With the rise in MICE business in India over the past years, Marriott has tapped a significant share of this business from both domestic and inbound clientele with the help of their valuable travel trade partners. To recognise their efforts, Marriott International has been organising M-Cube (Marriott Meetings Matter), a specially curated gala event since 2013 in India.

The sixth edition of M-Cube (Marriott Meetings Matter) hosted early in May, 2019 at Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa, was a three-day affair which marked the presence of the who’s who of travel trade and general managers of leading hotels under Marriott International’s portfolio in India.

“MCUBE is a family reunion.” The words of Vineet Mishra, General Manager JW Marriott Pune rang throughout the last Mcube meet at Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa. In the midst of nature’s most scenic and bounteous landscapes, the Marriott India Leadership team wanted to host an outbound program for the management teams of various Marriott properties in South Asia. At the heart of it all as each of the preceding years was a core belief that success of convention business is not defined by competitions but collaborations

The idea was to not only provide a platform for exchange of ideas, but the program also enrich the visitors with a memory of a residential event that could be reminisced as both timeless and encouraging for a MICE professional

We kept the decadent luxury of the property and its penultimate experience of strawberries, sunsets and infinity swimming pool at the heart of the event.

An An extensive recee was conducted to understand the touch points and the in-venue locations for all the planned experiences throughout this quick 3 days 2 Night Getaway.

Day one began with the Amphitheater Welcome Experience. Imagine Jal tarang and flute adding to the birds chirping at mahabaleshwar as  a soothing welcome. It was planned for the guests to receive some interesting gifts that gave clues and built excitement for  the experiences in store till their stay with us.

For lunch , authentic Maharastrian style fare made a statement around the flavours and spices of sahyadris. Our décor reflected the local glory and pride leading to High Tea  with “Avec Amour”(With Love) theme. Imagine going from rustic regional service to uber luxurious south of France gastronomy. Right from French theme Decor to vibrant pop colours photo opportunity with entertainment clearly made infinity pool a place of LOVE a-la-Paris.

With Cocktail Dinner, we added another touchpoint where the Rhythm and Blues theme was literally in the air.  We ensured the guests are indulged in some of the best networking session with a specially curated Alcohol menu that boasted of an impressive collection from across the globe.

After the exhaustive first day, the next day we began early with wellness amidst the nature. Guests participated in the unique “Aqua Yoga” session before the breakfast and post that were indulged in “Do your own Detox” activity which was not only contrast from the previous evening but energised them afresh.

A fun and simple “Canvas Painting” activity was conducted post that where guests painted with the instructions of a professional canvas painter to soak in the serenity of the lush nature around in a Zen manner

With Au Soleil (under the sun) being the planned theme for an elaborate Lunch session, the open lawn was utilised as an old school leisurely picnic set up with decor, photo ops, entertainment and seating to go along with it. It brought a sunny smile on each face quite naturally.

The best was indeed saved for the last with Glamping In to the Woods Dinner. The Woods Area of the property being their highlight  that has a naturally set backdrop for glamourous camping and barbeques,  we added the decor that suited it to the T.  The ambience for the finale thus was that of luxurious camping tents, hammocks, bonfire, camping pillows, lights etc which was amplified simply and effectively with unplugged entertainment from stebin and band to go along with the experience of a cocktail dinner into the woods.

A fleet of BMW Vehicles and AC travel buses were used to pick various teams from a common departure point and were dropped back the same way. The extensive list of giveaways / gifts which were given to the guests at each touchpoints while involving them and keeping them engaged via small activity called unlock your surprises.

Each time the guests came for the session, be it breakfast or lunch or dinner, they could open the trunk to find their own unique surprise giveaway. The souvenirs ranged from sand clock to binoculars, from smoking pipes to decadent beauty products.

We were showered with testimonials by guests and client raised a toast to our operational efforts. Coming from the best in the service industry, we wear it as a proud chip on our shoulders.

Our motto was to build maximum brand recall through the experiences that we provide to our guests as Marriott International eyes to provide 360-degree experiences to their guests be it leisure or MICE traveler markets. We believe that we assisted M Cube at Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa to create experiences accordingly.  Throughout the 3 days, we created something different, rich and indulgent at every instance and also something that is memorable till the next edition of M Cube making it the most discussed Business Event in its sector and thereby the events industry of India.

The basic premise was to bring alive the humility and achievements of the management that is at the helm of the affairs at LiladharPasoo for a century now.

The thematic invite idea stemmed from the values itself.  Keeping in mind the origins of the firm and the historical business environment which was closely associated to Mahatma Gandhi’s clarion call of self-dependence of all Indians. Unlike the expected decadent and indulgent invite for a 100 years milestone, we crafted a wooden box with Khadi scroll, a Note on company values and also gifted a pocket watch as a classic souvenir.

Operation of the Project was a mammoth affair with customisations and the quest for perfect hospitality for each guest only amped it up. Rigorous and Careful RSVP was done for more than 1250 guests over a period of 20 days with constant follow ups and teaser campaign via crafted animations and design templates to go with it. Every minute of the final show had to supersede the already appreciated series of employee events in not only excitement but also in live experience.

The grand finale event was hosted by Mr Siddharth Kannan who created an unforgettable experience for one and all. The evening began with the Bharat Bhagya Vidhata Dance Troupe highlighting the three colours of Indian Flag through their act bringing 100 years of Gandhian Legacy alive. Showcasing dance forms such as Kathak, Bharat-Natyam, Garba, Lavani, Bhangra, Jazz, Hip-hop & Contemporary this performance piece surely made Indian audiences proud of their nation and left foreign audiences in awe of our country.

Post the patriotic tricolour dance act, Mr Kannan invited Mr Devendra Shah, Managing Director of Liladhar Pasoo, to talk about the company, its vision and the way forward. After this awe-inspiring speech, the renowned Swami Gyanvatsal was welcomed to the stage where he gave a power-packed lecture on ‘Attitudes for happiness’.

That wasn’t all. It was then revealed that Liladhar Pasoo would be uncovering a new logo, to encompass their 100 years as a 360-degree integrated supply chain logistics service provider. The New Liladhar Pasoo logo was revealed by the famous speed painter, Mr Vilas Nayak on this note. A truly spectacular and unique unveiling, where he painted the logo and 4 aspects of it together in record time one by one while its interpretation was narrated live while the complete picture emerged.

This was followed by the introduction of the next generation of Liladhar Pasoo, a group of young, talented, ambitious and experienced individuals who are ready to take the leap forward but still hold true to the foundation values of the firm.

The evening continued for several hours with Sufi band performance and DJ  as well. Jaipur Beats, which is an instrumental fusion band presented their soulful mix of Sufi music and Rajasthani folk.