One of the key consumer trends for 2011 is that companies are now being challenged to come up with products and services that offer unique experiences for their customers.
InterContinental Hotel Manila has quickly picked up on this trend while the rest of its competitors are just starting to realize this. Last month the hotel’s general manager Christopher Pirodon led the launch of InterContinental Meetings, a new product that promises tailor-made arrangements and amenities for conferences and meetings to create a truly local experience for guests—the first hotel to come up with such an offering.
Known for his deep love and appreciation for the Philippines, Pirodon noted that the idea of changing the typical setting of a meeting sprang from a question of what a meeting really means for the InterCon. “A meeting is a meeting. You book for a function room and lunch or dinner and that’s it. We wanted to be a little different,” he said.
Boasting that the hotel is “very good in creating an environment,” he believes that the hotel staff could recreate what tourists can experience in the country. “We have the most beautiful places in the world like Palawan. We have to show our country to the world,” Pirodon said.
The veteran hotelier noted that guests from around the world would often stay for a period—three to four days—and would not go out of the hotel. Thus, what the hotel intends to do is to help guests get immersed in the local culture and interact with the Filipino people.
“What we want to do is to give each and every one of our guests a little of the spirit of what the Philippines is made of—beauty and intelligence,” he said, adding that he does not know anyone from the country who cannot sing and cannot express what the Philippines is all about.
“It is a country made of people who love other people. This country is made of genuine people,” he continued.
For instance, he said that if a foreigner gets lost in the Philippines, he or she can ask anyone for help and the people will be happy to give directions. Unlike in Paris where even asking for directions to Eiffel Tower could be difficult.
Jennifer Peña, InterCon’s consultant for public relations, said that the “Insider Collection” was launched around the world in all InterCon hotels to give meeting packages a new twist and make them more interesting and exciting.
“We wanted them also to get a feel of the history, culture and tradition of the country where the meeting is being held,” she said, explaining that there is an international template for the InterCon hotels to follow although it is still up to the clients to decide on what local flavor will be injected to their meetings.
Asked about the cost of these packages, Peña argued that it is hard for them to come up with a specific price list because every package is tailor-made. “The cost would depend on what the clients want,” she said.
She emphasized that the package is not exclusively for foreigners but would also be of interest to local companies who want to give their employees the opportunity to explore the country more.
One click
Through the “E-proposal”—another first from the hotel—the details of an event are finalized in just one click. This is a Web-based tool where conference organizers can access their proposal, view menus, wine lists, function room floor plans and pictures to find out more about the hotel, as well as the places they can visit while staying at the hotel.
Its main goal is to generate good quality proposals rapidly with a high standard of presentation. It also supports the hotel’s environment initiative of going paperless.
Organizers can mount the most memorable meeting or conference through the Insider Collection. Without having to research about the destination, they may refer to the Insider Collection’s wide-ranging list of activities and services that are uniquely original and authentic to Manila.
The hotel will then assist organizers in each activity. In fact, a dedicated Instant Service Manager will be part of the Meetings and Events team. This person will be on hand and easily accessible all throughout the event, guaranteeing fast response to client requests without them having to leave the meeting area.
To drive continuous hotel performance improvements, organizers will be asked to respond to a Web-based Meetings Satisfaction Survey for a pre- and post-event evaluation.
Insider knowledge
InterCon has a list of off-site venues of historical or cultural significance—dubbed “Insider Locations”—where guests can hold a part of their meeting or conference. Among the suggested sites are Plaza San Luis in the historic walled city of Intramuros or the modern Ayala Museum in Makati City.
Another facet of the program is “Insider Breaks.” Morning and afternoon breaks take on an exciting twist with specialized menus that offer delegates a taste of the country’s diverse food delicacies in a festive native setting. The menu includes all-you-can-eat feasts of popular Filipino street delicacies, such as balut, penoy and chicharon baboy to hot-off-the-grill items like pork and chicken barbecue and straight-from-the-wok delights that include fish and prawn balls, lumpiang gulay and calamari. And no feast would be complete without delicious Filipino sorbetes and sweets like turon saba and camote-cue.
Another option is to treat the guests to an afternoon of entertaining music and food at the hotel’s Ballroom Terrace overlooking the poolside garden. The hotel’s chefs will prepare freshly baked pastries such as bibingka, ensaymada and manga at suman, complemented by blends of native tea, Philippine brewed coffee or hot chocolate.
Then there is “Insider Interactions,” which aims to build team spirit and camaraderie among attendees. Using the unique character, heritage or geography of the Philippines to inspire interaction, each experience, whether based on or offsite, offers an original way to engage delegates and motivate them to build effective working relationships. For instance, delegates can get the feel of a typical Philippine barrio fiesta as members of world-renowned Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company teach them popular Filipino dances. After the training, guests are treated to a wide variety of fiesta dishes.
There is also the “Insider Speakers” feature, in which the hotel would invite inspirational speakers who can strike a chord with the delegates and enrich their experience. The “Insider Speakers” range from celebrities and cultural experts to sporting heroes.
One of the speakers is Rachy Cuna, a renowned floral architect, who can share insights for the delegates on the role of art in everyday life and how it promotes harmony in a hands-on session on crating decorative art. Another is World Wide Fund Philippines chairman Lory Tan, who can share his passion for the environment and provide tips on responsible business practices and how individuals can make a difference.
The “Insider Community,” meanwhile, offers an immersion experience in a community so delegates can have a deeper understanding of the Philippines. The hotel can arrange for meeting participants to join outreach activities such as Gawad Kalinga’s Build-a-Community project for the homeless. Here, delegates can have a whole-day immersion where they can help build an actual home for a family, interact and dine with them and learn how GK empowers them to be self-reliant.
A visit to the Center for Health Improvement and Life Development, a halfway house in Manila for sick children undergoing medical treatment, allows participants to provide not just food but hope to the underprivileged children. As part of the program, participants can prepare games, entertainment and kids’ activities.
Pirodon said the hotel’s latest offering is not about the InterCon but about the country—it is about bringing the country to the people who come here.
“Our job is to make people understand that the Philippines is not just what they see on CNN or the BBC. In reality, this is a beautiful country,” he said.
In Photo: Insider Break—Filipino high tea and Insider Interactions—Dancing with the Bayanihan National Folk Dancers
