MEETINGS WITH AN “APPETITE”

As the meetings and events market becomes increasingly competitive, one hotel is making changes – and its customers are noticing (and tasting)

Guangzhou is a highly popular MICE Destination, close to Hong Kong, the centre of the Pearl River Delta Trading Zone and home of the biannual China Canton Fair Exhibition. The team at DoubleTree by Hilton Guangzhou, led by General Manager Chris Roberts and Chef Amy Zhang, are making coffee breaks and meal breaks the “main event” at the hotel’s meetings to satisfy every guest’s appetite.

Gone are the days of coffee, tea and cookies. Now, guests can enjoy a wide variety of creative, delicious and fun foods and drinks to enjoy during their event breaks – from freshly made Thai iced pops, handmade steamed dumplings and whole fresh coconuts, to live-cooked mini hot dogs and freshly cooked wholemeal pancakes with local organic honey. These are just some of the treats that the team is offering guests during breaks between meetings.

“Guests want to be inspired and refreshed,” says Roberts. “Hotels cater for all types of meetings, whether for business, training or leisure, and we want our guests to remember us because the Food & Beverage was great. If a guest thinks the food is ‘WOW’, they will snap a photo with their smartphone, and likely share it instantly on social media. For us, that’s the greatest compliment.”

Fresh, healthy food is important to keep delegates alert and full of energy during an event, and if you throw in some fun with live cooking and even interactive food preparation, your guests will enjoy themselves and return to meetings fully refreshed.

Hotel Chef Amy’s favourite meal break was a themed Korean street noodle created for a company meeting. The guests enjoyed the traditional Korean noodles served in a small standing tent similar to the street style in Seoul. “All the guests were so excited,” Amy said, “they didn’t want to go back into the meeting. That meant we must have done something to impress them.”

Located in the heart of Guangzhou, the home of Cantonese cuisine and the food capital of China, DoubleTree by Hilton Guangzhou has always had a strong Food & Beverage offering. With its GM having trained in the Food & Beverage sector, and Chef Amy coming from a Pastry Kitchen background, creativity is key for the team, which is always looking for new and fun ways to excite its guests’ appetites. For more details and reservations, please contact DoubleTree by Hilton Guangzhou, 391 Dongfeng Rd Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510030, China, tel +86 20 2833 2888, ext. 6814/6815;