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 CSMO bringing social media team members to drive awareness of the brand's socialpresenceDUBAI, United Arab Emirates,  May 3, 2013  /PRNewswire/ -- The Ritz-CarltonHotel Company, LLC is leading the way in consumer engagement in the digitalsphere at this year's ATM, with a fully-integrated social media campaign thatwill offer visitors a unique interactive experience. The move is in line withThe Ritz-Carlton commitment to deepen connections with existing and prospectiveguests in an environment in which they spend increasing amounts of time.As part of the luxury hotel company's social media outreach during the  MiddleEast's largest travel trade show, The Ritz-Carlton has members of their socialmedia engagement team present on their stand at ATM.  Through the  @RitzCarlton twitter handle, the team will provide live content and updates from the event.With a sizeable number of The Ritz-Carlton Twitter followers comprising of tradepartners, customers and the media, it is a perfect platform to initiate andbuild brand conversation relevant to the fair.  The introduction of a dedicated 'Tweet Bar' on The Ritz-Carlton stand HC5240located in the Arena Hall, will give the brand's global Twitter following accessto news from the event as it unfolds in  Dubai, including highlights fromexclusive talks and seminars. In addition, visitors checking in at ATM onFoursquare will receive tips on the best things to see and do in  Dubai, asrecommended by The Ritz-Carlton concierges from both hotels in the city. TheRitz-Carlton also uses Foursquare and The Ritz-Carlton Mobile App to tailorlocal content and provide engaging information relevant to their guests. Thiswill be brought to life at ATM where a series of QR codes can be used todownload property insights, including recipes from chefs and guided tours ofhotels.  "Our social media interactions at Arabian Travel Market are a natural extensionof our 'Let Us Stay With You' brand philosophy. We want to enrich the experienceat the show for visitors, in addition to being a great luxury travel informationresource for our Twitter followers by providing news as it is happening from theshow," said  Chris Gabaldon, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for TheRitz-Carlton Hotel Company. "Each of The Ritz-Carlton social media channels growin importance to us year-over-year as our guests live more and more of theirlives in the digital space. Use of Facebook alone already stands at 40% of timespent online in the UAE, 30% in  Kuwait  and 21% in  Saudi Arabia  makingFacebook an increasingly important channel for us to converse with our  MiddleEast  guests."  The Ritz-Carlton has a proven track record of using social networking platformsto build and enhance the brand and bring people together in the same physicalspace or event. It successfully used Twitter to underscore its central role atglobal events such as  Toronto  International Film Festival and IMEX America,whilst broadcasting and conversing about the brand's messages on a large scaleand also drawing foot traffic to physical spaces by engaging with otherattendees.The effectiveness of The Ritz-Carlton social media direction and content has ledto significant year-on-year increases across all leading platforms, includingFacebook which has jumped 118 percent to more than one million fans across  thecompany's brand page and 48 hotel Facebook pages. In addition, the brandFacebook Page's year-over-year growth in "People Talking About This" went up746%."The Ritz-Carlton philosophy is built around the concept of providing uniqueexperiences for our guests that will leave indelible memories they take awayfrom every visit to one of our hotels.  With the continued growth and influenceof social media - on both a local and global scale - we are seeing thisamplified online more than ever before," continued Gabaldon."It is therefore essential for us to remain relevant to the consumer and bestrategic and sensitive about the ways in which we engage in the space. TheRitz-Carlton brand carries expectations of excellence, and I can proudly saythat while each of our social channels perform in different ways, they allconvey a truth and authenticity that can only be conveyed by us. We reap greatbenefit from being a part of the online conversation and learn much by payingattention to guest feedback. The next part of our continued strategy focuses ondeveloping additional global social media assets and online engagement channelsto reach a broader audience of geographies and demographics, incorporate morevideo, and play host to user generated content for our guests who wish to sharetheir Ritz-Carlton experiences in the digital space."  To follow news from The Ritz-Carlton stand during Arabian Travel Market, followthe tweets from  @RitzCarlton  or the hashtag #ATMDubai.  About The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.   The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. of  Chevy Chase, Md., currently operates82 hotels in the Americas,  Europe,  Asia, the  Middle East,  Africa, and the Caribbean. More than 30 hotel and residential projects are under developmentaround the globe. The Ritz-Carlton is the only service company to have twiceearned the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award which recognizesoutstanding customer service. For more information, or reservations, contact atravel professional, call toll free in the U.S. 1-800-241-3333, or visit thecompany website at  
  www.ritzcarlton.com.
  The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR)  SOURCE  The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.Sarah Walker-Kerr, Regional Director, Public Relations MEA,sarah.walkerkerr@ritzcarlton.com, +971 (0) 56 216 0815