Incredible Occasions
INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS & RESORTS
ihg.intercontinental.com/incredible-occasions
@intercontinental
What makes an occasion one that stays with you for a lifetime? Transforming celebrations from ordinary to extraordinary by shaping a brand proposition and programme to deliver Incredible Occasions across the world.
Brand Strategy
Brand Experience & Hallmarks
Brand Communications
Brand Experience Playbooks
Brand Activation Tools
InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, the world’s first and largest international luxury hotel brand, is embarking on an extensive global brand evolution. Driven by the brand’s long held belief that travel can expand minds and connect cultures, it’s responding to the modern luxury traveller’s desire for knowledge and culturally rich experiences. At the heart of the brand transformation is the new Incredible Occasions programme.
Inspired by the brand’s legacy of becoming the backdrop of guests’ most cherished celebrations, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is affirming its position as the place to celebrate life’s milestones. AboundStudio were appointed to articulate the proposition and shape the experience, by crafting a compelling philosophy, set of guiding principles and activation tools to curate, market and launch Incredible Occasions to guests.
The result, an ethos and approach that acts as a lens for InterContinental to curate truly Incredible Occasions for guests across the world.
Generations of celebrations.
Curated By InterContinental
We are more than a backdrop. We are the scent of flowers on a warm evening. The clink of glasses as everyone stands. The sound of waves on sand, laughter above piano, the last claps fading to silence. The feeling of being together. These are the moments that ignite emotions and shape stories – and for InterContinental, this is what occasions are all about.
Incredible Occasions, Curated By InterContinental
How do you turn a single night into a story? A fleeting encounter into a feeling? An event into an emotion? These were the questions we asked ourselves, and the InterContinental team all over the world. We knew InterContinental were doing something special. But we wanted to pin down how – and why – their occasions have long been celebrated as going beyond the ordinary.
We found the opportunity for InterContinental was not just to host occasions, but to write a line in each guest’s life story. To layer experiences and open doors. To help guests explore time-old traditions, while creating their own. To spark emotions, even from a single scent or sound that shapes stories that are passed from one generation to the next.
It meant positioning the brand not just as host but curator, setting the direction for an ethos and set of guiding principles that brought alive their vision to make every occasion incredible. Offering more than a remarkable setting, but connecting each occasion in culture and personal story. So whether decadent or discreet, InterContinental could celebrate each guest in a way that is both individual and indulgent.
Culturally Connected.
From decadent dinner parties to milestone birthdays, inspiring masterclasses to the perfect proposal, we shaped a guide to curating an Incredible Occasion. Through examples, interviews and inspiration, we explored what makes an occasion one that stays with you for a lifetime. We unpacked what it means to be a perfect host and shone a spotlight on some of InterContinental’s most creative and inspirational occasions from across the globe.
So whether a grande gathering or impromtu celebration, through the layering of details – fascinating florals, exquisite menus, bespoke lighting, scents and sounds, each occasion is curated to feel Incredible everytime.
Captured as a set of tools that are both functional and inspirational, they give freedom within a framework, to support on property teams in the curation and delivery of Incredible Occasions around the world. It means when InterContinental is given the privilege of hosting one of life’s precious milestones, they have all they need to go beyond expectations to create a celebration that not only lasts, but lasts a lifetime.
For Life's Milestones.
To support the launch of Incredible Occasions, we developed a communications and collateral toolkit that empowers each InterContinental property to bring the platform to life in a way that feels both consistent and special. From online touchpoints to on-property details, the suite includes messaging guidance, customisable assets, and a curated image library – all designed to inspire guests and convert bookings.
We shaped the photography direction and led the production of a new image library, capturing warm, editorial-style moments that feel elevated yet authentic. The imagery, like the collateral, is designed to flex – allowing each property to tailor their communications in line with their setting and guest. On property, guests encounter thoughtful, tangible details – welcome cards, invitations, signage, placecards – each one designed to enrich the stay and invite celebration. It’s a system that supports storytelling, while giving hotels the tools to make every occasion feel their own.
Incredible Communications.
Touchpoints
Incredible Occasions was announced as part of a broader global brand evolution, with the brand hallmark launching in Paris, London, New York and Sydney, it's now inviting bookings at all InterContinental Hotels and Resorts globally.
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"We love your grasp of the brand, your editorial approach and impeccable eye for detail.“
– Katie Olesen, Global Head of Luxury Brands
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