The country’s hospitality sector is constantly evolving, facing new challenges and seizing new opportunities. China is becoming an increasing popular, and lucrative MICE market and the digital age is reshaping how leading hotels give their guests a unique experience.

How would you assess China’s MICE market? What about the performance of your property?

Javier Albar: China has seen an incredible increase in tourism, particularly among luxury travelers. We anticipate more meetings and events happening in second- and third-tier cities with many new convention centers, hotels and other venues being built to keep up with the growing demand for domestic and international meetings. Shanghai as one of the most popular destinations in China — MICE business plays a vital role driving its whole performance. Statistic show there is year-on-year increase in the number of meetings and events in Shanghai, as well as room nights growth. We are very positive and optimistic seeing the growth in demand.

MICE business also plays an important role at The St Regis Shanghai Jingan. On Beijing Road W. in the heart of Jing’an District, Shanghai’s cultural and business center, our hotel name has been well established in the market and MICE business is ramping up after opening one and half years ago. Given its prime location, cutting-edge facilities and renowned St Regis brand services, we aim to exceed our market share target by the year end. Furthermore, recently, our hotel was officially certified as an outside catering service provider — we are able to bring the finest quality St Regis cuisine and highest levels of services to your venue and ensure your event is a great success. From designing a theme, planning a menu and setting up equipment, we provide all solutions to guests’ catering needs. Whether it’s a big gala dinner in a stadium or a private party at the guest’s house, we bring five-star dining and service. This is a great effort to make us be better prepared for the upcoming China International Import Expo in Shanghai this November.

Harmen Dubbelaar: The Chinese MICE market is getting more and more sophisticated, the key trait of which is that its customers are transforming into professionals, knowing what suits them best and who can provide the most appropriate services for them. This is especially true in first-tier cities such as Shanghai. Hotel guests prefer customized MICE activities, which are expected to adapt to new trends and technologies.

Phil Smith: China’s MICE market is growing quickly and exponentially. In addition to vibrant growth and demand from domestic companies and events, China is high on the list for inbound MICE event organizers. This is in line with the increased attraction to experience and explore China from overseas leisure visitors. Overall the MICE market in China is maturing rapidly with very positive results for the many related support industries.

For Fairmont Chengdu we have seen very good performance in our group and MICE segment since the hotel’s opening in 2016. A successful meeting or event begins with ensuring the hotels team connects and communicates well with the meeting planner, and that they share a clear vision of the meeting objectives and critical touch points for success. We have a very strong sales, events and service operations team that works closely with the organizers to find ways to create unique and personal experiences for their company’s guests and ensure the meetings objectives are met. A complete meeting journey takes a lot of teamwork and communication for even veteran hotel and meeting planners to ensure the many details and logistics are done successfully.

In addition to having a great hotel with very unique event and meeting venues that planners are looking for, we are very fortunate to be located in the amazing destination of Chengdu, which is top on the list as a travel destination for MICE planners and delegates. The Giant Panda Research Base, many historical attractions such as the Jinsha Site Museum, Wide and Narrow Alley and Wenshu Monastery, along with Chengdu’s world famous Sichuan cuisine make this an extremely favorable and sought-after destination. During the planning phase we work very close with the planners to connect their event and guests to the destination as we know this is a key part of the reason they have chosen Chengdu.

Grace Chen: Xiamen is a famous MICE and tourism city with beautiful views. It is well-known as the “garden in the sea” and is warm as if it was always in spring. The MICE market is one of our major markets, as we have excellent facilities, a professional meeting service team and a total of 3,500 square meters of meeting space.

Juan Samso: Being a core city in the Greater Bay and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge projects, Zhuhai is attracting more and more attention and investment domestically and internationally, which will cultivate a tremendous market for both business and leisure travel. As the hotel is adjacent to the Zhuhai International Exhibition Center and right across water from Macau, we are looking at a very vibrant MICE market. As the first luxury hotel to open in Zhuhai we aim to set a new benchmark of luxury hospitality in south China. With the excellent MICE facilities and the signature St Regis butler service we are going to offer, I am confident that we will achieve an outstanding performance.

More and more hotels are trying to provide exceptional service and create a memorable brand experience to pamper their guests and distinguish themselves from the competition. What’s the strength of your brand? How do you differentiate yourself?

Albar: The St Regis guests are luminaries — global influencers and tastemakers who embody the modern spirit of our timeless brand. We meet the needs of these modern luxury travelers by offering an uncompromising level of bespoke and anticipatory service, delivered flawlessly by the signature St Regis butler service, which is at the heart of everything we do. This program has been further enhanced at The St Regis Shanghai Jingan, by the event butler service team. This team has plenty of experience in hospitality as well as event planning. They look after every single detail of the event in the hotel, from room arrangement to menu design; from setup logistics to post-event follow-up. We provide an experience to remember for our MICE clients, instead of just a meeting package. Apart from that, we also have popular innovative themed refreshment breaks such as a Bloody Mary theme or a Shanghai local snacks theme.

Dubbelaar: Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai is one of the members under The Okura Group, whose corporate philosophy is to provide “Omotenashi” service with “Best ACS” (best accommodation, cuisine and service). Thoughtful services and pursuit of excellence represent the symbolic core competitiveness of Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai and the Okura brand.

The Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai is ideally situated in Shanghai’s most prestigious shopping and business district. The 33-story hotel combines contemporary design with the elegance of the former French club of 1926, and incorporates a private garden of around 30,000 square meters. The 10 sophisticated function rooms are the perfect venue for meetings, conferences, banquets and dinners. The 471 well-equipped guest rooms offer an immediate sense of comfort.

In terms of MICE marketing, the Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai also offers its “Taste of Okura” meeting event proposal, which is unique in the Shanghai market. Our guests can not only enjoy our excellent location, facilities and dining services, but also have an option for team-building activities of Chinese and Japanese styles, enriching the entire meeting content. “Taste of Okura” also includes a list of popular activities such as garden tai chi class, sushi workshop and kimono tea party.

Smith: This is a true differentiator for brands that look to stand out or be leaders in hospitality. Being in the luxury hotel business for over 130 years, Fairmont recognized many years ago that each of our guests is unique and has a very individualized and personal preference. In addition to having strong luxury standards and training, it was important for Fairmont to focus on how to teach our colleagues to connect with our guests and get to know their true personal preferences. As such it became an important part of our new colleague orientation, training and ongoing programs. I get great pleasure in hearing back from guests about the personalized surprises they have had from many of our colleagues.

Also, although standards and SOP (standard operation procedure) are very important in our industry, you also have to be comfortable giving colleagues the authority to break the rules from time to time. We spend a lot of time teaching our new colleagues the luxury standards, but also encourage them to put these rules aside if it allows them to create a more personal luxury experience that is different from our standards.

Another key focus for Fairmont for many years has been connecting guests with the destination they have traveled to. Iconic properties such as the Savoy in London, the Plaza in New York, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Québec City and the Peace Hotel in Shanghai certainly are icons of their destination. However, Fairmont has developed many new hotels that carry on the company’s philosophy by being at the heart of the city with the best location, iconic architecture and incredible interior design that captures the essence of luxury while having local elements that celebrate and speak for the destination. For example, at Fairmont Chengdu we are fortunate to be at the heart of the new Tianfu CBD which is similar to Pudong in Shanghai. The design of the building is stunning with the architecture being done by the same designer who designed the Water Cube for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the interior design is truly unique. This sense of place starts as soon as the guests enter the hotel lobby and are met by China’s largest Shu embroidery piece created by two very famous artists, Lu Jun and Yang Dequan. It took 20 artists almost two years to complete this very modern interpretation of local Shu embroidery. This theme is reflected throughout the hotel with many other local design touches.

Lastly, and core to the heart of our success, has been selecting the right talent. Fairmont has developed very careful recruitment and selection tools that help us find the best people that share our passion for luxury hospitality and taking care of others. This is reflected in the service culture and experience that distinguish us from the others. I have to say that I am one of the luckiest general managers in China with very special team members who are extremely proud of the hotel and are also very good at what they do. You don’t have to look far online to see the outstanding guest comments about them.

Chen: The biggest advantage of Seaview Resort is our service. During the past 11 years since the hotel opened in 2007, we have undertaken many international conferences and fashion activities that established a good reputation in the market, such as G20 Finance and Central Bank Deputies Meeting, the 4th APEC ocean-related ministerial meeting, SPYKER and Porsche brand activities. Last year, we successfully completed the reception work for the 2017 BRICS summit and undertook the 13-day NOAH 2017 Annual Conference, with more than 6,000 guests.

Secondly, we have the wonderful location and 1 million square meters of landscape, including mountains, valleys and many kinds of rare plants. Our hotel is located beside scenic seashores and less than 10 minutes’ drive away from the Xiamen International Convention and Exhibition Center. There are 601 rooms and 12 multi-functional meeting rooms in different sizes at your choice. The unique 3,000-square-meter lawn with seascape, outdoor swimming poolside and luxury private villas are your best choice for a creative meeting.

Samso: St Regis is a legendary luxury hotel brand with a spiritual tradition of bespoke service and glorious legacies. At The St Regis Zhuhai, we are recrafting the brand classics with modern and local touches to bring to new life to the brand DNA.

The hotel offers 251 guest rooms and suites, including 34 suites and one approximately 1,100-square-meter Presidential Suite and the lead-in room category starts at 60 square meters; a culinary team with multiple Michelin-starred restaurant backgrounds creating authentic Cantonese and Italian dining experience together with The St Regis Roof, a 300-square-meter ballroom located on the 72nd floor which is a perfect venue for weddings and social gatherings and is by far the highest ballroom in Pearl River Delta.

Someone said the next hospitality revolution happened in the digital age. What do you think the Internet-plus economy will bring to the hospitality industry? Do you use any social media to approach your guests?

Albar: The hospitality industry has gone through tremendous changes over the last decade as digitalization has emerged as a key performance indicator for all hotels. Marriott brings technology to elevate the guest experience, online, offline, on-property and off-property. According to Deloitte’s 2017 Travel and Hospitality industry outlook, “travelers will feel the true power of mobile in 2017.” We have implemented mobile check-in which helps the check-in process, our enhanced e-butler service also allows guests to communicate with our butlers instantly and efficiently.

Social media has developed very rapidly in recent years, and hotel guests are willing to share their travel experiences on various social media channels, whether it is spoken, interactive or visual. We’ve received many constructive suggestions via social media, which help us improve service and product quality. We also actively leverage social media and iWOM (Internet word of mouth) to spread the hotel happenings and promotions to our guests, which we have found is a very cost-effective and efficient way.

Dubbelaar: The Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai is also one of the front-runners in e-commerce development with foresightful and specific work plans. We have launched marketing campaigns in mainstream social media, including WeChat and Sina Weibo, to promote hotel image and products. Meanwhile, the Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai is also one of the few independent five-star hotels that have a presence in Tmall flagship store, competing with various international hotel groups via the Tmall platform.

Smith: The power of the Internet and our new digital world is unbelievable. Accor Hotels recognized this a number of years ago and has been focusing on its software and digital platforms. As part of this Accor has acquired some software and digital providers along with parallel service industry companies, such as Availpro, Adoria, ResDairy and Onefinestay. These additions and new channels of business can assist hotel operations as well as unlock a completely new type of living experience or expanded ecosystem for our guests, not only during their stays, but also extend our services to their journey or when they return to their home city with personal services for their daily living such as housekeeping, laundry, personal chefs for home etc. All available with a simple click in their Accor application on their phone.

For our hotel operations, WeChat and Weibo are popular social media platforms we interact with our guests and have become mainstays in our daily lives. We also have “Mini Red Book” and “Douyin” which are also very popular among the younger generation in recent years to showcase interesting stories and moments at our hotel. In China Dianping, Meituan, Enjoy, Mileslife and many other online channels along with key opionion leaders are key to promoting new hotel products, services and connecting with new guests.

Samso: Digital is an inevitable trend. In hospitality we are investing more and more in online distributions and digital marketing initiatives, and we can see the business generated from online channels keeps boosting over the years.

We leverage various social media platforms to target customers from different regions. For domestic market we use WeChat and Weibo to deliver our key messages while for Hong Kong, Macau and international markets we use Instagram and Facebook.

The general manager is the person in charge of providing strategic direction for the hotel and overseeing daily operations. What do you think is the most important trait or skill for a qualified general manger? Could you give us an example of the most cheerful or stressful situation you have ever experienced?

Albar: To me, I think the most important characteristic a qualified GM should have is “caring.” We care about our guests, our associates and our business. We have passion of what we are doing. For me, the most cheerful thing is to see our contribution to society, we give our love and care to those who need help. “Spirit to serve,” as Marriott’s core value and heritage, make us who we are and what we are proud of. Also, my leadership style is to elevate the team to the next level of performance by supporting, coaching and developing and being a role model. I’m also very happy to see our associates grow and succeed, that makes me feel proud of my job.

Dubbelaar: As general manager I strive to “orchestrate” the hotel team so they can always work and trust each other to receive a “standing ovation” from guests and colleagues alike. This is what keeps hoteliers going — the simple “Thank you, I enjoyed my stay and look forward to coming back” makes all of the tough work worth it. The responsibility of general manager makes me oversee all operations, finances and maintenance as well. The care and success of employees is especially important. Making friendships with employees and helping with their success is my ultimate goal. Happy employees make happy customer!

Smith: Being a general manager of a hotel is an amazing and rewarding experience. As mentioned earlier the most critical thing is to be surrounded with an amazing team of hospitality professionals, leaders and colleagues that share the same passion and vision you do.

If you do this and create the right positive and fun environment, where people enjoy coming to work every day, then you have an opportunity to create exceptional personal guests experiences that are essential to the art of hospitality.

Chen: As a hotel GM, the most important trait is to be peaceful and to be self-assured whatever you face and to put things in the way of plans, that will make your team members be confident.

During September 3-5, 2017, we successfully completed the reception work for the 2017 BRICS. The preparation time for the Sino-Russian bilateral talks was less than 40 days. We were excited after hearing the news, and then we were busy with the preparation, sometimes our team members felt nervous and sometimes exhausted because of the heavy pressure. What I did is to put all things in the way of plans, stayed with our team members and gave great support and encouragement. At last, we did it! We showed our warm and professional service to the world and won high praise from President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is a great honor to our hotel, our team members and also the most exciting career experience for me.

Samso: For me the most important thing about being a good general manager is understanding and empowerment. Understand the business and understand the needs of all guests thus to fulfill them. Empowerment means to always encourage staff to think and make decisions, to help them grow in a flexible environment.

One time, the fire alarm accidentally went off when we were preparing a lunch for 500 guests. All the food we prepared got wet from the fire extinguishing system. Then we had the most memorable two hours on fire, busy communicating with event planners, updating the menus and organizing everybody to assist, and finally we made it happen.