Event 15th Asean Summit
Venue Dusit Thani Hua Hin
Organiser Grocery Co.
Delegates 450 (plus 1,300 media)
Date October 23-25, 2009




The brief
The 15th Asean Summit gathered Asean heads of state and associate country leaders from China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand, to discuss how to structure an Asean Community by 2015.



Challenges
The high-profile nature of the event and many delegates meant security was the major challenge. The Thai government responded by declaring a state of emergency in Cha-am and Hua Hin, and supplied military forces to secure the area.

Delegates were transferred from Bangkok to Hua Hin by private limousine and helicopter. At the hotel, delegations’ security teams arrived well in advance to ensure the appropriate precautions were in place.

The hotel spent US$6 million on upgrades to its accommodation and F&B facilities, as well as human resources. In addition, experts were brought in to provide specialist training and the group made use of its most experienced staff from around the region.

Execution
“Within the summit, there were numerous meetings as well as an opening ceremony, closing ceremony and signing ceremony,” says Vipada Jaosom, account manager, Grocery Co. “It required a great amount of cooperation from all involved.”

The opening ceremony was held in the Royal Dusit Grand Ballroom and included a formal welcome from Thailand’s Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, as well as an elaborate performance of the traditional Ramakien play.

The Napalai Ballroom and Royal Dusit Grand Hall also served as the main meeting facilities for the event. There were 40 meals held in the hotel’s restaurants during the three-day summit, including a number of lunches and dinners hosted by national delegations. Working lunches and dinners were also served in the various meeting venues.

The hotel’s executive chefs worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on a special menu celebrating the best of Thai cuisine. Special dishes included tung ngrern yuang (golden bags filled with minced chicken) and kha nom jeeb (steamed rice flour filled with ground fish and lkura caviar).

The hotel provided a shuttle bus to transfer media personnel between the media centre and the meeting venues every 15 minutes. A media marquee was also set up.

An exhibition of more than 100 watercolour illustrations of participating countries was put on display along the pathway leading from the hotel’s main reception area. The hotel presented each country’s leader with a Royal Barge memento as a representation of the country’s respect for its head of state, his majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Country leaders’ spouses visited Mrigadayavan Palace on nearby Bang Kra beach, which is located between Cha-am and Hua Hin.

Comment
“Dusit Thani Hua Hin was an excellent partner,” says Jaosom. “The event’s success was made possible by its great team.”