Skype Founder Niklas Zennstrom Investor in Orbital Systems $19M Round B
Backed by founder of Skype and former Tesla executive, water-saving startup Orbital Systems raises $19M and launches a new shower in their quest to abolish water waste
Sustainability
Tweet What You Eat: Diners and Restaurateurs Embrace the “Food Selfie,” Online Ordering and the Fight against Food Waste
Digital technology, including emerging trends in online ordering and delivery services, tabletop ordering, and the influence of social media, is changing the way consumers discover, interact with and experience restaurants, according to the 2017 American Express Restaurant Trade Survey. While diners' appetites for new technology vary widely by generation, Millennials are leading the charge in favoring and adopting new dining preferences that blend the convenience of technology with social conscious trends, including food waste reduction and a preference for locally-sourced ingredients.
Hilton Expands U.S. Military Hiring Commitment, Will Hire Additional 20,000 by 2020
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) today announced it will hire an additional 20,000 veterans, spouses, dependents and caregivers by 2020. The company has already achieved 10,000 military hires in the United States since 2013, exceeding its initial goal two years ahead of schedule. Hilton's combined commitment is the largest in the hospitality industry, and one of the largest in the U.S. private sector.
Corporate Housing Providers Association Awards Best Green Progress Award to DelSuites
DelSuites, a provider of furnished accommodations in Toronto, has been awarded the prestigious Best Green Progress Award by the Corporate Housing Providers Association. This annual, worldwide award recognizes one company that exemplifies a dedication to environmental responsibility and social performance through proactive policies, focused planning and targeted activities. DelSuites is the first Canadian company to receive the CHPA's Best Green Progress Award.
Teneo Hospitality Group Launches Nationwide Meeting Planner and Hotelier Networking & Charity Events
Teneo Hospitality Group launched the first of several planned 2017 networking and charity programs with an interactive event at Manhattan's swanky Second Floor venue. The gathering, to benefit the New York Rescue Mission, was attended by 100 meeting planners from the Northeast and representatives of 58 hotels and destinations from across the US and internationally. Teneo's networking programs, held across the United States and in Latin America, provide members with a unique opportunity to showcase their products and services, enjoy great food and entertainment, while aiding a local charity. Teneo will host similar gatherings in 13 other cities during the year, each benefiting a local charitable organization supporting the homeless.
AHLEF Opening Doors to Opportunity Capital Campaign Surpasses $8 Million Goal
The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF) today announced that it has raised more than $8,000,000 in its fundraising efforts to promote hospitality's future talent through scholarships, professional development opportunities and research.
Wyndham Worldwide Releases 2016 Corporate Social Responsibility Report
The Wyndham Worldwide (NYSE: WYN) 2015-2016 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report reflects the Company's holistic integration of CSR into its business and how CSR continues to be an important driver of its success. One of the world's largest hospitality companies, Wyndham Worldwide aspires to care for people, preserve our planet, and provide places to stay that are socially, environmentally and economically responsible.
The University of South Florida’s Patel College of Global Sustainability – the newest member of the UNWTO International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO)
The Blue Community Observatory hosted by the USF Patel College of Global Sustainability (PCGs) of the University of South Florida, USA, has become the latest member of the UNWTO International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories. This Observatory monitors the impact of tourism in parts of the Pinella and Manatee Counties, two popular tourist destinations in Florida.
AHLA, National Alliance To End Sexual Violence Partner To Launch Training For Hospitality Industry
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) today announced a new partnership to continue the hotel industry's long-standing efforts to raise awareness of sexual violence and provide hotel operators with new training tools and resources to educate employees on identifying and reporting sexual harassment and assault. In the coming weeks, NAESV will work with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute to produce a 30-minute online training program to address the issue of sexual violence in the hospitality industry and offer tips to combat this issue.
Every Hotel RL Joins The CITYPAK Project to Deliver Care Packages to Homeless During Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week
During National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (Nov.12-20), Hotel RL properties along with not- for-profit organization The CITYPAK Project are delivering CITYPAK's uniquely designed backpacks filled with essentials for the homeless. Tonight, and every night in the United States, more than 600,000 individuals will sleep on the street. Hotel RL is leading the lodging and hospitality industry in an effort to curb this alarming statistic.
FRESH: A Food-service Sustainability Rating for Hospitality Sector Events
This report presents a metric called FRESH (for Foodservice Impact Rating for Environmentally Sustainable Hospitality Events). FRESH can be used to evaluate the performance of any foodservice meal period or event in the hospitality sector with regards to its sustainability, based on seven measurements. These measures are: a (post-consumer) food-waste indicator, a no-show indicator (when unexpectedly few people show up), an over-show measure (when too many people show up), a planning indicator (measuring intentional overproduction), a portion-size indicator (measuring per-guest consumption against expectations), an economies of scale indicator, and a post-event indicator (which depends on disposal approaches). FRESH can help managers, authorities, and potential guests evaluate the sustainability of food production in any establishment.
By Gary Thompson, Professor of operations management, Cornell
Cornell Report Aims to Cut Restaurant Food Waste
Food waste is a major issue for hospitality industry purveyors, both in terms of the cost of wasted food and the environmental consequences of tossing out tons of food. By one estimate, about one-quarter of food prepared in the United States is wasted. A new report from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) is aimed at helping hotels and restaurants control their post-consumer food waste.
New Survey Reveals Latest Hotel Trends Across the Country
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today released the 2016 Lodging Survey—the definitive industry review examining the top trends in the hotel industry. Conducted by industry data provider STR and funded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF), the survey provides a comprehensive understanding of amenities, guest services and more.
Ethics case competition challenges students with complex social responsibility issues
Four student teams have received cash awards totaling $4,000 for their analysis of corporate social responsibility issues in the fourth annual Stephen S.J. Hall Ethics Case Competition, held October 15 at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. The competition presented students with the complex situation of an actual company that had been publicly praised as a leader in addressing labor-rights issues within its supply chain, only to have further violations uncovered, leading to criticism that it was still not doing enough.First place (and a $2,000 award) went to a team of four sophomores: Arun Yagnamurthy '19, Madison Austrich '19, Jason Zhang '19, and Michael Baldyga '19; winning second place (worth $1,000) were seniors Gundeep Singh '17 and Isabella Delgado '17; in third place ($750) was the team of Carmel Bendit-Shtull '19 and Caleb Sturman '19; and the $250 prize for fourth place will be split by Akshay Vijay MMH '17, Vijesh Patel MMH '17, and Sambhavi Vempati MMH '17. All teams were composed only of Cornell students, and each team had at least one member who is a student at the School of Hotel Administration.In the vein of a leadership crisis challenge, the student teams were provided the case study the morning of the competition and given only four hours to identify the ethical dimensions of the company's situation (using no outside research) and develop a comprehensive action plan that balanced both social responsibility and corporate financial goals.Eight judges reviewed the student teams' presentations. They are:
Commitment to Sustainability Buzzes Across The Ritz-Carlton Portfolio
From the panhandle of sunny Florida on the east coast of the United States, to Berlin, Germany, five exquisite properties of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company house honeybees as extensions of their Community Footprints programs and continued commitment to environmental sustainability efforts.
Fontainebleau Miami Beach Raises Awareness For Breast Cancer Research With Eighth Annual Bleau Goes Pink® Campaign
In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month,Fontainebleau Miami Beach has joined forces with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, South Florida's leader in breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and care, to host the eighth annual Bleau Goes Pink campaign. To raise both awareness and funds for the cause, the iconic Miami Beach property is offering a variety of month-long dining and spa promotions. The proceeds will benefit breast cancer research at Sylvester. The resort is also debuting an all-encompassing room package with 10 percent of the total package price being donated to the cancer center.
Volunteer Spirit of NAVIS Employees Shines with Community Outreach Program
NAVIS, the #1 reservation sales and marketing platform for the hospitality industry, not only contributes to the personal development of their staff, but also to the social and economic fabric of the communities where they work and live. "NAVIS Serves" is a newly launched program that supports employees as they devote their time, energy and passion to inspiring change and making a positive impact.
IHG Owners Association Goes Golfing For a Great Cause
Earlier this summer, 50 IHG owners, Allied Members and other friends of the IHG Owners Association, including, Pam Landwirth, President of Give Kids The World (GKTW), gathered at Topgolf Dallas for an annual GKTW fundraising event. The charity event was coordinated in conjunction with the IHG Owners Association's Dallas Summit held at the InterContinental Dallas.
A Fresh Harvest for “The Grow House” at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples
As a proven success for the luxury resort and the environment, The Ritz-Carlton, Naples debuts new produce this fall in a revitalized version of its CropBox, a sustainable, self-contained, on-site growing system. The 'grown on-site menu' now includes tomatoes, edible flowers and baby zucchini along with an increased production of assorted micro-greens. As the first resort with a CropBox on property, The Ritz-Carlton, Naples has grown more than 7,000 heads of lettuce over the past year, vastly reducing waste and harvesting only what is needed for the property and its guests. The Ritz-Carlton, Naples has focused on making the produce available to its dining options while the brand as a whole moves towards more and more sustainably sourced food and beverage operations.
RLHC Teams Up With Military Makeover
Answering the call to those who have served our country, the National hotel company RLHC (Red Lion Hotels Corporation) (NYSE:RLH) has joined forces with the Lifetime® TV mini-series,Military Makeover®, in their mission to give back to members of the military and their loved ones. The show enlists the help of design and home renovation experts to transform the homes of military families across the country.