Northstar

48 Jul-Aug 2017 MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS • MCMAG-ASIA.COM with our members," said Rajeev Menon, COO, Asia Pacic (excluding Greater China). "To date, two million members have linked their accounts. Marriott Rewards members who have linked accounts have transferred nearly four billion Marriott Rewards points while Starwood members have transferred over 11 billion points," said Menon. Within the programmes, Marriott International helps members get the most out of travel by connecting them to unique experiences such as the HKSEVENS Rugby Week, NBA and Formula One for sports fans; Universal Music Group for music bus; and many more for cultural and culinary enthusiasts. The newly-launched Moments Master Class series is exclusively for Marriott Rewards and SPG members. The rst collection features hands-on learning experiences with decorated Michelin-starred and James Beard award-winning chefs, championship golfers, Hall of Fame calibre basketball players, on-property experts and other giants in their elds. A single technology platform will be launched by late 2018 to make it a seamless experience for users. As a strong technology advocator on creating digital tools for its MICE clients, Menon stressed that the group oers dedicated apps and platforms to make it convenient for planners. There is Meetingsimagined.com, the Meeting Services App and the Reslink direct landing page to inspire and inform planners. Mobile check-in and check- out also facilitates swift movement ow "Through our loyalty programmes, we are focused on creating a strong emotional connection with our members." RAJEEV MENON, COO OF ASIA PACIFIC, MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL. for delegates, easing constraints on time limitations. With regards expansion plans in the region, Menon identied huge potential in South East Asia and conrmed a combined development pipeline of over 570 hotels with over 170,000 rooms with nearly 28 percent already under construction in Asia Pacic. "Looking specically at ASEAN, we currently operate over 120 hotels with over 34,100 rooms across 18 brands in seven markets, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, with close to 100 hotels in the pipeline," said Menon. He concluded that intra-Asia travel is one of the fastest growth areas and will be greatly stimulated by visa-free travel within most ASEAN countries. Element Kuala Lumpur's Skyline Studio

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