Call it a leap of faith.
Standing 12 feet above a foam pit, it can be intimidating, even a bit scary, to take that first step off the ledge.
The youngsters don’t even hesitate. For the older group, with a little encouragement and support, one by one, nearly everyone makes the jump. Confidence, it would seem, can do wonders.
The pit jump at the Woodward Riviera Maya fitness facility at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya just might be symbolic of the confidence that Hard Rock and others have in meetings in Mexico. Hard Rock, for example, has spruced up its more than 90,000-square-foot conference center in Riviera Maya as more groups are bringing corporate, association and incentive business to the region.
There’s demand on the Pacific side as well, as Hard Rock is opening a 639-room property in Los Cabos that will include about 56,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Both properties are part of the AIC Hotel Group.
Hard Rock is not the only brand expanding in Mexico—Marriott, Hilton, Caesars and others are doing so as well—and that’s great news for the Mexico Tourism Board, which has been working to strengthen the offerings for meeting planners and attendees.
“Meetings in Mexico are continuing to grow,” says Virginia Arana (MPI Mexico Chapter), meeting industry director for the Mexico Tourism Board. “A lot of it has to do with our connectivity to North America. We’ve seen that some destinations have become more oriented to business meetings. Places like Riviera Maya and Los Cabos are very well known for leisure travel, but they are now good places for congresses and meetings. This is going to help other destinations improve their product and infrastructure.”
That’s also reflective of the efforts of Arana, who has been working diligently with meeting industry leaders not only in Mexico, but globally to focus on the strategic development of the promotion of the country’s MICE industry. The strategy includes a dedicated team, strategic alliances with the major industry associations and the creation of National Ambassadors and Clusters programs where community leaders collaborate with the government to attract association meetings and business events, guided by a Customer Advisory Board all designed to strengthen Mexico’s appeal as a meeting and event destination.
Mexico’s economy—the 15th-largest in the world—is rising, with more than US$20 billion in exports among the tech, automotive, aerospace and electronics industries.
According to the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), Mexico has seen an 80 percent increase in indoor exhibition space between 2011 and 2016. Among the top venues there are Expo Guadalajara, Expo de Expositor Puebla and Centro Citibanamex. In addition, the Yucatan International Congress Centre was a new build and the Los Cabos Convention Center was recently refurbished.
Not only is Mexico improving and adding facilities, but it’s also hosting important industry events including ibtm Americas in September in Mexico City. A 2016 regional market study done for ibtm Americas by IPK International showed with 2.7 million international MICE travelers, Mexico is the most preferred MICE travel destination in Latin America, and with nearly 3 million MICE trips to Latin America, the U.S. is by far the most important source market for this segment.
That’s great news for Danny Mercado Chavez, assistant director of sales at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.
“We’ve been hosting all kinds of meetings, just about everything you can think of,” he says. “We have flexibility with our space, our ballroom (24,000 square feet) can be divided into 12 breakouts and, of course, I believe we offer great service.
“The location of our conference center is a real plus, too. Being in the middle of the property, there is easy access for either Hacienda or Heaven (the two guest room complexes).”
The all-inclusive welcomes all ages so that families can take advantage of the property’s amenities, including the traditional music elements, before, during or after meetings.
“We’ve found that to be a very important element,” Chavez says.
With more than 1,200 guest rooms, including the largest celebrity-branded Rock Star Suite—the hotel’s most luxurious room category—the property offers a unique music experience.
Another plus is the Woodward, the first action-sport facility in Mexico. The 29,000-square-foot offering includes amenities such as an indoor skate park, trampolines, the foam pits, interactive digital media labs and a ninja obstacle course.
“This is perfect for team-building activities,” says Neal Hendrix, brand manager for the Woodward. “There are so many options and groups can really find ways to bond and learn. It’s a lot of fun, too.”
Hendrix says the staff at the Woodward is well versed in helping groups maximize the facility to incorporate effective team building.
“While the whole idea is to have fun, we also want to give them the tools to make good use of their time and feel like they’re walking away with something positive,” Hendrix says.
The Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos is scheduled to open later this year and give yet another boost to that growing destination. Industry professionals, including Rodrigo Esponda, managing director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board, have been working diligently to combat negative headlines about safety concerns in Los Cabos.
“The way that we see it is that every challenge is presented with an opportunity, so Los Cabos has an internal structure that allows us to react very fast,” he says. “We have been very proactive in regards to safety in the destination. We have been working with different levels of authorities and the private sector in order to have the various specific and strategic plans in order to ensure that all visitors are safe in Los Cabos.
“It has paid off for the destination. We have immediately seen a good response.”
Mexico is the sixth-most-visited country in the world with more than 39 million visitors, so safety is paramount to ensure success in the meeting and event sector.
“The hotels for corporate meetings are growing and that’s because of our improved conference facilities and great accommodations,” Arana says. “Any negative news not only harms our business in Mexico, but it harms U.S. businesses, too, like the airlines that fly here. But we know that Americans trust in Mexico. The [U.S.] hotels understand how important our market is and how their clients value Mexico.
“We’re trying to change the narrative and focus on the most important economic sectors that will help us attract more corporate meetings. I think our destinations are doing a great job by expanding and showing what they have to offer. The growth of Hard Rock is going to help us all attract more corporate meetings. Los Cabos is going to be a great success. It’s already on the minds of many meeting planners.”
Atlantic City Focuses on Entertainment with Hard Rock Opening
Mexico isn’t the only place where Hard Rock is making a splash. The excitement in Atlantic City, N.J., was almost as constant and revitalizing as the sound of ocean waves against its beach when the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City (formerly the Trump Taj Mahal) debuted on June 28.
Set on 17 acres around Atlantic City’s enduringly famous Boardwalk, the new Hard Rock underwent a US$500 million renovation that includes 2,200 slot machines and 120 table games amidst a nearly 120,000-square-foot gaming floor. The lavish and music-oriented Hard Rock contains 1,972 guest rooms and suites and more than 20 concept restaurants.
There are two performance areas, Etess Arena (seating 7,000) and Sound Waves (seating 1,500), and Hard Rock’s “365 Live” features live performances every day of the year. This concentration on entertainment is part of a seeming paradigm shift.
“We’re going to focus on entertainment; we’re not going to be a traditional 90 percent gaming, 10 percent non-gaming model,” Jim Allen, chairman of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming, said during the pre-opening ceremony press conference. “Our goal is to be 65 percent gaming, 30-35 percent non-gaming.”
More than 300 shows had already been booked by the grand opening, and opening weekend attractions hosted by actor Michael B. Jordan (Black Panther) featured performances by Mel DeBarge and special guests for opening night at the DAER Nightclub. The Etess Arena featured performances by Carrie Underwood on June 29 and Pitbull the following night.
The Hard Rock offers 150,000 square feet of meeting and group space. Allen also stressed the importance of meetings: “Our brand is in 75 countries; we truly understand convention and MICE business. It is something that is very important on a global basis and we’re looking to bring all those resources here to Atlantic City.”
-DIAN BARBER
