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Venues
in Somerset County, N.J. Cater to “Bleisure” Visitor,
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Following
Trend in Business Travel
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Hotels, Recreational Facilities
Help Business Travelers Combine Trips to
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the Area with Leisure Pursuits
and Community Events
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Bridgewater,
NJ – May 2018 / Newsmaker Alert / At the annual Somerset
County Salute to Tourism awards in January, keynote speaker and hospitality
expert, Glenn Haussman talked about the “bleisure” trend, combining business
travel with leisure activities. He encouraged attendees to connect business
travelers with leisure options in the wider community to create more memorable
guest experiences and greater economic impact. This trend was first outlined
in a
2014 report published on Skift.com that shared statistics and behaviors
of business travelers who extend their stays to incorporate leisure into
their trips.
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Several
Somerset
County Tourism venues have developed valuable strategic partnerships
that broaden visitors’ experiences beyond the conference room—and provide
opportunities for fun for family members who are in tow.
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The county
is home to many office parks and corporate headquarters of major brands,
drawing business travelers from around the country.
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In fact,
70 percent of visitors who stay in Somerset County are there on business.
By sharing what’s available in the wider community, those visitors can
also enjoy Somerset County’s abundant recreational, cultural and leisure
amenities during their visit.
Cross-marketing
a better guest experience
The
Hampton
Inn & Suites in Bridgewater, which hosts many corporate meetings
and events, is also a popular lodging choice for visiting sports teams
it is now the preferred hotel for Branchburg
Sports Complex (BSC) in Branchburg, a multi-faceted sports center.
Many traveling teams play baseball, softball and soccer at BSC and the
two venues are cross-marketing to players and coaches, and connecting visitors
to other area establishments.
The
hotel distributes a welcome packet to team coaches with a list of special
events in the area, coupons to county attractions and restaurant menus,
and markets Branchburg Sports Complex as a place to not only play their
own sport but to also try its laser tag arena and other offerings.
“With
only one game a day to play, the athletes have a lot of down time; their
families who traveled here to attend the games are also looking for something
to do in our area,” said Jill Cerchio, director of sales at the Hampton
Inn & Suites. “We also publicize baseball games at Patriots Stadium
and the county’s big seasonal events at our front desk for our visitors.”
Likewise,
BSC markets the Hampton Inn on its website and the fact sheet it gives
to its corporate and team clientele. The sports complex also shares information
about its preferred restaurant, urgent care and other local businesses
to teams that use the facility. Branchburg Sports Complex is home to the
largest laser tag arena on the East Coast; the four-level, interactive
area measures 9,000 square feet and is the only multi-level laser tag arena
in the country. BSC also hosts many corporate teambuilding and other events.
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A corporate outing at Branchburg
Sports Complex's laser tag arena.
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“We
can accommodate up to 80 people per laser tag mission so it’s great for
corporate events or private parties,” said Lisa Sepulveda, marketing manager.
“With 78,000 square feet of activity space, we are a true family entertainment
center, so families who accompany business travelers will find plenty to
do here, and corporate guests can unwind with co-workers.”
In
addition to laser tag and numerous sports activities, BSC’s private meeting
facilities are ideal for businesses that want to combine a company meeting
with an extensive team-building curriculum in one location. Sepulveda noted
that the “Quest for Success” Laser Tag program is a corporate favorite.
The
Hampton Inn’s Cerchio added that for its business clients, the hotel works
with local restaurants and caterers to deliver food to corporate meetings
and conferences; it has a list of preferred caterers and has a preferred
seating arrangement for its corporate guests at Redstone American Grill
in Bridgewater, which does not ordinarily take reservations.
“Partnering
with local businesses helps us deliver a better guest experience by making
it easy for guests to sample more of what Somerset County has to offer,”
said Cerchio, winner of this year’s Somerset County Tourism Service Excellence
award. “We’re now working on something with the local breweries, to stock
their bottled beers at our bar, have them conduct a beer tasting event
during a conference at our site or host a brewery tour for our corporate
guests.”
Adding
leisure to luxury stays
The
Bernard’s Inn in Bernardsville offers guests various outdoor adventure
packages meant to enhance its guests’ luxury stays with activities that
showcase Somerset County’s many recreational and cultural sites. The Bernard’s
Inn is a destination for social occasions, private getaways and business
travelers attending meetings in the area. The packages combine the inn’s
fine dining and amenities with opportunities to:
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Go! Golf
– Tour the United States Golf Association
Museum, access the USGA Pyne’s Putting Course and play for a day on
an exclusive private championship golf course.
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Go! Fly
– Enjoy a romantic 30-minute sunset helicopter ride with champagne for
two, overlooking beautiful area landscapes.
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Go! Bike
– Explore the area on bicycle; the inn provides bikes, preferred routes
and an amenity bag to take on the trail.
“These
strategic partnerships show how these venues enhance their guests’ stays
by turning a trip to Somerset County into something more,” said Jacqueline
Morales, director of Somerset County Tourism. “We encourage all our partners
to discover ways to combine business—or athletics in some cases—with a
broader leisure stay, and help visitors discover all that we offer in the
heart of New Jersey.”
More
information about Somerset County’s many “work, play, stay” options is
at www.VisitSomersetNJ.org.
About
Somerset County Tourism
Somerset
County Tourism, a 501(c)3 organization, is the official destination
marketing organization (DMO) for Somerset County, N.J. a and a Division
of the Somerset County Business Partnership. Its mission is to advance
the local economy by sustainably promoting the area’s outstanding travel
products and experiences, and to offer a variety of useful services to
residents, business travelers and leisure visitors. Somerset County Tourism
is an active member of New Jersey Destination Marketing Organizations and
the New Jersey Tourism industry Association. For more information visit
www.VisitSomersetNJ.org
or call 908-218-4300, ext. 28.
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Media
Contacts:
Jacqueline
Morales
Somerset
County Tourism Director
908-218-4300
Caryn
Starr-Gates
StarrGates
Business Communications
for
Somerset County Tourism
201-791-4694
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County Tourism Wins 2017 President’s Award at Annual New Jersey Tourism
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