After months of endless zoom meetings that have kept people fixed to their screens, the yearning for social reconnection, face to face interactions and shared experiences has never been stronger. 

Australia's leading business and meetings brand, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, has been busy getting creative looking to reinvent the way businesses come together to reconnect in a meaningful way.

In partnership with Business Events Australia through the Boost Program, the hotel group has released a new video to excite and inspire the industry to think about the way they meet in the future.

The reasons that businesses meet face to face in a post pandemic environment are being realigned and an opportunity exists to deliver reimagined meetings and events that facilitate meaningful connections and spark the creativity and ideas that allow businesses to thrive. 

With creative event programming that offers fun and energising breakouts, exclusive offsite gatherings and fresh and healthy food options, Crowne Plaza's stylish and tech savvy hotels in locations across Australia are well positioned to do this.

Dean Jones, IHG Hotels & Resorts Head of Commercial, Japan, Australasia and Pacific said: “Prior to these latest lockdowns we saw increased lead generation and bookings from businesses wanting a return to face to face events. There's no doubt, we have been thrown a major curve ball with the current border restrictions and lockdowns, however feedback suggests there is an even stronger desire for people to come together, have fun, and reconnect.”

“In fact, rather than cancelling, many business events that were booked prior to lockdowns have chosen to reschedule to either later this year or to 2022, as the reasons to meet remain just as relevant and compelling.  In a post-pandemic world, we are resetting the stage for creative collaboration in Australia.” said Jones.

Crowne Plaza has long been the expert in producing memorable events, whether it be team building on the beach followed up by a sunset cocktail and seafood feast, or networking with a glass of local red wine overlooking a Hunter Valley vineyard, these are the bonding experiences people have been missing. 

Crowne Plaza has also become the expert at delivering hybrid options, having introduced Crowne Plaza Connections early this year.  This hybrid meeting solution incorporates a range of different meeting platforms and audio-visual solutions, designed to help people stay connected across cities and borders to achieve greater results through dispersed meetings. 

Connecting twelve different Crowne Plaza hotels, hybrid meetings offer a great back up plan for those who might get hit with obstacles that affect their plans to gather in one location.

With four recently opened properties in Hobart, Adelaide, Sydney, Darling Harbour and Sydney Burwood, plus four newly renovated Crowne Plaza hotels in Sydney Coogee Beach, Melbourne, Hawkesbury Valley and Terrigal Beach in NSW, the stage is well and truly ready for creative collaboration across Australia.

ENDS

Watch the Crowne Plaza Gather and Thrive video here

Images to download: Link to images here

Notes to editors 

Crowne Plaza Connections campaign offers event planners:   

• 14 day cancellation period
• Zero attrition fees for rooms that are not booked 
• Up to a 5% rebate towards your master bill
• IHG® Business Rewards points for planners and bookers 
• Short-form contract (at participating hotels) 

*Applicable when booking 10 to 50 rooms on peak, with or without a meeting room by 31 December 2021.  

Crowne Plaza's modern, purposeful design features multi-functional zones where guests can switch effortlessly between work and socializing.   

• Plaza Workspaceis a flexible collection of agile working spaces where guests can move effortlessly between work and downtime. It combines co-working spaces with food & drink options, huddle spots and pods with built in touch screens to help guests share files and show presentations. It also includes a bookable-by-the-hour Studio for small, private meetings, each with a bespoke design that inspires creativity.  

The WorkLife guestroom gives guests an improved sense of space with a new layout that includes an angled bed, along with a moveable table and a more formal desk area that optimize the space for both work and downtime.   

About Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts: About Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts: As one of the largest premium hotel brands globally, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts understands that business travel is about balancing work and leisure and taking an inspiring break from the routine. We combine empowered service, always-on connectivity, innovative rooms and flexible co-working spaces, to enable guests to be productive, feel energised and build meaningful relationships whether travelling for business or leisure. Beautifully equipped rooms, signature Sleep Advantage® programme, 24-hour fitness facilities, healthy food and meaningful partnerships deliver an experience that's design-led, tech-enabled and culturally relevant to the world of modern business travel; meaning guests can recharge and be inspired to enhance their downtime and worktime.  For more information, visit www.crowneplaza.com, and connect with us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Crowne.Plaza, Twitter www.twitter.com/crowneplaza, and Instagram www.instagram.com/crowneplaza.   

About IHG® Hotels & Resorts 

IHG Hotels & Resorts [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global hospitality company, with a purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good. 

With a family of 16 hotel brands and IHG Rewards, one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes, IHG has nearly 6,000 open hotels in more than 100 countries, and a further 1,800 due to open over the next five years. 

• Luxury and Lifestyle: Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo
• Premium: HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, EVEN Hotels, voco Hotels
• Essentials: Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, avid hotels
• Suites: Atwell Suites, Staybridge Suites, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, Candlewood Suites

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. Approximately 350,000 people work across IHG's hotels and corporate offices globally. 

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewards.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit our Newsroom and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. 

Video produced in partnership with Business Events Australia