Top executives are as eager to luxuriate as the rest of us. They also know that boards of directors expect higher spending to generate higher returns.
“The C-suite goes in with the expectation of an upgrade, but their heads are back out of the clouds,” says Sherry Parks, CEO of Corporate Planners Unlimited. “There are things you can do for VIPs that don’t cost a lot but speak to value and quality.”
Work with corporate admin staff to ready family photos and exclusive drinks for VIPs. Walking into a junior suite with a family photo displayed and a favorite bottle of Scotch can make up for $1,000 in rate, she says. So can texting the exec with program and meeting reminders throughout the event.
“It’s the personal attention that touches your top executives where they live,” Parks says. “When you create the experience of being special for them, you have succeeded.”
The right location can enhance the experience. That’s why many of the 160 members of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) have created small-scale retreats. The “resort within a resort” atmosphere was designed to create unique experiences, says ALHI President Jim Schultenover.
The iconic Hotel Del Coronado, in San Diego, created the Beach Village at the Del, an enclave of 78 cottages and villas with private facilities. The Pebble Beach Resorts carved out a secluded Mediterranean-style estate with 24 guest rooms and private meeting space. In Colorado Springs, Colo., The Broadmoor built Cloud Camp atop 9,200-foot Cheyenne Mountain, accessible only by 4x4, mule, or a three-hour hike.
MGM Resorts International began by recognizing that in an increasingly wired world, personal encounters and personal access have become rare and valued experiences. Anybody can buy opulence, but only high-level individuals can bypass gatekeepers to open closed doors.
“What we are seeing is C-suite event attendees asking for access to our C-suite,” says Mike Dominguez, senior vice president of sales for MGM Resorts International. “They are asking for cooking classes with celebrity chefs. When you need to reaffirm some of your top executives, nothing tops the experience of personal access.”
