Marketplace Secrets of the Hospitality Industry (The Inn Crowd: Inside the purchase decisions of the hospitality market)

This allows properties to center their campaigns around local geography and culture. Camp Hyatt in Scottsdale, for example, focuses on the Native American and cowboy cultures and the local flora and fauna.

A colleague of mine who works for the resort group Shell Vacations Hospitality says almost all of its kids’ programs are centered around one theme: a mascot they call “Buddy the Beach Ball.” This started out as something catchy to use internally with associates — who each received a Buddy stuffed animal — and then developed into a guest program. The properties are currently running a photo contest called “Show me the Buddy,” in which they encourage guests to take Buddy on vacation and then send in a snapshot of them with their Buddy. The photos have been pouring in.

Employees. At the Hyatt, we often give logoed items to employees as gifts and in structured programs. In an effort to go green at the Hyatt and limit disposable cups, we gave all our associates water bottles imprinted with our logo to use at work. Also within the organization, we have monthly internal programs on which we spend a couple hundred dollars each month. Among the associate-recognition items we’ve used are lapel pins, key chains and crystal pieces for our management-level employees.

The resort also hosts an awards banquet and manager’s outings for team building. For our next outing, we will purchase T-shirts for everyone. We have done several different giveaways at our manager’s outings or on associate appreciation days, such as koozies, magnets, key chains, stuffed animals, T-shirts, hats, visors, cups, shoulder bags and more.

Associations. Once you’ve made connections with hotel buyers, check whether they’re involved with any other groups or associations. Through the Arizona chapter of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), there are many uses for promotional products, namely the annual awards banquet, golf tournament and fundraising. For the banquet, HSMAI buys table favors such as candies or picture frames, and the golf event requires all the standards, including balls, tees, visors and other golf-related products that promote the event or a sponsor. While budgets are always determined by events, our latest golf-tournament budget allowed $250 for awards (much is donated for this event) and we allotted $1,200 for our holiday party. n

Janet Hof, CMP, LES, is an assistant rooms executive at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale (Ariz.) Resort and Spa. She has been with the resort for 20 years in numerous positions. Hof is the 2009 president-elect for Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International – Arizona Chapter (HSMAI) and is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Learning Environment Specialist (LES).