Choice Hotels 68th Annual Convention 

Choice Hotels is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With a diverse portfolio of 22 brands, Choice has over 7,500 hotels, representing more than 630,000 rooms, in 46 countries and territories.

Choice holds an Annual Convention for its global franchise owners and general managers to communicate top business initiatives, talk about trends, dive deep into the brands, network with owners and operators, and celebrate top-performing hotels.

Media Loft was engaged to produce the 68th Annual Convention. Operational efficiency was critical as we managed four separate on-site crews that served up 13 general sessions, 100 breakout/education sessions, 28 ancillary sessions, 11 talent performances, an ongoing content-streaming stage, an awards celebration, and an outdoor beach party concert.

From a creative standpoint, it was imperative to create a unified event that communicated overall corporate business initiatives, yet simultaneously made each owner feel their brand and distinct business needs were being focused on. To answer this, Media Loft created an aptly unifying theme – “Next Level” – with a corresponding visual identity that featured strong peaks to represent upward trajectory, continuous momentum, and growth across corporate and all brands. Every creative touchpoint was tied to the theme, from the registration site to onsite signage to presenter visuals and scripting. On the main stage, a stunning opening video combined dynamic motion graphics across 120 feet of LED with a customized music track to highlight the year’s Next Level milestones and set the tone for the week.

The robust talent roster also tied back to the theme, including three America’s Got Talent daredevil acts in a pre-show performance, a hilarious cameo clip from new Choice spokesperson Keegan-Michael Key, and keynote speaker Michael Strahan who exceeded expectations. Multiple brand sessions featured customized entertainment moments including a hip-hop dance group, theatrical shadow dancers, and a pep rally. To cap things off, Sting took the Closing Beach Party to the Next Level.

The 68th Annual Convention was one of the largest ever, with the second highest attendance since tracking started in 2011.