Interview with Sales-Marketing Director Tom Wang of Millennium Seoul Hilton

By Ms. Sua Kim
Staff reporter of The Korea Post media

“I want to ‘scale’ our business model by diversifying feeder markets, attracting more bookings through the right channels,” said newly tapped Sales-Marketing Director Tom Wang at the Millennium Seoul Hilton at a recent interview with The Korea Post media on Nov. 2, 2017. Details of the interview follow:

Q: As you have become the new sales-marketing director of the highly rated Millennium Seoul Hilton, our readers (substantially your clientele) would naturally wish to learn who you are and more about you. Please elaborate on yourself, including your personal and occupational background.
A:
I am in the hotel industry for over 20 years in Singapore and in China, worked in a few luxury hotels including The Peninsula Shanghai and The Ritz-Carlton, Millennia Singapore. Personally, I like to travel with family, reading books and magazines, most recently I have read a book titled Managing To Make A Difference by Larry Sternberg and Kim Turnage, I have enjoyed reading it and have learned a lot on how to be a better leader through change.

Sales-Marketing Director Tom Wang of Millennium Seoul Hilton

Question: What are your plans to further promote the highly rated Millennium Seoul Hilton?
Answer:
I want to ‘scale’ our business model by diversifying feeder markets, attracting more bookings through the right channels such as our brand website, creating packages to attract Koreans especially younger Koreans and families for special celebrations, weekend staycation, attract more business travelers to Millennium Seoul Hilton etc. Go mobile! Go online is the key trend of travel industry! Therefore, we will be actively promoting the hotel on social platform and with digital marketing tools. More than half the world now uses a smartphone; more than half of the world’s web traffic now comes from mobile; more than one in five of the world’s population shopped online in the past 30 days.

Q: What, if any, are the differences between Millennium Seoul Hilton and the properties you have managed so far?
A:
They have some common Unique Selling Points: All in the best location of the city, Convenient access or walking distance to offices, popular attractions, shopping malls and reputable restaurants. All have the best brand and property reputations. All have the best quality of service in the market. All have the highest emotional engagement level with guests and clients.

Q: Millennium Seoul Hilton is known to have many advantages over its competitors in Korea and abroad. What are your plans to further exploit these advantages and what, if any, are your plans to introduce your own experience and expertise to further promote Millennium Seoul Hilton?
A:
For international market, I would like to further penetrating China and Japan market, and developing new feeder markets such as Taiwan, South East Asia and Russia. We will also create local packages, family packages to attract local Korean guests especially younger families or even three generations family packages. Staycations are on the rise, according to Google Trends data, which shows searches for staycations are up 10 percent year after year. More and more people are enjoying their vacation time in their own city or country, and they are looking for unique experiences. To promote Millennium Seoul Hilton to younger generation customers, I would like to actively promote our products and services on social media and digital marketing platforms.

Sales-Marketing Director Tom Wang of Millennium Seoul Hilton poses with Chairman Lee Kyung-sik of The Korea Post media and Assistant Director Kwak Yong-deok of PR & New Business Development after the interview at the Millennium Seoul Hilton lobby.

Q: Please introduce yourself in detail as our readers (readers of two Korean and three English news media outlets) would wish to learn more about you.
A:
As I mentioned, I have worked in the hotel industry for more than 20 years in Singapore and in China, mainly in luxury hotels. I really enjoy dealing with people--clients, guests, colleagues, CSR partners such as Charity Organizations, etc. I am a natural sales person with very good interpersonal skill, account management and people development, which are my strengths.

Q: What, if any, are the distinct differences Millennium Seoul Hilton makes which tell apart from its peers in Korea and around the world?
A:
Millennium Seoul Hilton has very unique selling points:
--Our LOCATION: At the foot of Namsan, walking distance to Seoul Station, walking distance to Namdaemun, Myeongdong
--Excellent hotel service through long serviced experienced staff
--Great choices of restaurants and bars: Italian IL Ponte, Japanese Genji, Chinese Taipan, all-day dining restaurant Café 395 and Bar Oak Room
--Long serviced, experienced and stable sales & marketing team
--High percentage of loyalty and returned guests--both F&B and Rooms

Q: Please add whatever we might have left out from our questionnaire.
A:
Holiday season is coming, Christmas is coming! We are going to decorate the grand lobby, restaurants, bar and public areas with the most beautiful Christmas Trees, Christmas trains, and Christmas village. We will have seasonal food & beverage promotions and attractive staycation packages to suit everyone from lovely couples, family gathering to extravagant party organizer. Millennium Seoul Hilton team will work with everyone to make sure your celebration, party, whether social or corporate, is an event to remember.

저작권자 © The Korea Post 무단전재 및 재배포 금지