Page 32 - AreaNewsletters "July 2022" issue

Why are transportation suppliers booked so far in advance?
Six tips for making sure your group can get from point A to point B
By Beth Buehler
Many facets of the meetings and events industry have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.We’re operating with different challenges and opportunities, price points,contract language and timelines for book- ing, and transportation is no exception. Destination Colorado connected with Jorge Sanchez, president and CEO of Denver-based Hermes Worldwide, Inc., to explore one of the major topics currently at hand for many planners: why are transportation suppliers booked so far in advance?
Retailers, builders, restaurants and transportation companies are all being faced with similar challenges: supply chain issues, in ation, dif culty nding staff and employees looking for work/life balance and not willing to work outside “normal” hours.This perfect storm leaves consumers and meeting planners asking, “Now what do I do?” Sanchez provided six tips for making sure groups have transportation.
Book transportation for meetings and events as far in advance as possible. Three to four months’ notice is no longer enough; in most cases, it’s more like six months or more.Why is this happening? There are a variety of reasons. Many transportation providers downsized by a few buses during the pandemic, and now it is hard to nd vehi- cles to purchase and hire enough drivers.Also, there also are less players in the industry due to mergers and companies going out of business.Throw in ve- hicles being out of commission for a period due to mechanical repairs needed or being hit and damaged, it adds to the complexity. In many cases, it takes up to six months to secure new equipment.
Avoid waiting until all the details are worked out.
You may not have your manifest for airport and other transfers or the locations nailed down quite yet, but it is better to book now and make modi cations later rather than wait.Otherwise,transportation providers may not have the type and number of vehicles you need. “We need some details, but we can modify later,” Sanchez says.
Don’t assume that weekdays will be easier to book.
Demand for venues, transportation and almost any supplier service related to meetings and events is high since so many gatherings from 2020 and 2021 have been pushed into 2022 and beyond.“There is a lot of compression due to all the cancellations, espe- cially for weddings.“We have more demand and less supply than ever in the transportation industry,” he explains. “Also, weddings are moving into midweek when corporate events normally happen.”
Group passengers together and use less equipment.
This helps with the driver and equipment shortage. Run a shuttle if the logistics make sense and gure out how quickly that shuttle can be ipped. For example, a property like Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center is a close distance to Denver International Airport so a ip can be completed in 45 minutes, whereas transporting a group to Golden west of Denver requires a two-hour round trip for a vehicle and driver. Plan accordingly to best utilize your transportation provider’s eet.
July 2022 • Castle Rock “AreaNewsletters”
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