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Dan Withrow has been getting busier and busier at the Bethlehem Hotel over the past year.
As director of food and beverage sales and operations, he and other members of the executive meetings team saw a dramatic increase in the number of business meetings. Withrow said the Bethlehem hotel’s growth rate last year was 25%.
“We have a lot of people from New Jersey and certainly a lot of locals,” said Withrow, who said the hotel hosted about 100 meetings last year. “Obviously the locals have been our driving force, but even places outside the area are starting to do business with us again.”
Since the coronavirus pandemic began to recede, businesses have gradually returned to face-to-face meetings. About 18 months ago, the groups were typically smaller, with about eight people, Withrow said.
“It’s different than what it was before COVID-19, but we’re seeing an increase in the size of company meetings,” he said. “Now there are 25 to 30 people, which is a normal-sized meeting for us.”
Those increases were reflected in the Lehigh Valley Gross Domestic Product report released in December by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The restaurant, arts, entertainment, restaurant and food service industries contributed $2.1 billion to the Silicon Valley economy in 2022, up from $1.4 billion during the 2020 pandemic. This is also an improvement from $1.8 in 2019, before the outbreak. Billion.
“We are well aware that the industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and has lost many opportunities to host events, meetings and conferences like these,” said George Lewis, special assistant to the president and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation. These events have in turn It’s back and so is our regional hospitality industry. Not only have we recovered the losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but we have also contributed more to the economy than before the COVID-19 pandemic. “
Bree Nidds, chief operating officer of Discover Lehigh Valley, said the valley has seen a 50% increase in corporate meetings and conference opportunities in the past six months compared to last year.
That number should rise in the next GDP report with the expansion of Wind Creek Bethlehem, which launched thousands of square feet of meeting space in June. The 23,000-square-foot Foundry Ballroom and two other smaller ballrooms totaling 10,000 square feet have been in use since then.
Patrick Ryan, who took over as Wind Creek’s general manager in October, said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony that the Lehigh Valley has been waiting for a space like this.
“I’ve been in this market for 20 years,” Ryan said. “I’ve been working in this property for 15 years, and when I’m doing sales in Harrisburg, or I’m in Las Vegas for trade shows, people are always attracted to the area being close to New York and Philadelphia.”
Withrow said the hype surrounding Wind Creek’s construction has helped break free for those accustomed to virtual meetings.
“Having these other venues and other options is waking people up,” he said. “People think we should go out and meet people again, and we should have these contacts with people we haven’t had contact with.”
That means larger meetings might also include a cocktail party or dinner instead of going straight home.
“This is something that never happened before COVID-19,” Willow said. “People want to have this interaction outside of Zoom office meetings.”
Why this matters to Silicon Valley
Nitz, from Explore the Lehigh Valley, said it’s easier for local businesses to decide to stay local, rather than looking for a meeting location in Philadelphia or New York, because they already know the area.
“It’s a significant benefit that a destination has a strong business community, especially businesses that organize meetings and conferences and choose their headquarters,” Nitz said. “These businesses know and understand the destination, which makes the decision to book in the area It gets easier.”
The financial benefits go beyond renting a conference room and ordering some refreshments.
“Whether or not attendees require overnight accommodation, the economic impact is particularly felt among the attendee group,” Nitz said. “For example, a company headquartered in the Lehigh Valley may choose to host an international conference in the area, attracting attendees from across the globe due to the convenience of hosting a meeting in one’s own backyard. For the Lehigh Valley, business meetings and conferences It’s an ideal opportunity to introduce new visitors to the destination, potentially sparking their interest in returning in the future.”
Lewis said these conferences help put the Lehigh Valley on the map, especially if it attracts people from the area.
“It definitely boosts the economy, bringing these conventions here and having people stay at our hotels, eat at our restaurants and spend money while they’re in the Lehigh Valley,” he said. “Another benefit is it brings people Bring it here and let people know about the Lehigh Valley.”
For people who live 75 or 100 miles away, the valley is often a “blank slate” and an opportunity to make a good first impression, Lewis said.
“So it’s getting more people to come here and experience the Lehigh Valley, get down to earth and see what life is like here … to see the hotels and restaurants and see the quality of life in the community.”
Morning Call reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.
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