BETHESDA, Md.—Entering its third year of collaborations with TED, Marriott Hotels today announced new program extensions. This year, for the first time, Marriott Hotels will livestream talks from the TED2019 conference to 12 properties around the world for an exclusive viewing for guests. The brand will also introduce a TED Masterclass through Marriott Bonvoy Moments, a program which provides travelers experiences around the world. Both the livestream and Masterclass will be in addition to a calendar of exclusive TED Fellows Salons in five cities.
“The partnership between Marriott Hotels and TED has consistently provided a platform for innovation and insight that ignites creativity in guests and creative thinkers around the globe,” said Julius Robinson, senior vice president of Marriott International’s Classic Premium brands. “This year, we challenged each other to enhance the experiences and bring it to more travelers, elevating the series with extensions that will further that impact and allow people to share their own stories.”
This year, TED2019 in Vancouver will be live streamed from locations around the hotel such as the M Club at 12 select Marriott Hotels around the world, including properties in Bangkok, Istanbul, London, Charlotte, and more. This is the first time that Marriott Hotel guests outside of the conference walls will be able to tune-in to the conversations taking place.
Additionally, in October 2019, approximately 20 Marriott Bonvoy members will have the opportunity to participate in “The Art of Storytelling,” a one-day interactive experience learning how to craft their own TED Talk. The workshop will be taught by Briar Goldberg, TED’s director of speaker coaching, and puts participants in the same proprietary training programming as other TED speakers. Marriott Hotels and TED will look to replicate the program as a consistent Marriott Moment, providing loyal consumers an opportunity to curate their own stories into a TED-worthy presentation.
“At TED, we’re constantly ideating on the best way to bring our content to new audiences around the world,” said Lisa Choi Owens, chief revenue officer and head of global partnerships for TED. “Our partnership with Marriott Hotels has allowed us to continually explore unique ways of reaching and engaging with their global and inventive audience. We’re excited to see that reach amplified in this third year through the Masterclass Moment and livestream integration.”
The first Marriott TED Fellows Salon of 2019 took place in Cape Town, South Africa, in March, featuring South African conservation biologist Steve Boyes and Kenyan musician Bill Sellanga, who performed two songs for the audience. Upcoming salon locations include Costa Rica in June and three additional in North America, Asia, and Europe. Discussion themes range from sustainability and design to culinary advancements, with the intimate salons offering guests an opportunity to further explore the destinations they visit and, ultimately, inspire new perspectives while traveling and beyond.
