Q&A with Melissa Belluomini,
Director of Marketing
Hyatt Regency Santa Clara
We spoke with Melissa Belluomini to learn what information a hotel looks for from planners when deciding whether an event is a good fit.
What do you most want to know about a group?
We like to know the history of their program, if it’s an annual—where has it been in the past, how has their attendance been? What are the goals of the event? We also like to know their hotel brand preference and where they have seen success in the past and where they haven’t.
Who do you think is most important for a planner to speak with during a site inspection?
Definitely my convention services manager. Especially if it’s a large program, so they can get a good feel for the event while we’re going through the space. It’s nice for them to be able to interject and brainstorm even, and get creative on the site visit—to kind of throw ideas back and forth. Of course, we always do a meet and greet at the beginning with myself, the general manager, sales person, director of catering and possibly someone from the front office so they can get a feel for our team.
Have you noticed any interesting trends as of late?
A lot of the focus is technology, in regards to what is the Internet speed available? This has been an especially big trend over the last few years. If you can get as much information as possible to the hotel on your group’s technology needs before a site visit it really helps us out.
Do you have any additional tips or advice for planners?
I think for us, just the more knowledge we have on what they’re trying to achieve and what they’re looking to do enables us to make sure we’re the right fit for their event.