Hyatt Hotels Corporation is going all-in on hybrid with the release of a new meeting and event offering designed to make the return of events as simple as possible for event planners. Launched on April 28, Together by Hyatt comprises a new suite of hybrid event offerings designed to simplify and streamline the event planning and execution process, with attendee safety, technology, support and wellbeing at the forefront.

The new program not only offers planners the chance to take advantage of new resources, capabilities and hybrid solutions, but also provides them with the support, education and inspiration they need to carry out successful and more inclusive events, according to Hyatt officials.

“We’re here to help planners explore the possibilities and reach their attendees in creative and impactful ways,” said Jack Horne, global head of sales and revenue for Hyatt. “As a new suite of meetings and events offerings, Together by Hyatt is designed to support planners at every step of the way as we reimagine what events can look like and collaborate to bring their vision to life.”

Safety

Backed up by Hyatt’s Global Care & Cleanliness Commitment, the new program takes additional steps to provide more peace of mind for groups, including:

• Reimagined meeting spaces: All event touchpoints have been revamped, including socially distant room setups, signage for attendees and care stations with personal protective equipment. 
• Rigorous cleanliness standards and protocols: All Hyatt hotels globally are required to secure Global Biorisk Advisory Council STAR Facility accreditation and have GBAC-trained Hygiene & Wellbeing Leaders to oversee protocols. 
• COVID-19 testing and verification platforms: Hyatt has worked with COVID-19 testing and verification providers to enable planners to easily explore COVID testing for attendees as part of their event protocol.

Technology

As the driver for hybrid event capabilities, seamless and streamlined technology platforms are critically important to the overall experience. To meet that need, Hyatt has partnered with virtual and hybrid events platform Swapcard to offer the Together by Hyatt Technology Platform Powered by Swapcard. Not only will this collaboration give planners access to a platform that unifies on-site and virtual experiences while using AI to enhance the digital attendee event experience, it will also allow planners to tap into Swapcard’s expertise and best practices for hybrid events.

In addition to the Swapcard offering and in-house audiovisual capabilities, planners can take advantage of Hyatt’s proprietary meeting tools. Available at participating hotels, these include:

• Virtual hotel tours: enables planners to tour a hotel from the comfort of home or office
• Event Concierge app: provides the ability to make requests to the hotel team in real-time
• Group Bill: organizes all event charges into one invoice

Expert Resources

To address the myriad complexities of hybrid events, Together by Hyatt can help planners seamlessly integrate and execute virtual and on-site event components with the following offerings:

• Hybrid Event Professionals: With specialized skill sets and deep-rooted expertise spanning events and technology, these experts will be available to help planners explore hybrid capabilities to ensure an equitable in-person and virtual attendee experience.
• Support Squad: Alongside the on-the-ground Hyatt team overseeing on-site event execution, a dedicated Support Squad can assist with all virtual components, including real-time tech questions from attendees and speaker set up assistance. 
• Planner certifications: For loyal customers, Hyatt is providing planners with the opportunity to be sponsored to secure training from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council, allowing them to attain the same training as Hyatt’s Hygiene & Wellbeing Leaders. Hyatt is also teaming up with the Virtual Events Instituteto offer loyal planners a certification training course to deepen their knowledge of hybrid events. 
• Resource guides: To provide planners with inspiration for future events, new resource guides will be available to share event possibilities at Hyatt hotels.  

Wellbeing

Since the onset of COVID-19, the importance of wellbeing has become a top-of-mind issue. Together by Hyatt addresses this increased focus with the following curated experiences that can be integrated into any event agenda: 

• Miraval experiences: A new series of guided experiences featuring wellbeing experts at Hyatt’s Miraval resorts will be available for planners to integrate into event agendas at all Hyatt hotels, connecting on-site and virtual attendees alike. Content designed to serve as a break in the agenda will enable attendees to enjoy a variety of wellbeing moments throughout an event, including intention-setting activities and guided stretching exercises.
• Curated content from Headspace: A global leader in mindfulness and meditation, Headspace app content such as meditations, breathing exercises and focus music can help planners make the event experience a more mindful one.
• Food and beverage offerings: Hyatt is evolving its culinary offerings in creative ways to elevate the event experience for both on-site and virtual participants. Services such as Personal Preference allow on-site attendees to choose their meal once seated, while remote attendees can receive special recipe cards and shopping lists for delicious at-home experiences. 

“While events will look and feel different, we believe there is pent-up demand to create, connect and collaborate, whether that’s in-person or a hybrid format, and once again experience the joy of what it means to be together,” said Steve Enselein, Hyatt senior vice president of events. “Guided by our purpose of care, every aspect of Together by Hyatt is intended to provide a seamless experience for planners so they can focus on delivering exceptional events for attendees.”

To learn more about how Together by Hyatt’s wellbeing content can come to life during events, check out this video. 

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