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uest arrival sets the anticipatory tone for the event ahead. Your event does not start the moment the guests step into the venue but the moment they arrive on its doorstep or in the designated parking drop-off point. You have to plan and prepare for weather they could encounter stepping out of the vehicle, the appearance of the walkway to the venue and what they will see to tell them visually they have “arrived”at the event. Arrival can take the form of fanfare, special meet-and-greet touches that can range from simple—but still showing care and attention to detail and setting the mood—to sensational and fi lled with special eff ects. Each of the event guest arrival elements comes with timing and logistical requirements—venue, supplier and guest—and involves cost and creative thought as well. Th ey apply to airport arrivals, hotel and resort arrivals and arrivals at an event or each event for a multitiered event program, such as an incentive or a conference.
Give some thought to creating energy in the arrival area. How do you want it to look and feel? You want to create a buildup of anticipation, not a dull, fl at and listless entrance. You want your guests to feel they have arrived somewhere special, that there is excitement in the air. You can create energy by touching guests’ senses in as many ways as possible. One
event planning company eff ectively used inexpensive lighting to create movement with moving custom gobos to lead the way into the main room. (A gobo is a silhouette pattern cut from metal or glass and used to project images from a light fi xture [spotlight] onto any surface—could be the wall, dance fl oor, ceiling or drape, and they can be static [stationary]
or dynamic and move around the room). Music, entertainment and special eff ects are other ways you can add a feeling of expectancy that something wonderful is about to unfold.
When you hold special events in other countries or regions, take particular eff ort in greeting the guests as they step off the plane. Check with local tourist boards to see what can be done for minimal cost or possibly as part of the board’s own promotional budget. Often they can supply a local band to greet guests as they are waiting to check through immigration. A welcome banner can be displayed and a local beverage provided.
But greeting arriving guests is not the fi rst step—the fi rst step takes place at the originating airport where guests are departing and includes things as discussed earlier, such as arranging for a private group check-in, having someone provide luggage carts for your guests’ convenience and perhaps setting up a private room with refreshments reserved for your group if airport regulations permit it. When and where possible, it is also a good idea to arrange pre-boarding and group seating so that your guests can all sit together. Th is is actually a plus for the other passengers, too, as they are not being disturbed throughout the fl ight by people talking across one another.
On board the aircraft, there are other things that can be done. Th ese include welcome-aboard announcements, custom-printed headrest covers, food and beverage vouchers and movie and headset vouchers.
And, depending on the numbers and availability, groups can sometimes be upgraded as well. If the whole group cannot be upgraded, you may choose to decline the off er. One incentive group did a random draw to see who would be upgraded to fi rst class, as there were only a limited number
of seats available. Keep in mind that guests will need to be dressed appropriately. Many VIPs do not like to sit in fi rst class themselves when the balance of the group is in coach. VIPs who favor fi rst-class travel will often book on a separate airline and arrive in the destination in advance of their guests. Some items can be negotiated with the airlines prior to signing the contract or be made available at minimal cost. Perhaps it is a birthday cake presented on board to celebrate a very special sixteenth birthday or visits to the cockpit for younger children. What can and can’t be done is in a constant state of change since 9/11. It is important to review individual airport and aircraft policies and procedures for each leg of your trip at time of booking your group, note them in your function sheets and review them before the group departs.
When guests arrive at the destination, it’s important that they be off ered a touch of local culture. It is a nice beginning to be welcomed to Hawaii with a lei, or to Jamaica or Barbados with the sounds of steel drums and with fruit punch (with or without rum) or local beers such as Red Stripe or Banks. On the shuttle have refreshments and cool towels, and at the hotel have a private group check-in set up exclusively for them.
Here, packets containing keys to their rooms and the minibars, as well as general hotel information and express checkout forms, should be waiting for them. Credit card imprints to cover incidentals can be taken at this time. Th is arrangement ensures that they do not have to wait in line with other arriving guests.
In a hot climate, it is helpful to have ice-cold water, fresh lemonade and iced tea waiting when guests fi rst arrive. In the Caribbean, many hotels hand out ice-cold cloths along with refreshments to arriving guests. Th e hotel staff can dip clean facecloths in lemon water, wring them out thoroughly and slip them into individual plastic bags to freeze before transporting them to the airport in coolers.
Hotels around the world swear that they cannot do private group check-ins, but they can and do. Be persistent. It is simply not acceptable to have travel-weary guests standing in huge lineups to check in, when
they could just as simply wait in a private room with refreshments and a private check-in.
If the fl ight has arrived too early for their rooms to be ready (other guests have not checked out as yet), it is a simple matter to arrange for a day room so that clients can change, leave their carry-on luggage in a safe, secure area and go out to enjoy the hotel’s facilities. (Th eir checked luggage will be handled separately by the bellstaff and be sent directly to their rooms once the rooms have been assigned.) Make sure that you arrange for a security staff member to oversee the guest day room and the guests’ possessions. A hospitality desk can be set up in this room.
Th e event planner must do everything to make sure that the guestrooms are available as quickly as possible—request extra maid service in advance, provide the hotel with an arrival schedule well ahead of time so that the rooms can be assigned in order of fl ight arrival and request early check-in wherever possible. If the budget allows, you can book the rooms for the evening before your group arrives so that they are available for immediate check-in. If that is not possible, sit down with the rooms manager the night before the group arrives to see how many rooms are vacant and how many you can start to pre-assign. Don’t wait to begin the next day.
Guest Arrival Q&A
What is the arrival area like?
Visualize your guests’ fi rst impression as they arrive at the venue.
What will they see, smell, hear and feel? For example, if you are doing an evening charter cruise, don’t just think about the appearance of the ship—which of course is important—but take a look at the area surrounding the pier as well. Is it clean? Is there a clear path to the boat? Do guests have to step over piles of freight and other unpleasant things? Are there any unsightly messes that must be cleared away so as not to spoil your guests’
fi rst impressions? Is the area covered? What is the area like concerning safety and security? These same questions apply to any
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land location as well—be it a venue or a resort—anywhere in the world. One beautiful new resort was opened in an area that would be a fi tting locale for the property many years in the future when existing run-down and abandoned buildings had been demolished and new boutique shops had moved in. As it was now, the resort had a problem with the homeless, had gated the pool and beach area and had tight security measures in place, which could raise the safety concerns of guests coming from out of town.
At the launching of a new ship, guests were put off even before they got on board. Th e cleanliness of the area where the boat was docked left much to be desired and, to top it all, the crew forgot the gangplank. Arriving guests had to jump from the pier to the ship, which was a little daunting for those in heels. Apprehension increased after the evening’s cruise and drinks. Despite the fact that they sailed around all evening, there was still no gangplank by the time they docked—and this evening was sup- posed to showcase the company’s newest yacht to potential clients!
Remember, the ship you inspect may not be moored at the pier from which it usually sails. Find out where it will be sailing from and check out the condition of the surrounding area. Th is would also apply if you were to arrange for an alternate pickup location (you would need to budget for the cost to transfer the vessel from one location to another). Take the time to check out the area and make arrangements to have it cleared of any debris before the day of your charter. Find out what, if any, restrictions could apply and what needs to be put in place in case of inclement weather.
How do you arrive at your venue? Is there a unique or picturesque way to approach it?
Sometimes it’s not just the entrance but how you arrive at your destination that can set the tone of your event. If you were staying on the west coast of Barbados, there are two ways to get to your hotel.
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You can take the fast route through the center of the island, or you can take the East Coast Road, which follows the coastline and offers guests wonderful views of the beautiful blue Caribbean waters, although it does take a little longer to drive. Depending on the time your fl ight arrives—such as an evening arrival when the ocean is not as visible—you may choose to take the faster route to the hotel, and use the picturesque East Coast Road route when returning to the airport, allowing your guests one last look at the island before they depart. If you are arriving early in the day, do the reverse. Or take the East Coast Road both ways if you are not in a hurry.
In some areas of the world, such as Holland, you can even choose to arrive at your hotel by boat instead of by bus. You may need to use buses to take the guests to the canals or a central spot fi rst, but this will provide them with a relaxing introduction to the city. International fl ights arriving in Holland (as well as many other overseas destinations) may arrive too early for the standard hotel check-in time of 3 p.m. Including a canal tour as part of their transfer allows guests to adjust to the time difference, enjoy local specialties—coffee and pastries—and have their fi rst view of their destination at a leisurely pace. Make every step of your event as enjoyable and as visually memorable as possible. You could do something similar in London and Windsor as well. Of course, budget permitting, you could pay for an additional night at the hotel and have the rooms available for immediate occupancy, or negotiate early check-in for your guests depending on the season.
It is not a good idea to put guests on a bus tour as soon as they step off the plane. They will be tired from the trip and because of the time difference they will not fully take in everything. Also, coming directly off the plane, they may not be dressed for a tour. But being on the water is always soothing and relaxing.
Is there a convenient drop-off point at the venue?
Take the time during your site inspection to review the main doors your guests or your suppliers will be using to enter your venue.
Whether it’s suppliers dropping off materials, guests choosing to
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drop off their passengers at the front door for a gala event, or motor coaches or limousines off-loading guests and luggage, the convenience of the drop-off point is important. You want to make sure that access into the area where you are holding your event is easy and suitable for everyone’s particular needs.
If your guests are dropping their passengers off at the front door because of inclement weather, and they are exiting into busy rush-hour traffi c, they are going to need to proceed with caution as they open their doors. You may want to consider having someone to control traffi c.
If it is volunteers dropping items off for a silent auction at a convention center where there are no doormen, bellboys or staff on hand to assist with the off-loading and transfer of items to the display area, you need to make sure that there are enough hands on deck to assist them.
If you are transferring a group by bus, you need to know whether or not the vehicle can come right up to the main doors or if its height prevents it from doing so. There is one hotel in Arizona where the motor coach will not fi t under the roof and the passengers and luggage are generally off-loaded at the side door. It’s a bit of a disappointment, especially given the impressive panorama of the hotel lobby seen when entering through the main doors.
One solution is to have the guests disembark and walk through the spectacular main doors. The bus would then pull around to the side door and off-load the luggage. On the return trip to the airport guests can board the motor coaches at the side door so they can identify their luggage. After all, they’d have already been wowed by the entrance on arrival.
Is the entrance covered?
Find out whether or not the entrance is covered at the time of year you will be holding your event. Consider whether or not you will need to have umbrellas ready in bad weather for those guests who are being picked up or dropped off. No matter what the location, you have to fi gure out how to get your guests from A to B without getting wet.