June | Party Time? | By Daphne Shannon

Party Time?

10 Ways To Reduce Liability & Control Consumption

Drinking and driving is a definite don't. But how about enjoying a nightcap at your hotel's bar? In March, a Rodgers, Ark., man was arrested for public intoxication at an Irving, Texas, hotel where he was staying during a business trip. The arrest was part of a stepped-up initiative by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) to prevent drunk driving across the state by "reigning in people whose alcohol use could make them a danger."

The arrests have raised eyebrows within the travel and hospitality communities. According to Phyllis Hammond, the vice president of public relations for the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), the incident—along with similar arrests—prompted an influx of calls from people concerned that hotel guests could be arrested for drinking while on site. Hammond said that while the CVB fully endorses the enforcement of public laws and is against drunk driving, hotel guests are unlikely drunk driving offenders. "The issue with us came with the man who was arrested at the Irving hotel who had no intention of driving."

"Our president and CEO, Phillip Jones, met with TABC commissioners, who were very receptive to conversation about our concerns and are re-examining their policies and training programs to be consistent with the law and TABC objectives."

Although Hammond said meeting planners should not be concerned that their attendees will be targeted for public intoxication while at their hotel, the incident points to a range of concerns that meeting planners should educate themselves on when meetings are mixed with alcohol.

Jed Mandel, an attorney and partner with Neal, Gerber and Eisenberg in Chicago, chairs the firm's Association Law Group and serves as general counsel to more than 100 trade associations and professional societies. He said meeting planners should definitely be concerned about alcohol-related issues, not only with regard to the well-being of attendees and others, but also because it is possible for a group to be sued and possibly held liable for the injuries or damage caused by an intoxicated attendee.

Susan Hollon, director of sales and destination management services for Meeting Dynamics, headquartered in Hilton Head Island, S.C., agreed that alcohol-related issues are, and should be, a huge concern for meeting planners. "It's touchy, because you are dealing with adults, and you really can't tell them what to do." But, she said, meeting planners must take charge of the issue in the interest of prudence.

Before The First Toast, Make Preparations

Just like any other aspect of an event, planning is of the utmost importance when dealing with alcohol issues, Hollon said. "The best way to handle alcohol-related problems is to plan ahead and lay out the guidelines with attendees from the beginning."

Mandel echoed Hollon's thoughts. "It really boils down to exercising caution and an abundance of planning." For example, putting controls in place in advance is one way to plan for alcohol-related incidents.

According to "Serving It Right," a training program aimed at educating those in the hospitality industry about their responsibility to alcohol-consuming patrons, "the environment in which alcohol is consumed has a marked effect on the rate of consumption."

Here are some suggestions for controls that you can plan for in advance when serving alcohol:

• Talk with meeting site coordinators early on about their knowledge of local laws and their training of alcohol servers.
• Encourage the meeting's staff servers to communicate with attendees to monitor intoxication levels.
• Ensure that lighting is sufficient for staff to see attendees clearly and to create a positive and cheerful atmosphere. "Serving It Right" maintains that establishments with reasonable lighting report fewer problems with over-consumption than those with very low lighting.
• Play soft background music, which is relaxing and tends to encourage responsible behavior.
• Offer a range of non-alcoholic beverages such as juices, coffee, tea and sodas as an alternative to alcoholic beverages.

Know Your Group's Drinking Habits

According to Mandel, another way to take charge of alcohol issues is by being familiar with your group. He said, "Not all groups are created equal—you must know your group."

Hollon agreed. For example, in the case of a corporate meeting, the dynamics of an all-employee event and an employee-guest event are very different, she said. When planners are dealing with a corporate meeting involving only employees, concerns are minimized a bit—they know the approximate ages of the attendees and whether they are of legal drinking age; employees generally police each other's actions; and because there is more of a workplace feel, employees tend to act in a more professional manner. However, whenever guests of employees are introduced into the mix, the dynamics change, Hollon said. "Things tend to get a little looser and have a more informal feel, and it's not possible for meeting planners to know if everyone is of legal drinking age."

Additionally, different types of organizations inherently conduct themselves in different ways, she said. In general, a younger group is going to drink more alcohol, for example. A church group is probably not going to present alcohol-related problems, while a corporate group celebrating the accomplishment of a long-sought-after goal might indulge more.

Use The Drink Ticket System

Mandel said in an official event setting, there are a number of ways to exert control in order to curtail excessive drinking. However, he is a proponent of one control that is simple and has proven to be effective—the drink ticket system. If there is going to be an open bar at an event, he said, attendees can be given a certain number of drink vouchers/tickets to redeem to ensure that indulgence and the negative incidents that could result are kept to a minimum.

 

Watch For Over Indulging

Kim Parsons, CMP, senior event planner with Duke Energy in Charlotte, N.C., said it's vital for planners and their staffs to depend on their experience and level heads to guide them. "I keep a very close eye on my group. You and your staff need to be engaged in the meeting and be aware of what's going on."

She added, "It's so important that planners not indulge in alcohol themselves during an event. You want to be at the top of your game so you can stay focused and support that 'safe space' of the event."

Mandel said that depending on the assistance of qualified support personnel is vital. "Put someone between your staff and the attendee when it comes to serving alcohol—a third party," he said, explaining that professional caterers, restaurants, and food and beverage departments should have beverage-alcohol service policies and train their servers in serving alcohol responsibly.

While it may seem obvious that trained staff (servers, bartenders, etc.) would be hired for most official social events, "where this can become an issue is in a hospitality suite, where attendees are gathered informally. Drinking begins, and all of the sudden there's an open bar," he said. Though it may seem cumbersome, even in these informal settings, it's prudent to have a third party server who can help oversee the event, Mandel said.

Handle Intoxicated Attendees Confidently

Support staff may need to be called on if alcohol intake has gotten out of control, Mandel said. "If for no other reason than the safety and comfort of other attendees," an intoxicated and obnoxious attendee should be dealt with confidently and quickly by having your support staff ask them to stop drinking or, possibly, ask them to leave the event. "The meeting planner should be ready to have security or local police intervene" if warranted by the situation.

Of extreme importance, Mandel added that if the situation calls for it, planners should make transportation available for those who need it. "Arranging transportation is money well spent."