Plan Your Meetings

Omni launches new program to make meetings sensational

Beyond room temperature and noise levels, how much thought do you put into the rooms where your small meetings are held? If you’re like most people, says Caryn Kboudi, vice president of corporate communications for Omni Hotels, chances are you don’t think about it at all.

“We asked ourselves, ‘Is there anything meeting rooms are doing to make meetings more successful?’ and ‘Why can’t the meeting room be customized to a very specific meeting environment?’ That’s why we developed the Sensational Meetings program.”

The nationwide program, launched Jan. 22, uses sensory components such as sight, sound, touch, taste and smell to create customized environments designed to enhance a certain mood or frame of mind in attendees that, hopefully, will help planners achieve their client’s meeting goals.

Stephen Rosenstock, Omni’s senior vice president of brand standards and business, says the first thing the program focuses on is covering the basics, making sure attendees are comfortable. To this end, each room is equipped with easy-to-read digital sound, light and temperature meters. After the basics are covered, he says, it’s time to determine what kind of meeting you’re planning, and customize the room.

“We looked at all meetings, and they all come down into three types,” he says. “The energetic, brainstorming meeting with sessions on creative thinking and new initiatives; the challenging meeting, where people may not have the best news to announce (anything that from a meeting planner’s perspective is of concern or stressful); and last, but not least, the recognition meeting, where you are recognizing an individual for their efforts.”

Using information gathered from nutritionists, audio architects, behavioral specialists and meeting planners, Omni Hotels developed specific “menus” for each type of meeting room. The menus allow planners to choose from a list of food, music, scents, music and visual elements Omni has determined will reinforce their particular meeting’s objectives.

Elements recommended for successful “energetic” meetings include colors such as red and orange, upbeat music, caffeinated and organic beverages, and a faint, but distinctive citrus aroma.

“The primary colors of red and orange act to activate brain cells,” Rosenstock explains. “Citrus is a scent that acts to stimulate brain activity.” The music selection is energetic, and snacks include “brain foods” such as almonds and oranges.

During a pre-launch introduction of the program in Chicago, Rosenstock says planners entering the “energetic” room instantly became very talkative and bubbly. “As soon as they walked into the [“challenging”] room, they got very quiet.”

The “challenging” room is designed to de-stress attendees who are dealing with issues that are not 100 percent positive. To defuse potentially confrontational situations, the rooms are decorated in muted blues and greens, with soothing visuals, water features and Asian-inspired elements.

“The music is different; you have lavender, juniper and jasmine — all three scents have a calming effect,” Rosenstock says. “The [meeting] table has stress balls, lavender-scented boxes and ginger chews. Ginger has a healing power, it’s both soothing, but uplifting.” Caffeinated beverages and sugar are not recommended for attendees of challenging meetings.

The mood picks up palpably in celebratory "recognition” rooms. Sparkly decorations, affirmation rocks, champagne, chocolate truffles and individual flowers for each attendee are designed to make everyone feel special, although the music used puts special emphasis on the person being honored.

“We play No. 1 hits that take you back to the time they first came out, to feeling good and happy,” Rosenstock says. Planners can customize the music soundtrack according the age of the honoree, whether they’re a baby boomer, Gen X or Gen Next.

Adds Rosenstock, “It makes them really feel like, ‘It’s about me.’”