Corinthia Hotels launched a “Luxury Summit” series organized by The Luxury Marketing Council, together with media partner International Herald Tribune on November 12, 2012. The premier event was hosted at Corinthia Hotel London, the Corinthia brand’s luxurious flagship property.
The full-morning luxury summit, A Rising Tide – The Changing Luxury Market and Customer: Trends, Challenges, Best Marketing Practices of Top Luxury Brands, focused on the global market accelerated by technology, political and economic change. The London event, which attracted more than 100 high level luxury brand executives, will be followed by Luxury Summits at Corinthia Hotel St. Petersburg and in Moscow in March, 2013.
Following opening remarks by Gregory Furman, Founder & Chairman, The Luxury Marketing Council, moderator of the event, and Patrick Falconer, Managing Director, UK, Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa, New York Times/International Herald Tribune, the Summit featured a diverse group of speakers.
Matthew Dixon, General Manager, Corinthia Hotel London, gave a compelling presentation offering many insightful perspectives on customer service and the importance of moving from a vision of customer service to inspiring employees to embrace and deliver that vision. Dixon also defined modern luxury as “time well spent” and noted that the Corinthia Hotel London has initiated the first and only 24 hour check in policy.
Other opening session speakers were Tony Potter, President, Braveagle; Nathalie Remy, Partner, Apparel, Fashion and Luxury Practice, McKinsey and Company; and Rebecca Robins, Director, Interbrand and co-author of “Meta-Luxury Brands and the Culture of Excellence.”
Remy told the audience “As luxury players are now facing increasing uncertainty in the development of some core growth areas like China’s domestic market, the reactivation of the European consumer is becoming increasingly important. In order to re-bond with the European consumer, luxury players should reconsider how to cater to their specific needs, enhance affordability, nourish their growing appetite for luxury experience, and bolster multichannel.”
The opening session was followed by a panel, “The Year So Far, The Year to Come: Issues and Trends,” Joining the panel were Lisa Gregg, VP ICS International, American Express; Michaela Wolf, Head of Marketing & E-commerce of Georg Jensen; Janet Carpenter, Global Head of Atelier-Leo Burnett (the luxury practice); and David Hesketh, Managing Director of Laurent-Perrier UK .
“Our survey of some of the more than 100 leaders from major luxury brands attending the luxury summit in London, was a clear indication that the issues addressed had practical relevance AND that in London there is a very strong interest in increasing the frequency of events such as this. This reflects, and is consistent with the global trend of luxury brands to stay current with best marketing practices and creatively engaging in partnerships and collaborations with kindred spirit luxury brands,” said Luxury Marketing Council Chairman, Greg Furman, whose members include 1000 luxury brands in 40 cities worldwide.
Since its opening a year ago, Corinthia Hotels’ flagship property in London has created quite a buzz in that city’s luxury hotel scene. Corinthia’s 294-room property boasts the largest rooms in London at 485 ft²; and ESPA Life at Corinthia, spread over four floors, is the largest hotel spa in London, becoming a destination in itself for health and wellness. However, it was when Corinthia Hotel London unveiled in February 2012, its exquisite and individually themed collection of seven penthouses, each two stories with their own terrace views of London, that the hotel became a real game changer in the city’s luxury accommodation scene.
Corinthia Hotels, www.corinthia.com