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Meeting Industry Trends Spawn Changes in Hotels & Conference Centers: Health-Conscious Menus, Better Fitness Centers Essential

FLORHAM PARK, NJ - January 8, 2007--With meeting planners' budgets continuing to climb, and the number of meetings per year also on the rise*, hotels and conference centers are noting that the number and types of demands also have increased, especially in the areas of health and fitness. "There's no doubt that there are more guests in the fitness center than ever before," says Amy Wickenheisser, CMP, Director of Operations at Hamilton Park Hotel & Conference Center, the Florham Park, New Jersey property managed by Destination Hotels & Resorts, which recently expanded its fitness center and upgraded its equipment to meet increased use and demand for top quality equipment.

According to Wickenheisser, who has over 13 years' conference services experience, a state-of-the-art fitness center is just one expectation. The ability to provide menu, seating, and location options for maximum health and well-being are equally important. Current lifestyles can no longer be ignored. In addition, technology has dramatically changed where and how hotels and conference centers provide a beneficial meeting experience.

"We were one of the first to change the name 'business center' to Conference Concierge," Wickenheisser goes on to say. "The Conference Concierge has different responsibilities in today's meeting environment, with attendees doing their own work, communicating via email, fax and cell phones. By providing such services as high-speed color copies, Powerpoint production, collating binders, and more, we're now more of an outside business service center but without the high prices, and the position is that of a second planner, requiring a more skilled administrative staff."
Additional trends noted by Wickenheisser include the following:

• State-of-the-art, ergonomically designed chairs in meeting spaces are desirable and are becoming the "norm."
• The need for outdoor function space has increased. Planners look for diversity, providing mental and physical health benefits.
• Ample meeting space throughout public areas is imperative, since meetings, networking and sidebar discussions continue after the facilitation has ended.
• Because meeting participants are often served heavy meals that require an afternoon nap rather than furthering meeting productivity, Hamilton Park's nutritious menu program, "The Mark of a Well-Balanced Choice," for example, offers menu selection geared to tastes and preferences of health-conscious conferees.
• With conferees taking office work with them through Blue Tooth and wireless laptop technology, Internet access in public spaces is becoming a necessity, allowing attendees to do their "real" job while away from the office. Hamilton Park Hotel & Conference Center, for example, has a popular virtual café and coffee bar in the Lobby Lounge.
• Interestingly, men prefer chairs to couches for discussion or working on laptops. Consequently, the number of chairs in the lobby and public spaces has increased.

"We've become adept trend-spotters," Wickenheisser concludes. "We try to anticipate all of our meeting planners' needs. That's how we continue to provide a gratifying and worry-free experience for everyone involved."

Wickenheisser has been responsible for the Hamilton Park Hotel and Conference Center's conference planning and conference operations since 1999. She is a member of the IACC Annual Conference Planning Committee and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Located just 20 minutes from Newark Airport, Hamilton Park Hotel & Conference Center presents a beautiful setting for corporate gatherings, social occasions, weddings and leisure stays. The property currently features 219 guest rooms and suites, 40 meeting rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, fitness club, a range of exquisite dining options and a full array of business services.

*International Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus

Destination Hotels & Resorts is a privately held lodging management company headquartered in suburban Denver, Colo. With 30 independent, luxury and upscale hotels, resorts and golf clubs, Destination is the fifth largest independent hospitality management company in the country. The company's portfolio features more than 7,000 guest rooms, 13 golf courses and 10 full-service spas. Destination Hotels & Resorts properties are located in key metropolitan and resort markets including Washington, D.C., Houston, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, San Diego, Aspen, Austin, Phoenix, Palm Springs, Jackson Hole, Maui and Lake Tahoe. For more information on the properties in the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, please visit www.destinationhotels.com.