M-Cube: Marriott Meetings Matter
The Event Studio team had organized the 6th edition of MCUBE, a specially curated 3-day gala event at Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar Resort & Spa. It was attended by the who’s who of travel & tourism industry.
Task
The task at hand was to plan a tailor-made event curated to recognise Marriott International’s partners and to educate the Indian travel trade about its MICE offerings.
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.
What we discovered and delighted us was that the core intent of this endeavor is not just business for Marriott Group and its properties but MCube is conceptually distinct. MCUBE provides an opportunity for all the participating hotels to meet industry partners and potential customers who have substantial requirements for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE). The key objective has been to enhance synergies and strengthen partnerships since its inception 6 years back.
The Team Said to us “When meetings and conventions start coming in, new business opportunities are available for not only the hotels but local vendors, transporters, etc”
That was like an eureka moment and we were gripped to hear where they were going with their wishlist. We processed the larger picture of promoting the art, science and management of MICE initiatives. Our team helped them to optimise each suggestion to weave a seamless 3 day affair for those who have seen the best global hospitality raising the benchmarks and challenge here in. Together we clocked over 5000 emails in a span of 30 days that went behind and co ordination was done keeping in mind value propositions from each one of them.
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.