The Hilton Southeast Asia General Managers & Leadership Conference held from 28 to 31 Jan 2019 at Hilton KK was one of the BIGGEST events we delivered so far, in 2019. Hilton had approached us to deliver a comprehensive 3-day itinerary that would include first & foremost its Leadership Conference involving the Hilton’s crème de la crème, comprising the company’s Top Management & Veterans. The 110 participants form Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka & Malaysia were to attend an Awards Gala dinner as well.

 

First, we tackled the all-important conference. While our aim was to simply produce a Prestigious, High-end & Professional conference, the pressure was on us to deliver an event that matched global Hilton standards! That meant a conference that one would experience in major cities like Hong Kong or Singapore. The benchmark was high for our small team. With long hours & dedication, we delivered! Effective Stage Set Planning, AV Planning & Consolidation, as well as meticulous On-Site Conference Management ensured a smooth sailing event. We also provided state-of-the-art AV, Sound & Lighting Systems; and management of these aspects for a polished event experience.

 

Furthermore, the intermission between Conference keynotes gave us the perfect opportunity to innovate on what is typically a formal affair. We aimed to create excitement in the form of Themed Coffee Breaks for the two-day Conference. And because the event was to welcome a large crowd of newcomers to Borneo, we were beyond thrilled to introduce Sabah’s unique culture to them with our Customised themes.

 

On Day 1 Coffee Break, we brought the Sabahan Tamu experience to guests; inspired by the Tamu as a place to mix & mingle. It was a tall order, but we made it happen! Our authentic Tamu featured craftmakers all the way from Kota Belud, Tambunan and longhouses in Kudat demonstrating their artisanal skills. They showed us the making of Rungus beaded accessories, Renago baskets, Sompoton (aerophone), Kain Dastar and more. Then on Day 2, the Sabah Adventure Theme had participants bonding over plenty of fun! Activities that included the Bamboo Dance station, Blowpipe Challenge and Butod Eating Challenge kept guests hyped before the next round of talks! We definitely showed our client that conferences do not have to be dull.

 

On the final day, we delivered a two-part programme: 1) Poolside Welcome Reception; 2) Gala Dinner. For the Poolside Reception, we created a Sabah Underwater Paradise theme inspired by Sabah’s exquisite marine life. The one-of-a-kind theme placed heavy emphasis on eco-friendliness as an ode to ocean conservation, and in line with Hilton’s pledge to go plastic free. Our zero-waste approach was seen through our Giant Shark Head, Giant Coral Pop & Giant Octopus Tentacles sculptures constructed out of recycled materials. By cleverly combining psychedelic props, transparent balloons & Lighting, we managed to create a dreamy Underwater effect to stage this Cocktail Party with a Stylish & Modern Chic vibe.

 

Finally, the Grand Finale. To cap off our ‘Unique Sabah’ experience, we presented a Borneo Headhunters-themed Gala Dinner. For this, we custom-built an entrance tunnel decorated with skulls & tribal gear to elicit thrill & danger, while red Lighting & smoke effects added an Ultra-Modern touch. We definitely heard some “Oohs” and “Aaahs” from the crowd. Then at the end of the tunnel, guests were ambushed by our Murut Warriors! Loud Warrior Cries & gong beatings definitely jolted our guests back to their senses, & straight from there our Warriors took the stage for the Opening Act!

 

We seamlessly fused Tribal Elements seen in decor & Modern Elegance through Lighting & Sound to bring about a Bold, Dramatic & Classy affair for our guests. In terms of entertainment, Performers set the stage ablaze with High-Powered dancing, channelling that Wild & Raw Borneon energy! By the end of the night, we could not be more proud of our team for accomplishing our mission to deliver a High-Impact & Memorable event. From Conference to Gala, the 3-days was a result of our blood, sweat & tears. And again, we could not thank our client, Hilton, enough for the opportunity to deliver FOUR memorable themes on this One Grand Occasion!