“Hotels can be more than places where people stay. We can become part of the destination experience and create spaces where communities, businesses and visitors connect. Partnering with Metrics Ph allows us to support the collector community while exploring new opportunities for events, partnerships and experiences that can bring people to Manila.” ~Jorold Montelibano, General Manager of Kingsford Hotel Manila
Many people have fond childhood memories of Hot Wheels that begin with their first collection, a favorite car, or a race across the living room floor. Others never really lost that childhood fascination. It simply became a lifelong passion for collecting, trading, and discovering the histories of each diecast.
Hot Wheels diecast designer and Red Line Club design lead Brendon Vetuskey met with local and international collectors and enthusiasts at an exclusive private dinner held in partnership with Metrics Ph, the organizer of the Philippines Hot Wheels Collectors Convention, putting that shared nostalgia front and center at the Kingsford Hotel Manila.
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| Attendees, including the CEO of Metrics PH, enjoy an intimate dinner presentation with Hot Wheels lead designer Brendon Vetuskey. |
It was more than just a get-together for diecast enthusiasts, bringing together collectors, families, business executives, tourism stakeholders, and hospitality representatives. It illustrated how a shared interest can forge strong bonds between communities and generations.
The event gave Kingsford Hotel Manila an opportunity to create an experience that goes beyond a standard hotel stay. The family-friendly hotel provided an ideal setting for an experience that brought together collectors who have been involved in the hobby for years, enthusiasts discovering new pieces, and kids and kids at heart who still love Hot Wheels.
From childhood memories to a collector community
The event gained a global creative perspective thanks to Vetuskey's involvement. Since joining Mattel in 2007, he has contributed to numerous Hot Wheels designs. At the moment, he serves as Red Line Club vehicles' primary diecast designer.
Vetuskey shared insights about Hot Wheels design and the process of creating diecast vehicles at the exclusive dinner, which followed an exclusive presentation and discussion with collectors and invited guests.
For Vetuskey, however, the appeal of collecting goes beyond the cars themselves.
“You might meet someone and start talking about your favorite Hot Wheels from childhood or the first car you ever collected. Those stories and shared memories are what makes collecting special.” ~Brendon Vetuskey, Hot Wheels Diecast Designer and Red Line Club Design Lead
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| Collectors take home a personal memento as Brendon Vetuskey signs Hot Wheels memorabilia |
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| Collectors take home a personal memento as Brendon Vetuskey signs Hot Wheels memorabilia |
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| Brendon Vetuskey connects with the Philippine collecting community, sharing stories from his journey as a Hot Wheels designer. |
This sense of connection continues to influence the Philippines' growing collector culture. Collectors and enthusiasts can gather at Metrics Ph to celebrate a cross-generational hobby, share their collections, and tell stories.
Shared passion becomes a hotel experience
The event also offered a glimpse of how specialized communities can create new tourism and hospitality opportunities.
For collectors, a place can become more than just a venue for an event. It can be a place where people meet, form friendships, and exchange stories based on shared interests. For Kingsford, it's an additional opportunity to create experiences that foster community and visitor interaction.
Fans of Hot Wheels are still remarkably familiar with the appeal. Whether they have been collectors for a long time or are just remembering the thrill of opening a brand-new diecast car as children, the excitement is still there.
The nostalgia that brought children and children at heart together at the Kingsford Hotel Manila is proof that some childhood passions never really matured. They simply develop new strategies to bring people together.
