The Westin Nova Scotian Blog

Over the past 3-4 years, we have seen tremendous changes in how the hotel industry operates, how guests book rooms, and how meeting planners negotiate rates and consider hotels. We understand that organizations, especially those in government have to be much wiser with shrinking budgets and limited resources. This is especially true when planning a Halifax meeting or conference.

Government meeting planners are being challenged like never before. How to come up with creative programs that accomplish your goals and let you stay on budget is the question all meeting planners face. One way to accomplish this is to bring your hotel sales manager into the planning phase earlier. Their suggestions may just give you the winning edge. Consider need periods of the hotel to deliver the best value for your program. If your dates are flexible, you may be offered a great deal on rates. Rather than just considering the rate being offered, look at other options such as reduced parking rates or special promotions being offered by the hotel. The more information you have about your group will assist the sales manager in creating the best possible value proposal for you and your group.

Planning activities for smaller groups is really fun in Halifax. There is no shortage of delicious restaurants, exciting pubs and nightclubs, and tourist attractions throughout Halifax. We asked our LinkedIn Members and here are a few ideas that we came up with:

Jennifer Alexander, Executive Meeting Manager: I would suggest Harbour Hopper, Queen Anne Harbour Cruise and I hear that Greyline/Ambassatours has a VIP bus.

Glenn Bowie, Area Director of Sales and Marketing for New Castle Hotels: In Halifax, there is absolutely nothing like a traditional Pub crawl, complete with Logo'd Sou Wester, branded T-Shirts, and one of our famous Bag Pipers. It is a great way to bring the group together.

When planning your next event have you thought about how to deal with the cash bar vs. host bar question?

When planning a Halifax meeting, conference, or convention, one should consider audio visual equipment. This includes projector screens, lap tops, speakers, sound systems, and lights. It is very important you have what you need and you should plan this well in advance to ensure the correct equipment is available.

We are fortunate to have a preferred supplier on site because of the size of our meeting facilities. This makes it easier for organizers to plan the audio visual component of their events. Our preferred supplier is AVW Telav. When planning your meeting, your Executive Meeting Manager or Conference Services Manager will assist you in getting what you need. If you want to contact the AV supplier directly, you can contact Brad Selig at (902) 496-7984 or via email at bselig@avwtelav.com.

If you have any questions in particular, you can contact us directly. Wenda Berkvens, our Conference Services Manager, can direct you to the appropriate person. You can find her on our Contact Us page or you can join her network on Linked In. We run a discussion group and they are there to answer any inquiries.

What do you normally need for your meetings and events?

Are you planning a meeting, conference, or bringing a group to Halifax? Check out what one of our Sales Managers, Teri Green, has to say about negotiating group rates:

The key is flexibility. If your dates are not set in stone feel free to ask your sales manager if there are any dates that might offer you the best rate.

Could your room block start on a Sunday? Sunday is notoriously a slower night for hotels so lower rates may be available. (READ BELOW FOR MORE INFO)......

Buffet or plated dinner for your next event?

There are some misconceptions about the value of selecting a buffet dinner rather than a plated meal. Often times people think that they need a buffet for variety and pricing reasons. It's understandable that you want to make sure your guests are satisfied at a reasonable price. But a buffett dinner is not always the correct option. Here are some of my thoughts for you to consider:

1. Price: A plated meal can often be less expensive than a full buffet. With a buffet there is an average of 20% food waste. Plated meals are pre-portioned based on the average amount of food consumed over that given meal period.

For anyone who's ever had to plan a meeting or conference in Halifax, you probably know that there are premium periods and a small booking window. Traditionally Halifax is busiest during May, August, September, and early October. Some people are surprised by this because they assume June July, and August would be.

These periods are normally busy with conventions and conferences. Because of summer vacations, conference take place either before or after tourist season. That, combined with cruise ship and tour bus season, makes for a very happening Halifax.

So when should you book your Halifax Conference hotel? Here are a few guidelines: