Europe. “By sharing our ideas in a
timely manner, we can report on best
practices, increase participation, and
help to make positive changes in the
communities we call home.”
Similarly, last October, Hilton
Worldwide launched its new Ideas
Network blog on the Hilton Connect+
online portal. The content is divided
into four categories, including “Doing
It All Responsibly,” which highlights
stories about CSR and green meet-
ings. “This is not Hilton preaching at
our customers,” said Lesley Brasesco,
managing director of sales effective-
ness for Hilton. “It’s really about going
out to the customer to find out who is
doing something well or better, and
sharing those best practices to meeting
professionals.”
Along those lines, in January, Hilton
launched its Meet With Purpose initia-
tive to “inspire sustainable, healthy
choices for events.” By outlining
green meeting design and sustainable
F&B standards, Hilton is providing
planners with low-impact best prac-
tices that they can incorporate into
their programs, from putting water
and notepads in common areas versus
at individual tables to making use of
Hilton’s LightStay meeting calculator to
determine a meeting’s overall impact.
“Hilton recently did research with an
organization called Mission Measure-
ment, which found that customers are
most interested in sustainability factors
that directly impact them,” said Katelin
Kennedy, senior manager of corporate
responsibility and sustainability at
Hilton Worldwide. “So as it relates to
Meet With Purpose, Hilton is looking
through the program and consider-
ing elements that directly impact the
attendee experience.” .
Contributing Editor Greg Oates is a writer and
editor based in New York City.
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GIVING BACK
Sunny Outlook The JW Marriott in Shenzhen,
China, features an exterior facade that optimizes
daylight, reducing the need for artificial lighting.
ON THE WEB
For more information about the
Green Venue Report, visit
greenvenuereport.com.
