Hybrid is the new black. And Hilton wouldn’t be caught dead without it. To meet anticipated demand by planners and attendees as in-person gatherings ramp up, the hospitality company has debuted Hilton EventReady Hybrid Solutions.
The new suite of offerings, which Hilton says will continue to evolve, directs event planners to Hilton’s hybrid-ready hotels while also providing them with planning resources—including an expanded “Hilton EventReady Playbook” and customer offers.
The initial rollout focuses on an in-person component of 20 or fewer attendees, though Hilton says the program will grow as people return to their ballrooms in greater numbers.
“Hilton EventReady Hybrid Solutions were born out of our continued commitment to excellence—from accessing the capabilities of our global portfolio to rolling out a suite of extensive event planner resources and introducing team member training to ensure we can deliver the optimum overall event experience,” said Martin Rinck, executive vice president and chief brand officer at Hilton.
Hilton EventReady Hybrid Solutions has already begun rolling out globally. An expanded hybrid events chapter of the “Hilton EventReady Playbook”—featuring case studies, pro tips, a glossary of hybrid terms and more—is also available in English for customers working with any of its hotels.
Hilton’s hybrid-ready hotels, it’s promised, will offer the “baseline requirements that customers should expect when hosting a small hybrid event.”
- IT readiness: Each hotel will have completed an evaluation to make sure available IT bandwidth and infrastructure meet the requirements of small hybrid events and can provide easy access for virtual attendees.
- Multisite offering and express agreements: These are incentives for planners to book the in-person portion of their events at multiple hybrid-ready Hilton locations, as well as to create a “more seamless contract experience,” says Hilton.
In partnership with Hilton, Encore (formerly PSAV) is offering several event technology packages created for small hybrid events at participating hotels, in addition to Presentation Stages, a production-ready event solution equipped with broadcast technology and staging equipment for a high-quality online event. Hilton properties with this event technology can accommodate up to six on-site presenters and 50 in-person attendees.
