Phoning in from a customer event at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, Mike Wainwright, vice president of sales for Marriott’s Convention & Resort Network (CRN), is enthused about the network-member hotel’s energy.
“It’s truly ‘L.A. Live’ here,” he said. “The lobby’s bustling, music’s playing, and people of all ages are convening in open spaces and around community tables wired for human and technological interaction. It’s a showcase of venue design geared to the ‘tribal’ behavior of today’s audience.”
As Wainwright noted, however, attendees do not always find such common ground.
“Among the many things concerning meeting planners today is how generational differences can impact an event,” he said. “More than ever before, distinctions among attendees usually means various planning decisions, and so it’s up to us to customize the right solution based on their demographic.”
When booking with Marriott’s CRN, which presently comprises 109 hotel and resort properties in prime destinations across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, the approach starts up-front, in close consultation with the planner.
“In the discovery and qualification stage, we learn about a group’s demographic mix,” Wainwright said. “Then we design the agenda, revising as necessary to build in generational solutions that match individual needs, tastes and preferences, such as creative F&B offerings, technology integration and off-site activities. Total collaboration and understanding are essential for activating meaningful experiences for a diverse group—and delivering event excellence.”
Representing eight Marriott brands, including post-merger additions Westin and Sheraton, Marriott’s CRN presently features 38 resorts, including such luminaries as the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa; Sawgrass Marriott Resort & Spa; JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa; JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa; Sheraton Waikiki; and JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa.
