Every of us remembers that one occasion we attended the place each element was flawlessly executed and the setting was so excellent that, in hindsight, the one phrase that describe all of it is ‘magical’. Behind the scenes, as anybody working in hospitality is aware of, the crafting of a lifelong reminiscence for attendees requires meticulous planning that begins months, and even years, forward of the massive day or multi-day convention.
One of many present megatrends for the lodge business that few predicted in the course of the peak of the pandemic has been the exponential development of occasions, retreats and MICE (conferences, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) journey. Except for merely gathering to reconnect, massive and SME companies are on the vanguard of this blooming demand as many now see occasions as a type of firm loyalty inducement, particularly in gentle of hybrid or distant work insurance policies the place on a regular basis workforce interactions aren’t occurring.
However this resurgence is hardly simply ‘occasions for occasions sake’; group and company planners are searching for extra experiential, intimate, dynamic and domestically genuine affairs. In different phrases, they need their attendees to expertise these magical moments.
A choose few accommodations are rising to the problem, and nowhere is that this megatrend higher exemplified than within the ultraluxury class the place visitor expectations all however mandate excellent service supply and real authenticity. This brings us our interview with Tekeyo Bodie, Director of Catering & Occasions on the Rosewood Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas, who has the unenviable duty of designing, coordinating and executing all of the technical particulars that flip these magical touches right into a actuality.
A Soursop Story
Earlier than diving into what makes the Rosewood Baha Mar’s occasion presentation spectacular, we first wish to give attention to a private story that Bodie shared throughout our time with him. Inns on the luxurious degree are, in any case, locations the place tales are delivered to reside, and all nice tales are centered on characters with hopes, desires, passions, ache, household and pals.
A phrase the 2 of us usually use to seize this essence is, “The extra private, the extra common,” the place even an anecdote or an apart can reveal a perception or widespread reality that’s extra widespread than one may think. On this sense, Bodie’s brings his Bahamian upbringing and love for his nation into each occasion he helps create in order that the authenticity all the time shines by way of.
Notably, Bodie shared with us his love for the soursop, a tasty, apple-citrus-tasting fruit that’s native to the tropical Americas and has taken a specific liking to the Bahamas archipelago. As a baby, Bodie would scoop out the cream-colored flesh and blend it with a little bit of sugar to make a wholesome instantaneous dessert. In the meantime, his mother and father additionally handed down the island nation’s conventional drugs practices which has lengthy used soursop leaves to make a restorative natural tea.
Stunning, simply 300 kilometers away in america, soursops are a comparatively unknown, nonetheless discovered within the common Floridian Publix grocery store on the unique fruit aisle. As such, considered one of many initiatives that Bodie has undertaken is to inform the story of the soursop at occasions and conferences in an approachable and enjoyable means through the use of it as an ingredient in acquainted kinds like soursop ice cream and likewise having servers clarify its well being advantages.
On this delicate, seemingly innocuous means – together with quite a few others as we’ll quickly be taught – Bodie and his workforce are serving to deliver the soul of the lodge and the Bahamian tradition into the limelight, bestowing the property with its signature ‘sense of place’ and serving to make each occasion a real standout.
In regards to the Rosewood Baha Mar
Given its proximity to the decrease 48, america is an apparent alternative as the highest origin marketplace for transients and celebrations. Subsequent, with its commonwealth connection, the UK has all the time been a powerful second, with constant airlift from British Airways and Virgin Atlantic bringing in a gentle stream of Europeans. Extra lately, Brazil has turn out to be a major feeder market, with the Rosewood Baha Mar even doing a familiarization final yr the place the culinary prowess of the lodge was on full show.
All these vacationers inevitably converge on Nassau, the nation’s gateway, whereby the Baha Mar resort advanced is a mere 15-minute drive away from the worldwide airport. First opened in 2017, the grasp plan is a sprawling, 1,000-acre campus with a seaside, on line casino, conference heart, outlets, a full vary of eating places, rooftop bars, a Jack Nichlaus-designed golf course, personal residences, water park, seaside golf equipment, spas, health facilities, a sports activities advanced, a video games room, an artwork gallery and a flamingo sanctuary. Its three accommodations are the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar with 1,800 keys, the lifestyle-focused SLS Baha Mar with 299 keys, and the Rosewood Baha Mar with 226 rooms, suites and villas.
With the resurgence of MICE previously three years and no robust alerts of any stagnation on this phase, this has meant brisk enterprise for landmark locations like Baha Mar that supply year-round leisure. This has additionally put lodge leaders like Bodie entrance and heart insofar as their capacity to collaborate with executives from different properties for large-scale occasions – just like the latest Arts & Culinary Competition held onsite – whereas additionally crafting a singular identification for the Rosewood Baha Mar inside this bigger campus.
Solar, Sand and Sea
What Bodie emphasizes for what distinguishes occasions on the Rosewood Baha Mar is the thoughtfulness and carefulness in delivering the Rosewood model’s magical contact, as expressed by way of each single level of interplay. The story of the soursop as above is however a technique that the lodge’s workforce units out to craft bespoke experiences that permit visitors to really feel the solar, sand and sea of the Bahamas.
And that is the place ultraluxury operations set themselves aside within the planning part, Like an artist, Bodie’s method is to first seek the advice of with every shopper to find out precisely what their imaginative and prescient for the occasion is, what tone they wish to set and what senses they wish to evoke.
“Every occasion is totally different, so we begin by taking this want for distinction to coronary heart. Then, as a result of every shopper funds is totally different, we intention to fulfill each planner midway in order that the Rosewood magical contact is all the time felt all through each side of the story that’s being informed whereas on premises,” commented Bodie about his occasion design thought course of. “With meals prices now tougher to foretell when quoting a BEO (banquet occasion order), in addition to factoring within the VAT (value-added tax) for the Bahamas, it’s subsequent a matter of constant communication with all stakeholders. For ultraluxury model requirements, we might by no means compromise on high quality, so our planning course of sometimes begins far prematurely so that everybody is comfy with the visitor journey we’re crafting.”
Bodie added right here how well-integrated his occasions workforce is with the restaurant workforce and head cooks with a purpose to facilitate personal eating and house buyouts for smaller teams like company government dinners or household reunions. The lodge’s in style Mexican restaurant, Costa, has a longstanding popularity for distinctive small group affairs, the place visitors love the breezy, indoor-outdoor aesthetic together with the customized menus that the culinary workforce is ready to create. Funnily sufficient, the thrill and loudness of a non-public group reverberating by way of the restaurant has usually led to on-the-spot inquiries from diners desirous to host their very own occasion there within the close to future.
One other side of expressing the solar, sand and sea all through the whole visitor journey has additionally been a stronger give attention to wellness. Having ever-healthier F&B choices is a foremost consideration, however Bodie’s philosophy is way extra encompassing that simply choosing the right components. Wellness for lodge teams is concerning the activation of the senses by way of these magical touches with a purpose to create recollections. One instance that he shared for that is the flamingo yoga class, the place attendees are guided by an teacher on the garden whereas flamingos waltz throughout, as capped off by lately by collection of smoothies, inexperienced juices and mocktails relatively than an alcoholic mimosa of earlier years.
An Occasion Runs on Its Abdomen
It must be obvious by now that the meals and beverage choices are on the core of what makes an occasion particular. Whether or not it’s consciously registered by attendees or not, all of us collect and type private connections round meals; these gentle breakfasts, networking lunches, cocktail reception appetizers and plated dinners all require deliberate consideration in order that the meals presentation and labeling all exude luxurious high quality.
That is a facet of hospitality that Bodie takes into consideration on a regular basis, particularly when so many planners intention to make their occasions bespoke by curating progressive menus for his or her visitors. Bodie needs to be versatile and adaptable to requests whereas by no means shedding sight of what makes for an genuine Bahamian occasion in addition to rising F&B tendencies.
As an example, an artfully assembled tray of native fruit can go a great distance in the direction of making a ‘wow’ second. In the identical vein because the soursop, guava is one other fruit that’s out there year-round relying on the varietal, and thus the catering workforce has designed a particular guava espresso break expertise to spotlight this fruit whereas additionally providing a excessive antioxidant increase in order that attendees don’t expertise any espresso crash.
Subsequent, as one would count on from an island nation, native fish and seafood present a improbable protein centerpiece for any meal, with the Bahamas specializing in snapper, grouper and conch (a sort of sea snail), all whereas partnering with native fishermen to concurrently restrict importation and protect the nation’s proud fishing communities. With respect to sustainability, Bodie is a member of the property’s inexperienced initiative workforce which views this as an important, cradle-to-grave recycling course of, whereby vegetables and fruit are given again to native farmers for compost whereas sustainably sourced lobster would have its meat used for plated dinners whereas the shells are boiled right down to make a inventory.
Of those three proteins talked about, Bodie all the time goals to expertise one thing new in a enjoyable and pleasant method. Bahamas is the biggest shopper of conch on the planet, and so the Rosewood Baha Mar catering workforce has embraced this high quality by crafting a conch-centric meal expertise, serving conch in 5 other ways – fritters, ceviche, conch burgers, a tomato-based stew and a conventional fish stew.
To shut out our chat, Bodie supplied some eager insights on the way forward for meals inside an ultraluxury banqueting context. For one, mocktails are the brand new cocktails. Individuals throughout are valuing their well being by looking for restorative drinks at each refreshment break, whereas additionally wanting their drinks to reinforce the flavour of meals.
Wellness and F&B now go hand-in-hand in lots of different methods apart from an expanded mocktail and inexperienced juice menu. Friends wish to learn about ingredient sourcing and the way the cooks are making ready their meals. Slightly than be an obstacle to success, like a real Bahamian, Bodie’s blue ocean optimism shines by way of in that he sees this as yet one more motivation to make occasions much more experiential and memorable.
For one ultimate instance of how the property executes on this imaginative and prescient, the catering workforce has performed the occasional conch salad culinary class, educating visitors the best way to establish juvenile versus totally mature sea snails to introduce a sustainability component, the best way to correctly clear a conch and, after all, the best way to put together this signature dish of the island nation. Total, there are innumerable alternatives to uplevel an occasion in order that visitors bear in mind it for the remainder of their lives; the Rosewood Baha Mar and lodge chief Tekeyo Bodie’s give attention to magical touches presents a masterclass on how to do that proper.