Once operating from the sidelines, today, minority groups are vocal and valuable, top consumers. Diversity association subsets like the LGBT community and racial minorities are bonded by insider inclusiveness and understanding that draws them to what AdWeek calls “must-attend… conferences, symposia, workshops, and events.” For this reason, minorities have become the newest major subset for group meetings and events and a key driver of hotel revenue.
To honor June as LGBT pride month, Knowland focuses on minority power in the hotel industry. Here are the top takeaways for hoteliers to understand this trend of the emerging diversity market:
- Needs are rising for events and meetings for LGBT, African-American, Asian, Hispanic, and women’s groups
- Because these groups want to be well-represented, they are further divided into splinter groups such as the National Asian Peace Officers’ Association and the Gay Peace Officers’ Association
- Minority splinter groups are operating on national, regional, state, and local levels, meaning they hold both large and small events in varied locations
- Many of these groups did not exist until recently, creating opportunities for hotels to provide great first-time experiences and promote future group brand loyalty
How do you put this into action to engage with diversity groups and drive their business to your hotel?
- Voice your own beliefs and opinion. In order to relate to these groups, you have to mean it. If you’re going to reach out to them, make it clear that you are aligning with their community and demonstrating your honest support. AdWeek offers great ideas such as running social media campaigns or adding a rainbow flag to your communication channels during Pride Month.
- Get specific. By using a tool like Insight’s keyword search, you can refine queries to narrow in on more unique opportunities that would otherwise be difficult to discover because of how frequently minority groups are splintering. You can specify what division of the subset you’re looking for, how large a group your hotel can host, which groups are booking in your need period, and more. You can search by specific group names, or by general terms like “LGBT” or “minority.”
- Remember that many groups are willing to travel. TravelMarket Report breaks down the travel patterns of Hispanics, noting that are likely to spend about 17% more than non-Hispanics on travel expenses. Expand your reach to groups outside your local market. Knowland’s databases allow you to focus on both groups who book in your city and those who may not have before, but would be a good fit for what your hotel and location have to offer.
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