PLANNING: Marriot plans on yearly basis which is done by the headquarter and then passed on to its branches, even

day to day planning is also done on lower level depending on branchs needs and requirements. Marriot organizes mostly events, seminars and meetings. Marriot follows this following process in its planning. Preplanning: First to determine the meeting or event purpose (board meeting, wedding, etc.). Considering the size of the group, gender mix, ages of attendees, and any special needs. Determine meeting dates. Avoid dates that coincide with other company or industry events or holidays. Are the dates and/or days of the week firm or flexible? Plan the meeting or event in advance to secure the most desirable space. Create an outline for each session or activity, including expected attendance, seating arrangements, required setup times, starting and ending times, and audiovisual and production needs. List food and beverage requirements for each occasion, including meals, receptions and breaks. Consider air and ground transportation needs. Plan entertainment and recreation needs, group activities and/or team-building exercises. Prepare a timeline for producing invitations, event promotion, registration and production of meeting materials. Designate an administrative person to create name badges and coordinate written material. Budget for all sponsor expenses and calculate expenses for meeting participants. Schedule speaker, if required.

Budgeting Determine which expenses will be assumed by the meeting or event sponsor and by the attendees. Create a balance sheet listing expenses for all functional areas of your meeting or event, such as staff time, marketing expenses, air and ground transportation, accommodations, food and beverage, entertainment and recreation, taxes and gratuities, service charges, audiovisual equipment and production costs. Build in a contingency fund for unanticipated, last minute expenses. Check budgets from similar meetings and events to gauge cost. Make sure funds are allocated to pay all suppliers. Establish a holding account for accrued program expenses. Consult with your company's accounting office or financial officer on formatting the budget so it's compatible with internal accounting systems. Secure the signature of a financial

officer or other person with fiscal responsibility in your company, for any expenditures above what have budgeted. Planning the Meals At events offering food and beverage service, allow enough time for guests to eat leisurely, network or socialize with colleagues or friends and family, and enjoy all presentations or ceremonies, if there are any involved. Generally allow 30 to 40 minutes for breakfast, 45 to 60 minutes for lunch, and 20 minutes per course for dinner. For refreshment breaks, allow a minimum of 15 minutes for up to 100 people, 30 minutes for up to 1,000 people and 30 to 45 minutes for groups larger than 1,000. Consider a luncheon buffet for small group working sessions. Buffets offer variety and faster service. Consider requesting one server for each table, for more formal meals and/or VIP tables. Most facilities one server is allowed for every two tables, for standard, three- or four-course meals. Always plan to serve a variety of foods during cocktail receptions. The food is ensured that it should be healthy, appetizing and visually appealing.

Provide one bartender for every 75-100 people. Offer nonalcoholic beverages in addition to beer, wine and premium liquor. Consider donating leftover food to homeless shelters or distribution organizations for the needy.

Meeting Room Setup/Configurations:

Conference and Hollow Square: Appropriate for interactive discussions and note-taking sessions for fewer than 25 people. Many hotels have elegant boardrooms for 10 to 20 people, equipped with full audiovisual capabilities, a writing board, cork board and a flip chart.

E-shape, U-shape and T-shape: Appropriate for groups of fewer than 40 people. These are best for interaction with a leader seated at the head of the setup. Audiovisual equipment is usually set up at the open end of the seating.

Ovals and rounds: Generally used for meals and sessions involving small group discussions. A five-foot-round table seats eight people comfortably. A six-foot-round table seats 10 people comfortably.

Theater: Appropriate for large sessions and short lectures that do not require extensive note taking. This is a convenient setup to use before breaking into discussion or role-playing groups because chairs can be moved.

Schoolroom or Classroom: The most desirable setup for medium to large-size lectures. This configuration requires a relatively large room. Tables provide attendees with space for spreading out materials and taking notes

Preparing for Unexpected Situations: Send rooming list well in advance, at least seven to 30 days prior to arrival. Inform guests of the hotel's location and amenities. Meeting specifications is send to the hotel two to four weeks before a meeting. Every meeting requirement is listed, day by day, hour by hour. Reserve is done meeting office, press room, speaker-ready room. Remember to make preparation for all food and beverage activities and events held off-site. Include billing instructions and lists of VIPs to whom complimentary rooms should be allocated. Check the Event Orders (EOs) and Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) from the hotel. Check against your specifications and advise the hotel promptly of any changes or of your approval. Hold a pre-convention meeting 24 to 48 hours in advance of the meeting to review event expectations, procedures and to provide an opportunity to meet staff contacts who will help you with any problems. Never assume that a request has been taken care of - always double check. Work with the hotel to resolve any lastminute changes.

Future plans of Marriot: Marriott International Inc, plans to double its hotel outlets in Asia, expanding most in China despite already considerable capacity increases and falling occupancy rates there. The company said it plans to have 260 hotels open in Asia by 2016, expanding its China-based hotels to about 125 from 60 and covering nearly 75% of Chinese provinces. Marriott's expansion is an attempt to attract the growing number of Chinese tourists who are traveling at home and abroad. In the first week of October, a peak travel period each year due to China's national holidays, national tourist sites recorded 34.2 million tourists this year, an increase of 21%, from the year earlier, according to China's National Tourism

Administration. Despite the growth in travelers, China is facing a hotel glut as the world's largest hotel companies have been expanding rapidly across the country. Of the 1,600 hotels planned for the Asia-Pacific region in the next five years, nearly 60% will be in China, according to hotel market research firm STR Global, which said occupancy rates have declined in China, falling to 61.3% in September from 62.9% in the same period a year earlier, outpacing a broader regional drop. Executives at Marriott are betting that the travel demand will continue to grow, eventually filling supply. "There aren't that many hotels given the pace of growth and the expectations of future growth," said Simon Cooper, Marriott International's president and managing director in Asia. "We're bullish on Asia and particularly in China," Mr. Cooper said, noting that in smaller, less populated cities in the U.S., Marriott's hotels already surpass the existing number in China. The company won't follow a recent trend of China-specific hotel launches, but will instead aim to bring room rates down in 2013 in China's lower-tier cities to meet demand for the flagship Marriott hotel brand. The expansion adds to a plan Marriott announced in June to invest $2 billion over the next three years to open new hotels globally, expanding to 100 countries from 70. The company said then it would invest an additional $600 million to renovate existing locations and update technology (Jason Chow).