Idea: Create a Zoom Studio

Everyone's sick of the phrase "new normal." It's overused, for sure, but I'd guess we're tired of the phrase because we are tired of the new normal. We want our old normal back, please and thank you.

Spoiler alert: It's not coming back. 😭😭😭

Sure, we will one day be able to travel again and meet in person and hug our loved ones, but there are business practices that will carry over post-pandemic.

I'd guess that Zoom and other web conferencing platforms will stick around. Now that we've seen how easy and realistic it is to hold online events, companies will weigh the value of flying someone in to speak for an hour vs. having her join via Zoom.

Don't worry: Face-to-face meetings are coming back. But hybridized events with some folks presenting remotely are here to stay.

My idea for your hotel? Create a Zoom Studio on property. More than likely, you've got a rarely-used boardroom or last-to-sell guestroom that could be perfect for this.

Short term, you can do this for around $200. Pick a space with lots of plugs and strong WiFi, and rearrange the furniture and artwork to create a professional background. Work on the lighting so the person on camera doesn't look like a monster; ring lights with cell phone holders are about $40. You can add a green screen for custom background images for between $15 and $150.

Long term, consider sound-proofing, built-in tech, and a trouble-shooting package for tech support.

As you're pricing this, benchmark against the co-working spaces in your area that rent conference spaces by the hour. This is not going to be a room rental boon for the hotel, but it can give your property a foothold into the future of meetings. 

Scenarios:

• The VP of Marketing is visiting family in North Carolina but needs to show up for an hour during an all-hands meeting.

• A sales leader is visiting clients in Boston but needs to participate in a presentation to clients in Beijing.

• Your Chief Investment Officer is touring real estate in Iowa but has been invited to be interviewed on CNBC for 10 minutes.

If hotels have well-publicized Zoom Studios, all of these events can happen without much fuss.

One final thing: hotel people are used to conference calls but don't seem to be embracing the on-camera web conference with open arms. I'm now working from home, sometimes in work-out gear and often with messy hair, so I truly understand feeling camera-shy. 

But I will tell you this: holding meetings with remote participants on camera rather than just via phone goes a looooong way in building rapport and culture. Push past your comfort zone and get on camera. I promise -- you will be better prepared to meet your clients where they have already become accustomed to hanging out.

Would a Zoom Studio work in your hotel? If you implement this, I know we'd all love to see it! Drop a comment 👇 with your thoughts!