HOTELS

Roger Hill

Let the Games Begin!
August 11, 2008

Having opened offices in Hong Kong in 2007, learning about the nuances of Chinese culture and customs has been a constant opportunity for growth.

I learned this week that the number eight is considered lucky in China. In fact, a day is considered lucky if it sounds like a word that is positive. For example, the words for the number eight are 'ba' in Mandarin and 'paat' in Cantonese, which sound similar to the words for prosperity: 'fa' in Mandarin and 'faat' in Cantonese.

Yesterday, 8.8.08, truly was my lucky day, as I spent the day in Beijing, taking in the amazing sights of the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics.



And so, for today’s blog post, I am going to take a slight detour from our usual topics regarding design, and blog a little bit about this adventure of a lifetime in Beijing. Next week, after a little time to absorb and reflect on this trip, I am sure that I will have plenty to share about how the language of hospitality design will translate around the world as China continues to experience exponential growth.

Let me start this way… for someone who has spent 20 years in the business of creating visual drama, I couldn’t appreciate my time here more. This production is almost of an unimaginable scale and budget. Since I’ve arrived at the National Stadium, it’s literally been a feast for the eyes, with so much going on in every direction, that it’s almost impossible to soak it all up at once.

I’ve seen acrobats flying through the air, ancient percussionists, dancers, gymnasts, musicians, drummers, and fireworks, fireworks, fireworks. This was the land, after all, that gave the world gun powder, and the Chinese weren’t afraid to remind us with their grand pyrotechnic displays.

Akin to some of the hotel opening parties that I’ve been to, I remembered how hard it is to get a mass of people into one structure at a time. Thankfully, I’ve never done something to the scale of 92,000 people. Of course, the security was amazing. A security guard scanned my ticket to see if it matched the photo I sent to them in the spring.

The National Stadium, designed by Swiss Architects Herzog and de Meuron is referred to commonly as “The Bird’s Nest,” and that seemed to color the theme of the festivities as it was woven into the production throughout. There was a moment where acrobats stacked up to create a human bird’s nest and later, crowd “motivators” (located every 50 feet throughout the crowd,) told us all to make birds with our hands and flutter them, creating a stunning effect throughout the massive stadium.

They even remembered the importance of entertaining those who didn’t get tickets to the ceremonies by creating a light show outside The Bird’s Nest that people gathered for miles to witness. As we walked back to the bus, the exterior design and lighting of the buildings continued to stun, right until the last glimpse faded into the distance as we drove off.

The theme of this Olympics is “One World, One Dream,” and there is no doubt that the amazing team who put together this grand event was dreaming unbelievably. The glow of the evening is still bright in my mind the next day.

It certainly is an inspiration, as even I was encouraged to remember the importance of thinking big in our industry. Because when you design experiences that are grand and extraordinary, the memory we can create with our guests will last a lifetime. Surely this one will last in my memory for at least that long.

Next I am headed to the Forbidden City and then The Great Wall of China after that. I will check in again from the road to discuss how the new economy has affected the hospitality industry in China.

(I already got a taste of it when I landed in the Seoul airport. This airport houses multiple haute couture retail staples, was clean and sparkling with gorgeous flower arrangements and masses of people. A far cry from air travel in the States this summer, to be sure.)

Stay tuned…

Posted by Roger Hill on August 11, 2008 | Comments (1)