Marco Polo Hotels’ 2015 Marketing Conference was recently held at their newest luxury hotel, Niccolo Chengdu. The hotel is located in the renowned International Finance Square complex in the capital of Sichuan, China. — Photo by Wharf Hotels

Marco Polo Hotels' 2015 Marketing Conference was recently held at their newest luxury hotel, Niccolo Chengdu. The hotel is located in the renowned International Finance Square complex in the capital of Sichuan, China.

The theme for this year's conference was "Inspiring Ideas. Building Business," emphasising the importance of blue ocean thinking to develop new strategies. Delegates representing each of the 14 Marco Polo hotels attended the intensive two-day conference to discuss best practices and current challenges as well as innovative ideas to help boost revenue through cross-selling. For many of the participants, it was their first time experiencing the contemporary urban chic Niccolo Chengdu that recently opened its doors and an ideal opportunity for the global network of regional sales officers and global sales agents to experience the hotel and the delights of Chengdu.

Day One started with a presentation on the new guest booking journey followed by each hotel presenting tactics that have helped to increase guest engagement and overall revenue at their hotel through "5 Minutes of Fame." At the end of the day, the delegates were given a team project that involved one of three main themes for presentation the following day.

Day Two included a presentation by Karen Tam, Assistant General Manager of Promotions and Marketing for Harbour City, who was responsible for bringing into Hong Kong's largest shopping centre popular exhibits including the giant yellow rubber duck, the Japanese time traveller Doraemon, Carole A. Feuerman's lifeguard exhibition and Where's Wally which is currently on display. Ms. Tam shared with the delegates the strategies behind rolling out such effective and well-received exhibits and stressed the importance of social media and all platforms of media engagement, while seeking other methods to promote the shopping mall including awards.

After an informative presentation on revenue management, PR strategies and a closing speech on crisis management, the conference concluded with a Great Gatsby-themed gala dinner in Niccolo Chengdu's stunning new Ballroom, complete with 1920s costumes and props as well as makeup artists to assist participants with complementary makeovers.

"The assembling of delegates from each of our 14 hotels to share their best practices as well as challenges faced has resulted in a positive experience for everyone," said Eric Waldburger, President of Marco Polo Hotels. "The unique and stimulating ideas that each of our properties has shared with their sister hotels have further reinforced this year's theme of 'Inspiring Ideas. Building Business," that will surely resonate through the rest of 2015 and 2016 and make our properties even stronger to deal with the challenges ahead."

About Wharf Hotels

The Spirit of Discovery | Emanating the spirit of discovery, Wharf Hotels, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Wharf (Holdings) Ltd, is based in Hong Kong and currently operates 16 owned or managed hotels under Niccolo or Marco Polo Hotels in Hong Kong, China and the Philippines. Niccolo Hotels was added to the group's portfolio in 2015 as the new luxury collection, positioning the brand as contemporary urban chic. The Murray, Hong Kong, a Niccolo Hotel, opened in January 2018 as the brand's flagship hotel, with 2 new Niccolo hotels currently under development in China following successful openings in Chengdu and Chongqing. Marco Polo's deluxe hotels in established locations maintain their ethos to explore, discover and experience a destination, drawing on the philosophies of its namesake, Marco Polo: an adventurer, a traveller, an entrepreneur and a connoisseur of culture - just as Marco Polo's modern travellers are today. Further details are available at wharfhotels.com.

About Ultratravel Collection

Ultratravel Collection brings together hotels of distinction for the discerning traveller. Its membership is reserved for the very best hotels and resorts in the world - genuinely luxurious and iconic properties that deliver the finest service and personalised guest experiences. Member hotels share an integrated global platform for guest recognition and loyalty rewards, the DISCOVERY programme from partner Global Hotel Alliance, as well as beneficial relationship with the multi-media brand Ultratravel, the other founding partner of Ultratravel Collection. For more information visit ultratravelcollection.com.

Jonathan Ma
Communications Manager
Wharf Hotels