Hyatt Hotels & Resorts and Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide in recent weeks each announced new sustainability components to their
corporate meeting offerings.
Hyatt in July launched its Meet and Be Green program, which
offers a 3 percent rebate to planners who follow 10 guidelines. Guidelines
include agreeing to recycle during the event, eliminating disposable water
bottles and cutting down on the use of disposable items and meeting materials,
such as handouts and notepads.
In addition, Hyatt launched a seasonal banquet menus
program. Using locally grown foods is one of the 10 steps required of
participating planners.
Hyatt vice president of sales Jack Horne said that the
company already had booked six events worth about $300,000 in business during
the first week and a half of the program. Hyatt is offering the program for any
meeting that is booked by Dec. 30 and held by March 31, 2011.
Starwood in June announced that its sustainable meetings
guidelines now are standard across every North American property. The
company—which operates more than 1,000 properties globally under such brands as
Sheraton, Westin, W, St. Regis and Le Meridien—has developed a sustainable
meeting practice program for planners focusing on five areas: paperless meeting
planning, meeting services, food and beverage, impact assessment and the
availability of socially conscious activities. These include practices such as
bottled water alternatives, energy-efficient signs and sustainable menu
options, which all meetings now will incorporate.
Starwood also has launched an internal online tool that will
generate reports for planners gauging the environmental impact of their
meetings.
Starwood vice president for global citizenship Sandy Swider
said that the company is seeing an increase in demand for environmentally
friendly meeting practices.
"There's already a strong sensitivity toward
sustainability concerns from meeting planners, and they appreciate the programs
we've put in place," Swider said in a statement. "We think the next
generation of meeting planners and attendees will simply expect green practices
and sustainability initiatives as a given for meetings and facilities."
Starwood plans to roll out the program across all properties
globally through next year.
This story originally
appeared in the August 9, 2010, edition of Business Travel News.