The travel and hotel industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a worldwide shutdown. Beijing, as the capital city of China, has imposed severe restrictions and practised social distancing as well as Wuhan. The question we all are wondering now is, how do you restart business when you are expecting clients from all over the world? What are the thoughts and actions of Beijing’s Wendy Lv, Director of Groups and Events at Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Center? She shares her business and management wisdom with other industry peers.
The Coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on the international economy, impacting all sectors of the travel industry. What have you been thinking during this time?
For a salesperson, the most important thing is to evaluate the global business situation, and to dynamically develop action plans and communicate these to the team, as the international business indicators and statistics continually change on a daily basis. In response to the epidemic, I made three proactive response plans, assessing the worst scenario, the best scenario and the intermediate plan, allowing me to create a response strategy.
Strategies are refined into different stages. The short-term strategy was mainly aimed towards the end of the domestic epidemic, when local enterprises resume full production and business operations, while the medium-term plan was geared towards a gradual return to normalcy throughout the world. The long-term plan is dedicated to our international and multinational companies, conventions and exhibitions, for a return to business. We are now putting a special focus on emerging new industries. In-depth collaboration with third-party platforms is essential for harnessing the business analysis of market demand potentials, as well as knowing the competitive advantage of the property among competitors. Innovation of product and service is already a must to win business, especially for new market segments.
Can you talk in-depth about the industry’s development trends and what actions Kempinski Hotel Beijing will take in response?
For conference and banquet sales in the hotel industry, online meetings are likely to become a future trend. Why do guests come to hotels for online meetings instead of holding them in their own conference rooms? What are the comparative advantages of being at Kempinski Hotel Beijing? It is important to be able to analyse the market, conduct an in-depth analysis of guests’ needs and then objectively evaluate the hotel itself and promote corresponding changes.
Some guests value the upgraded accommodation for invited guests and speakers, since all Kempinski’s guestrooms were completely renovated in 2019 with the latest guestroom products. Some conferences require ultra-high-speed Internet and ultra-high-definition video conferencing equipment, and we need to ensure that the hotel has close contact with the best suppliers on the market for guests to choose from. For certain types of meetings, such as board meetings, more attention to privacy is paid, so our soundproof walls ensure our meeting rooms provide guests with the highest level of confidentiality. Some meetings require higher-level security measures, which is a strength of Kempinski Hotel Beijing, as the hotel is located in the embassy area and has always been a preferred choice for National Day celebrations and high-profile state visits. Of course, there are many meetings and conferences for which our catering services and themed coffee and tea breaks are valued, but how we attentively create each experience is what matters. In a nutshell, knowing how to creatively craft a valuable and personalised package is how we win over businesses.
Some people say that the novel coronavirus has opened a new era in the hotel industry, so how has the demand for hotel sales changed?
In the new era, requirements for all industries and professions have changed, and hotel sales are no exception. The old way of thinking about sales was about selling goods, but I think it’s evolved into sales meaning finding ways to increase the chance that customers choose to stay with you. Become a guest’s first priority through your emotional intelligence and human care, because customers will acknowledge your reliability. An excellent sale cannot stop at customer relations. The ability to analyse and foresee industries and markets, the ability to propose solutions to customers, and the ability to embrace change and discover new opportunities are all important. If you ask me how to do this, my answer is to keep up-to-date with the news and happenings around the world, equip oneself with needed skills and knowledge, and learn to observe and think, and become a person people are interested in.
Wendy Lv started her career as Front Office Representative at Hyatt hotel group 17 years ago and has worked with multiple leading five-star groups throughout Beijing, including Beijing Grand Hyatt Hotel, Four Seasons Hotel, Beijing, and Park Hyatt Beijing. She participated in the planning of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Olympic Village Service, the Qatar Crown Prince Dinner and other high-end luxury brands, catering for events for JP Morgan, Mercedes-Benz, Fendi and Dior.
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