It just may be the small-meetings business that could help the beleaguered hotel industry overcome challenges presented by a raging pandemic, economic downturn and civil unrest.

Companies anxious to cement deals and keep their employees connected realize they need to have meetings, with hotels providing the perfect venue to do this safely in small groups. To entice these groups, hotels are providing enhanced technology, flexible contracts that allow for last-minute changes and detailed sanitary procedures.

"Hotels must have all social distancing guidelines in place for meeting space and (food and beverage). In addition, they need to offer more flexible cancellation and attrition clauses around force majeure, or if fewer attendees become a reality," said Steve Goodman, founder and managing partner at MeetingAdvice in Atlanta.

Some hotels are offering meeting space just for online meetings and most in-person meetings going forward will have a hybrid component, he said. As a result, hotels are making accommodations to allow this, such as higher bandwidth options.

Read the full article at HotelNewsNow (part of CoStar)