Pearson New International Edition International pcl tp indd 1

OVERVIEW OF THE LODGING INDUSTRY
Groups use hotel facilities for meeting of various types.
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FRONT OFFICE SEMANTICS
Function room:
Public space—including meeting rooms, conference areas, and ballrooms (which can
be subdivided into smaller spaces)—for banquets, meetings, or other group rental purposes.
Hospitality suite:
Private guestroom of sufficient size to provide meeting space and food and beverage
service for a small group of guests.
A convention hotel or conference center must also provide breakout rooms for a
group. Consider a group of 1,000 attendees who must meet at 8:00 a.m. for a general
session. Later, they must break into 10 groups of 100 for special sessions. The property
hosting this group must have the facilities available to seat the 1,000 attendees in one
area, as well as 10 additional breakout rooms with capacity for at least 100 persons in
each room.
Groups also require special services that are often provided only by convention
hotels and conference centers. Before a meeting begins, staff at a convention hotel or
conference center help with guestroom reservations, schedule function spaces, plan
meals and related functions, and coordinate many other activities. Before the meet-
ing, services may include help in planning transportation to and from the facility,
local entertainment activities, and sightseeing excursions. During the meeting, con-
vention hotel or conference center professionals assist the group with welcoming and
registering attendees. Function rooms must be set and refreshed, and audiovisual,
sound, and lighting needs must be addressed. Added services may be scheduling and
coordinating speakers and managing recognition or certification procedures related
to meeting attendance. Food and beverage services and dining area decorations must
be planned and provided. (The quality of food and beverage service is often a decid-
ing factor when a meeting planner selects a facility.) After the meeting has con-
cluded, convention hotel or conference center staff total and document the charges
incurred. They know that timely and professional billing and collection activities are
critical to a meeting’s financial success and to rebooking the group’s future meetings.
Three of the largest markets for group meetings are associations, government and
nonprofit organizations, and corporations. Professional associations meet because
of the common interest of their members. For example, the American Culinary
Federation (ACF) is the association for professional chefs and culinarians, and the
Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is the profes-
sional association for those involved in the industry’s sales and marketing efforts.
Nearly every profession has formed a group for its members. Professional associations
typically hold annual conventions, quarterly or monthly meetings, professional devel-
opment and awards meetings, and training sessions.