• March 26, 2024

IHG expands investment in global meeting and incentives market

IHG expands investment in global meeting and incentives market

IHG expands investment in global meeting and incentives market 900 600 micebook.
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In recognition of the growing importance of the global meetings and incentive market to its portfolio, IHG Hotels & Resorts is investing to raise brand awareness in the sector and revitalise its global sales approach to ensure it is best meeting the unique needs of event agencies and corporate clients. 

Building in-house expertise

The first step in this journey has been getting the right team in place with the launch of a new Global Meeting & Incentive team, headed by Peter Groom. He joined IHG in October from Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), where he served as Regional Vice President for Europe and successfully launched and expanded the business outside of North America.

Groom was brought on board to lead the development and execution of plans to realise the company’s full market potential, and tobuild a team of highly experienced global sales professionals who will be targeting key meeting and incentive customers across the globe, starting with the UK.

Fiona McGrory has since joined the newly created team in the role of Global Account Director, Meeting & Incentive Sales, bringing more than 25 years of experience in the hotel industry, specialising in the incentive and meetings segment.

This month sees Daniel Agüero-Duplá, who worked with Groom at ALHI and brings more than 21 years’ experience in the hotel industry, join the team as Director, Global Meeting Incentive Sales to focus on driving sales from UK-based agencies and managing strategic partnerships with the group’s larger agency accounts.

The aim of the new team is to provide a more customised buying experience for meeting and event agencies according to Groom. “Customers will benefit from dedicated account support from a highly experienced team that already has strong knowledge and relationships within the sector. Our focus will be very customer centric. It’s not about passing on sales leads to the hotels, as there is technology that is able to do that,” he explains.

“The team will take a more consultative approach, gaining a deep understanding of our customer’s objectives and fulfilling exactly what they need to make their meeting or incentive a success. We want to prioritise our customer’s success above everything and connect the right customers with the right hotels. By focusing on our customers’ needs, ultimately, we’ll drive more business opportunities for our hoteliers.”

Growing brand portfolio

IHG Hotels & Resorts has grown its portfolio over the last few years, particularly in the luxury and lifestyle sector with the addition of brands such as Six Senses, Regent, Vignette Collection and Kimpton. The group now has more than 6,000 hotels and resorts globally across a portfolio of 19 brands, with around 2,000 in the pipeline.

“We’re expanding rapidly and are getting close to 500 properties across our luxury and lifestyle brands with lots of exciting openings in the pipeline. If you look at Six Senses alone, there are nearly 30 hotels in the pipeline. Regent, InterContinental, Vignette Collection, Kimpton and Hotel Indigo brands are all expanding too,” says Groom. “We’re anticipating that around 70-75% of the team’s business will fall into the luxury and lifestyle sector, but there will be opportunities for all of the brands.”

With its distinctive brand proposition focused on wellness and sustainability, Groom believes there is a significant opportunity for Six Senses in the incentive market. “The hotels are all about experiences that are out of the ordinary and creating a place where people can reconnect, with each other and the local environment. They are ideal for buyouts, executive meetings, and high-level incentive groups,” says Groom.

“The Regent brand is going through a bit of a rebirth right now. We have recently reopened the Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel and Regent Hong Kong following a complete renovation, and there are some exciting openings in the pipeline including Regent Santa Monica and Regent Bali that will more than double the existing portfolio of 10 properties,” he adds. “The epitome of modern upper luxury, Regent are in prestigious cities and locations that make them ideal for memorable meetings and events.”

Future focus

For his first six months in the role, Groom’s focus has been on building the UK-based team, identifying where the opportunities are, and then allocating resources towards it. Over the next few months, the focus will be on raising awareness of IHG’s brands within the UK meetings and incentive market through media and industry partnerships to drive new business opportunities.

“The UK has a huge outbound market for meetings and incentives, and based on our experience and expertise here, it made sense to start with the UK. However, the plan is to expand the team globally with resources across Europe and Asia. We’ll be looking at expansion into the DACHand other key markets across Europe very soon, and then further afield,” he says.

“Groups, Meetings & Incentives take centre stage at IHG Hotels & Resorts, we are dedicated to delivering excellence in the market. The investment within the sector with the team, at industry events, tradeshows and in the wider travel world, demonstrates our commitment to it.”

To book your next group at IHG, please contact your Global Sales Representative or simply email: [email protected]

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