Doral Arrowwood Hotel and Conference Center is bouncing back from a recent lull in its meetings and conventions business. Though the conference center, which is on 114 acres in Rye Brook and boasts 65,000 square feet of meeting space, took a hit during the financial crisis, business is starting to pick up.
Due to its proximity to Wall Street, large financial firms made up the majority of Doral Arrowwood”™s events business prior to the market crash.
“We knew that it would come back eventually and a lot of it has,” said Jack Meehan, Doral Arrowwood”™s director of sales and marketing. “We”™re actually seeing a lot more financial companies now. Some of the big banks, some of the brokerage firms.”
But he”™s quick to add that the business environment is “not like it was, though.”
“It”™s definitely much different, but where they”™re not coming, we”™ve been able to replace it with other, different companies.”
To help accommodate that turnaround, the center launched its 110,000-square-foot Executive Center last fall. The space originally opened in 2000 and branded the Pfizer Learning Center. The pharmaceutical company signed a 15-year lease for exclusive use of the complex as a training center, which is directly attached to the rest of Doral Arrowwood.
“They still work with us, but the lease came to an end,” he said. “Now everybody”™s using it.”
Pharmaceutical companies continue to account for the bulk of demand for meetings in 2016, followed by financial firms. Consumer products, consulting and education industries also make up a large portion of Doral Arrowwood”™s client base.
“You fish where the fish are, so that”™s what we did,” Meehan said.
But challenges in attracting new business still exist. Many companies have consolidated, leading to a decreased demand for meetings, and layoffs, especially those in the hedge fund industry, have also taken a toll.
“You get everything thrown at you now, so you”™ve really got to adapt,” Meehan said.
Part of the adaptation included the addition of a sales team charged with attracting new clientele, along with “constantly renovating” the existing space.
“It”™s still challenging, because there”™s more competition than ever now, which really makes it more difficult,” he said.
With that increased competition, a large emphasis is placed on providing guests with a memorable experience, “because there”™s beautiful hotels everywhere,” Meehan said.
Delivering that experience lies predominantly in food and beverages, something that has become an integral part of the sales process for convention centers.
“That”™s becoming a big driving force in our industry now,” he said, adding that many clients request locally grown, healthy food options.
“Oils and butter are passé,” said James Gambardella, Doral Arrowwood”™s director of food and beverage.
Finding ways to engage employees through food has also become a trend within the industry, with chefs and culinary teams becoming increasingly vital to client retention. Doral Arrowwood hosts farm-to-table food events and outdoor grilling and dining, along with securing partnerships with local restaurants and area craft breweries.
“You want folks to say ”˜Hey, I want to try that,” Meehan said.
Away from the menu, customizing the meeting spaces themselves are common client requests, ranging from more traditional setups, with chairs around a circular table or pinnable walls and whiteboards, to a room filled with plush couches or even an outside venue.
“For years it was very suit and tie, sitting in a board meeting,” he said. “Nowadays, it”™s much different. People come up, (and) they”™re a little more casual.”
“In the early days, especially when the financial companies were coming up, it was the CEOs, the managing directors. It was the presidents,” he said, though in recent years that demographic has shifted. The space hosts a variety of events from entry-level sales training to mid-level refreshers, “which is important, because if you just cater to a certain niche, you”™re really not going to fill the place up.”
No matter what level of employee will be attending the event, Meehan said that “technology is probably the most important thing when a client calls to ask about a meeting.”
To enhance its technology services, Doral Arrowwood, which became part of Texas-based Benchmark Resorts & Hotels in September, will undergo $4 million in renovations that will include updated Wi-Fi and improved cellphone coverage. Benchmark also owns the Edith Macy Conference Center in Briarcliff Manor.
“Not only are we trying to make a good impression on them, the client is trying to make a good impression on their team so their team gets motivated and leaves with a good experience,” he said.
Meetings are also increasingly incorporating team-building exercises into their plans in order to engage their workforce, especially millennials. Creating connections through unique recreation events, like scavenger hunts, escape-the-room challenges and cooking competitions, are growing in popularity.
“That”™s the main thing people want to feel when they”™ve left the meeting,” Meehan said, “that they”™ve really accomplished a lot of networking.”
