Travel Technology
Marriott International | October 09, 2023
Marriott International launches the Hospitality Alliance for Responsible Procurement to drive sustainability and supplier engagement in collaboration with EcoVadis.
HARP focuses on achieving Net Zero targets and sustainability goals by pooling resources and expertise to address common challenges in the hospitality sector.
The initiative utilizes EcoVadis' sustainability rating methodology and platform to increase supplier visibility and accelerate supplier performance improvement.
Marriott International, along with Accor, Hilton, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotel Group, Avendra, and Entegra, has launched the Hospitality Alliance for Responsible Procurement (HARP) in collaboration with EcoVadis.
HARP aims to accelerate sustainability practices within the hospitality sector by fostering collaboration among trading partners. By utilizing EcoVadis' sustainability rating methodology and platform, HARP seeks to enhance supplier engagement, drive performance improvement, and focus on key industry categories.
Chief Customer Officer at EcoVadis, Richard Eyram, stated that as companies aim to involve their value chain partners in sustainability initiatives, they come to understand the intricate nature and shared difficulties within their sector. The hospitality industry can maximize its collective influence through partnerships and collaboration across the industry. Through the consolidation of efforts, alignment of priorities, and the exchange of best practices, members of HARP can attain favorable results, leading the way toward achieving Net Zero targets and a more sustainable future for everyone.
The alliance addresses common challenges faced by the industry in achieving sustainability goals, with a particular focus on increasing supplier engagement and performance. By pooling resources and expertise, HARP members aim to work collectively toward Net Zero targets and a more sustainable future. It addresses these fundamental challenges confronted by its collective supplier sustainability programs, such as:
Increasing supplier engagement rate to increase supplier visibility, beginning with the supplier assessment.
Accelerating the performance improvement curve of suppliers.
Increasing the relevancy of those engagements by concentrating on the industry's most important categories.
HARP has implemented EcoVadis's sustainability rating proven methodology, scorecards, and improvement platform to attain these objectives. The EcoVadis Sector Initiative features are designed as a network compliant with antitrust laws and enable more efficient supplier enrollment, transparency, collaboration, and analytics. Together, these capabilities provide HARP with visibility over the sustainability performance of the hospitality supply chain and enable HARP members to align on the industry's top priorities. This results in a positive message to the supplier community and a more cohesive direction that allows targeted improvement.
HARP member suppliers will have access to additional capacity-building and engagement activities, as well as tools and best practices, in order to achieve this targeted development and meet the needs of the hospitality industry. Marriott and the seven HARP founding members collectively rated more than 2,000 suppliers upon the initiative's foundation. HARP intends to increase this number in order to obtain a deeper understanding of the sustainability performance of its supply chain and to maximize improvement.
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Business Travel
PR Newswire | November 03, 2023
IBS Software and Royal Caribbean Group have partnered to deploy cutting-edge retail technology at the heart of its operations.
This will enable Royal Caribbean Group to provide a more seamless vacation experience to their guests and deliver even better personalized services at every step of the trip: before, during, and after.
By deploying IBS Software's next-generation iTravelCruise travel platform, Royal Caribbean Group is able to place guests at the center of the retail experience. The company will be able to deliver tailored guests experiences by empowering every sales channel with an integrated and flexible omni-channel platform. This translates into offering improved bundling and selling services that contribute to the entire vacation experience – such as booking flights, hotels and transfers – as well as providing guests with personalized offers, credits and loyalty rewards throughout the trip using an integrated guest wallet.
The iTravelCruise platform plays a significant role by delivering high-performance transaction processing, high system availability, security and stringent performance requirements for Royal Caribbean Group, providing a faster, more flexible and seamless booking experience for guests.
Marta Poulter, Chief Information Officer at Royal Caribbean Group, said, "At Royal Caribbean Group we never stand still in our mission to constantly bring our guests new and differentiated experiences. This is made possible by replacing legacy technology with the latest cloud-based retail systems, as it gives guests far more flexibility over what they can book to make their trip as seamless and easy as possible."
Rafeh Masood, Chief Growth and Digital Officer at Royal Caribbean Group, said, "By adopting this modern digital platform, we'll offer more opportunities to our guests to continue vacationing and building memories with us, with the benefits of flexible, personalized offerings."
Jitendra Sindhwani, President at IBS Software, commented, "We're thrilled to partner with the Royal Caribbean Group to fulfill their goal of placing retail technology at the heart of its guest experiences. The travel industry is shifting from being product-centric to guest-centric and Royal Caribbean Group has an inspiring vision to continuously provide value to every guest, at every stage of their vacation journey. Backed by next-generation cloud-based architecture, digital solutions like IBS Software's iTravelCruise SaaS platform are driving the transformation needed for companies to unlock their full growth and scale potential. We're beyond excited to be on this journey with Royal Caribbean Group as they transform the future of cruise."
More information on IBS Software's next-generation digital platform for tour and cruise, enabling cruise lines to leverage smarter technologies.
About IBS Software
IBS Software is a leading SaaS solutions provider to the travel industry globally, managing mission-critical operations for customers in the aviation, tour & cruise, hospitality, and energy resources industries.
Tour & Cruise Industry:
IBS Software's platform provides a comprehensive, customer-centric, digital platform that covers onshore, online and on-board solutions.
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Commercial Travel
PR Newswire | October 26, 2023
Red Roof, an award-winning leader in the lodging industry, hosted over 200 attendees at its 2023 SHE Leads Forum in Dallas. From sound baths to sound advice and student scholarships, attendees – mostly women in the hospitality industry – left the Forum inspired and armed with insightful information and tools to support, help and elevate themselves for future success.
This year's SHE Leads Forum was based on SHE, inspired by Red Roof'sSM pillars of ownership, personal branding, and wellness brought to life, with support from HBO, through interviews, a stellar lineup of speakers and workshops, networking, and even a meditative sound bath. Program leader and founder, Red Roof Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Marina MacDonald opened the Forum celebrating the growth of women in the hospitality industry and at Red Roof.
"In recent decades, there has been an evolution, a growing emphasis on women's professional development as part of broader efforts to close gender gaps in the workforce. And while hospitality is still a male-dominated industry, even that is evolving," said MacDonald. "Last year, we celebrated 31 percent of our Red Roof properties owned or partially owned by women, and this year, that number is over 35 percent, thanks in large part to participation in Red Roof women initiatives throughout the year."
The Forum also celebrated the future of the hospitality industry by presenting seven deserving students with 'SHE Leads Forum Student Scholarships,' sponsored by DISH Business. Each student was selected by their school, including Cornell University, Florida International University, Howard University and University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to attend the SHE Leads Forum free of charge.
Dr. Lalia Rach, Founder and Partner, Rach Enterprises and best-selling author of Managing the Book on You! Rewriting Your Leadership Story, moderated the two-day Forum. "Red Roof's 'SHE Leads Forum' is in a class all its own! It is jam-packed with interesting speakers, iconic women leaders sharing information, and a passionate leader, Red Roof CMO Marina MacDonald," said Rach. "The biggest difference is the engagement of the attendees, all successful professionals, who want to learn, be inspired, meet new people and connect with those they know. The energy, the desire to be more, is so inspiring."
Keynote speaker Dorothy Dowling, Founder of Introspect Strategic Advisor Services, helped motivate the crowd with her inspirational thoughts. "Women's leadership events such as 'SHE Leads' are like having a trusty guide on our journey, whether it's climbing the corporate ladder or venturing into the world of hotel ownership. They're not just about empowerment, they're about real-world guidance. These events let us tap into the experiences of women who've been there, done that. It's like getting insider tips for navigating our own unique paths," said Dowling.
Through a session on Red Roof's Strategic Initiatives, with Red Roof Director of Strategic Initiatives Lina Patel and Chief Development Officer Matthew Hostetler, attendees also learned about SHE, inspired by Red Roof's sister program, RIDE with Red RoofSM. While SHE is intended to motivate, RIDE is intended to activate — providing access to capital, educational resources and the connections needed to build a strong network of industry partners.
SHE Leads attendees also heard from experts offering business advice. Jyoti Sarolia, President and CEO at Ellis Hospitality gave an informational talk about how attendees can fine tune their lending skills and be ready to finance their next project. Christine Taylor, Claims Consultant & Strategic Insurance Partner at Lockton Companies, spoke about the state of the property and casualty insurance market, educating attendees on the importance of insuring their assets and understanding risk.
Listening to and interacting with so many enthusiastic and seasoned business owners left many inspired. AAHOA EVP of Communications and Chief Strategy Officer Heather Carnes, who also spoke at the Forum, was struck by the collective fearlessness in the room. "When I looked at the strength, intelligence and the daring nature of the women in attendance, I know that the future of the hospitality industry is in great hands. The can-do attitude and entrepreneurial spirit in the room was palpable and contagious. I left feeling like, in conjunction with this amazing group, I could change the world," said Carnes.
Forum speaker Marti Winer, Executive Leader and General Manager of Casa Bonita said, "Programs like SHE Leads are crucial to women in hospitality and beyond for three important reasons. The first is that they provide a forum for conversation. They are a safe space to meet, explore and create the critical relationships that advance careers. The second reason is education. These forums provide much needed and customized learning opportunities for women that are largely unavailable elsewhere. The final reason is innovation. Dedicated time away from the day-to-day allows for more focused thinking, processing and collaborating. As a result, great ideas are born and given space to germinate."
The annual SHE Leads Forum kicks off a year-long infusion of inspiration for women primarily in hospitality that facilitates sharing professional experiences and provides collaborative learning opportunities to continue to foster change in the industry. 'SHE' provides thought leadership, access to resources, and serves as a platform, sharing content and best practices through a dedicated website.
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