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Flexible spaces, custom experiences build event business

LOS ANGELES  ─  Most MICE planners expect to spend more and have additional events YOY in 2026. Nearly half may not be spending that at hotels or traditional conference spaces. Mike Stengel, senior vice president, strategic partnerships & venue relations, Encore, walked through strategies that demonstrate how hotels can compete for this profitable alternative venues market. In a conversation at Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) 2026, Stengel pointed to hotels’ unique ability to deliver what planners want most: flexible layouts, experiential immersion and the upside of space activation throughout the property. He outlined options for venues with small footprints and limited budgets to use static clings and temporary theaters to boost impact, as well as mapping property-wide branded or themed immersions that engage attendees from the moment they enter to checkout. Because of venues’ relationships with expert partners in event production and technology, they can meet two other key priorities for planners: cost efficiencies and access to highly trained talent.