PrideInn Launches Technology Enabled Hybrid Meeting Initiative to Boost Conferencing Business

PrideInn Managing Director _ Hasnain Noorani during the launch of hybrid conference platform dabbed Revmeet.

Indigenous hotel group, PrideInn, is tapping technology to launch enhanced conferencing capabilities. The new initiative dabbed “RevMeet” (Real and Virtual Meeting Combined) is designed to provide the hotel and event planners with a set of solutions aimed at helping them drive corporate demand for conferences and gatherings at a time when Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) business has fallen off the cliff. 

This innovation is setting the stage for tourism and hospitality industry recovery and a rise in employment numbers during and post Covid-19 pandemic. The hotel has partnered with Microsoft and Safaricom to provide a smooth experience for its clients’ virtual and hybrid meetings and events.

“RevMeet has been carefully designed to help conference delegates connect and communicate via advanced technology, but still feel like they are interacting in the same place by sparking the kind of creativity that occurs in actual meetings. It is now enabling conference delegates to conduct business meetings, conferences and gatherings from multiple locations while some of the delegates are still having the actual conference at the hotel ,” said Mr. Noorani, Group Managing Director, PrideInn.

The new service will see PrideInn’s hotel conference halls transformed on demand into multihub, multi-platform, in-person and virtual conferencing spaces. Saving time and budgets whilst keeping to strict covid19 protocols and health guidelines.

“We are thrilled to launch our Revmeet meeting solution, which directly addresses meetings and event challenges the pandemic has created globally. As a hotel group with hospitality at its core, we certainly understand the importance of connections and the need to adapt and exercise flexibility, which has led to the creation and introduction of RevMeet,” said Jackton Amutala, PrideInn Azure General Manager.

The hotel believes that the revmeet meeting model will be essential for stimulating Kenya’s MICE business in a post COVID-19 world. Not only will it serve as an attractive and safe platform for seminars, meetings and training sessions for companies based in Kenya, but it will also help to create confidence among international businesses waiting to return.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought major shifts to ways we conduct our business, with measures such as social distancing making it very difficult for people to meet in person, at this time innovation is inevitable. And this is what we need so that we can steer our economy to the right direction “added Mr. Noorani.

Covid-19 has severely impacted the tourism and hospitality industry, and individual hotel brands are not taking the lack of occupancy or demand sitting down lightly.

“This is an innovative strategy to meet current changes in the hospitality industry, and the subsequent shifts in consumer preferences. What every business needs is to offer convenience, experience and value at every opportunity. This includes collaborating with others to offer innovative solutions which we hope will benefit our tourism and hospitality industry at large,” said Fred Okeyo, Kenya Tourism Board Marketing Director.

“Our partnership aims to achieve this by combining its solutions for socially distanced meetings and seminars with the expertise and renowned hospitality establishments. Ultimately, we believe such services will serve as a one-stop, affordable shop for safe, efficient and highly engaging hybrid meeting models and solutions, we are glad PrideInn has taken lead in innovations,” said Joseph Wanjohi, Head of Enterprise Sales at Safaricom.

“As the world continues to adapt to the “new normal” and ongoing travel limitations, meeting and event organizers can now choose to offer virtual participation options and hybrid formats that allow for small local gatherings, while also broadcasting to remote attendees and satellite locations, this is a solution supported by Microsoft Teams platform,” said Maria Maali, Territory Channel Manager, Microsoft East Africa.