Establishing 'brand standards'
As luxury hotels and resorts continue to offer live music and DJ activations as part of their guest experience program, it's important to ensure that performers are complying with brand standards and professionalism expectations. Inconsistent compliance by these performers can impact the ambiance of these hotels as well as detract from the overall guest experience. However, enforcing these policies can distract managers from their primary responsibilities, especially when dealing with a large rotation of musicians and DJs.
Dress Code
One common area of inconsistent alignment is dress code. Musicians and DJs should be dressed appropriately for not only the brand standards of the hotel but also the aesthetics of that particular hotel outlet. It is important to note that there may be different desired dress codes within one hotel property. For example, performers at a beachside tiki bar might wear more casual attire (such as a short-sleeved collared shirt and khaki shorts), while those within that same hotel’s indoor fine dining restaurant should be dressed in business professional attire. These help to create a cohesive aesthetic and ensure that performers align with the hotel or resort's brand image.
Beverages
Another important area of compliance is alcohol and beverage policies. This can be challenging for hotel managers to navigate, given that hotel employees usually have very strict “no-alcohol” policies but musicians can fall into a gray area. Some properties feel the need to offer a bar tab as a component of their compensation to the musicians. Even at properties without bar tabs, performers may have drinks purchased for them by hotel patrons to thank them for their performance or to socialize during breaks. This can create uncomfortable situations at properties that have strict “no-alcohol” policies in place for musicians. Ultimately, each hotel must decide which policies work best for them and how strictly they want to enforce them.
Performance Space
A commonly overlooked component of these policies and procedures is the appearance of the performance space itself. Even if the musician is very talented, the guest experience and overall ambiance of the outlet will suffer if the performance space is messy and disorganized. Musicians and DJs should be instructed to organize cables and remove any unnecessary cases or equipment in order to create an orderly space that looks professional and neat. Besides the obvious visual benefits, this also can avoid liability issues related to guests or employees tripping on haphazardly placed electrical or musical cables. This is especially important if the musician or DJ is situated at ground level, such as in the corner of a restaurant or adjacent to a pool. For this reason amongst others, the use of a platform, stage, or set of stanchions is recommended so that guests understand the presence of the performance space. Finally, a dedicated location for musician equipment cases that is out of sight of hotel guests should be communicated to the performers in advance. Common options for this include a nearby unoccupied conference room, a closet behind the bar, or a miscellaneous equipment room. In properties with no good option, it is also possible for musicians to put their cases back in their vehicles, especially if this expectation is communicated in advance.
Ultimately, appropriate, detailed brand standards and professionalism policies for musicians and DJs are just as important for hotel management to implement as their employee professionalism guidelines. These policies (and clear communication of them to musicians and DJs) will create a more pleasant experience for hotel managers, hotel guests, and even the musicians and DJs themselves.