SurePods was a proud Platinum Sponsor of CONNECT 2015. Marriott CONNECT Conference 2015 was Marriott’s innovative approach to bringing together all the key players in constructing, renovating, operating, designing and supporting the legendary Marriott family of brands. CONNECT 2015 was held December 9th through 11th at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida.
SUREPODS HOLDS PLANT TOUR, EXHIBITS & PARTICIPATES ON MODULAR PANEL
In addition to being a platinum sponsor, Marriott was gracious enough to facilitate our hosting a tour at SurePods’ Orlando facility for the CONNECT guests. The tour was held on Tuesday the 8th prior to the official kick-off of the Marriott event that same evening. We had over 200 tour guests who participated in a four-part interactive overview of the SurePods prefab bathrooms manufacturing process. We enjoyed appetizers, cocktails and the company of the many of the hoteliers who were in attendance. It is our sincere hope that the guests found the afternoon as informative and entertaining as we did.
THE EXHIBIT HALL
The set-up of the exhibit hall at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center featured full-scale build outs of the latest models of the Marriott Brand designs. Some of the brands were showcased as “modular” units. The entire CONNECT event had an emphasis on the modular construction process. In attendance were several full scale volumetric modular companies and SurePods was proud to represent the prefabricated component market. SurePods exhibit hall display featured a Marriott Courtyard bathroom pod and a TownPlace Suites prefab kitchen.
IT’S A MOD, MOD WORLD
In addition to the modular and prefabrication highlighted on the exhibit floor, there was “It’s a Mod, Mod World” CONNECT Session presented by Karim Khalifa, SVP, Global Design Strategies at Marriott International and Dave Walsh, Senior Director of Project Management at Marriott International.
Karim and Dave moderated a panel discussion featuring Champion Commercial Structures, Guerdon Modular Building, Polcom Modular and our own Bill Seery was invited to share his industry experience and expertise while representing SurePods. The Global Design Strategies Team had spent the year prior to the event working to deliver 4 modular constructed prototypes for all CFRST, AC Hotels and Moxy brands. This culmination of team’s work to develop the modular prototypes, share the full-scale models for franchisees to touch and see on the exhibit floor and present opportunity for CONNECT attendees to participate in a panel discussion with the industries leaders illustrates the fact that they believe in modular and prefabrication and the positive impact it will have on hotel construction in the future.
SurePods is approved to work with all Marriott brand hotels and enjoys a strong partnership with them. Having worked with Marriott since 2006, our bathroom pods are an integral portion of numerous Marriott hotels throughout the United States and in Canada. We currently have multiple Marriott hotel projects in our pipeline across the US. If you have a hotel construction project in the early planning phase, reach out and let us help you accelerate your construction.