Riding on the success of the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad earlier this year, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago (GORTT) has once again turned their trust to Landry & Kling, the first to use “floating hotels” for global events, to stage the bi-annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which begins in 10 days and will be held from Nov. 22-30.
To supplement housing for this prestigious meeting, where leaders of 53 Commonwealth countries will convene to discuss global, political and economic issues, Landry & Kling has secured two ships on behalf of the GORTT, Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas and Princess Cruises’ Caribbean Princess, which will be docked within walking distance of the Hyatt Regency, the host venue.
In addition to supplementing accommodations with up to 2,500 rooms, they will also function as adjunct convention facilities and dining venues to complement the Hyatt Hotel. A host of meetings will be held on board the two ships, and a casino will be transformed into a trade show with up to 20 table-top exhibits.
“We are thrilled and honored to have been chosen to play a pivotal role in making this important gathering a success,” said Joyce Landry, CEO of Landry & Kling. “This project has been months in the making, and we look forward to putting our creativity and expertise to work on behalf of this prestigious event,” she added.
While the actual CHOGM retreat will be Nov. 27-29, the ships will arrive in Port of Spain on the 22nd and 23rd, as will participants for parallel events such as the Youth Forum and the Commonwealth Business Forum.
To accommodate the week-long activities, Landry & Kling will be staffed 30 strong in strategic locations – the airport, cruise terminal, accreditation centers, and on board the ships – to ensure the event is staged with exact precision and flow.
This unique forum for consultation at the highest level of government will be attended by 53 Commonwealth nations worldwide and attendance by high profile dignitaries including Britain’s Queen Elizabeth.
Beyond the housing element, other aspects that will come into play for the Landry & Kling team include government protocol, security, event logistics and the efficient flow of thousands of people from between venues.
As the premier company organizing cruise events around the globe for more than 27 years, providing additional lodging where demand for accommodations outstrips supply has been one of Landry & Kling’s hallmarks.
Dominating and driving the marketplace with its prominence and precision, the company has already orchestrated many such feats, ranging from world class sporting events to high-profile global and government gatherings, product launches, conferences and corporate meetings.
What the concept of floating hotels means is that port cities and destinations around the world who never dreamed of hosting world class events and meetings can now vie for their share of the pie.
It has changed the game plan and unveiled unlimited opportunities to host meetings and events in locales that were once limited by a shortfall of housing. It’s a simple, yet brilliant idea that is significantly impacting destinations and major events around the world.
Without it, there never would have been a Super Bowl in Jacksonville, FL nor a Fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad earlier this year.
Landry & Kling helped set an historic precedent in Jacksonville, Florida when they took on the challenge of chartering a fleet of a record five ships for four days dockside in Jacksonville for the 2005 Super Bowl to accommodate Jacksonville’s shortage of quality hotel rooms.
With a total hotel room inventory in Port of Spain, Trinidad, of just over 1,700 sleeping rooms, the extraordinary gathering of more than 5,000 visitors for the Fifth Summit of the Americas (heads of state including U.S. President Barack Obama, media and other dignitaries) would have overwhelmed the capital city.
Staging an event of this caliber and importance could only work by bringing in two large cruise ships to house guests.
To ensure its success and flawless execution, the National Secretariat of Trinidad & Tobago turned to Landry & Kling to coordinate two “floating hotels” to provide an additional 3,000 rooms for attendees and a venue for pre-Summit events and planning sessions ranging from 400 to over 1,000 people for the opening ceremony reception.
Said Beverly Khan, deputy national coordinator for the Summit of the Americas: “Landry & Kling was the invisible force that brought it all together.”
Aside from the Summit and Super Bowl, add to Landry & Kling’s credentials their ship charters for the Expo in Vancouver, Canada; the Barcelona Olympics; Cricket World Cup in Barbados; DecWorld in Boston, and the American Heart Association & Katrina Relief in New Orleans.
As in any dockside charter, the scope of work involved, from planning and contracting to logistics and execution is intense and far reaching.
Much more than simply chartering a ship, each situation demands its own set of requirements and solutions with endless considerations, such as city, state and federal mandates, on-board logistics, local transportation, signage, media coordination, ship access, security, etc.
It takes experience, knowledge and an extremely well coordinated and insightful team to pull it off.
What makes cruise ships so ideal in these situations is the all-encompassing, full service aspect of being “destination resorts,” equipped with extensive and flexible meeting rooms, business centers, a host of restaurants and the elaborate recreational amenities found on state-of-the-art ships today.
For more information, visit Landry & Kling
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