Awards

Hotel Story

Inspirational Stories

New initiatives and programs are emerging to make travel experiences more inclusive, and Marriott properties are playing a crucial role in this evolution. Recently designated as a Certified Autism Center by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), the <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/ctdca">JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort &amp; Spa</a> in California has made a significant stride in fostering inclusivity and accessibility. The property has equipped its associates with the necessary training, tools, and skills to cater to guests with autism and other sensory needs, and was recently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bizbash.com/meetings-trade-shows/places/article/22892136/the-rise-of-autismfriendly-destinations-and-events">highlighted by BizBash</a> for its efforts. The resort also offers a property map highlighting low-sensory areas where guests can find tranquility and relaxation away from stimulating environments. Similarly, <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/pvrwi">The Westin Resort &amp; Spa, Puerto Vallarta</a> introduced "temper tents" equipped with padded mats and stress balls, aimed at enhancing the comfort of autistic guests during their stay. Both resorts were recently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.afar.com/magazine/how-the-travel-industry-is-becoming-more-supportive-of-autism">spotlighted in a story for AFAR</a>, showcasing their commitment to catering to the needs of autistic travelers.
By offering specialized amenities and services, these properties are setting a new standard for neurodiverse-friendly hospitality, reaffirming Marriott's commitment to inclusivity and its dedication to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all guests.

Global

JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa and The Westin Resort & Spa, Puerto Vallarta are highlighted for their commitment to understanding and inclusivity.

Leading the Way in Neurodiverse-Friendly Hospitality

Party

The <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tour/nycex">JW Marriott Essex House New York</a> beamed with pride while hosting a reception for Proud Experiences (a travel tradeshow focusing on the LGBTQ+ industry) last year, in June 2022. The hotel hired Kaleidoscope Vue Consulting who created “A Night in Versailles” themed evening.
Upon arrival at the hotel, guests saw a welcoming mural spelling ESSEX HOUSE with pride color roses, which was displayed in the lobby for the entire month of June.
When the 200+ guests entered the majestic ballroom, they were invited to jump into a “living picture frame” including lush florals in the pride colors along with models dressed in 17th century French period costumes.

Other installations included a Rose Bar and a photo booth with Versailles’s famous Hall of Mirrors as a backdrop.
The highlight of the evening was a special show featuring former contestants from RuPaul's Drag Race – Shannel, MizCracker, and Willam.
The hotel received rave reviews from guests as well as the organizers of Proud Experiences.

“I cannot thank the team at the Essex House enough for producing such a memorable evening for our attendees. From the event décor, the food and beverage offerings and the top-notch entertainment… all far surpassed our wildest expectations. More importantly, we felt welcomed by the hotel for creating such an inclusive event for all.”  

PROUD Experiences is an annual 3 day conference that brings together colleagues from the travel &amp; lifestyle sectors to expand their LGBTQ+ understanding and connect with like-minded peers through education, engagement and connections.

North America

JW Marriott Essex House New York

Proud Experiences Reception Shines with Pride

Seminars

For the 1,700 attendees at SynBioBeta’s Global Synthetic Biology Summit in April 2022, the stakes were high. The annual event—a convergence of biotech thought leaders, venture capitalists, and 500 of the nation’s brightest emerging biologists—had already been rescheduled twice, courtesy of the omicron variant of COVID-19.
For the city of Oakland, the stakes were even higher. Local businesses had experienced severe drops in revenue during the height of the pandemic. The Oakland Convention Center’s 100,566 square feet of meeting space had largely been empty, even as the events team at the adjacent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/oakdt-oakland-marriott-city-center/events/">Oakland Marriott City Center</a> was doing its best to work with meeting planners for the events they knew would soon return.
If SynBioBeta and Oakland were both to achieve their goals of hosting the successful networking event that would be the largest convention in Oakland’s downtown since March 2019, they’d have to work together.
And so, they did.
The Oakland Marriott City Center team partnered with local businesses to create an outdoor space for food, beverage, and recreation. A local catering company provided the nibbles, but boosting the books of that particular business was just the beginning. According to the team, each delegate at the Oakland Convention Center brings between $200 and $300 of revenue to surrounding businesses, such as coffee shops and restaurants—revenue reflected in the packed bars and dining venues during the April event.
Spreading the wealth to Oakland began with clear communication and establishing what each party’s needs were. When SynBioBeta first approached the Oakland Marriott, it wasn’t to inquire about the venue, just the catering. After initial conversations, it became clear that the centralized venue space of Oakland Marriott was even more important than the catering possibilities. In fact, 2022 was the first time the convention would be hosted at a hotel. This allowed the specialized sales and events teams to educate the SynBioBeta team on the capabilities of the venue—and the possibilities enabled by having an experienced event staff at the ready.
Before partnering with Marriott, SynBioBeta’s attendees were left on their own to secure accommodation; now, a room block streamlined housing. Registration became a one-stop shop, centralizing an occasionally disorienting process that had previously seen attendees racing from venue to venue. Audiovisual support enabled a higher level of production.

But the greatest demonstration of expertise may have been more meta than all of that. The Oakland Marriott City Center was able to coach the SynBioBeta team in the art of gathering: how to orchestrate the best flow of movement for the 1,700 attendees through various spaces, and where and how to display signage nudging delegates to the right place at the right time.
The proof of the partnership’s success lies in its future. SynBioBeta booked the Oakland Marriott City Center for its 2023 and 2024 events at a larger capacity, and with Oakland Marriott handling more of the food and beverage than it did in 2022. Signing a <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tips-and-trends/article/361/three-big-reasons-to-consider-a-multiyear-agreement">multiyear meeting agreement</a> means that the Marriott team can take its findings from the 2022 event and make 2023 and beyond all the stronger.

At the Oakland Marriott City Center, Revitalizing Local Businesses Begins With Listening.

Bringing Back an Annual Meeting—and an Entire City District

How does a meeting planner who takes pride in topping her previous annual meeting year after year outdo herself? She takes to the sea.
At least, that’s what Crissy Tallman, Director of Conventions and Continuing Education at Florida Dental Association, did for the FDA’s 2022 convention, held at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/mcogp-gaylord-palms-resort-and-convention-center/events/">Gaylord Palms Resort &amp; Convention Center</a> in Kissimmee in late June.
Tallman didn’t need to literally take delegates to the ocean to give them the same expansive, joyous feeling of the sea. The theme of the Friday night celebration was “Sea Vibes,” complete with a mechanical shark ride, a 54-foot inflatable octopus DJ booth, and catering options such as “Poseidon’s Power Greens Salad Bar” (and, of course, seafood).
The festivities are part of the draw for attendees—as was the venue itself. “For our dentists, so much of this is bleisure—it’s business and leisure,” Tallman says. “So having a property that affords both of these things, that’s really important.” Gaylord Palms’ swimming pool, shuttles, and activity centers were part of why she partnered with the site. “They bring their teams, everything from the hygienist, the front office, the assistants. It’s kind of their reward for sticking with it and putting in the hard work.” Attendees get some continuing education credits from the event—and some leisure.

“Gaylord really sets itself apart from some of the other hotels that I’ve worked with,” Tallman says. “They truly become your partner.” 

A Longtime Partnership Leads to Collaboration—and Devotion
Gaylord Palms has seen the FDA through multiple iterations of its annual convention. Part of that is simple logistics: The central Florida location means that it’s within a five-hour drive of most attendees, and the Orlando airport is less than a 30-minute ride away, making it a strong choice for a state association’s convention. Plus, the property has flexible meeting spaces, accommodating everything from a 1,000-person general session to a 15-person hands-on workshop.
But the driving factor that keeps the FDA returning to Gaylord Palms isn’t the geography. It’s the year-over-year learnings that the team accumulates through their continued collaboration (just one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://marriottbonvoyevents.com/tips-and-trends/article/361/three-big-reasons-to-consider-a-multiyear-agreement">benefits of a multiyear meeting agreement</a>).
“Gaylord really sets itself apart from some of the other hotels that I’ve worked with,” Tallman says. “They truly become your partner.”
After the convention is done, she sits down with the Gaylord Palms team and pours over survey results from the meeting. “That has really created such a synergy and teamwork,” Tallman says. She says she relies on the Gaylord team’s institutional knowledge to fix minor pain points for future meetings, and the Gaylord team comes to know Tallman’s preferences, allowing them to more effectively present to her ways to make her ideas come to life.

Successful Venue-Planner Relationships Begin With Discovery
In a series of meetings before each event, Gaylord Palms team members work with meeting planners to walk the property, offer vendor suggestions, share diagrams, explain what’s available, and otherwise share what’s possible.
Spending a lot of time in discovery mode with meeting planners is one key to the venue’s success. When a meeting planner has an idea, even an extravagant one—say, Tallman’s vision for a 54-foot inflatable octopus DJ—the venue brainstorms ways to make it possible. If the idea itself isn’t actually feasible due to safety or financial reasons, the team works to find the “why” behind an idea and make that “why” happen. Among the questions planners can expect to be asked at Gaylord Palms or any other Marriott Bonvoy venue:
●	What are you trying to accomplish with this idea?
●	What’s most important to you about this idea?
●	How does this meet your larger goals for this event?
Through this process, “both parties understand the expectation,” as Tallman puts it. Venues not only find ways to realistically execute on planners’ ideas, but they can also identify spots for nuanced improvements. One example: The catering team took artwork from the FDA’s registration materials and used it in their dessert selection.

Serving the Same Boss: The Attendee
Venue-planner partnerships are inherently compatible, because they’re both working toward the same goal: creating an unforgettable experience for attendees.
“I think there is an innate need for people to be around other people who do what they do,” Tallman says. “They need to have a safe space where they feel like they can celebrate successes as well as commiserate about things that perhaps don’t go so well, but they need that home and that familiarity that comes with having a meeting like we have.”
Similarly, venues may be contracted by their clients—but they serve the attendees’ needs. “Our job is to maintain the attendee experience,” says Wendy Earley, Senior Event Manager at Marriott International. “We know that our attendees are the most important thing to the client themselves, so when we take care of our clients, they can also focus on the attendee.”

How Year-Over-Year Collaboration Led to the Florida Dental Association’s Most Spectacular Annual Meeting Yet.

Ask the Right Questions. Get the Right Answers.

The <a href="https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/wasjw-jw-marriott-washington-dc/overview/">JW Marriott Washington, DC</a> is an example of how hotels are leading the way in embedding sustainability across operations. The hotel was recently recognized with the inaugural 2021 global Energy Management Leadership award, one of the highest accolades in energy management and conservation, for reducing more than 725 metric tons of carbon emissions, equivalent to the amount of carbon that would be removed from the air by 1,532 acres of forest.
The hotel was honored with this top award after their successful ISO 50001 implementation approach, resulting business benefits, and lessons learned. Marriott International has established sustainability goals that include reducing carbon intensity by 30% by 2025, and the JW Marriott sets its own annual energy reduction goals to achieve long-term targets. To ensure success, the DC location established an ISO 50001 energy management system to gauge energy use, make adjustments, and track their progress. Management also appointed a hotel energy team including representatives from all major departments, ensuring a holistic and inclusive approach that has saved over 9,500 gigajoules of energy and $221,551 of energy costs over three years.
For more information, please review the <a href="https://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/sites/default/files/2021-11/CEM_EM_CASESTUDY_MARRIOTT_USA.pdf">JW Marriot Case Study</a>.

JW Marriott Washington, DC

JW Marriott Recognized with International Energy Management Awards

Video Story

Reframe business meetings as high-impact getaways that will make people want to connect both on and off the clock. Transform wedding days into entire weekends that leave a lasting impression in destinations around the world. Changing times require fresh perspectives, and we’re here to help you embrace the shift toward meaningful experiences. With thousands of properties across more than 30 extraordinary hotel brands, our portfolio and expertise will help you seamlessly plan your next event — and take it a step beyond.

Break away from the traditional and reimagine the complete event experience with Marriott Bonvoy Events.

Take Meetings & Events a Step Beyond

A week of reconnecting, refreshing and relearning the tools for successful meetings and events... this was THE EXCHANGE.


In August 2021, Marriott International hosted and customer event at The Walt Disney Swan &amp; Dolphin hotel in Orlando, FL with nearly 800 attendees. THE EXCHANGE - Association Masters &amp; Corporate Partnership Conference was a phenominal success and achieved a 98% customer satisfaction rate based on our post event survey. The number one priority of the event was the health and well-being of all attendees and the planning team implemented a variety of health protocols that provided comfort for those who attended in person.
Take a look back at what made this event so special by watching our case study video.

Association Masters & Corporate Partnership Conference


THE EXCHANGE VIDEO CASE STUDY

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin leads the way in returning to secure events during a pandemic. The hotel operations team partnered with a Major League Soccer (MLS) to deliver a best in class meeting for 1,500 people with extensive health protocols. The cast members embraced Marriott’s Commitment To Clean and also executed this meeting in accordance with all state and local guidelines. In addition, the hotel operations team formed a tight partnership with the customer's planning team to go above and beyond the necessary measures to ensure a safe experience. This resulted in a very successful "MLS is Back" tournament.
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin continues to operate group events of all scales including an event for planners in conjunction with Meetings Today. &nbsp;At that event, the team shared how we implement precautions so live events can carry on. &nbsp;All of the additional steps are important so that groups feel comfortable to Connect With Confidence.
For more information about the MLS event as well as other recently held events, please view the hotel's <a href="https://www.swandolphinmeetings.com/testimonials/index.html">Customer Video Testimonials</a>. &nbsp;

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort

Major League Soccer Holds "MLS is Back" Tournament

Just before The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples officially reopened to the public, the resort hosted a professional sports team that was looking for a single destination to gather as a team and restart training before the season started. They were seeking spaces with access to the outdoors and plenty of areas to relax during their stay.
The resort utilized larger spaces with natural light to create a hospitality lounge which allowed for appropriate social distancing. Large screen TVs, lounge furniture, and gaming equipment were brought in to create fun and relaxing atmosphere. A cleanliness champion remained present throughout to clean and refresh each area consistently.

The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples

Professional  Sports Team Seeks Creativity in Meeting Space Design to Allow for Relaxation

Customer Story

Marriott International, together with Hanian Provincial Tourism Development Commission and Hainan Province MICE Association arranged a 5-day field trip for event industry representatives in July 2020. 40+ attendees from different cities in China came together to explore Marriott’s MICE venues and resources around Hainan Island and experience events under the new normal.&nbsp;
From arrival to site inspection, venue set up to meals arrangement, room check-in to departure, Marriott implemented enhanced measures to provide a clean and comfortable experience to attendees in every event touch point. To maintain social distancing among attendees, seminars were conducted in spacious meeting room and guest room inspection were broken into small groups. Well-ventilated outdoor venues were leveraged for several activities and coffee breaks to make attendees feel rejuvenated. &nbsp;
Apart from site inspection, attendees also got to hear sharing from government officials on policy and infrastructure facilities that support the MICE activities in Hainan. With government support and first-hand experience of Marriott’s Commitment to Clean, the event regained confidence of event planners to plan MICE activities. Marriott International hoped that the event serves as a leading example of the new normal for MICE activities in China and beyond.

Inspirational Stories & Best Practices

Inspirational Stories

Stories & Videos