Skift Take
Hotels have been warning of soft demand in general, but when it comes to meetings and events, it's "very, very strong" (to quote Hilton's CEO). One travel management firm told us they've doubled staff to capture the business.
Thousands of companies have traded in their big office spaces in favor of remote work. But team building is tough on Zoom and many are organizing regular in-person gatherings to bring employees together.
That shift has a growing number of travel managers and hotels revamping their offerings to cater to this new kind of business travel.
Reed & Mackay is one such company. The 62-year-old travel management firm recently doubled its meetings and events staff to address growing demand for offsite internal events.
“That's been a big surge from our client base, as well as just in the industry in general,” said DeAnne Dale, who oversees sales for North America at UK-based Reed & Mackay.
That surge has translated to a boost in revenue and an increase in global staff, as well as the acquisition of three new companies with expertise in meetings and events. Clients are doubling or