LOS ANGELES—MindClick SGM announced that Marriott International will spend 75 percent of its 2013 furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) budget with suppliers that are part of the MindClick Hospitality Sustainability Performance Index (HSP Index). The HSP Index measures suppliers’ corporate social responsibility, environmental operations, and product sustainability efforts.
Marriott is incorporating MindClick’s supplier scorecard as an integral solution in greening its global supply chain, following a year as a member of the Hospitality Sustainable Purchasing Consortium. Led by MindClick, a sustainability consulting firm, Consortium members worked together to establish a supplier sustainability rating system for the hotel industry.
“Utilizing the MindClick Index to make sustainable FF&E purchasing decisions will help us choose suppliers who will improve our hotels’ sustainability, reduce costs and enhance the guest experience,” said Dave Lippert, Marriott vice president A&C procurement. “Ultimately, improving our environmental impact extends beyond our hotels and into our global supply chain.”
Studies Back Up Traveler Interest
Recent studies conducted by MindClick SGM reveal corporate travel executives, online travel agents, meeting planners and consumers alike are looking at a hotel’s environmental commitment when making travel and booking decisions.
• In a study of Fortune 1,000 corporate travel executives, 75 percent of those spending $50 million in annual travel have “green business” travel programs. As a result, RFPs now include questions specific to sustainability initiatives, including efforts in hotel construction, operations and purchasing.
• A study of 5,000 U.S. Expedia consumers conducted in January 2012 shows two out of three consumers believe hotels need to be more mindful of their impact on our communities and the planet. Of these 5,000 participants, 90 percent were able to identify at least one FF&E item they believe allows hoteliers to provide rooms which are healthier and better for the planet.
“The Index provides brands, designers, purchasers and owners with the knowledge and tools to design and furnish hotels more sustainably,” said JoAnna Abrams, CEO of MindClick SGM. “MindClick’s HSP Index benefits suppliers by validating their investments in sustainability, eliminating greenwashing and providing a roadmap to engage in efforts that matter most to the industry.”
Click here for more information on the HSP Index.
