Meeting News - August 11, 2008 - (Page 20)

Hotels & Resorts High-End Meetings with a Conscience Fairmont and Ritz-Carlton start programs allowing groups to positively impact society Groups seeking opportunities to hold meetings that make the world a better place are in luck: Last month, hoteliers Fairmont and Ritz-Carlton each introduced programs for this purpose. Fairmont debuted its Meetings that Matter program, in which planners can donate 10 percent of a function’s room revenue to a chosen charity or one supported by the hotelier. And Ritz-Carlton, which launched a very similar effort to Fairmont’s just three months ago, added VolunTeaming, a combination of volunteer and teambuilding activities. At 54 properties worldwide, Meetings that Matter is available to planners booking and holding a meeting this year or next year that requires a minimum of 50 room nights. Those with budgetary concerns have another option: The hotel will earmark 10 percent of a meeting’s revenue as credit toward a future meeting held at the same property by December 2010. “We wanted to take our commitment to social responsibility one step further and create another opportunity for guests to make a meaningful contribution,” said Jeff Doane, Fairmont’s vice president of Edited by Rayna Katz rayna.katz@nielsen.com hotel sales.“Meeting planners and groups have responded enthusiastically to our green meeting efforts, through our Eco-Meet program.” Meetings that Matter is subject to hotel availability and applicable only to new programs. It is not valid for citywides and can’t be combined with special offers. Meanwhile, at Ritz-Carlton, groups can choose from two-hour activities all the way up to full-day events that enhance the local community. Options include harvesting crops that are donated to a local food bank, working with park rangers in Boston Harbor Islands National Park, and more. For more information, go to www.volunteaming.com. The Fairmont Scottsdale gives groups the chance to do good. 20 MeetingNews August 11, 2008 www.meetingnews.com http://www.volunteaming.com http://www.kalahariresorts.com http://www.kalahariresorts.com http://www.meetingnews.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - August 11, 2008

Meeting News - August 11, 2008
Contents
What’s Up @ MeetingNews.com
Inside the Meetings Industry
Social Scene
People Making News
Hotels & Resorts
Convention Centers
CVBs
International
MN Webcast Report
Southern Meetings
Meeting Planners Handbook
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Meeting News - August 11, 2008