Success Stories
Explore a bit about how our hotels and customers have successfully partnered to bring attendees together leveraging EventReady.
APAC
Hilton Malaysia won a bid to cater a pharmaceutical company’s Virtual National Sales Conference for 250 attendees, which took place July 5, 2020. What made Hilton Malaysia stand out among the competition was their ability to present a consistent proposal – with uniform menu and delivery solutions – across all hotels. Additionally, the agreement terms allowed for flexibility, should the country lockdown policy change, causing the event to be pushed back.
Hilton Malaysia secured the deal at six properties across the country –
- Hilton Kuala Lumpur, located in the capital city
- Hilton Petaling Jaya, located in the Selangor area
- DoubleTree Penang, Northern Corridor
- DoubleTree Melaka and DoubleTree Johor, Southern Corridor
- Hilton Kuching and Hilton Kota Kinabalu, East Malaysia
The event went very smoothly. All food and deliveries were prompt across all properties and the event received positive feedback from the organizer and delegates.
The client held their hybrid meeting at the Conrad Manila in October 2020. They are very comfortable with the venue and facilities due to their high-standard of cleanliness and disinfection.
The EventReady with CleanStay program has been a great success and the client has been amazed by the initiative. In particular, they appreciated the addition of the room seals, to ensure no one entered our space ahead of the meeting. The client also felt secure that the Conrad Manila team provided the sanitation, inside and outside our meeting space, and were proactive in meeting our security and safety needs. Overall, they are astonished by how innovative Conrad Manila has been as it relates to hybrid events.
The client said they certainly plan to host our hybrid meeting in Conrad Manila again, soon.
EMEA
For the three years, prior to the pandemic, the Hilton Sofia collaborated with a pharmaceutical company to help them plan their events. With the start of the evolving crisis and with the introduction of Hilton CleanStay and Hilton EventReady, we stayed in constant communication to keep a pulse on how this customer was feeling with returning to in-person events . We wanted to also reassure them of our support and reiterate our quality of service and hospitality.
In September 2020 a hybrid event opportunity arose. The pharmaceutical company was assigned to organize a multi-day, hybrid medical conference for 600+ virtual participants and 35 high-profile, in-person attendees. Hilton Sofia was competing with 5-star properties and realized that what used to be the key-decision factor – “location, location, location” – had soon transformed into – “safety, safety, safety”.
Hilton Sofia impressed the client with a site inspection demonstrating our EventReady solutions. The hotel teams organized a real-life simulation to allow the client to fully understand Hilton’s CleanStay initiative from start to finish. The conference room was arranged to ensure social distancing, F&B services included individually-portioned items served in eco-friendly packaging, and our technical team showcased their ability to deliver a successful, glitch-free, live-streaming event. CleanStay protocols in the guest rooms were communicated to promote the clear message that “we are clean, safe and ready for you”.
The client’s response after the site visit was glowing: “It’s one thing to read about the clean protocols implied in the hospitality industry and another thing when a property decides to demonstrate how they will be present throughout every aspect of the experience, ensuring our well-being.”
Following the site inspection, Hilton Sofia won the business. The event went extremely well thanks to the smooth organization and unquestionable trust established between the hotel and client. Hilton Sofia was recognized as a “lead-by-example” hospitality approach. Following the success of this event, Hilton Sofia went on to secure four additional events, which is a statistic never achieved pre-pandemic.
Every year in June in the Netherlands, they celebrate the arrival of the new Herring. There was no question for Hilton Amsterdam whether the 2020 annual Herring Party would take place during COVID-19, it simply needed a creative approach. Roberto Payer, Hilton, “You should cherish traditions, so we made sure that our guests could enjoy this spectacle and the Hollandse Nieuwe in the comfort of their own homes.” This 28th edition had guests joining virtually to celebrate the spectacular arrival by drone of the new herring. A truly unique moment that Hilton Amsterdam would like to share around the world:
Americas
This organization has been executing in-person, store opening events throughout the pandemic. The Hilton EventReady and CleanStay programs have helped stakeholders feel more secure. The landscape has been ever-changing, but thanks to the open lines of communication with Hilton Brand Leadership and Hilton Worldwide Sales Partner, they have been able to navigate challenges when they come up and work together to overcome obstacles.
The Iowa County Attorneys Association was scheduled to host their Fall Training Conference with DoubleTree by Hilton Cedar Rapids in November 2021. About 45 days out from the conference, the Association was very nervous to move forward, as they felt it was unwise to host a live meeting during the pandemic. The hotel and client met to review the EventReady procedures and the EventReady Playbook, to reassure them it would be socially responsible to host their meeting. Working together, the hotel and client were able to include as many of their meal functions as possible – offering EventReady solutions to serve them safely. There was a meeting bubble crafted for them, isolating them in one area of our convention center, so they did not cross paths with other guests on property. When the conference began, the individual attendees felt very comfortable in their space. They could see that precautions had been taken and smart planning was used to make it safe for them. The comfort they felt in the meeting area provided them the atmosphere they needed for a positive learning environment. As part of their annual training, they usually have a dinner off-property. There was a creative solution, which featured a “grab and go” dinner buffet. It was a huge hit!
Based on the success of this event and the power of EventReady, DoubleTree by Hilton Cedar Rapids has successfully convinced two additional groups to continue with their programs. The power of EventReady is very compelling to people and has proven to be a success in allowing us to continue to host on-site, in-person meetings.
“Live events create a power, connection and engagement which is hard to replicate virtually…my Hilton hybrid experience demonstrated the partnership of proactive venues, creative production and event agencies. Imaginative clients and positive audiences can generate almost the same buzz. So, for the moment, the fusion of live and virtual is our best way forward.”
