Sourcing for venues post-pandemic involve a new set of priorities - including cleanliness, social distancing and new technology to help make meetings and events safer.
Hotel Okura Amsterdam, which looks out over the infamous Amstel Canal, approaches health and safety not only stringently, but also uniquely. They have proven their capabilities for running events and responding creatively to changes. We spoke to Nienke Badía, Director of Sales, Hotel Okura Amsterdam to find out how they are approaching hotel safety.
Find out how Hotel Okura Amsterdam are approaching hotel safety:
What steps are your venue taking to create a safe but engaging environment for guests?
Hotel Okura Amsterdam lends itself perfectly for any event, restaurant, room or spa experience. The large conference space, spacious lobby and restaurants allow for guests to experience the high service level and culinary excellence just as before while being able to respect the social distancing. Offering multiple restaurants and bars, a cooking studio and ample parking facilities guests won't have to leave the hotel to have the full experience.
We greet you the Japanese way, with a respectful bow instead of shaking hands. We have extended our in-room dining options to our restaurants, now guests can enjoy Michelin star cuisine in their own room. Employees engaging with our guests wear transparent face masks ensuring our continuous friendly and genuine service.
How are you approaching health and safety in your venue?
The health and well-being of our guests and colleagues is always our top priority. We have added extra measures to our already high standards.
Upon arrival, we encourage guests to make use of our sanitization room where you can wash your hands, spray your luggage or bag with stabilised Ozone water and take their temperature.
Before making use of our facilities we ask guests prescribed health questions as required by the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment).
The employee sanitization room is placed at the employee entrance, so all employees entering the building will wash their hands and measure their temperature.
Find out more about Hotel Okura Amsterdam
How are you approaching social distancing in your venue?
We made sure that the flow in all our spaces allows for seamless social distancing, by discreetly placing a plant or seating area here and there.
Tables in the restaurants are placed in such a way that social distancing can be upheld, and we offer two lunch or dinner times to manage the number of guests. In the lifts, no more than two people at once are allowed. For events specifically, we have crowd management control possibilities
What challenges or obstacles have you encountered while setting your venue up for a post-pandemic environment?
At the beginning of the pandemic, we needed to experiment with the space and flow to ensure we can keep to all regulations while still ensuring the Hotel Okura Amsterdam experience. Otherwise, we have been able to manage and adapt well and swiftly.
What has been working well and what have your guests responded positively to?
We have been able to maintain our high standards of service, hospitality and Hotel Okura Amsterdam-worthy experiences while keeping to the new measures and regulations. The high spirit, willingness and creativity of our employees has also contributed to our success during COVID-19.
Have you been using any technology to help keep guests safe?
We provide guests technology solutions to help reduce face-to-face contact and improve social distancing. These include:
- QR codes with links for guests to access the restaurants' menus.
- QR codes for health questions and registration of names and phone numbers to save time on paperwork upon arrival.
- Crowd management solutions on the conference floor allow us to monitor the flow of delegates (crowd counter, projection walk directions etc).
- Semi permanent AV set to be able to offer a discounted rate to clients.
How are you letting planners know that your hotel is open and safe for events?
We were only closed during the first peak and during this time, most of us were working on cancellations and re-bookings. Also, all of our conference account managers and sales team have been working all this time, so any inquiry was handled.
We have a safe meetings video on the website and information to inform planners of the steps we have taken to keep them safe.
We have also updated our Cvent Supplier Network page with information and a video detailing our safe meetings.
We also have three promotions available, including A/V support for hybrid meetings, complimentary Wi-Fi and live virtual site visits.
Have you been leveraging CVBs/DMOs in any way since the pandemic?
We work closely together with the CVB, several DMO’s and other partners to promote our destination as safe and ready to host events.
These are uncertain times, but together we will succeed.
Event planners and venues must lean on each other more than ever to be successful. New restrictions and COVID-19 guidelines are new to all of us. That means that it is key to collaborate effectively and to know what the other side expects.
Up next, check out our on-demand webinar on reconnecting planners and venues.
