater, Director of Meetings & Conventions for Hilton New York. “They may say they need four T-1 lines in a room, and they only need one with a hub that distributes it. We try to let them know if it’s overkill.”

Tip #2: Order IP addresses in multiples of two, plus 1
Hotels typically charge for Internet service by the number of IP (Internet Protocol) addresses allocated to your organization. An average cost might be $400 per IP address per day. As a rule of thumb, you need one IP address for every 10 users to ensure 90 percent connectivity (only one in 10 users will get a busy signal).

Because IP addresses come in blocks as a power of two — 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, etc. — you can often get more connectivity than you bargain for. “If I want five addresses, they’ll open up a block of eight, so I get three more than I paid for,” says Julio Burgo, Director of Technology for Gartner Vision Events.

Tip #3: Package Internet service for exhibitors
Avoid cost overruns by accurately surveying your Internet connectivity needs and ordering in advance. That includes placing orders for Internet drops in the exhibit area.
“The more you can do in bulk or volume, the better pricing you’ll get,” says Bob Bansfield, Assistant Vice President of Management Information Systems for Hyatt Hotels, Chicago. “Batch your orders for exhibitors to get the lowest pricing.”

Tip #4: Bring your own equipment
Miniaturization has reduced the size and weight of laptops, projectors and other electronics, making it more cost-effective to buy and ship your own than to rent on site.
“If you can get a return on your cost within a two-year time frame, it will be worth it to buy your own data projector,” says meeting technology consultant Corbin Ball, CMP. “Some are the size of a paperback book.”

Tip #5: Avoid patch fees and penalties
A hi-tech hotel may have a full-service A/V department. To get the best pricing, put out an RFP and compare bids from at least three suppliers. If you don’t choose the in-house service, negotiate the penalty for bringing in your own A/V at the contract stage.

“If an outside bid is better, try to get the contract to say that you won’t incur any patch fees or penalties,” says Liza Wentworth, Meeting Manager/Coordinator for the National Society of Compliance Professionals (NSCP), Cornwall Bridge, CT. “If you do have to patch in, you need to nail down what the cost will be.” And, be sure the deal extends to your exhibitors.

Tip #6: Advance planning saves money, period
Most hotels publish advance rates and onsite rates for telecommunications and other services. Order early to get the lower advance rate.

“Depending on what it is, it will cost 20–25 percent more to order on site,” says Paul Whitney, Director of Convention Services and Trade Show Operations for Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.