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good business HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR TRAVEL PARTNER? "Green Engage" program, which also pursues customer engagement. The program includes the Innovation Hotel 2.0 initiative, designed to create the ultimate 21st century sustainable hotel, catering to the needs of "people, planet, profit." The innovation.ihgplc.com site was just completely revamped, hence the "2.0," with updates and feedback relating to hotels around the world. Also, IHG just launched its new IHG Planet CR Facebook page to further communicate directly with customers. Furthermore, due to InterCon Boston's actions, the Miel Brasserie Provençale is now the first hotel restaurant in New England to be certified by the national Green Restaurant Association. InterContinental Boston Last summer, Hyatt Hotels unveiled its new Hyatt Thrive program that details the company's four pillars of Corporate Responsibility, which "Hyatt believes are crucial to foster thriving communities." They are: Environmental Sustainability, Economic Development & Investment, Education & Personal Advancement and Health & Wellness. If ever you or your group wanted a clear breakdown of where the corporate travel industry is heading into the future, visit thrive.hyatt.com. TRAVEL SUPPLIERS CONTINUE TO EVOLVE Special shout out to the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, THEIR CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY which kicked off its October grand opening with a $300K donation to Brad Pitt's Make It Right project in the Lower 9th Ward. Three years ago, we helped build one of the first There's a present shift in the world of Corporate Responsibility four houses amid what can only be described as a barren where companies are integrating sustainability initiatives more wasteland. After visiting again in December, it was surreal to holistically into their daily operations. They're implementing see the 75 post-mod homes, with another 75 on the way. new strategies, promoting the results, and engaging their In November, Hilton Hotels partnered with the Global employees, customers and communities at the same time. Soap Project, a non-profit that recycles hotel soap for It's no longer about just "doing the right thing." It's also about underprivileged communities worldwide. In addition, Hilton is generating business in a changing economic landscape. donating $1.3 million to upgrade Global Soap's processing and In effect, the "Social" has been dropped from CSR. The distribution infrastructure. This saves lives—literally. Europeans did this years ago. Corporate Responsibility (CR) "When living as a refugee in Kenya, soap was hard to now impacts all facets of business, from sales and marketing come by, even completely nonexistent sometimes," says to new product development. Derreck Kayongo, founder of The Global Soap Project, who "It is our responsibility as entrepreneurs and business was honored as a 2011 CNN Hero in December. For more leaders to tackle the issues our society faces, from climate info, visit the CR pages at hiltonworldwide.com. change to poverty," says Sir Richard Branson, founder of Also in November, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company Virgin Airlines. His new book, Screw Business as Usual, partnered with America's Promise Alliance, a non-profit focuses entirely on CR. "To find solutions, we at Virgin have chaired by Colin Powell that helps kids graduate high school. had to consciously cast aside traditional thinking, form unusual Part of the partnership includes "Grad Nation Business partnerships and consider unorthodox answers." Collaborative Meetings." These are opportunities for attendees Branson just launched Virgin Unite to collaborate with to share their knowledge with youth groups to build stronger customers and share new ideas. Check out: virginunite.com. communities. Every 26 seconds, a child drops out of school. In 2006, InterContinental Boston had a recycle rate Maybe your group can help. Visit the Community Footprints of 8%. Today it's 61%. Much of that has to do with employee section at ritzcarlton.com.—Greg Oates education through InterContinental Hotels Group's (IHG) 16 | prevue magazine http://innovation.ihgplc.com http://thrive.hyatt.com http://www.hiltonworldwide.com http://www.virginunite.com http://ritzcarlton.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue January/February 2012

Fiesta Americana Hotels
Bermuda
Fort Worth/San Diego/Montreal
Corporate Responsibility
Royal Caribbean International
The Value of Collaboration
Leathership Summit, Panama
The Ritz-Carlton/JW Marriott L.A.
Florida Means Business
W Austin
No Wallet, No Worries
Intercontinental Argentina
Site/MGM Resorts Las Vegas
Philadelphia
River Terrace Inn, Napa

Prevue January/February 2012