Innovation is at the heart of progress; without it, you might end up with the dreaded “same old, same old.”
But while you may immediately think “tech” when you hear the word “innovation,” ideas on the cutting edge aren’t necessarily related to advances in technology. Simply looking at something in a new way can result in moments of discovery. The Netherlands, for example, is taking traditional stories and making them new for group travel in 2025, including introducing tours highlighting the landscapes that inspired painter Vincent Van Gogh.
“In 2025, Amsterdam will celebrate 750 years,” says Briana Van Note, PR Manager, Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions North America. “What we’re doing is taking an umbrella story—sustainability for example—and creating a sustainable train trip around the country. We’re also featuring the up-and-coming wine regions of the Netherlands, giving people an alternative to Napa.”
Following is a look at other groundbreaking destinations and hospitality companies who reveal their plans to elevate the meeting and incentive travel experience in the coming months and years.
There’s nothing new about the idea of sustainability…or is there?
“‘Sustainability’ is an overused word, but we’re very excited about everything we’re doing around it,” says Virginie De Visscher, Executive Director, Business Events for Destination Canada. “We’re looking at it from a holistic aspect, not just the environmental side but the sociocultural and economic side of things.”
To that end, Destination Canada recently announced the Sustainability Storybook, a continuation of their Business Events Sustainability Plan, released in 2020 but continuing to resonate with and inform events held throughout the country.
As its name suggests, the Storybook—aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—shares sustainability initiatives and solutions from communities across Canada. Calgary, for one, receives more annual sunshine than any other Canadian destination and the city’s TELUS Convention Centre takes full advantage of this with a 10-kilowatt rooftop solar array, generating about 14,000 kilowatt hours of power annually and offsets the facility’s carbon emissions by about 11 tonnes every year.
In addition, the Edmonton EXPO Centre and Edmonton Convention Centre both have zero-waste programs in place, with the goal of diverting 90 percent of waste from landfills into donations, reuse, recycling and composting; while in Montreal, the Directory of Social and Environmental Organizations pairs planners with organizations that give back to the local communities, with initiatives including surplus food reallocation and volunteer opportunities.
“We’re a carbon-intensive industry, so we all have to make an effort toward being more sustainable,” De Visscher notes, pointing to a few of her favorite examples of conserving and using sustainable resources. One is the pop-up market, allowing attendees to shop for locally produced wares right at the convention, “to give more business to indigenous and minority-owned businesses,” she says. “So from earrings and jewelry to candles, to you-name-it, it showcases the local culture and that’s an idea that can be replicated anywhere in the world.”
Another idea De Visscher is fond of is the virtual delegate bag, initiated by Prince Edward Island, she says, and allowing attendees to download and choose what they really want.
“A lot of conferences still give swag bags, full of things that you’re not going to use,” she says. “But this way you take only what you will keep and what you will cherish. So you’re still supporting locally but creating no waste.”
Canada’s indigenous crafters and designers were recently brought to the forefront during Indigenous Fashion Shows held at recent IMEX and ASAE conventions.
“We all come from somewhere else, but Canada’s indigenous people have been there from time immemorial,” De Visscher says. “Last year at Incentive Canada, we had a tea workshop with Matricia Bauer from Warrior Women in Alberta, who forages from the land to create a tea that has medicinal properties. It’s such an interactive learning experience.”
In addition to exponential growth in properties over the past decade, Hyatt has kept its eye on a vital sector of its business: meetings and events, continuing to innovate new products for them.
Launched last year were the Together by Hyatt Event Experience Guides, including menus, wellbeing resources, sustainability suggestions, local experiences and an event success guide.
“Together by Hyatt was created by listening to our planners, and the Event Experience Guide is that next step in delivering events consistently for our groups,” says Steve Enselein, Sr. VP, Events, Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
Initially introduced in 2021, Together by Hyatt—the company’s blueprint for creating meetings—was elevated and refined this year as hotels assembled teams of culinary experts, AV specialists and other support teams to collaborate with planners on everything from room set-up to lighting, with the goal of making planners feel more cared for.
As of January 2024, planners were given more opportunities to earn qualifying room nights via World of Hyatt, the brand’s loyalty program, while the Hyatt Resort Alliance and Hyatt Convention Alliance feature a network of hotels catering to events of all sizes and styles.
In addition to the new Event Experiences Guides, the Hyatt planning process was streamlined with the addition of the Event Concierge App and the Hyatt Meeting Planner Portal, a user-friendly tool for running reports on historical and current events, including rooming lists, room pickup and no-shows, among other important information.
“Planners have told us it’s next level,” Enselein says. “Your entire history is there in the portal. It’s a completely self-service operation and has resulted in reducing about a million e-mails planners normally would have to send and receive. We’re excited to use technology in caring for the planner,” he adds.
Also elevated this year is Hyatt’s F&B program, themed around the philosophy “food, thoughtfully sourced and carefully served,” with menus built around regional vendors and a greater emphasis on fruits and vegetables. Meanwhile, the wellbeing portion of Together by Hyatt has been enhanced by care stations provided in meeting rooms—including such items as blankets, vitamins and stress balls—and Headspace, providing guests with complimentary access to mindfulness and sleep content.
Though at a latitude much higher than the Caribbean, Bermuda’s tropical climate is warmed by the Gulf Stream and cooled by ocean breezes. Yet this British territory’s location east of coastal North Carolina makes it exceptionally convenient for meeting and incentive travel from the U.S. and Canadian east coasts, not only because of easy proximity but ongoing improvements to its airport and hotels.
“What planners are going to find is our ability to host larger groups, larger meetings and larger events, as bespoke and intimate as an event planner wants to have,” says Tracy Berkeley, CEO of the Bermuda Tourism Authority. “Our conference spaces now are upgraded; they’re a lot more modern and the technology is at a premium, so there are a lot of opportunities for anyone planning their meeting or [event] to give Bermuda a try.”
Case in point: Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa, which got a major makeover in time for its 100th birthday in 2023 and stands as one of the last remaining classic cottage hotels in Bermuda, with some structures and architectural details on the property dating back to the 17th century. Yet this classic landmark is fully updated for groups of all types, from incentive trips and board retreats to association groups and corporate meetings, with a capacity of 140 theater-style in its largest room. Gathering spaces also include outdoor terraces and decks to take full advantage of the resort’s private peninsula location.
And though Bermuda is home to such luxe properties as the St. Regis Bermuda Resort—home to the 2,600-sf Astor Ballroom and an expansive event lawn—the term Berkeley prefers is “luxury light.”
“We are within reach of most of our groups, so yes, a luxury destination, but it’s soft and elevated,” she says.
On the horizon will be one of the island’s largest renovation projects ever, the Fairmont Southampton, due to reopen in the first half of 2026 with well-appointed rooms—including the Gold Suite and an impressive Duplex Suite—along with a ballroom and pre-function space, Windows on the Sound restaurant and the Jasmin Lounge. On property and set to open this December is the Waterlot Inn at the Fairmont Southampton, while the Turtle Hill Golf Club at Fairmont Southampton has remained open.
In addition to golf, pickleball has grown in popularity on the island, Berkeley says, and figures prominently on Bermuda’s busy fitness and wellness scene. “Our beaches and spas are popular, and make a great option when attendees bring a spouse or partner or when they combine work with play,” she says. “People have come down for yoga retreats and different wellness events. Whatever anyone can think of, Bermuda can check those boxes.”
Known as the “Las Vegas of Asia,” the Sands Resorts Macao encompass some of the top names in hospitality while also boasting the most meeting space in the emerging meeting mecca of Macao, China. Properties include: the Sands Macao on the waterfront overlooking Fisherman’s Wharf; and across the harbor—grouped together on their own Strip—the Venetian Macao, the Parisian Macao, the Four Seasons Macao and the Londoner Macao—the latter of which is home to the St. Regis Macao, the Conrad Macao and the new Londoner Court, offering 368 residential-style accommodations.
The parent company—Sands China Ltd.—also owns Cotai Expo, one of the largest convention and exhibition halls in Asia; the Cotai Arena, Macao’s largest entertainment venue; and the new 6,000-seat Londoner Arena, which recently joined the existing 1,200-seat Parisian Theatre and the 1,700-seat Londoner Theatre. But wait, there’s more: Cotai Water Jet, one of two major high-speed ferries operating between Hong Kong and Macao; and the complex’s retail malls featuring more than 750 shops. Combined, the properties include about 12,400 hotel rooms and suites and 150 restaurants and food outlets, not to mention more than 1.6 million sf of meeting and event space.
“To us, innovation has a lot of different looks,” says Kris Kaminsky, Sr. VP, Hotel Operations for Sands China. “For example, in our Londoner Court, one of the newer properties, we thought about having butler service. But not the usual butlers. Our butlers are certified sommeliers, or wellness coaches or fitness experts.”
Meanwhile, there’s a rebranding in the near future. Marriott International and Sands China have signed an agreement to debut The Luxury Collection brand to the market. Slated to open in May 2025, Londoner Grand, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Macao (formerly the Sheraton Grand Macao) will feature 2,405 rooms and suites reflecting the grandeur of Georgian architecture, along with five distinct dining experiences.
“Our properties are a good destination for American planners because Hong Kong and Macao are both special autonomous regions of China,” Kaminsky says. “We’ve got visa-free travel…about 90 countries come into Macao with no visa. The bulk of attendees come from the U.S. and most come through Hong Kong,” he adds.
Distinctly themed and specialists in multiple aspects of hospitality—including meetings and onsite recreation—Omni Hotels & Resorts just had a major breakthrough on something they’ve spent the last few years working on.
“We have finally figured out a way to provide connecting rooms,” says Dan Surette, Chief Sales Officer. “It’s a little thing, but not easy to automate.” But automate it they have in the new program Stay Together, allowing guests to confirm connecting rooms.
“There aren’t a lot of brands that can do this. It’s really a huge request,” Surette says. “With our mix of meeting and convention hotels, great resorts and city destinations, people may want to bunk close together for different types of gatherings.”
Another area of innovation Omni recently announced was a change to Select Guest, their loyalty program, which is now a spend-based rewards system with members earning Omni credits that can be redeemed for hotel stays.
“It’s not just stay a night and earn points, it’s whatever the room revenue is, or food and beverage or whatever you’re spending,” Surette says. “Before, if you weren’t a business traveler accumulating a lot of nights, you probably weren’t getting the full benefit of the program…now that combination of revenue and spend allows more of our guests to enjoy more benefits. And there are very few blackout dates.”
Coming in the future will be live chat capabilities, “not AI chat,” Surette says. Omni already offers ALICE texting, the hotel operations platform allowing guests to communicate with hotel staff for things like room service and restaurant reservations.
Meanwhile, this smaller-scale hotelier of properties in business and leisure destinations in the U.S. and Canada recently broke ground on the Omni Pontoque Resort at Punta de Mita, the brand’s first luxury resort in Mexico, set to open in late 2026, with amenities including 27,000 sf of meeting and event space.
Also on the new hotel front, Omni is about to take its place as headquarter hotel besides two major convention centers: the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale—undergoing a major expansion—and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, due to open in 2025 and 2028-2029, respectively.
Omni also recently sealed another deal for a headquarter hotel in 2027 at the expanding Raleigh Convention Center; while at the new Omni PGA Frisco Resort, an entertainment district features a 2-acre putting course and simulators for teambuilding.
“That’s a huge innovation for us in design, which we had never really done,” Surette says. “And it’s a home run.”
When Atlantis awakened sleepy Paradise Island in 1994, it revolutionized Bahamian tourism, and tourism in general, with its waterscape of pools, waterfalls and lagoons—the centerpiece being a clear underwater tunnel through a shark habitat.
Since then, it’s been one innovation after another, as the original waterpark grew into one of the world’s largest, the 141-acre Aquaventure, and the shark habitat expanded to include more than 65,000 aquatic animals from 250 species making their home in natural ocean-fed lagoons and habitats. The original pink hotel also grew into five unique lodging options—the iconic newly renovated towers of The Royal, the laid-back Coral, waterside villas at Harborside Resort, all-suite luxury accommodations for adults at The Cove, and residential-style living at The Reef.
“The essence of what we are, especially for an incentive program, is we are probably one of the most experiential properties…we provide bucket-list experiences like swimming with dolphins and stingrays and snorkeling our coral gardens,” says Steve Silverman, Sr. VP of Sales. “Then afterward, you can have a sophisticated dinner at one of our Michelin restaurants or something more casual. Genuinely, something for everyone.”
Indeed, an impressive collection of over 40 restaurants, bars and lounges includes Fish by Jose Andres, Nobu by Nobu Matsuhisa, and Paranza by Michael White. Atlantis also hosts the annual Nassau Paradise Island Wine & Food Festival in March.
The resort’s experiential nature continues into wellness, with facilities including not only the tranquil Mandara Spa but a newly opened tennis and pickleball center.
“Pickleball is relatively new to our property,” Silverman says. “We also have a Meditation Point where beautiful statues look out over the Atlantic and where we offer yoga and meditation classes. And we just opened a miniature golf course, which can be utilized by small groups.”
Silverman says group and leisure business are equally important to the resort—the property offers 500,000 sf of meeting space—with groups “strategically layered” in with leisure guests. Buyouts also are available.
“Corporate business will want The Royal tower or The Cove, while the associations, fraternals and sports groups will want The Coral because of the convention center and activities we have there,” Silverman says. “Our maximum group size is 1,800 to 2,200 but our sweet spot is between 150 and 500.”Laurel Herman contributed to this article.
businessevents.destinationcanada.com/en-ca; hyatt.com/events; gotobermuda.com/bta; en.sandsresortsmacao.com/sands-lifestyle/index.html; omnihotels.com/meetings; atlantisbahamas.com/meetings