Skift Take
In this video from the Skift Meetings Forum 2023, we hear from Colleen Birch, chief operating officer of the new Fontainebleau Las Vegas, about the changing definition of luxury in the hotel meeting experience. It’s no longer about just having a five-star property with glitzy amenities, but also about providing a personalized, curated, and intimate experience that aligns with attendee values.
This content was created collaboratively by Fontainebleau Las Vegas and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX.
In this video:
- Versatile meeting space configurations allow for an enhanced attendee experience. Fontainebleau Las Vegas has meeting space totalling 550,000 square feet, including the Royal Ballroom, which could accommodate two 747s nose to nose. Its real advantage isn’t just its size, however: It’s that its meeting spaces can be configured differently to allow for a mix of indoor and outdoor space. Further, the hotel features 33 meeting rooms with windows.
- Dedicated meeting spaces make for a streamlined experience. In addition to being versatile, the hotel’s meeting space is also fully separate from pedestrian traffic areas, such as the casino. Attendees can get where they want to be quickly, and planners don’t have to worry about unexpected interruptions. Birch calls this “intentional meeting space.” The hotel also has six megavators and loading dock bays, allowing for efficient set-ups and take-downs between groups.
- Vertical design and a focus on attendee experience caters to blended travel. Over 50 percent of business travelers are now adding leisure days to their trips. Fontainebleau’s taps into this new luxury meeting trend with a versatile design that allows guests to “turn the Las Vegas experience on and off” and indulge in exciting offerings — such as the F&B launches of Miami favorite Papi Steak and Mother Wolf, along with a wellness corridor and spa. Those who want to merge business and leisure during their stay can have a more seamless, customizable experience.
- Building a diverse workforce has never been more important. As a new property, Fontainebleau Las Vegas has the opportunity to create its workforce from the ground up. Birch believes that “diversity really enriches the work environment and creates a culture of innovation and collaboration.” Over 60 percent of leadership positions at the hotel are held by women, and 67 percent of employees — called “members” — are from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
The Las Vegas meetings market is one of the most competitive in the world, with over 150,000 hotel rooms in the city. To stand out in such a crowded environment, the new Fontainebleau Las Vegas plans to offer differentiated value for meeting planners and attendees in a welcoming environment, capitalizing on the new luxury trend of personal fulfillment identified as a Skift Megatrend.
In this video from Skift Meetings Forum 2023, we hear from Colleen Birch, COO of the Fontainebleau Las Vegas, in conversation with Kate Anderson, creative content strategist for Skift X, about how the property’s “polite with a personality” service proposition will appeal to meeting planners, business travelers, and hotel guests alike by focusing on creating connections, not mere transactions.
This content was created collaboratively by Fontainebleau Las Vegas and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX.
October 3rd, 2023 at 9:46 AM EDT
