Brilliant Ideas for Meetings and Conventions

Colorado resort sets the stage for a memorable event

The Broadmoor is an 89-year-old property situated at the foot of the Rockies in beautiful Colorado Springs. The luxury hotel and resort is the longest running 5 Star 5 Diamond property in the country, having held both awards since its inception over 40 years ago. National Sales Manager, Jeremy Wilson, believes The Broadmoor is the ideal venue for franchise organizations to convene. "What we offer to the franchise industry is a venue that these organizations can come to and bring their annual conferences or board of directors' meetings. Unlike a downtown property, we offer a full service resort where people can enhance their meetings and have everything in one destination," says Wilson.

With 700 guests rooms and 185,000 sf of meeting space, the ratio of guest rooms to meeting space is heavier on the meeting space compared to other hotels. Wilson says, "We do meetings for 5 people to 700. Being an independent hotel, we can sell the entire hotel to one group if need be. And we can handle up to 3000 for a banquet."

As a full service resort, The Broadmoor has plenty of free time activities to offer. On the property, there are 15 restaurants and cafes, 25 retail shops, three full 18-hole championship golf courses, 12 soft cushion tennis courts, a 42,000 sf full amenity spa, and indoor and outdoor pools. In addition, the surrounding area of Colorado Springs has plenty of recreation - white water rafting, hot air ballooning, fly fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, and dozens of museums.

Marketing to franchises wide open

Surprisingly, The Broadmoor appears to be the only venue marketing specifically to franchise organizations. Wilson believes it's a great way to broaden the hotel's market base. He continues, "We've had quite a few of the bigger franchise organizations such as Taco Bell and Pizza Hut utilize the Broadmoor in the past. We figured the franchise industry is large, with thousands of franchises out there needing to hold an annual convention every year. We feel that our property is second to none as far as service, quality, and accommodations. We believe that really enhances any organization's meetings."

Wilson says he is aware that franchise organizations sometimes tend to be a little more budget conscious than nonfranchise companies. "Franchisors really watch out for their franchisees to make sure they're not going over a budget. That's where we feel like we have an advantage being a wholly private independent property. Especially in our off season, we can offer them something special - a rate that is very similar to a Doubletree or a Sheraton," states Wilson.

The key to a great meeting is great service
Once a group chooses The Broadmoor, a conference service manager is assigned to organize all the recreation, transportation, food and beverage, meeting space, and guestrooms. "Internally we handle every detail of the meeting and try to take as much pressure off the organization's meeting planner as possible," says Wilson. The biggest challenge to pulling off a successful event? "Ensuring that all the attendees are taken care of. We really take pride in our service quality. You make it or break it by service quality. That's true in the hospitality industry and in the franchise industry. It doesn't matter if you're a food chain or a supplier of household goods. And I think what keeps bringing people back is how they're treated. So we make sure our accommodations are just phenomenal."

It takes a staff of 1600 to provide the kind of service Wilson talks about. "We do 700 to 800 meetings per year. For each group, there is one sales manager, one conference service manager, and the staff which consists of a setup crew, food and beverage, an executive chef, and so on. If the meeting was a buyout, that group would have all 1600 employees working on it."

Wilson says the venue has a lot to do with the success of a conference. "The venue is something people are going to remember and they're going to remember what happened at the venue. I've had organizations that were here 5 years ago and they still talk about the Broadmoor even though they've had 3 or 4 conventions since then. The one that really sticks in their mind is the Broadmoor. Some venues might have great recreation and beach properties, but what the destination itself had to offer and how you were treated while you were at that destination is what makes the overall conference," asserts Wilson.

Contact Information: The Broadmoor, Jeremy Wilson, National Sales Manager, http://www.broadmoor.com, 719-471-6230.