70 April 2016 www.bahrainthismonth.com interview Shareef Kharouba What type of meetings and events does the Diplomat Hotel cater to? Given the extensive meetings and events facilitates in the hotel, covering a total space of 3,500sq/m, we are able to cater for anything from an intimate meeting of 10 people to a cocktail reception in the Grand Ballroom for 1,800 guests. Our area of expertise though, is in providing banqueting dinners for up to 900 guests. In 2015, the hotel was the venue of choice for National Day celebrations, hosting the majority of such events in town, and also a number of the region’s most important conferences and exhibitions. The capacity and flexibility of our banquet spaces, combined with our supportive team of experts with great attention to detail, is what makes the hotel such a popular venue and our events so successful. How many banquet halls/meeting rooms does the property have? The hotel features 15 events and meetings venues, the smallest is 53sq/m and the largest 1,236sq/m. All venues are fully equipped and specifically tailored to our clients’ requirements in order to deliver a seamless event. We consider ourselves partners in each event held at the hotel, extending our full support to the organisers and guaranteeing them success. MEETING WITH SUCCESS How does Diplomat Radisson Blu make events and functions memorable ones? It is the human element that makes events successful. The operations team responsible for the meetings and events has been with the hotel for over 15 years. They understand what our clients look for and anticipate their needs. I often invite the operations team to join meetings with new clients, including conference organisers and events planners, it’s great to see how the clients relax when they realise they are in such safe hands. The executive team places great importance on checking venues prior to events starting, passing by during coffee breaks to greet and seek feedback from guests and, most importantly, acting on that feedback to continually improve and develop our service. I am personally involved in both the sales and operational aspect of meetings and events to ensure a seamless experience. Do you have a special menu for guests at meetings and conferences? Our team of chefs have a wealth of knowledge BEHNAZ SANJANA With meetings and conferences a year-round staple of the economy, Shareef Kharouba, director of sales and marketing at The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel outlined what keeps his venue ahead of the game. between them, not only due to their expertise in their national cuisines, but also their experience acquired in many other countries. It is remarkable how an Italian sous chef can bring knowledge and flavour to Indian cuisine or a Bahraini chef can complement a European dish by adding a certain spice. The key to our success is our creativity and ability to design menus that not only suit the occasion but always taste delicious. Does the hotel offer outside catering? Absolutely. This is another area of strength our team enjoys; the ability to offer the same quality and service in an outside venue. We are equipped to cater to up to 2,000 people, including seating, service and a wide choice of buffets and live stations. Final Message? There’s a reason why the Diplomat Radisson Blu is consistently chosen as the go-to venue in Bahrain for meetings and events. Let us help you host your next event and you’ll find out why.
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