The Hotelier Marketplace group successfully hosted its inaugural Shop with Hoteliers event on July 5, 2020, at the X2 Vibe Sukhumvit hotel.
Launched in mid-April, the Hotelier Marketplace Facebook group aims to help hoteliers who had been furloughed or laid off due to the Covid-19 pandemic to continue earning an income. The group, which now boasts over 16,000 members, was founded by Siriporn Trachoo, a PR professional who has worked with many hospitality businesses.
Siriporn called the Shop with Hoteliers fair a “success” as many shoppers visited throughout the day, and products at some booths even sold out. The event venue was sponsored by Cross Hotels and Resorts, who manages the X2 Vibe branded properties.
Eighteen hotel groups and tour operators participated in the event, including Plaza Athenee, Movenpick BDMS Wellness Resort Bangkok, Hilton Sukhumvit, Rosewood Bangkok, The St. Regis Bangkok, Capella Bangkok, Onyx hospitality group, H.I.S Tours, Exo Travel, and Buffalo Tours (Discova).
Siriporn said the group is keen to host its next event at either Hua Hin or Chiang Mai to support the hospitality professionals there. Plans for a monthly or bi-monthly event in Bangkok is also in discussions.
“We need to discuss with more hotels if any of them would like to support us because we really do not have any budget, but we would love to help and support our friends in the industry,” she shared.
The event is free to attend. Vendors do not have to pay to join, but interested parties will be screened by the organising team before being offered a booth. Any hotels or travel businesses keen to sponsor venue space or host a booth may reach out to hoteliermarket@gmail.com.
In a similar vein, a Thai support page titled Crew Marketplace for flight professionals has also sprung up, founded by an ex-crew member of JetStars. It now has over 20,000 members.
