Boeing's Thai success

Every 12 months, aerospace giant Boeing's key expatriate personnel and their spouses are brought together to be updated on company developments and new products, and are given the necessary training. Earlier this year, Gregory Pybon, Boeing field service base manager Bangkok, was given the task of selecting a suitable venue. Bangkok was an obvious choice as it features regularly for different Boeing events. "Our company typically likes holding different types of customer-focused conferences in Bangkok," said Pybon. "In the past year or so, we have held two Boeing 737 structures conferences, three Sigma training sessions for Boeing and airline employees, an MD-11 fleet conference and a large field-service regional meeting that brought Boeing people from all over to Bangkok." "Boeing likes to use Bangkok because of its location, the relatively low cost and the fact that it is fun and people like to come here." With Bangkok offering so many deluxe hotels at competitive prices, Boeing had a fairly wide choice of venues. Pybon lists his four key criteria in selecting a suitable venue:
Cost
Staff service
Facilities
Location Boeing then chose the Westin Grande Sukhumvit in the heart of one of Bangkok's most vibrant districts. "The Westin offered the best value for money," said Pybon. "From the very beginning the can-do attitude of the staff revealed itself. "The sales staff was very focused and energetic, and determined to make sure that our event would be the best possible. The facilities were more than adequate for our needs, and the hotel's location in the heart of Sukhumvit was a big plus." Recent transport infrastructure improvements were also a positive factor. "All attendees were pleased with the fact that the Skytrain stopped just outside the hotel," he said. The location in Sukhumvit was ideal because of the length of the event. The area is jammed with shops, bars and restaurants, and is very cosmopolitan. "The whole event lasted for seven days and was split in two separate sessions of three days each since more than 100 people were in attendance in total," said Pybon. The Westin Grande Sukhumvit's catering reputation aided the decision. "The meeting included breakfast, lunch and two coffee breaks per day. In addition, we had a cocktail reception and Thai-themed dinner for each three-day session," he added. Pybon was full of praise for the Westin staff's professionalism and support despite the pressure of a fluid event structure. "Without the assistance of the Westin staff it would have been difficult to have a successful event," he said. "They assisted with everything from menu planning to meeting logistics. The scope of the event continued to evolve from the beginning of the planning to the beginning of the event. The staff never got flustered and continued to deliver high-quality service throughout. A perfect team."