“Our Programme: A Meeting of the Senses, Helps Create Innovative Meetings” Antony Page, Ritz Carlton

by  Karishma Hundalani Industry Watch | October 30, 2017 | Interview

Ritz-Carlton Antony Page

In this exclusive interview with General Manager, Ritz Carlton Bangalore, Antony Page, he discusses his new assignment with the hotel. Page also divulges how Ritz Carlton as a brand is poised to host bespoke events, meetings and celebrations and also the unique efforts of the Ritz Carlton Bangalore in teaming up with clients to have the most successful experiences in the property. Excerpts below:

What is The Ritz Carlton’s stand on hosting events? Which are some of the iconic events hosted worldwide by the brand?

Meetings and events at The Ritz-Carlton have beautiful décor, invigorating scents, and extraordinary catering, to create an unforgettable experience and a meeting that means something. A team of dedicated Ritz-Carlton ladies and gentlemen across our world-class hotels ensure a flawless execution of the highly-personalized events we host. From rooftop summits, poolside meetings to exquisite dreamlike weddings, our flexible and non-traditional approach to meetings enrich the senses.

Our hotels and resorts offer indoor and outdoor venues in beautiful locations around the world, menus to delight the most discerning palates and experts who understand that planning is simply the first step to bringing your vision to life.  

In a new program launched in 2016, “A Meeting of the Senses,” the relaxed and refined environments of participating hotels and resorts around the globe set the scene for the skilled professionals of The Ritz-Carlton to create innovative meetings that awaken the mind, stir creativity, and intensify focus. At the heart of this new initiative is a group of trusted advisors, who draw upon the latest trends to craft experiences that positively impact everyone from the meeting planners to participants.

For food and beverage design, The Ritz-Carlton thinks outside the box and customizes dishes, breakout meals, and local activities. For a client program focused on racing and innovation, Grand Cayman served miniature versions of “high octane fuel,” a creative presentation of chilled espresso shots. The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans has an “Oyster Butler” and “Crawfish Concierge” that teach attendees how to properly shuck oysters and peel the local delicacy. At The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage, hands-on cooking classes and wine tastings as team-building sessions utilize all senses to fully engage guests.

How is the Ritz Carlton Bangalore poised for attracting social, luxury, lifestyle, and MICE events?

At The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore we draw from our unique location and create themed meetings inspired by local traditions and customs. For instance, the themed coffee break may have a range of local coffee beans freshly ground by a service personnel in traditional attire with tasting notes at hand and coffee prepared to perfection in true South Indian filter coffee style.

In all our events, the pivot, of course, is reflective of personalized luxury. 

Weddings of up to 1500 people have been housed and perfectly hosted with precision at the ballroom of The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore. It certainly has been established as one of the largest and most expansive pillar-less ballrooms in the central business district.

We have had contemporary themed weddings to a Christian wedding at The Ritz Carlton, Bangalore. The most recent was a traditional South Indian Wedding with a sophisticated sit-down meal served to about 400 guests. Since many guests were not from India, the hotel had to create an authentic atmosphere with all the traditional elements that enliven a South Indian theme. The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore promises 1,700 square meters of stylish indoor ballrooms and outdoor venues, exceptional wedding packages, and superlative service.

The hotel's wedding experts custom design an entire experience, from the pre-wedding ceremonies to the grand reception.  With special wedding packages also featuring personalized touches such as spa therapies and pre-wedding photo-shoot options, The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore ensures every detail of your wedding reception is impeccable.

What are the unique efforts for increasing brand awareness in the Indian market are you looking forward to in this new assignment with Ritz Carlton Bangalore? 

Taking the tradition of the Ritz-Carlton’s personalized touches within a refined environment with our ladies and gentlemen at the forefront, we continue to deliver top class services. 

Bangalore has revolutionized itself as the IT Capital, it is a fast-growing destination with a steady influx of foreign visitors. Being the first and only Ritz-Carlton in the country, it gives us a unique place and position to showcase our product as well as the renowned Ritz-Carlton touch. 

As General Manager of the Ritz Carlton Bangalore, please comment on your team’s efforts to work in a cohesive manner with Experiential (event) planners, and what the hotel’s efforts are to ensure every celebration/event in the hotel runs seamlessly.

We have a mix of business travellers as well as affluent guests seeking a memorable time, weddings that need special attention to detail, themed meetings where participants are seeking to immerse themselves in the local traditions and a host of other requirements that the events team caters to.  Our team firstly tries to gauge the requirement and then, presents a customized approach in servicing events requirements. Our trained teams handle no two events as the same because every guest requirement is different. 

Every celebration is treated as the hotel’s own function and each detail is looked into with utmost care and thought. 

The Events team works closely with Event Planners ensuring a seamless orchestration of each event and the Rewards program helps in further strengthening the bond.