Marriott Drives Long-term Conference Engagement with Bonfyre

Background

The bi-yearly Marriott General Managers Conference, which brings together more than 3,000 hotel managers across six hotel brands, is a valuable opportunity for the corporation to recognize the achievements of its hard-working managers, discuss best business practices, and inspire its workforce. Bonfyre was proud to be the official event platform for the conference.

Goal

• Increase guest engagement surrounding the event and improve the overall experience.
• Facilitate ongoing communication between Marriott corporate leadership and the general managers.
• Support attendee-sponsor engagement.

Strategy

Partner with Bonfyre to build a digital communication ecosystem for each of Marriot’s six hotel brands in attendance. Each of the brands had its own Bonfyre community to create more meaningful interaction, tailor-fit customization, and actionable insights. Attendees were encouraged to connect with employees from their brand, as well as build bridges with managers from the other hotel brands. Conference organizers used Bonfyre to direct the focus of the event with announcement and agenda tools, increase sponsor booth visits, and boost attendee participation with live-polling and gamification features.

Implementation

Marriott utilized features such as personalized schedules, speaker information, interactive maps, and surveys to increase engagement and to provide a better event experience. Marriott also launched a QR-code scavenger hunt to drive traffic to sponsor booths at the event: attendees would reveal one of the 49 pieces in a virtual “puzzle.” Guests who completed the puzzle were entered into a drawing for a variety of prizes.

Results

Camaraderie and connectivity were at an all-time high in the Bonfyre communities. Attendees were eager to augment their event experience, sharing personal experiences and photos in the chat feed. Marriott’s general managers continued to use the Bonfyre platform well after the event ended as a tool for problem-solving, collaboration, and relationship building.

Results across the six Marriott Bonfyre communities during and 30 days following General Manager’s Conference:

• 70% attendees visited the Bonfyre community out of the total number invited
• 40% engagement (posting or liking content)
• 200,000 Bonfyre community opens
• 41,000+ sponsor booth visits
• 8,000+ chats, photos, and videos shared