6 Industry Sales and Activity Trends

A new report Amadeus, Salesforceand International Conference Professionals The MPI combines global market data with insights from industry experts to highlight six key trends that will impact the hotel industry in the year ahead. Hotel Sales Stars: The Ultimate Strategy Playbookis designed to help hoteliers navigate the entire sales journey and capitalize on new opportunities, from prospecting to relationship building.

The hotel industry is working to meet the growing demand for group accommodations in 2024, prioritizing strengthening customer relationships, enhancing new and repeat business development, and more effectively planning and executing group activities. Data from Amadeus Demand360 also shows that group travel is expected to continue to grow, as the number of rooms booked in June 2024 exceeded that of the same period last year.

This positive industry momentum, coupled with changing guest preferences, presents opportunities for hospitality professionals to adapt their sales and events strategies to the following six industry-defining trends:

1. Business travel is recoveringIncreased bookings and spending indicate continued growth in business travel. Companies must remain vigilant in addressing rising travel costs, economic uncertainty, budget constraints and travel disruptions to ensure their travel programs continue to be successful.
2. Small meetings are becoming increasingly popular. Fourth quarter of 2023, The average U.S. meeting has 112 attendees, with 40% of meetings having 75 or fewer attendees. Sales expertise and quick decision-making capabilities are increasingly valued in the small and mid-market. This presents a unique challenge for meeting planners, who must put as much effort into small events as they do large ones.
3. Expectations for attendee experience have increasedThere is an increasing demand for carefully curated events, such as boutique experiences, unique venues, and exclusive spaces within hotels and resorts. Smaller cities that can offer attendees unique, fresh experiences have become popular event destinations.
4. Increased focus on sustainabilityHotels are increasingly adopting tools and awards to highlight their strong commitment to sustainability. Forward-thinking hotels are also pioneering methods to provide customers with specific data on the carbon footprint of their events, focusing on areas such as local sourcing, carbon and resource use, renewable materials and community involvement.
5. Value is crucial. As companies seek to reduce business travel and meeting costs, they will reduce the number of off-site events, food and beverage options, and the number of nights for external events, so venues that offer customized services and demonstrate flexibility will stand out.
6. Staffing remains a challenge. Teams face the dual challenge of juggling multiple tasks and responsibilities while continuing to meet sales targets, even as it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain high service levels due to high staff turnover and loss of institutional knowledge as employees leave. To address this situation, forward-thinking organizations are exploring innovative ways to develop the next generation of travel professionals.

In preparing this report, Amadeus and Meeting Professionals International (MPI) interviewed global industry experts and analyzed in-depth market research and business intelligence data to identify key trends.

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