ALOFT HOTELS (MARRIOTT)

LIVE AT ALOFT HOTELS “HOMECOMING TOUR”

Project Manager & Production Partner Brief (P&C)

Sense is a global brand experience agency with offices in New York and London. We deliver strategically
sound and expertly executed experiential campaigns across North America and the UK, for clients such as Coca-Cola, Molson
Coors, Activision and Mars.
Sense New York is looking for local fabrication, production & staffing partners to assist with delivering a live music and tech
focused event at 1 of 8 Aloft Hotels along the global ‘Homecoming Tour’ during August 2019 – March 2020. Confirmed cities
include Chicago (launch), Perth, Madrid, LA, Dublin, Dubai, Shanghai and Mexico. This is Sense’s most high-profile business win
since opening our offices in New York City, March 2017.
The information below provides an overview of the campaign and what is required from our local project manager.

Campaign Live at Aloft Hotels ‘Homecoming Tour’

Kateland Turner
Sense contacts Elisabeth Wilson Senior Account Manager
Senior Producer kateland@sense-nyc.com
elisabeth@sense-nyc.com +1 917-809-0160
+1 718-744-7754

Aloft Hotels With over 190 hotels now open in over 20 countries and territories around the world, Aloft Hotels, part of
experiential Marriott International, delivers a fresh approach to the traditional staid hotel landscape. For the ‘always
campaign on’ next generation of traveler, the Aloft brand offers a tech-forward, vibrant experience (cue concierge
summary and robots!) and a modern style that is different by design. Aloft has also supported the music industry since
evolvement its opening 11 years ago, offering 15% off stays for artists and accommodating tour buses in car parks,
amongst other perks.
This year, Aloft Hotels is looking to evolve its global Live at Aloft Hotels program, that brings live music
into all its 190+ hotels around the world every week.
Background: Aloft Hotels has ran a program called Project: Aloft Star for the past nine years, that found
and supported unsigned artists around the world. In 2018, they partnered with Universal Music Group to
elevate the program offering an unsigned artist in four continents for a chance to win a mentoring and
recording prize with UMG. To raise awareness of the contest and drive engagement with consumers, Aloft
toured around the world with breakthrough and emerging UMG artists hosting live music gigs in Aloft
Hotels. For more information on Project: Aloft Star 2018 please see here.
Based on key insights gleaned during the 2018 tour – that taking an emerging artist/band back to their
“hometown” provides an opportunity to drive excitement, engagement and press among members, fans
and media, Aloft is looking to make the 2019 program the “Live at Aloft Hotels: Homecoming Tour” to
further solidify the brand’s commitment to music lovers and music makers. They will bring artists back to
their hometowns or places of origin (e.g., where they went to college and formed their band), delivering
can’t-miss music experiences to the fans who were with them from the beginning, in turn showcasing the
brands global footprint. For live link on The Homecoming Tour please see here.

Sense responded to an RFP in May 2019 and won the business – we are taking over the program from an
incumbent agency who worked on the program for the last nine years.

Campaign The aim of Live at Aloft Hotels ‘Homecoming Tour’ is as follows:

overview • Drive awareness of Live at Aloft Hotels (always on program), showcasing the brand’s
commitment to music lovers and makers
• Showcase the brand’s global footprint, both through activating at new openings and existing
great hotels
• Drive awareness and engagement with the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program (considered the
most important customers)
• Drive cultural relevance in the music and innovation space
• Encourage F&B sales at the WXYZ bars (opposed to selling hotel rooms)
How do we achieve these objectives?
• Activate live music and tech focused events at 8 key hotels globally
• Design and fabricate one of a kind event elements for each tour stop matching overall look & feel
of the tour – in partnership with local companies
• UMG partnership manages artists and associated staging/audio/visual (artists have included
Banks (LA), Dermot Kennedy (Dublin) & Troye Sivan (Perth))
• Sense manage full event consumer journey (including attendance) plus tech / innovation
touchpoints
• PR/social/content agencies will support
Note: Sense will be measured on local/on-site engagement (i.e. filling events with the target audience).
Detailed KPI’s to be finalized.
 Target audience:
• Forward thinking, confidently social, tech enthusiast that live both online and offline
• Optimistic, well rounded, curious consumers of culture with a love for music
• Highly independent and always finding new ways to express themselves
• Stand out from the crowd wherever their travels take them
• 25 – 49 adults (desired audience at events must skew heavily younger 20-30)
Consumer journey: - fairly formulaic at each venue running from 7pm – 10pm (see sample run of show
below)
• RSVP for free online
• Arrive at the venue and receive appropriate wristband and ‘welcome pack’
• Immersive experiences, F&B purchases & goody bags distribution to include:
o INSA stage frame installation, evoking the feeling of ‘homecoming’ when the audience is
watching the artist on stage (bringing music to life)
o Throwback Den photo booth experience
o Live illustrator experience
• Main performance (selected by UMG)
• Artist meet & greet
• Free swag distro & merch bags for select guests
• Exit venue
Desired attendance at every event is between 80 – 250 max.
Dates & Locations:
• Chicago – August 23rd
• Perth – September 15th
• Madrid – October 3rd
• LA – October 25th
• Dublin – November 20th
• Dubai – January 15th
• Mexico – late Feb, exact date TBC
• Shanghai – March, still TBC

Attend walkthrough to create hotel site plans including 2 viable placements for stage & TB Den
• Share initial site plan & update for review by larger team
• Advise on mocks & renderings of space as needed
• Re-visit hotel as needed for additional considerations, questions and measurements
Homecoming INSA Stage - see CADs from Dublin here
• Feed into final stage placement, size and plan with
• Fabricate, install, remove and dispose of the stage panels, coordinate with stage team for
mounting method (ie. Truss, etc.)
o Plywood with full color vinyl print
• **Note: stage build outside branded panels and AV will be handled by UMG team, we need to
align with them & hotel to ensure panels complements the artist stage plot
Throwback Den - see attached CAD here and example of fully propped area here
• Confirm final size, placement & height TBD based on site plan findings
• Fabricate, install, remove and dispose of the wall flats and vinyl panel branding
• Mount custom neon sign, wall hooks and posters onto the wall
• All furniture, props & embellishments locally sourced, assembled and staged onsite
Local Project
Management & General Production Rentals
Production • (10-15) radios
• (30-40) stanchions, TBD final layout – need to advise on final total needed
• (21) event signage holders – need to see options
Programming Support
• DSLR Social Photobooth rental
• Live illustrators
o (2) Artists
o Realistic style similar to examples here, not cartoony
o Must be able to use photoshop layouts provided
o Ideal 7-10 minutes per illustration
Event Staffing & Planning Support
• Weekly calls on Monday and Thursday with key project manager / NY meeting in mid-January to
review all elements
• (3-4) Security – TBD on capacity and venue layout
• Production Runner 11/14-15
• Production Assistant 11/13-16
• Professional Decal Installer 11/14 install, 11/16 removal

Please provide:
• Availability for January & February
• Suggested approach & considerations for Mexico
• Media Kit and/or portfolio of previous event experience
WIP Stage Design from Dublin
Note: Depending on height, we may have to explore mounting the top piece from ceiling and losing the two side
panels