Attendance at the recent 2023 International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) America’s Knowledge Exchange is proof that the meetings business is back in full swing.  Venue owners, operators, sellers, planners and hospitality enthusiasts gathered this month to share best practices and discuss daily challenges impacting their hotels. One hot educational topic was “Integration vs. Best of Breed in Sales & Catering Software,” hosted by Diamond Sponsor Maestro PMS.

“We had a delightful time attending the IACC Americas Knowledge Exchange 2023,” said Margaret Legum, Maestro senior sales consultant.  “It was a great opportunity to see old and new customers in person and reconnect with them after years of being away. Smaller regional events like this are quite powerful today, as they don’t overwhelm people with mass audiences and keep educational sessions and supplier visits manageable. Maestro PMS has always been a proud supporter of IACC, and we thoroughly enjoy showcasing our Web Browser based cloud and on-premises all-in-one PMS solutions to this important group of conference center operators.”

By popular demand, Legum and Senior Sales Consultant Mark Kelly addressed a full assembly on the costs and limitations of operating with a dedicated sales-and-catering software vs. one that is integrated with an “all-in-one” PMS solution. The interactive session highlighted the benefits of a more holistic approach to event management while recognizing the strengths of dedicated sales and catering software when paired with a PMS that has strong group-management capabilities.

“There is nothing more dynamic than learning from others,” Kelly said. “Hoteliers’ needs are always evolving and as technologists must continually redefine our solutions to meet their needs, the desires of meeting planners, and the demands of modern travelers. It was great to see so many people interested in learning more about the future of sales and catering and how to determine which type of solution is best for their hotels. An automated sales-and-catering solution with intuitive contact CRM and team communication tools can free-up operators from administrative tasks, improve internal communications and allow the operations team to focus more on the client and their attendees.”

The Sales and Catering Module within Maestro PMS features:

• Multi-property, single account history
• Full contact management, automated CRM & task messaging
• Seamless group management across departments
• Secure digital contracts with e-sign
• Pre-Payment Portal
• Multi Room availability display options
• Diverse Budget, Pace and activity reporting
• Online attendee/planner portal, custom group landing pages
• Direct rooming list, rates & availability access
• Integrated online guest management capabilities

According to the 2023 Global Meetings and Events Forecast, the meetings and events industry is experiencing an unprecedented recovery, and all signs point to a busy 2023. Internal meetings will be the fastest growing category in 2023 across all regions, with the U.S. leading the way, followed by Latin America, Europe and Asia.

“The hospitality industry needs to keep abreast of technology more than ever, and smaller events like this one produced by IACC bring people together safely and effectively,” said Warren Dehan, Maestro PMS president. "Demand among travelers for contactless technologies is not going away. Therefore, it’s imperative that technologists bring their personalized and touchless mobile guest service tools to the market and showcase how operators can enhance the guest experience and deliver a safer stay. It’s exciting to see travelers returning and in-person events making a comeback in a big way.”