HSMAI

RESORT BEST PRACTICES INITIATIVE

Made possible by the Resort Marketing Special Interest Group

About the Resort Best Practices InitiativeSample ReportsCurrent SubscribersHow It WorksROI Case StudiesSubscribers Say…Subscribe TodaySubscribers’ Annual MeetingFor More Information


About the Resort Best Practices Initiative

The Resort Best Practices Initiative is one of the most unique data sharing market research studies in the resort industry.  It provides for subscribers up-to-date information on current best practices and future trends that gives a resort insights into marketing techniques used successfully by others.

Hear what resort professionals say are the benefits of being a best practices subscriber:

 

Each resort gets to see and learn how other resorts are tackling specific marketing issues.  More importantly they get to see what works and what doesn’t.  In so doing all participating resorts can modify their own marketing programs to see many benefits.

With recommendations and action steps that will advise subscribers on how to apply successful and proven tactics to their own sales and marketing strategies, each report has significant benefits.

In the evolving world of resort marketing you have to stay at the top of your game in order to stay ahead of competition.  An economical way to ensure success is to follow Resort Best Practices.


Sample Reports

Summaries of each study are made available to general public six months after the full reports have been delivered to subscribers.  Completed reports include:

Released in May, 2010,  the latest study is Voice of the Resort Customer, conducted through in-depth interviews with meeting planners, travel agents and leisure guests who book upscale resorts. The study reflects attitudes toward resort usage, trends in the shopping process, observations about the way the in which the sales process is handled and advice for resorts in better meeting the needs of these key customer groups through service delivery, sales, marketing or customer relationship management. It explores some competitive variables and indicates reasons why specific resorts are chosen over others.

 Cindy Estis Green of the Estis Group discusses the findings

 


Current Subscribers

You will note this list of subscribers includes many of the country’s and the world’s best and most successful resorts (as of March 2012):


How It Works

The sales and marketing directors from the subscribing resorts collaborate to share best practices. This collaboration can take several forms. Some is done through bi-monthly roundtable conference calls and videoconferences.  Some studies involve interviews with participating marketing directors to collect and document the examples of techniques and success stories, and some include interviews with resort customers. Participating resorts share confidential information on each subject being studied; proprietary statistics are always aggregated and therefore not identified by resort. Some statistics that serve as benchmarks for the group include: revenue earned per $1 of marketing spend, percentage of room revenue by channel, revenue earned per sales/marketing staffer employed and ROI for online marketing programs.

The innovation studies, launched in 2010, include experimentation with new marketing techniques and/or technologies in controlled pilot tests to determine how effectively each works in a resort setting.  Examples of the study topics the resorts choose to examine are mobile marketing, technology to improve leisure transient sales and emerging digital platforms for online promotion. Vendors are selected, pilot sites are identified from within the subscriber base and a pilot study is conducted, documented, and shared. Vendors provide attractive packages for pilot sites and for those who sign on after a successful pilot. Comprised of resort members, the Best Practices task force guides each study; subscribers agree on study topics.

Each resort has the opportunity to see and learn how other resorts are tackling specific marketing issues.  More importantly they get to see what works and what doesn’t.  In so doing all subscribing resorts can modify their own marketing programs to ensure they are following resort marketing Best Practices.  The initiative is unique for another reason – participation is surprisingly inexpensive at $2,700 per year.  Subscribing resorts have found it to be both valuable and a good value as well.

Full list of benefits:

For detailed information, see the initiative's Policies & Procedures (PDF).


ROI Case Studies

Many subscribing resorts have used the reports’ findings to great advantage in refining their own marketing efforts.  Some yield immediate revenue or cost savings; others move the resort into new revenue models.  A glimpse of some results follow.

After reading about the capabilities of SEM (Search Engine Marketing) a Northeast resort partnered with Google to test an initiative aimed at generating incremental revenue during a 30-day trial period during their peak season (summer).  The results:

Based on learnings from the Internet Marketing study, a southeastern resort altered email campaigns to target by customer groups.  They developed customized market segments through online surveys as shown in the report.  The results:

A large independent resort implemented a comprehensive search engine optimization initiative modeled on best practices identified in the Internet Marketing report.  The results:

A large golf resort recognized how limited their guest profile information was;  after reading the Customer Relationship Management report, they saw a model for steadily building a more complete picture of guest preferences.  The results:

A southeastern beach resort took some aggressive initiatives with their Internet marketing efforts as a result of insights gained through the Internet Marketing report. They implemented e-confirmations, dynamic packaging and interactive group proposals.  The results:


Subscribers Say…


Subscribe Today

The Resort Best Practices Initiative is unique – participation is surprisingly inexpensive.  Subscribing resorts have found it to be both valuable and a good value.


Subscribers’ Meetings

In 2012, subscribers will meet twice:


For More Information

Special Interest Groups - Best Practices

(External) Condo-hotels reshaping Florida luxury market | miamiherald.com
21 May 2012

Expedia Releases 2012 Flip Flop Report: Study Examines Beachgoer Behavior and Preferences Across Five Continents
18 May 2012

Pegasus Capital to Acquire Six Senses Resorts & Spas | Transaction Positions the Brand for Future Growth
11 April 2012

(External) Starwood chief has no reservations about Miami’s appeal | miamiherald.com
4 April 2012

Revel Atlantic City Opens Doors for Eight-Week Preview
3 April 2012