Many hotel chains with operations in Asia and beyond are making it easier and more affordable for meetings to be held on their properties through programmes that dole out ideas to inspire fruitful and memorable gatherings, meeting packages packed with perks, and attractive loyalty programmes. Association secretariats seeking event venue options today are spoilt for choice
Carlson Rezidor Hotels Group
As one of the world’s largest hotel companies, Carlson Rezidor Hotels Group has an expanding portfolio of 1,400 hotels in operation and under development, a global footprint covering 115 countries and territories, and a set of global brands: Quorvus Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, and Country Inns & Suites By Carlson.
Properties under the Radisson Blu brand are most suited for business events. There are more than 280 Radisson Blu properties globally in 62 countries, of which 44 are in the Asia-Pacific.
Sandy Russell, vice president, commercial operations, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Asia-Pacific, described the Radisson Blu brand as being “very forward thinking, very iconic, sophisticated (and) stylish”.
All Radisson Blu hotels are equipped with meeting facilities, some more extensive than others. An example of a Radisson Blu property in this region with extensive, convention centre-type facility is the Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai Hong Quan in China.
Available support for meetings: Creative stimulation is the focus of Radisson Blu’s Experience Meetings programme, which was rolled out in August 2015 across the brand’s properties in the Asia-Pacific, following its implementation in other regions in 2014.
Designed to improve the effectiveness of meetings, the programme emphasises innovations in F&B, changes to the spatial environment as well as advancements in meeting technology.
“We want to offer something different and edgy with our Experience Meetings programme, to give planners a bigger bang for their buck,” said Russell.
Experience Meetings features Brain Box, a breakout room concept which creates a stimulating atmosphere through the use of bright colours and flexible furniture to boost creativity, encourage active participation and enhance delegate interaction.
Flexibility will be a key tenet of Brain Box, according to Russell, allowing different room set-ups. For example, swings hanging from the ceiling could pave the way for conflict resolution while participants are encouraged to write and draw during meetings to foster discussion. Meeting sizes should not exceed 50 pax in order to harness the creative room concept effectively, she added.
Another key feature of Experience Meetings is Brain Food, a culinary concept developed in consultation with nutrition experts and chefs to emphasise the use of fresh, locally-sourced ingredients while maintaining great taste, low fat content and lessened sugar. The result is food that helps delegates experience optimal concentration and minimal fatigue during meetings.
Experience Meetings offers free Internet access as well and automatically purchases carbon credits to offset the estimated carbon footprint of every event.
Hyatt Hotels and Resorts
The hotel company has 72 hotels in the Asia-Pacific region as of December 31, 2015, and these account for more than 26,000 rooms and 16 per cent of the total room count across Hyatt properties worldwide. Among these hotels, over 30 per cent of them are located in key gateway cities.
Among its various brands, the Grand Hyatt is best poised to support business events because it boasts “a rich legacy of offering creative and memorable experiences for business delegates both in and outside meetings”, according to Carina Chorengel, senior vice president of brands and commercial strategy, Asia Pacific.
Furthermore, Grand Hyatt hotels around the region feature flexible venue capabilities to host events and meetings that accommodate groups of all sizes.
Chorengel added: “Globally recognised for its business events and F&B excellence and carrying with it an illustrious legacy, Grand Hyatt has been adapting its business events offerings in response to the extensive surveys and interviews it had conducted to find out what meeting planners and guests require.”
For instance, Grand Hyatt properties have updated its event F&B offerings to cater to special diets like Paleo, gluten-free and vegan, and emerging demands for healthy and sustainable food options; brought local experiences (such as a handicraft vendor who will display and sell his creations) into the meeting to give time-strapped delegates a chance to explore the destination’s culture; promoted sustainability efforts in and outside of meetings; and taken a curated approach in working with the meeting planner to deliver an event.
Available support for meetings: Hyatt Hotels and Resorts has in place the Gold Passport Planner Rewards programme that is available to meetings booked and held in conjunction with qualified meetings/groups of 10 or more paid guestrooms, or with qualifying catered/banqueting events. These events must be held in Hyatt hotels.
Planners or the association will receive one Hyatt Gold Passport point (up to 50,000 points) for every dollar spent on accommodations, meeting room rental, banquets or catering at a qualifying meeting or event.
Accumulated points can be used to redeem free nights (for individuals) or to pay for future meetings (minimum 15,000 points for a US$200 meeting credit is required for associations).
Marriott International
Marriott International has more than 4,400 lodging properties and nearly 760,000 rooms in 87 countries and territories. In the Asia-Pacific, the company has 200 hotels in operation, contributing more than 62,000 rooms to the total inventory.
When Marriott International entered China, its goal was to open hotels in all of the gateway cities. Today, about 25 per cent of its hotels are in gateway cities across Greater China. These include 11 properties in Beijing, five in Guangzhou, 19 in Shanghai, five in Shenzhen, seven in Hong Kong, and two in Macau.
Now, portfolio growth has expanded from the Tier One Chinese cities to the lesser-known ones, and also to far-flung resort locations for travellers to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
The Marriott Hotel brand under the group is most popular with business event planners. Marriott branded properties support business event planners through an innovative concept called Meetings Imagined, which ensures the seven purposes of meetings – celebrate, decide, educate, ideate, network, produce and promote – are accomplished.
Available support for meetings: In 2014, the hotel company implemented Meetings Imagined, an online portal (www.meetingsimagined.com) that focuses on visual content and leverages on social media to help meeting planners design their events.
The website is curated around the objectives of meetings and the component building blocks (set-up, F&B, technology and supplies, and experiences) and is designed similarly to Pinterest, with many photos to inspire users.
The website also provides valuable tips on achieving the objectives of their gatherings and expert advice on making an event stand out.
Bart Buiring, chief operations services officer Asia-Pacific at Marriott International, had described Meetings Imagined as “an intuitive platform which uses thousands of images of our facilities and events to show planners what we can do”.
Part of the Meetings Imagined concept is the Meeting Services app, which provides real-time connectivity for planners and features a wide range of functions, including a chat facility to connect clients with Marriott’s events team throughout the planning and execution process.
Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Preferred Hotels & Resorts is said to be the world’s largest independent hotel brand, representing more than 650 hotels, resorts, residences, and unique hotel groups across 85 countries.
Its member properties are classified under five distinctive collections: Legend, globally sophisticated and culturally refined properties in remarkable destinations around the world; LVX, illustrious hotels in vibrant city centres or leisure destinations; Lifestyle, diverse premier properties that articulate culture and style; Connect, smart, value hotels that are designed to connect people to friends and family, business associates and interesting neighbourhoods; and Preferred Residences, exquisitely appointed luxury properties in key destinations.
A number of luxury hotels and resorts with the capacity to support business groups and events of all sizes are also identified under its Preferred Meetings programme.
The Preferred Meetings stable in the Asia-Pacific comprises properties such as Wanda Reign Chengdu Hotel in China, a new 240-key hotel with a pillar-free Grand Ballroom that comes with a car-lift; Regal International East Asia Hotel in Shanghai, China, a 320-room property with a ballroom and 10 other venues in the meeting and conference centre; and Discovery Suites in Pasig, the Philippines, which offers 220 suites and eight function spaces.
Available support for meetings: The Preferred Meetings website allows planners to browse a comprehensive collection of properties worldwide with ease, and to submit an online Request For Proposal.
Planners based in the US, including Canada and Mexico, and the UK can also avail to Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ first-ever meeting planner incentive programme that was launched in January 2015.
By booking group business at any of the more than 600 hotels worldwide participating in the iPrefer loyalty programme, planners can earn up to US$1,000 in cash-value iPrefer Reward Certificates per eligible event (10 rooms nights or more), which can be redeemed for free nights and other on-property expenditures during their next vacation at a property within the iPrefer portfolio.
Planners are eligible to earn five points for every US$1 spent on actualised room revenue for group gatherings booked through Preferred Hotels & Resorts channels.
These iPrefer points are fully funded by Preferred Hotels & Resorts.
According to Elaine Macy, senior vice president of group sales for Preferred Hotels & Resorts, the iPrefer programme is designed to reward both longtime partners and first-time clients, and present another compelling reason for planners to choose from Preferred’s extensive global collection of hotels.
However, the programme has yet to be rolled out in Asia.
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts
Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently owns and manages 98 properties under four brands – Shangri-La, Kerry Hotel, Hotel Jen and Traders Hotel, with a total room inventory of 40,649 worldwide and 38,212 in the Asia-Pacific. The newest addition to the Asia-Pacific portfolio is the Shangri-La’s Hambantota Resort & Spa, which opened on June 1 this year.
More than 26 per cent of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts properties are located in key gateway cities around the world.
The company also offers one of the most extensive collections of inspired meeting and event venues, boasting more than 300,000m2 of dedicated event space. All brands of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts are suitable for business events, and the group’s hotels are known as the venues of choice for hosting heads of state, Fortune 500 companies, high-profile product launches, weddings and social events.
Available support for meetings: In April, the company launched two programmes aimed at meeting planners – the Shangri-La Events Collection and Golden Circle Event Planner Rewards.
Shangri-La Events Collection is designed to bring meetings and events to life through the exceptional locations, facilities and services offered by Shangri-La properties. Planners are afforded greater flexibility in creating memorable events for their delegates through rich personalisation and experiential options.
Sweetening the deal is a host of benefits for the planner, such as a three per cent Instant Value that can be used immediately to redeem additional services at the hotel, a Planner Toolkit that includes comprehensive on-site support services, customisable themed events and teambuilding programmes that take delegates out of the conference room for an immersive experience, and a 10 per cent Future Event Credit.
Golden Circle Event Planner Rewards is said to offer the highest level of rewards of any meetings and events loyalty programme. Planners can earn up to 40,000 Golden Circle Points on an event booking – the equivalent of 40 complimentary room nights. In addition, it is the only programme that allows members to earn double points for any subsequent meetings or events booked in the same calendar year.
Events held at all Shangri-La, Kerry and Hotel Jen branded properties worldwide qualify for this loyalty programme.
Shangri-La Events Collection and Golden Circle Event Planner Rewards join the hotel company’s existing Experience It teambuilding concept that connects business event held on premises with local communities. Meeting delegates can choose to participate in these corporate social responsibility initiatives, or special meetings and activities that take them outside the boardroom.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has about 27 per cent of their Asia-Pacific properties located in key gateway cities. Currently, its largest hotel is the Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central which offers an impressive 4,001 guestrooms.
According to a hotel spokesperson, all brands under the Starwood group are suitable for business meetings as all the properties aim to meet the varied needs of business event customers.
“We have hotels that can accommodate small intimate meetings, luxury incentives, teambuilding gatherings and large-scale meetings. We also have properties, such as the Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central that can cater to association meetings,” she said.
Some Starwood properties are also conveniently connected to convention spaces such as the Westin Resort Nusa Dua in Bali, the Westin Langkawi and the Four Points by Sheraton, Darling Harbour, Sydney.
Available support for meetings: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has three programmes available to meeting planners.
The SPG Pro loyalty programme for planners, available in three tiers, offers a number of benefits that increases according to the tier. These benefits include free night awards and flight awards without blackout dates; enhanced stay preferences including room features, location and more, based on member tier; welcome gift at check-in; and complimentary in-room Internet access when the booking is made through Starwood sites or the SPG app.
The hotel giant’s latest meeting support programme, launched this March, is geared towards encouraging planners to go green with their events. For every event booked at nearly 300 participating hotels in the Asia-Pacific, planners who take up the default Sustainable Meeting Practices set-up will receive 2,000 bonus Starpoints.
As part of the programme, participating hotels have come up with a comprehensive range of options that are environmentally friendly and socially responsible. Some of the green practices include using sustainably-sourced ingredients in the preparation of food served at the event, setting up the meeting venue in a sustainable way, and providing a free Meetings Impact Report to access the environmental impact of the event via indicators such as energy and water consumption.
The hotels will also work with each customer to tailor an event that meets their needs while reducing their environmental impact.
And specific to Starwood’s Westin Hotels & Resorts collection is the Westin Clutter-Free Meetings programme which seeks to remove distractions from planning and executing a meeting, thus allowing the planner and delegates to simply focus on the objective of the gathering. The meeting environment is kept open and clear with streamlined work stations, and with an environmentally friendly set-up through the provision of double-sided meeting pads and water pitchers in place of water bottles to help reduce waste, for instance.
AccorHotels
In the Asia-Pacific, AccorHotels has 691 operating hotels and 133,715 rooms in 17 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Greater China, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand. Its properties are located in all gateway cities in the region.
More than 250 hotels are scheduled to open over the next five years in the region, and according to Kerry Healy, vice president sales Asia Pacific, AccorHotels is “increasingly growing our pipeline in second-tier cities that are opening up to major business in the region”.
In the Asia-Pacific, its collection of brands include Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Mercure, ibis and ibis Styles.
Healy said: “One of the best things about AccorHotels is that the group can offer clients a wide range of event hotels, from budget to luxury. For example, ibis hotels are increasingly including meeting rooms due to the (growing) demand for affordable meeting options. Meanwhile, Sofitel and Pullman hotels are offered to those looking for a more luxurious event (venue).”
Healy pointed out that AccorHotels has the most extensive and diverse network of meetings, incentives and exhibition venues in the Asia-Pacific and more than three decades of experience in hosting successful events.
The group offers a one-stop solution for planners who can choose from grand ballrooms to intimate boardrooms, and from a variety of locations to suit the nature of the meeting.
AccorHotels offers a seamless collection of outstanding facilities supported by award-winning conference and incentive professionals who will ensure every event is memorable.
Through AccorHotels’ Planet 21 sustainable development programme, planners can also incorporate sustainable Planet 21 Discovery experiences into their event programme.
Available support for meetings: Le Club AccorHotels Meeting Planner is a loyalty programme that allows planners to earn points for any event they organise at any of AccorHotels’ 2,000 properties specialising in welcoming meetings of any scale and budget.
These properties span the brands of Sofitel, Pullman, Grand Mercure, Novotel, Mercure, and ibis Styles and are located worldwide in more than 90 countries.
Two euros spent on events will gain the planner one Le Club AccorHotels point which can be accumulated and redeemed for spending vouchers at AccorHotels hotels or with programme partners, or have them converted into airline miles. Points can be shared and no cap is applied on point earnings from events and meetings booked at Accor-Hotels properties.
Planners also stand to benefit from guaranteed privileged reception and personalised services.
Healy said the programme is designed specifically to provide “a great incentive to repeat and referral business from professional meeting planners” and added that “it offers a generous points scheme with no road blocks on redemption cut-offs”.
InterContinental Hotels Group
InterContinental Hotels Group has nine hotel brands under its umbrella, with 5,000 properties spanning across nearly 100 territories and countries.
In the Asia, Middle East and Africa regions, the company has 267 hotels with an inventory of 72,384 rooms.
Part of the IHG global portfolio, the Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts brand is built with business events in mind. The dynamic upscale hotel brand is located in 65 countries around the world in major urban centres, gateway cities and resort destinations.
“As the fourth largest upscale full-service hotel brand in the world and one of the fastest growing, the Crowne Plaza brand has a solid foundation for future growth,” remarked Anne-Lise Berthon, global communications, external communications manager for Asia, Middle East & Africa.
The portfolio has doubled since 2003 to over 400 hotels, and the global pipeline has increased to over 80 hotels.
“At Crowne Plaza hotels, we help our guests feel energised and productive, with 24-hour business services, wireless high speed Internet access in the lobby, and fitness and leisure facilities.
“Our Sleep Advantage programme ensures our guests get a great night’s sleep to power through their day.”
Available support for meetings: The IHG Business Rewards programme was rolled out globally in April 2015, and targets individuals that book meetings at IHG hotels on behalf of others.
By booking a meeting at participating hotels in the IHG Business Rewards programme, the planner will earn three IHG Rewards Club points per equivalent US$1 spent, with no minimum threshold on qualified spending.
These points can be used to redeem for Rewards Nights at over 4,700 hotels worldwide, with no blackout dates; worldwide travel on over 400 airlines; unique events and experiences; retail and restaurant vouchers; digital rewards; merchandise and entertainment; charitable donations on the planner’s behalf; and more.
IHG Business Rewards members will also enjoy access to exclusive member-only offers and promotions, as well as free Internet usage during their stays at an IHG property.
Available member perks grow along with the ascending tiers – IHG Rewards Club Gold Elite (earned at 10,000 Elite Qualifying Points), IHG Rewards Club Platinum Elite (at 40,000 Elite Qualifying Points), and IHG Rewards Club Spire Elite (at 75,000 Elite Qualifying Points).
