Mainebiz

6 M e e t i n g & e v e n t P l a n n i n g g u i d e 2 0 14 / 2 0 1 5 b y g R E g d U g A l Greg Dugal is chief executive off icer of both the Maine Innkeepers Association and the Maine Restaurant Association. T he lodging and events industry in Maine is always changing and grow- ing, always looking for new and better ways to entice Mainers and those from away to bring their meetings to the Pine Tree State. The past year has been no exception. The Maine Office of Tourism is increas- ing its focus on securing meetings and events business. Both the Bangor and Portland convention and visitors bureaus are working to lead that effort. The Bangor CVB has been touting the brand-new Cross Insurance Center, with over 30,000 square feet of function space, making it one of Maine's premier meeting destinations. The Portland CVB created the "Bring Yours Home" campaign to get Maine meeting attendees to encourage out-of-state colleagues to come here. The Portland CVB now also has the newly renovated Cross Insurance Arena to add to the exceptional meeting space that already exists in Portland. But it's very important that we, as a state, continue to pursue additional meet- ings and events to augment our successful leisure lodging business. Business and group travel are currently a very small part of our lodging mix in Maine. In fact, these types of travel only account for 3 percent of the state's visitor mix and are an area where we can make great strides. Travelers in Maine, including Maine residents, spend about $5.2 billion dollars on their visits, with $1.4 billion spent on lodging, vacation rentals and second homes, and about the same in the state's restaurants. So bringing the mix of business travelers up to just 4 percent of the total would add millions of dollars of revenue to the state. Especially since group corporate, association, tour and social gathering guests spend a lot more per capita than our typical leisure guests, due to longer stays and attendance at functions and pre-planned events. As we look at the opportunities for growth in the hospitality industry, it's also important not to overlook the role of the other industries that can fuel that growth. For example, transportation. The motorcoach industry is a critical part of the group event market here in Maine. Not only does it bring many guests to hotels, but it provides transportation for the many events held as part of group gatherings. In my work, we use vendors such as VIP Tours in Portland to assist with parking and shuttling during the Maine Restaurant Association's Restaurant & Lodging Expo. We'll be using Northeast Charter & Tour's services for transportation at the Maine Innkeepers Association Annual Meeting in Rockport. Throw in much-needed transportation for cruise ship activities in several Maine ports of call and you can see what a valuable service the motorcoach industry provides, especially due to the limited availability of public transportation. While business functions are an often untapped opportunity, we shouldn't overlook the value of social functions. For example, Maine's group-oriented hotels and small inns are expert at hosting destination weddings. These events generally commit guests to several meals, including the wedding recep- tion itself and a sizable beverage component, and such events pretty much carried the lodg- ing industry through the Great Recession. Gone are the days of a small rehearsal dinner. Brides and grooms are creating multi-day extravaganzas of barbecues, lobster bakes, boat trips, spa visits, golf outings and more, creating new revenue opportunities. Unfortunately, we have limited function space in Maine. Even the new hotels in Portland, Bangor, Lewiston, Bar Harbor and Augusta have scant space for events. The new, branded hotels do not usually devote a lot of their footprints to that purpose. Event planners should remember that there are community buildings, such as civic centers, armories and sometimes colleges, that can provide the venues for local and destination group events. Meanwhile, don't hold your breath. Increases in function space are not happen- ing in new or existing properties, and prob- ably won't for a while. Perhaps, if we could grow our destination group business by 1 or 2 percent, new spaces would open up. Finally, another trend to watch is the grow- ing emphasis on being green. Sustainability has become a very important part of the lodging industry. Programs like Green Key and Maine's own Environmental Leader program are important parts of a lodging property's physical plant considerations, as well as the property's marketing plan. Many groups, small and large, weigh sustainability efforts before they send their rep- resentatives for corporate travel, and especially for group travel. In fact, those green efforts can be the determining factor in deciding whether the group or company selects a property. Today, it is not just about having the appropriate lighting and recycling bins. It's about creating an experience that proves you're doing your best to create a sustainable environment. All this may be a tall order for Maine's meeting and events industry. But, in my opinion, it's also a huge opportunity. The Road Ahead: Untapped Opportunities Await Maine's Meeting and Events Industry p h o t o / c o u r t e s y M a i n e o f f i c e o f t o u r i s M Maine offers new downtown hotels and arena space, but event planners can also take advantage of other types of venues.

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