We arrived yesterday at the wonderful Yanqi Lake hotel by Kempinski and after a rather good night’s sleep we’ll shortly begin a packed programme of events.

Although I’ve only had a few hours sleep I can confirm that our guests are really going to be spoilt here. Oh yes! The hotel has only just opened so absolutely everything is fresh and unspoilt. The service, as you might expect from a Kempinski brand, has been simply brilliant.

We’re here to check out the property ahead of next year’s Connections Luxury Asia event. I’m visiting with my colleague Peter who looks after our buyers. My focus for the next few days will be the event logistics whilst Peter is examining our plans from the point of view of ensuring our buyers have a seamless experience.

Of course, we’re also carefully considering the needs of our suppliers too. One of the best received elements of our inaugural event in September were our Connections Experiences. Instead of holding networking meetings sitting at tables, we offered the opportunity for buyers and suppliers to meet whilst participating in an experience.

One such experience we’re taking a look at later today is cooking! The Kempinski offers the opportunity for guests to cook a wide variety of authentic Chinese dishes, so in between various logistical meetings we’ll be heading to the hotel kitchens to meet with one of the chefs. I’ll let you know how we get on. I think this could be a really conducive experience for our attendees!

I can’t wait. Now it’s time for us to head off and explore the property!