In this episode of What One Thing, host JT Long steps inside the Marriott Bonvoy Convention and Resort Network Elite Experience Suite at the Marriott Marquis New York to explore how meetings can ignite all the senses. Joined by Amanda Cox, vice president of Sales, Convention & Resort Sales, JT Long uncovers how more than 125 Marriott properties are creating turnkey, locally inspired experiences that engage taste, sight, sound and scent.

From Sheraton Grand Seattle’s pine-scented escapes and JW Marriott Marco Island’s “Taste the Sunset” dinner to JW Marriott Tampa Water Street’s “Train Like a Champion” program, planners are finding new ways to connect attendees through play, wellness and storytelling. With an emphasis on sustainability and connection, this episode offers a sensory deep dive into how meetings can be both responsible and remarkably unforgettable.

Further Resources

Marriott’s Meet with Momentum Dazzles with San Diego’s Event Magic

Lessons From Marriott’s ‘Yes, And’ Event Leadership

Editor’s note: This episode of What One Thing? was transcribed by Otter.ai and edited lightly.

JT Long

You designed this suite to highlight turnkey experiences for meeting planners. What does that mean when planners come to a property like this?

Amanda Cox
We designed the Event Experience Suite to be a representation of what’s possible across the Marriott Bonvoy Convention and Resort Network. You saw 13 experiences today, but there are more than 125 hotels in the network, and each one offers turnkey, wow-worthy options for meeting professionals.

When you go to our Network Experience Guide, you can browse hotel by hotel and choose an enriching experience that reflects the local destination. Some are small-scale, some large-scale. Meetings come with different budgets and time frames, and planners want a menu of creative options ready to go.

JL
 Each activation played on multiple senses. Was that intentional?

AC
 It was. Our overall experience playbook is organized around themes like the power of play, culinary journeys and wellness. When we challenged our hotels to build something for this immersive suite, we asked them to entice at least four senses.

They delivered—taste, sight, sound, smell. The goal was to give press and local customers a way to experience what these 125-plus hotels offer without leaving Manhattan. When I’m in Seattle smelling the pines of the Pacific Northwest—while standing in a ballroom in Times Square—that means we achieved what we set out to do.

JL
 They really created a sense of place. Whether it was butterflies from Georgia or pizza from Chicago, everything tied back to its destination.

AC
 Exactly. The “why” behind experiences is creating a memory that makes meeting content stickier. People want to collect what’s local. If I visit Hawaii and go to a Kona salt farm, that becomes part of my personal experience collection. These activations connect attendees to a place in a meaningful way.

JL
 I also noticed many sustainability elements—local sourcing and responsible use of materials.

AC
 You see that reflected in our group offer introduced at IMEX this year. There are two components: the emphasis on experiences and a sustainability element.

Marriott’s Connect Responsibly platform allows us to produce a Meeting Impact Report for every event. It helps planners reduce their carbon footprint by scaling back waste, making different choices or purchasing carbon offset credits through our partner, South Pole.

Our hotels today took sustainability even further—whether it was sea moss in the margarita or using local ingredients that reflect a destination’s culture and environment.

JL
This feels like the beginning of a bigger conversation. Planners may find something that aligns with their group’s goals and build from there.

AC
That’s exactly the intention. This suite is a springboard for conversation, just like our experience playbook. If your group is focused on wellness, you might look at JW Marriott Tampa Water Street’s “Train Like a Champion” activation with the Tampa Bay Lightning. That sparks a different conversation about hosting an event there.

Meeting professionals want turnkey ideas. They want creativity and memorable moments, but they also want to leverage a hotel’s partnerships and access. These experiences let planners bring something to life that might have been complicated to assemble on their own. Now they can take something already on the shelf and customize it to fit their group.

JL
And it’s happening today with the bodega setup here in New York.

AC
Exactly. Groups may not have time to explore the city between sessions, so bringing a real New York bodega into the Marriott Marquis gives attendees an authentic moment without leaving the venue. It becomes part of the coffee break, reception or registration lounge—an experience that brings the city into the meeting.

JL
 It was special. Thank you for including Smart Meetings.

AC
 Thank you so much for being here. We appreciate it.