Speaker: Christopher Clark, General Manager of JW Marriott Nara
Hosting Committee: Kansai Business Programs, Tourism Industry
Member Fee: ¥600
Guest Fee: ¥1,200
Registration/Cancellation Deadline: Friday, November 20 (10:00)
This event will be hosted as a webinar. Instructions for joining the virtual meeting will be sent to registered attendees after the above-stated deadline.
Event Overview
Join us for an exclusive online discussion with Christopher Clark, a 21-year veteran of Marriott and current General Manager of JW Marriott Nara, in which he will discuss:
· Launching a new luxury brand during a pandemic
· Staffing opportunities
· Changing marketing strategies
· Promoting the newest “old” destination in Japan
· Government campaigns
You will learn firsthand how to embrace change and win in new “old” markets. We will begin with a presentation followed by an interview in which we will further explore managing change, brand building, the power of storytelling, and promotion of local craftsman to find success in today’s ever-changing business environment.
After the event, Webex Meeting will be available for you to further discuss the event and to network with fellow participants. This link will be open for 20 minutes after the event. Dial-in details for the event and networking will be sent after the RSVP deadline.
About the Speaker
A native of the United States, Clark grew up in Connecticut. At the age of 16, he realized that he was passionate about the hospitality business and wanted to embark on a career in hotels. To gain experience, he began working as a bellboy in a hotel in his hometown when he was 17. After graduating from Western Connecticut State University, he worked for Hilton and Omni Hotels.
In 1997, Clark joined Marriott International, first in Atlanta at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead. He was asked to move to Asia in 1999 as Marriott was expanding rapidly. His first posting was in Malaysia, at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur. Since coming to Asia, Clark has worked in five countries, with postings at Ritz-Carlton hotels in China (Chengdu and Sanya), Indonesia (Bali), South Korea (Seoul), and Japan (Tokyo and Osaka).
He was asked in 2019 to start the planning for the JW Marriott Nara, which would be the first JW Marriott hotel in Japan. He accepted this challenge, as he loves to create something new as well as to continue to learn and grow. As one of Marriott’s luxury brands, the JW brand is significant in that it carries the full name of Marriott International’s founder, John Willard Marriott. The Nara hotel successfully opened on July 22, 2020 and proudly welcomed its first guest, former footballer Hidetoshi Nakata, who is a passionate cultural ambassador for the local craftspeople of Japan. The JW Marriott Nara has worked hard to develop key relationships with important craftspeople specializing in some of Nara’s proudest products, such as tea, vegetables, meat, sake, beer, and gin.
Clark is married and lives in Osaka with two-year-old triplet boys who keep him quite active.
ACCJ-Kansai Business Programs Committee
Mie Kitano, Yasumasa Sakamoto, Co-Chairs
NOTE 1: This event is OFF THE RECORD.
NOTE 2: Please note that, as with all guest presentations, the content and comments of the speakers reflect their own opinions and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of the ACCJ.
NOTE 3: If you cancel after the stated deadline, the full meeting fee will be charged to your account.
NOTE 4: In an effort to continue to provide more virtual networking opportunities for members, a LinkedIn page has been created for this event. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to virtually connect and interact with your fellow members before and after the event.
NOTE 5: Kansai Gold Card applies for this event.