A larger Marriott Asia-Pacific will meet for the first time since Marriott International bought Starwood Hotels & Resorts, with CEO Arne Sorenson joining the gathering in Macau in April to chart ‘The Road Ahead’, theme of the meeting.
As to how much larger, the meeting will be attended by around 2,500 delegates, including Marriott general managers, HR and sales & marketing directors, along with its key corporate team members in the region. After the Starwood buy, Marriott Asia-Pacific consists of more than 550 hotels.
Kashgar Ballroom at Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel
The event will be held towards end-April at the largest Sheraton in the world, Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, with the leadership accommodated at the St Regis, also the largest St Regis in the world and connected to to the Sheraton in Cotai Central. Between the two hotels, there is a combined meeting space of 15,500m2 and 4,400 rooms.
There is also a JW and a Ritz-Carlton in Cotai but “Sheraton is one of the few places where you can do large numbers”, said Janet McNab, managing director of the two hotels, when asked about details of the event.
She said the meeting’s structure is being driven by Marriott Asia-Pacific, which is putting “so much passion” into delivering a memorable event that also celebrates the merger.
“I sit on the weekly call and I think what they want to do is set the tone of what our new company is going to be like, take the best of one another’s culture. At the end of it, it’s also a getting to know you and the leadership better. And to do it so quickly after the close of the acquisition (is admirable),” said McNab, who rose through the ranks in a 25-year career with Starwood.
