Plan Your Meetings

How to survive and thrive in today’s economy

Atlanta kicked off National Travel and Tourism Week with a panel discussion hosted by the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau (ACVB). Several companies, representing various aspects of the hospitality industry, weighed in on what it takes to thrive in today’s economy. Here are their top 10 tips for surviving and succeeding right now.

1. Leverage your CVB membership; don’t just write a check for dues. Get active.
2. Pay a lot of attention to your value promises. Partner with other businesses to provide more value. For example, bundle products, like Fifth Group Restaurants and The Fox Theatre do with their dinner and a show packages.
3. Don’t do “one size fits all,” offer choices. The more creative, the better.
4. Try new things. Think of ways to get the most exposure for your budget, i.e., alliances and collaborations.
5. Use social media. Embrace networking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and Yelp.
6. Hug your customers; retention becomes very important in times like these. Reward regular guests/clients by offering loyalty programs.
7. Remember, it’s all about the customer experience. Connect with clients/reach out to guests; offer great service; and recognize their special days — birthdays, anniversaries, etc.
8. Use research to track what you are doing and to look for holes in your system.
9. Know your customer.
10. Make sure the personal touches and level of service meet the needs of your target market.