ACCOR is working with Microsoft to launch a new hybrid meetings and events concept to connect teams globally.
All Connect is due to be rolled out in April and will be supported by Microsoft Teams.
Accor says 55 per cent of its hotels with meeting rooms are already providing hybrid meetings solutions to their clients as a result of the Covid pandemic.
The hotel group has set a target of 100 per cent of all its brands complying with the new hybrid meetings standards by 2022.
Comment… How hybrid is saving us
Meetings will take place on the Microsoft Teams platform, where attendees can connect and engage virtually. In Accor meeting spaces, Microsoft Teams Rooms and Surface Hub 2S will connect people on-site to those joining remotely with industry-leading audio and video device experiences.
The concept will focus primarily on small meetings (eight to 50 physical participants) and customers will benefit from the expertise of dedicated teams and a seamless digital booking platform
Research by Accor shows that half of physical meetings planned by the company’s business events customers in 2021 will switch to virtual formats, and that 70 per cent of respondents see hybrid meetings as an important service in the future.
“The future of work is hybrid, and the services and experiences which organisations offer their customers will reflect this,” said Jean-Philippe Courtois, executive vice president and president, Microsoft global sales, marketing and operation.
“We want every person and every organisation to benefit from this new working environment in a way that ensures business continuity,” Courtois said.
