Planning For Your 2021/2022 Meetings

2020—a year marked by conferences, meetings, events and incentive travel becoming cancelled, postponed or transitioned to virtual formats on a massive scale—has made an indelible impact on the industry. Through these trying times, our sales team has continued to provide planners with the latest insights and professional support, but these conversations all tend to circle back to a singular shared conviction: There is no substitute for face-to-face gatherings.

According to the Recovery Index conducted between May 1 and July 31, 2020 by Meeting Professionals International (MPI), 86% of surveyed planners indicate a return to face-to-face meetings throughout 2021 and 2022. Given this timeframe, the window to research potential venues and schedule site visits is now.

Of course, just as a virtual meeting cannot adequately replace a face-to-face experience, a virtual tour is not the best substitute for an in-person site visit. Websites, photos and videos can effectively convey a general overview of offerings, but only an in-person site visit allows you to gain a true sense of the tangible, sensory and experiential elements that are crucial to the success of a group gathering:

• Sense of place
• Atmosphere
• Service levels
• Business operations in action
• Mitigation of risk factors
• Standards of F&B/dining/event services
• Quality of amenities and appointments
• Engagement of team-building activities/recreation
• Guestroom comfort and presentation
• Navigability between accommodations and group venues
• Flow of event spaces
• Meeting room environment (lighting, temperature, soundproofing)
• Wi-Fi coverage and speed

Experiencing these elements first-hand allows you to determine if a venue is the right fit for your group’s exacting requirements and unique culture. It also provides the valuable opportunity to build a strong rapport with the on-site sales and event professionals who, ultimately, will be the champion for the success of your gathering.

As a highly-acclaimed destination property earning numerous awards and accolades year-after-year, you can add Kiawah Island Golf Resort to your site visit shortlist with confidence. Our secluded coastal location in South Carolina’s storied Lowcountry, breathtaking natural surroundings and unsurpassed amenities create a memorable attendee experience. Earlier this year, we also unveiled the West Beach Conference Center, which offers 23,000 square feet of customizable spaces and light-filled rooms to deliver an extraordinary group environment.

Our inspirational barrier island lies in close proximity to Charleston International Airport and the city’s historic center, offering effortless accessibility from around the country—including non-stop air service from Los Angeles. In addition to ease of travel, our Resort has been a longtime favorite among planners for flexible accommodations—both in The Sanctuary, our Forbes Five-Star/AAA Five-Diamond oceanfront hotel, and a portfolio of private Resort Villas—suitable to groups of any size and for gatherings of every purpose.

We encourage you to reach out to our sales team to arrange a private site visit and experience Kiawah Island Golf Resort for yourself. Make the final quarter of 2020 a productive time, exploring our destination for your group events planned for 2021 and beyond.