NEW YORK—Frits Van Paasschen, president and CEO of Starwood hotels and Resorts, made his way to a park in New York’s East Harlem neighborhood last week to launch a new initiative that offers meeting planners savings and incentives—and the chance to win one of four $50,000 grants for charity and other prizes.
The initiative, called “Get More for your Meeting, Give More to Your Community,” was kicked off with a $50,000 Starwood contribution to Bette Midler’s New York Restoration Project (which reclaims and restores city parks); in addition, an employee volunteer event to restore three of the project’s community gardens in East Harlem was led by Van Paasschen himself.
In an interview with Green Lodging News, Van Paasschen said, “A confluence of two trends makes this a great time to promote meetings in this way. First, our bookings for meetings are up 30 percent as companies realize they can’t just keep cutting costs, especially when it comes to meetings. Second, so many companies are looking to give back to their communities. That’s the rationale behind this.”
The “Get More For Your Meeting “element of the initiative is aimed at planners who book a meeting by July 31 and hold it by the end of this year. They will receive four percent off their master account; a complimentary Pepsi food and beverage break (PepsiCo is a partner in the promotion); and up to 100,000 Starpoints loyalty points as a bonus (depending on the number of room nights booked).
Winners Chosen Beginning in June
The four $50,000 awards will be picked at random from companies that book meetings at any of eight Starwood brands, comprising 350 hotels. Winners will be chosen in June, July, August and October.
Also at the event, David Marr, senior vice president-brand management for North America for Starwood, told Green Lodging News, “Corporate responsibility is something planners are looking for more than ever. And, although meetings are no longer considered a boondoggle as was the case a year ago, planners do have to justify their spending. That’s why we introduced Planner’s Edge.”
Planner’s Edge was introduced by Starwood last fall. Customizable by size and available at select properties, this program was designed to meet planners’ need for memorable events within a specified budget. Events range in price from $10,000 to $75,000 and include such themes as “Food and Wine Pairing and Preparing,” “Rock Star Karaoke,” “The Celebrity Chef Challenge,” and “Fun With Wii.” By last month, the program was available at more than 100 Westin, W, St. Regis, Sheraton and other specialty brands. Planners who book “Planner’s Edge” meetings or any other meetings of any size are eligible for the $50,000 awards.
In a talk to attendees at the park, Van Paasschen noted that Starwood has a huge commitment to New York—with 14 hotels open and six more to come, including an Aloft property nearby in Harlem. Following the kickoff ceremony, Starwood volunteers spread out through the neighborhood—to parks and sidewalks—trimming trees and bushes, cleaning up and planting.
Go to Starwood.
