TASTE OF WALDORF ASTORIA (TOWA)GLOBAL TOOL KIT

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Program Assets ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. p. 1Program Overview……..……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. pp.1-3Social Media Handles & Activations………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……… pp.3-4Media Strategy.………..……………..……………………………………………………………....................................................................... p.4-5Final Taste of Waldorf Astoria Event…………….………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…… p.5Final Taste of Waldorf Astoria Chef Itinerary…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… pp.5-6Property Activations…….………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……. p.6Social Media Share Messaging……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………… p.7

ASSETS

The assets listed below can also be easily accessed here: https://www.dropbox.com/home/HL%20Group/TOWA%20Assets

Consumer Landing Page: www.tasteofwaldorfastoria.com

Global Media Center: http://news.waldorfastoria.com/index.cfm/page/11128 (Includes program press release)

Final On-Property Images: https://hlgroup.sharefile.com/d/scac828d089744759

Final Dish Images (Rome dish image coming): https://hlgroup.sharefile.com/d/s0943985d31240d69

Final Recipes: https://hlgroup.sharefile.com/d/sdecffdb989e487d9

Final Videos (Please reference the social media section of this document for embed codes):o Berlin: http://youtu.be/WS60JUgnxAYo Rome: http://youtu.be/FxlyHnfbN_wo Edinburgh: http://youtu.be/-ctf7ewfnnko La Quinta: http://youtu.be/U5AgbqxGB5go Shanghai: http://youtu.be/xFKXJYtPgZE

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

To commemorate Waldorf Astoria as the birthplace of iconic culinary inventions such as eggs benedict, red velvet cake and Waldorf salad, the global brand has teamed up with the illustrious James Beard Foundation to find the next Taste of Waldorf Astoria. Five emerging chefs - James Beard Rising Star Semi-Finalists – were dispatched to five Waldorf Astoria properties around the globe to apprentice with a Waldorf Astoria Master Chef to create the next “iconic” dish.

Over the course of this past fall in Rome, Berlin, Edinburgh, La Quinta and Shanghai, the respective chef pairs collaborated for a week on a signature recipe. On February 26, 2015, the Waldorf Astoria Master Chefs and James Beard Rising Star Semi-Finalists will come together in New York to prepare their dishes for a judging panel

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of culinary luminaries. The Taste that prevails will be featured on the menu at 28 Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts worldwide.

Hotels/Chef Pairings and Dates:

Waldorf Astoria BerlinOctober 18 – 23, 2014Waldorf Astoria Master Chef: Pierre GagnaireJames Beard Foundation Chef: Christopher Kajioka of Vintage Cave (Honolulu, Hawaii)Michelin Star Chef Pierre Gagnaire is at the helm of 11 lauded restaurants in Europe and abroad, including the Michelin-starred Modern French restaurant Les Solistes at Waldorf Astoria Berlin. Chris Kajioka, an alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America and Per Se in New York, just left the Executive Chef position at Vintage Cave in Honolulu to open his own project. His new restaurant is slated to open in 2015 and will emphasize his style of contemporary French cuisine paired with Japanese flavors featuring local and seasonal ingredients from Hawaii.Final Dish: Pumpkin and Foie Gras velouté with brioche of Comte and beet root

Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria Hotels & ResortsOctober 20 – 24, 2014Waldorf Astoria Master Chef: Heinz BeckJames Beard Foundation Chef: David Posey of Blackbird (Chicago, Illinois)Since 1994, Heinz Beck has served as head chef at Rome Cavalieri’s La Pergola, Rome’s only restaurant with three Michelin Stars. Heinz Beck is the recipient of numerous awards for outstanding achievements throughout a long and prestigious career – La Pergola’s menu is his greatest achievement to date. David Posey is a star chef in Chicago, formerly the Chef de Cuisine at Blackbird and now embarking on a new chapter opening his own restaurant next year.Final Dish: Celery root ‘risotto’ with apple, hazelnut and black truffle

Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian November 17 – 21, 2014Waldorf Astoria Master Chefs: Chris and Jeff Galvin, Craig SandleJames Beard Foundation Chef: Cara Stadler of Tao Yuan (Brunswick, Maine)Michelin-starred chef brothers, Chris and Jeff Galvin reinvigorated the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh’s dining program, making The Pompadour by Galvin and Galvin Brasserie De Luxe two of the finest restaurants in Scotland and the UK. Executive Chef Craig Sandle leads day-to-day operations. Cara Stadler, who has been recognized by Food & Wine as one of America’s best new chefs, is the owner and head chef at the celebrated Asian Fusion restaurant Tao Yuan in Brunswick, Maine and the recently opened Bao Bao Dumpling House.Final Dish: Venison Scotch Egg

La Quinta Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria ResortNovember 18 – 23, 2014Waldorf Astoria Master Chef: Jimmy SchmidtJames Beard Foundation Chef: Eduardo Ruiz of Picnik and Corazón y Miel (Bell, CA)An innovative pioneer in America’s culinary movement towards sustainable cooking and farm-to-table dining, La Quinta Resort’s Chef Jimmy Schmidt is a three-time James Beard Award winner and one of the original members of the James Beard Foundation. Recently named one of Zagat’s 30 Under 30, Eduardo Ruiz is the Executive Chef and owner of the newly opened PICNIK Restaurant in Pasadena, California and the acclaimed CORAZON Y MIEL in Bell, California.Final Dish: Tierra y Mar

Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the BundNovember 30 – December 7, 2014

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Waldorf Astoria Master Chef: Jan van DykJames Beard Foundation Chef: Marjorie Meek Bradley of Ripple and Roofer’s Union (Washington, D.C.)Jan van Dyk is the Executive Chef Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund, offering modern French cuisine infused with gastronomy classics perfected over 20 years' of gourmet experience in some of the world's most exclusive restaurants and private clubs. Marjorie Meek-Bradley oversees the kitchens as Executive Chef at both Ripple and Roofers Union in Washington, DC. Marjorie has served a variety of cuisines in many top-rated restaurants and her impressive pedigree includes having worked for renowned chef, Thomas Keller, at Per Se in NYC and Bouchon in Yountville, CA, a One Michelin Star restaurant.Final Dish: Rack of suckling pig with xiaolong bao and wolf berry scallop

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES & ACTIVATIONS

LINKS, HANDLES, HASHTAGS

Campaign Landing Page: www.tasteofwaldorfastoria.como For more information, direct to the TOWA landing page

Campaign Hashtag: #TasteofWaldorfo Include mention of the #TasteofWaldorf hashtag to encourage social sharing

Waldorf Astoria Social Channels: @WaldorfAstoriao Facebook , Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest

#TASTEOFWALDORF CONTEST Waldorf Astoria is asking fans to submit an original photo of one of its iconic dishes – Waldorf salad, thousand

island dressing, eggs benedict, red velvet cake - for the chance to win a 2-night and 3-night stay at any Waldorf Astoria property

o To enter, entrants must post a photo to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #TasteofWaldorfo Winners are selected at random:

1/21 – winner of 2-night stay announced on the Waldorf Astoria social channels 2/6 – winner of 3-night stay announced on the Waldorf Astoria social channels

o Full contest rules can be found on Facebook

CAMPAIGN VIDEOS

All TOWA videos can be found on the campaign landing page on or around Friday, January 30 th. At this time, they will also be shared across the Waldorf Astoria social channels.

If you need to share an embed code with media, please see below:o Waldorf Astoria Berlin

Link to video: http://youtu.be/WS60JUgnxAY Embed code:<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/WS60JUgnxAY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

o Rome Cavalieri, Waldorf Astoria Hotels and Resorts Link to video: http://youtu.be/FxlyHnfbN_w Embed code:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/FxlyHnfbN_w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

o Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh – The Caledonian Link to video: http://youtu.be/-ctf7ewfnnk

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Embed code: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-ctf7ewfnnk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

o La Quinta Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort Link to video: http://youtu.be/U5AgbqxGB5g Embed code:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/U5AgbqxGB5g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

o Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund: Link to video: http://youtu.be/xFKXJYtPgZE Embed code:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xFKXJYtPgZE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

MEDIA STRATEGY

Lead up to Final Taste event (December 2014 – February 2015) IN PROGRESSo WAHR’s Brand PR agencies are pitching long lead publications on the program, highlighting the

availability of the winning dish at all 28 Waldorf Astoria properties globally as of March/April 2015o Targets include: April books of Bon Appetit, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Town & Country,

DuJour, Departures, Food Network Magazine (given media partnership), and airline publications such as Rhapsody and Delta Sky

o For pre-buzz on the Final Taste event, in January, WAHR Brand PR will pitch all five recipes to a variety of short lead outlets with the call to action of following the Final Taste event via social channels to learn of the winning dish

o Additional assets from chefs’ time onsite will be leveraged (i.e. images) TOWA videos from each destination will be parceled out; with each offered as an exclusive to

five top tier outlets and to be used in tandem with the final five recipes Potential pre-event interviews (via email and phone) offered to top tier outlets with JBF Chefs

(long lead and international outlets) UGC Giveaway: Launch a UGC giveaway with tiered prizes (including BMGs), asking fans and

followers to submit Exclusive targets include: TMag.com, BonApp.com, Travelandleisure.com, New York Times: In

Transit etc. o WAHR Brand PR will continue to include teaser messaging across social platforms that supports TOWA

leading up to the event o Messaging will include a call-to-action to visit the TOWA landing page for more information –

www.tasteofwaldorfastoria.com o Following January 26th, TOWA videos will be incorporated into the social content calendaro TBD - Tasting Table: Stage a Twitter chat with the JBF Chefs hosted by WAHR and, potentially, Tasting

Table Chefs will engage in a Q&A discussion to generate interest and support from WAHR fans in

advance of the event Chefs will also do a “takeover”

o Launching February 23rd, a TOWA homepage takeover on WaldorfAstoria.com promoting the final Taste of Waldorf Astoria event

Final Taste event (February 2015) IN PROGRESSo WAHR Brand PR will secure interview opportunities for master chefs and JBF chefs (plus any of the five

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property GMs in town and John Vanderslice, Stuart Foster) for the week of the final TOWA event Including targeting a national broadcast opportunity with the Today Show or Good Morning

Americao Many interviews will take place on site during the final TOWA event; however, WAHR Brand PR will

secure as many in advance as possible, especially focused on international outletso WAHR Brand PR will work with APAC and EMEA PR teams to determine international targets with NY

influencerso In addition to any culinary media or brand representatives from WAHR and JBF, WAHR Brand PR will

explore including one or more celebrities and/or influencers that are interesting to media on the “judging panel”to drive event coverage

o WAHR Brand PR will draft a press release to announce the winner to be distributed the morning after the event; along with event and dish images

o WAHR Digital Brand Marketing will invite key digital influencers to attend and cover the evento During the event on February 26th, there will be live social media coverage of final event through

Waldorf Astoria social platforms and digital influencers

Post-Event (March 2015 – June 2015) IN PROGRESSo WAHR Brand PR will reach out to top newspapers and glossy publications in JBF chef’s respective

hometowns to pursue feature story opportunitieso WAHR Brand PR to push the TOWA package being offered at all 28 properties surrounding the winning

dish and encourage all regionals globally to do so as well

FINAL TASTE OF WALDORF ASTORIA EVENT

WAHR Brand PR will coordinate the itinerary for all 11 visiting chefs (JBF and WAHR master chefs) in New York from Tuesday, February 24 to Friday, February 27, and work in tandem with SET Creative on final TOWA event elements (to take place on Thursday, February 26).

WAHR Brand PR has provided suggested guest list incorporating traditional press and social influencers, and will coordinate with production team on ‘save the dates,’ hard copy invite distribution and RSVP management.The US Brand PR team will distribute copies of the save the dates and invitations to the global teams to extend to any US-based media.

The judging panel includes: o Chef Marc Ehrler, Hilton Worldwide Corporate Chefo Yvon Ros, James Beard Foundation Director of Sponsorships and Special Eventso Andrew Knowlton, Bon Appetit Restaurant Editor o A potential ‘celebrity’ judge, pending budget (i.e. a Food Network chef -

http://www.foodnetwork.com/chefs.html)

FINAL TASTE OF WALDORF ASTORIA CHEF ITINERARY

*This is a snapshot and details are pending and/or subject to change.

Tuesday, February 24

Daytime Chef arrivals to Waldorf Astoria New YorkRelax, settle in.

Evening Welcome dinner with Hilton Luxury Brands ExecutivesLocation: TBD

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Wednesday, February 25

Day Assorted media interviews, likely held at Waldorf Astoria New York

Lunch Roundtable Media Luncheon / Conversation with the ChefsLocation: TBDThis event will bring together all the Waldorf Astoria Master Chefs to meet with one top-tier journalist like Adam Rapoport from Bon Appetit and Epicurious or Cherry Bombe’s co-founders, Kerry Diamon and Claudia Wu to discuss food trends, their lives as chefs, etc.

Influencer + Tasting Table Lunch: We will engage with 3-5 influencers to tell the TOWA story to their audience and ours from the moment the chefs touch down in NY until the end of the event. This lunch will be an opportunity for everyone to get to know one another and taste all of the dishes together in the Tasting Table kitchen

- Tasting Table: Tasting Table regularly features chef takeovers from famous chefs around the country. Do a week-long JBF/TOWA takeover teaching readers how to create the TOWA dishes.

Evening Casual dinner with Hilton Luxury Brands ExecutivesLocation: TBD

Thursday, February 26 (Day of Final Taste Event)

8:00 am WA Master Chefs and JBF Chefs appear on a national morning show (e.g., Today Show, The Early Show, Good Morning America) and cook an “iconic dish” live

11:00 am Return to the Waldorf Astoria New York to prep for the final Taste of Waldorf Astoria event in the Starlight Ballroom (18th Floor)

Noon Photo Call with all ChefsLocation: TBD

6:00 pm Pre-arranged one-on-one press interviews with select journalists to discuss the Taste of Waldorf Astoria program

6:30 – 9:00 pm Main Event

Friday, February 27

Breakfast Thank you breakfast with Hilton Luxury Brands ExecutivesLocation: TBD

Daytime Chef departures

PROPERTY ACTIVATIONS

*Details TBC by brand team

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In the spring, the winning Taste of Waldorf will be available on menus at every Waldorf Astoria property globally. Properties that participated in “the first course” of the program will offer a bookable Taste of Waldorf SRP.

SAMPLE SOCIAL MESSAGING/CONTENT

Below please find suggested social copy to help drive back to the campaign landing page and generate excitement for February’s event.

o Did you know that the Waldorf Salad, our iconic namesake, was first created in the 1890s at Waldorf Astoria New York? And our next iconic dish will be announced in New York as well this February! Learn more about #TasteofWaldorf here: http://bit.ly/1CHeh69

o M.F.K. Fisher said it best, “First we eat, then we do everything else.” Stop by the #TasteofWaldorf site where James Beard Foundation rising chef, Cara Stadler is serving up “the perfect bite.” http://bit.ly/1CHeh69

o Hungry for another taste? We thought so. Learn more about the chefs, the dishes, the history and what we have in store with Taste of Waldorf Astoria. http://bit.ly/1CHeh69

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