By Nancy Mann Jackson
At the Nickelodeon Suites Resort in Orlando, convention services managers work with numerous groups each year to plan and host SMERF events. But last November, the hotel decided to turn the tables and host its own proprietary event to honor military families.
Partnering with outside military organizations including the Military Vehicle Preservation Association and the Central Florida World War II Museum, the Nickelodeon (Nick) hosted about 4,200 military guests during Military Appreciation Month, putting together an entire month-long event filled with memorable and fun activities for U.S. military members and their families.
For many in the military, taking an elaborate family vacation before or after an overseas deployment is a way to build lifetime memories. And the Nick’s location in Orlando – in close proximity to popular family vacation destinations like Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Orlando – makes it a perfect place to entertain and show appreciation for military families.
Getting Social
One of the methods the Nick used to advertise its Military Appreciation event was social media. On Facebook, the hotel launched a military photo contest open to any military family. “To enter, the families had to send in a wild and zany photo of why they love Nickelodeon,” says Kristin Hubbard, Sales Manager at the Nickelodeon Suites Resort. “In phase two [of the contest], we held the voting process on our Facebook Fan Page for all our fans to vote. [The contest] brought major attention to our Facebook Fan Page.” During the contest phase, the hotel gained more than 1,200 Facebook friends and gleaned more than 500 votes and almost 400 comments.
In gearing up for Military Appreciation Month, the Nick partnered with the Military Vehicle Preservation Association, which brought in antique military vehicles to be displayed throughout the month’s activities. The Central Florida World War II Museum also supplied “living history” exhibits for military families to tour. “[The Living History Tour] was quite an experience for the kids,” Hubbard says. “With the new video game technology and systems out now, some of the kids were able to relate to the living history because of the video game ‘Call of Duty.’ We didn’t do that intentionally.
In addition to perusing antique military vehicles and World War II exhibits, military families on site had plenty of opportunities to enjoy their time at the Nick. Hotel staff chose one military family each day to receive a free Character Breakfast, in which they got to dine with SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, or other characters. One military family was also chosen each day to be the guest emcees to announce the countdown to the “daily mass sliming,” in the style of the 1980s Nickelodeon show, “You Can’t Do That on Television,” says Hubbard. And at the daily military “pie brigade,” parents got to throw a pie in their kids’ faces – all in the name of fun, of course.
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Fun and Relaxation
In addition to special events for military families, guests during Military Appreciation Month could also take advantage of the Nick’s ongoing opportunities for fun and relaxation. For instance, the on-site Studio Nick presented live, nightly interactive Nickelodeon entertainment for families, and the Oasis featured a kids’ play area, a lap-style heated pool and a multi-level, interactive water tower with whirlpools. The hotel’s Lagoon is a first-of-its-kind courtyard featuring a zero-depth-entry heated pool anchored by a four-story interactive water tower featuring water flumes, slides, climbing nets, water jets and a 400-gallon dump tank that splashes slime on guests during a daily mass sliming. The area also features basketball, a kids’ play area, private cabanas, mini golf course and daily casting calls for Nickelodeon’s nighttime family shows. The hotel also offers scheduled shuttles to Orlando theme parks, including the four Disney parks, SeaWorld and Universal Orlando.
But the event wasn’t just about fun and games. Through a partnership with Any Soldier, Inc., the event’s charity of choice, military guests and other hotel guests designed their own postcard which Any Soldier and the hotel sent to troops serving overseas. Throughout the Military Appreciation Event, the hotel also collected donations for Any Soldier, Inc. to help support the troops.
Was it a success? Well, the Nick plans to continue hosting its Military Appreciation event for military families this year and will add even more military-themed activities during the month. “We’re partnering up with the Florida military bases to bring the heroes of today to the Nickelodeon hotel to compete with our guests in kid- and family-friendly Nickelodeon style games,” says Hubbard. “We’re also working closely with a few Marine units to hopefully bring some unique things to the event.”
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