SEPTEMBER 2023
EXPERIMENTATION Be curious and continuously learn Experiment & generate new ideas Make things happen We care for people so they can be their best
We care
for people so they can be their best
CONTENT The Good News
2
A day with...
12
D&I
13
#LifeAtAmstar
16
Grow with intention
21
Operate with excellence
24
World of care
25
Health & Wellness
26
Kudos
28
The Good News
AMSTAR MEETINGS & EVENTS: INTERNATIONAL DMC PARTNER OF THE YEAR HPN - Hospitality Performance Network is among the leading venue selection and search companies in North America, serving clients worldwide. During its Global Partner Conference in Tampa, Florida, from September 7th to 10th, Amstar Meetings & Events was honored with the International DMC Partner of the Year award in front of an audience of over 350 attendees.
This award symbolizes years of professionalism and partnership, reflecting our collaborative efforts with all HPN members to successfully close business in our Meetings and Events destinations.
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The Good News
Marco Cadenas, Director of Sales for the Dominican Republic, and Esther Saldaña, Sales Manager for the Mexican Caribbean at Amstar M&E, attended this year’s event and were pleasantly surprised by this incredible recognition, adding to the successful track record of the Meetings & Events department. This event aims to bring together HPN associates and top suppliers who share a few days of networking, relationship building, and business strengthening. With sessions designed to establish strong connections and book more successful events, the M&E team gained valuable insights during this conference that will lead them to explore new opportunities and continue to operate with excellence.
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The Good News
WE CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OUR BEST VERSION
On September 10th, the annual MBJ Airport race took place, where Amstar was one of the proud sponsors of this event. Approximately 40 people attended in different categories, with 27 participating in the walk, and 13 in the race. All participants who completed their category received a medal.
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The purpose of the event was:
The Good News
To rebuild camaraderie and unity with our industry partners. To promote health and wellbeing. To provide educational assistance to students within the community in which we operate, as well as to our team members. All proceeds from this event will be directly allocated to the mission for which it was conceived, namely, providing academic assistance to students in need. At Amstar, we will continue to seek the promotion of the attention that brings us closer to our stakeholders, creating loyalty for all, and empowering our colleagues to be their best selves.
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The Good News
MEETINGS & EVENTS RECONNECTING WITH OUR ESSENCE 2023 The Sales and Meetings & Events Planning team in Cancun underwent an extensive series of workshops over a span of 6 weeks, under the excellent leadership of Norma Dominguez, our Regional Director, and with the unwavering support of Fernanda Martinez, Supervisor of Talent Engagement and Training. A wide range of Meetings & Events topics were covered each week.
The goal was to remember, reinforce, and learn from the basics to the most intricate aspects of the wide variety of activities, options, and services that make up the core of event organization. Each module featured the participation of internal and external presenters who are experts in their respective fields. Some of the topics covered included “Back to Basics,” “How to Prepare a Proposal,” “Managing Site Inspections, VIP, or Familiarization Trips,” “Handling ‘What If’ Scenarios,” “Meeting Client Expectations with Standards and Quality,” “Achieving Internal Administrative Procedures,” and more. Some of our colleagues presented for the first time, discovering a new professional facet that shone brightly through their presentations, knowledge, and charisma, which perhaps they didn’t expect. We also had the valuable collaboration of external partners who helped raise our knowledge levels. Zynergia organized a fun integration and team-building activity with fantastic results for the Meetings & Events team. Planner 1 created a fabulous decoration dynamic for us, and Camaleon Consulting helped us explore creative activities for Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
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The Good News It was six weeks of intense work, yet all members of the Cancun Meetings & Events team emerged from the workshop series with renewed spirits and, most importantly, a better understanding of our destination and our skills, all with the aim of exceeding our clients’ expectations in terms of knowledge and service.
We would like to express our gratitude to Amstar for initiating and facilitating these educational opportunities. Without a doubt, it is a great company we are proud to be a part of. We extend our thanks to the Sales team, including Daniel Ruiz, Esther Saldaña, and Mariella Delgado, as well as our dedicated team of Planners: Elizabeth Santana, Liane Pasos, Wendy Ciau, Leslie Delgado, Jean Matías, Nagheli Escobar, Alicia Astudillo, Juraj Fekete, and, of course, the fantastic contributions of our Directors, Susann Behrendt (Corporate) and Norma Dominguez (Regional). We also extend our heartfelt appreciation for the collaboration of Zynergia, Planner 1, Camaleon Consulting, and Chivi Chef. The goal is to continue this incredible learning initiative across all destinations to ensure that clients find what they are looking for when working with Amstar M&E: efficient consistency in customer service and the highest industry standards.
ENJOY THE BEST MOMENTS HERE
The Good News
THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO CONNECTED TO THE
ALG Q3 GLOBAL TOWN HALL! IN CASE YOU WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND THE LIVE EVENT,
THE RECORDING IS AVAILABLE HERE!
If you have any issues accessing the recording, please make sure you are logged into your ALG account or contact the team at ALGCommunications@applelg.net for support.
TOWN HALL Q&A During the Global Town Hall, we accepted live questions and were unable to answer them all. Please find responses from our Leadership team: 1. Is Hyatt Vacation Club the same brand and/or offering as Unlimited Vacation Club? No, Hyatt Vacation Club and Unlimited Vacation Club (UVC) are unique, differentiated offerings and remain separate brands. Hyatt Vacation Club is operated by Hyatt Vacation Ownership, whereas UVC is a Hyatt owned company. Hyatt Vacation Club brings together the complementary portfolios of former Hyatt Residence Club and former Welk Resort properties to extend enhanced stay experiences to members, helping them rediscover the joys of travel. Hyatt Vacation Club is a deeded real estate interest and points program with a physical property brand of residential-style accommodations with resort like experiences. Hyatt Vacation Club Owners get access to Hyatt Vacation Club properties and can convert their points to broaden their options for global stay opportunities through World of Hyatt. World of Hyatt members and non-members do not
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The Good News need to be Hyatt Vacation Club Owners to stay at a Hyatt Vacation Club property; however, guests and members can explore flexible vacation ownership at Hyatt.com for access to resorts, memorable vacation experiences and global travel opportunities. Unlimited Vacation Club (UVC) is an exclusive membership program whose members enjoy preferred rates and benefits across many Inclusive Collection properties. 2. Looking to 2024, can colleagues expect to see additional policy, program, and/or perk alignment? The ALG and Hyatt HR teams have been collaborating for the past year working towards the desired outcome to create a shared colleague experience for all our colleagues. This group has done incredible work to align over 50 policies as well as additional processes. There are several policies still to be aligned or on hold. In order to activate certain policies, there are technology platform access and/or 2024 budget considerations that need to be addressed in the following months. We look forward to sharing more news about this alignment closer to the end of the year. 3. Will ALG start to sell Hyatt Ziva and Zilara? Hyatt Ziva and Zilara are Hyatt brands within the Inclusive Collection. Therefore, we’ve been working hard to integrate these two brands into all our direct marketing efforts, especially through HIC websites, Call Center, as well as the communications across channels. It’s important to clarify that, as of today, the existent Hyatt Ziva and Zilara resorts are “Franchised”, but not managed by Inclusive Collection, nor Hyatt. At this time, ALG Vacations is not adding Ziva and Zilara resorts to vacation package booking offerings. ALGV will continue to look for opportunities and may have individual hotels added in the future. 4. Will Zoetry Spazio be a separate and individual Hotel or it will be another enhanced building part of Zoetry Curacao? Zoetry Spazio will be an expansion of Zoetry Curacao. It’s slated to be an adults-only section of the existing Zoëtry property located on the beach, adding 52 rooms. There will be a beach club with a pool and an Italian restaurant. 5. Are there development opportunities in South America to open hotels in countries like Brazil? Even though we have looked at different options in Brazil over the past, we don’t currently have any immediate prospects. Brazil is indeed one of the countries in South America where we believe allinclusive can be successful so we keep working on getting leads there.
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The Good News
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU, ANSWER OUR SURVEY! The team values your opinion to help us improve! Please take a few minutes to share your feedback by answering our survey here.
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The Good News
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR VALUES RECOGNITION PROGRAM RECIPIENTS! In the ALG Q3 Global Town Hall, we proudly honored seven colleagues who go above and beyond in demonstrating our company values. These colleagues were nominated throughout the quarter around the globe. Please join us in congratulating them!
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A day with...
HELLO!
I am Adreana Canche Ye, Amstar Driver for 9 months
I INVITE YOU TO WATCH THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW HERE
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Diversity & Inclusion
KICKING OFF HISPANIC AND LATINO HERITAGE MONTH!
Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month is celebrated annually from September 15 to October 15 in the United States and recognizes the immense contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to U.S. history and culture.
Hyatt recognizes the important role that our Hispanic and Latino colleagues play in driving prosperity and progress in our organization and in our communities, and we remain committed to ensuring these colleagues continue to feel a sense of belonging as members of the Hyatt family. The Star Stories | 13
Diversity & Inclusion
Looking for ways to celebrate Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month? Here are some ideas! Celebrate with Latinos@Hyatt
On October 3rd, the Latino@Hyatt Business Resource Group (DBRG) hosted a conversation with Gaby Neves, President of Factory 360, and Arturo Cazares, CEO of the Latino Business Action Network (LBAN). During the conversation, Gaby and Arturo discussed Latino economic progress, their contributions, and how others can support as allies.
Support the Latino Worker Project
Support Hyatt’s participation in HR Policy’s Latino Worker Project, which proudly features Jose Benitez, assistant safety and security manager of Manchester Grant Hyatt, whose inspirational story speaks to our company’s core values. Check out Jose’s story here.
Embrace Travel Deals
Take advantage of special hotel deals! For the third year in a row, hotels in Latin America and the Caribbean are offering special deals and promotions when you book during September 15 – October 15. For more information click here.
Give Back and Grow Your Understanding
Give back to your community by supporting local Hispanic and Latino-owned businesses in your neighborhood! Keep learning and get to know more about the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to our society. Let’s continue to celebrate the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans and recognize their impact on our society’s progress, this month and beyond! Hyatt News features stories about what’s happening at Hyatt around the world. To share your story or a story idea/topic that you would like to hear more about, please click here.
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Diversity & Inclusion
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#LifeAtAmstar
VIVA
COSTA RICA! Every September 14th, on the eve of Independence Day celebration (September 15th), the traditional Lantern Night is celebrated in most towns and cities in Costa Rica; an activity that we also promote at Amstar to continue fostering patriotic fervor in our community, bringing happiness to our colleagues. That’s why we held the Recycled Materials Lantern Contest, and our creative participants were:
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Isella Rojas Ingrid Sanchez Emilio Artavia
Thank you for your participation and incredible imagination!
Pura Vida! 16 | The Star Stories
#LifeAtAmstar
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#LifeAtAmstar
VIVA MEXICO! On September 15th, we celebrated Mexican Independence Day with various activities in different locations throughout the Republic.
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#LifeAtAmstar
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WE DID IT IN MEXICO AND THE UNITED STATES...
AND NOW WE’VE DONE IT AGAIN Together, we’re telling the world that Dominican Republic is a
GREAT PLACE TO WORK!
Click to watch our celebration video
Let’s celebrate the passion that unites us!
Grow with intention
Prototype and Test
a New Idea Objective:
Practice going through the planning, creating, testing, and implementation stages of prototyping.
Language: English
Duration: 20 minutes
Competency:
Operate with excellence
Click here:
*We recommend opening this link in incognito mode
Ideas are born from
a passion for improvement
Grow with intention
Amstar & UVC:
Together, We’re Unstoppable! As part of the onboarding process for new employees and with the aim of further strengthening Hyatt’s culture, on Tuesday, September 26th, the business units Amstar and UVC collaborated to jointly deliver the “Welcome to Hyatt” course to all new colleagues for the month of September. The course took place in both formats: in-person (CANCUN UNO) and virtually, with a total of 43 participating colleagues.
This mandatory course is crucial as it supports colleagues in their adaptation process and understanding of the Hyatt family. Once again, we demonstrate that by working together as a team, we can contribute more effectively to help our colleagues reach their best potential. We appreciate the participation of all attendees, as well as the efforts of the training facilitators from both business units. 22 | The Star Stories
Let’s continue to promote an ethical and safe workplace! 2023 Mandatory Compliance Training is now available! Staying up to date Hyatt’s compliance guidelines is key, and these courses are designed to provide you with the latest insights and knowledge.
How to take part?
Click here to access *We recommend opening this link in incognito mode
Format: Online
(Through My Learning Platform)
Username: Your Hyatt Global ID
Completion deadline: December 31st, 2023
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to boost our company’s reputation! Should you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to your Learning team.
We make things
happen
We’re passionate about providing the best service and our results reflect our daily effort!
GROUPS ATTENDED
81, VIPS & Sites 29
PASSENGERS
EXCURSIONS
95,121
62,104
World of Care
7 TH LA DANTA FESTIVAL COSTA RICA
2023
As part of the celebration of the La Danta Festival, on September 12th, an educational tour was held in the Tenorio Volcano National Park, where Amstar was a special guest. Accompanied by their families, our colleagues participated in various activities at this event. Initially, an introductory talk about the conservation of the Tapir in the Tenorio Miravalles Biological Corridor was shared to kick off the hike to the Rio Celeste waterfall. Subsequently, they returned to the Environmental Education classroom, concluding with a gathering among the attendees.
With this activity, we continue to promote initiatives for our colleagues and future generations that allow us to create a world of care.
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ERGONOMICS: YOUR HOWTO GUIDE BY DAVID PRITCHARD, HEALTH & WELLBEING COACH
A comfortable workspace can help you feel your best.
Give your sitting work area a makeover.
Proper office ergonomics — including correct chair height, adequate equipment spac-ing and good desk posture — can help you and your joints stay comfortable at work.
KNOW MORE INFORMATION ON OUR HEALTH & WELLBEING PODCAST
David Pritchard, talks with Leaders and special guests about their wellbeing practices to get inspired!
CLICK HERE TO SEED THE VIDEO 26 | The Star Stories
Health & Wellness
READY TO GIVE YOUR WORKSPACE A MAKEOVER?
GET STARTED MAKING YOUR SITTING WORKSTATION COMFORTABLE WITH THIS VISUAL GUIDE.
CHAIR
KEY OBJECTS
STRETCH
Adjust the height of your chair so that your feet rest flat on the floor or on a footrest and your thighs are parallel to the floor. Adjust armrests so your arms gently rest on them with your shoulders relaxed.
Keep key objects — such as your telephone or printed materials — close to your body to minimize reaching. Stand up to reach anything that can’t be comfortably reached while sitting.
Take stretching breaks throughout the day. Stand up from your desk and reach to the ceiling for 10 seconds and bend down to your feet for 30 seconds.
TELEPHONE If you frequently talk on the phone and type at the same time, place your phone on speaker or use a headset rather than cradling the phone between your head and neck.
DESK
MONITOR
KEYBOARD AND MOUSE
Under the desk, make sure there’s clearance for your knees, thighs and feet. If the desk is too low and can’t be adjusted, place sturdy boards or blocks under the desk legs. If the desk is too high and can’t be adjusted, raise your chair. Use a footrest to support your feet as needed. If your desk has a hard edge, pad the edge or use a wrist rest. Don’t store items under your desk.
Place the monitor directly in front of you, about an arm’s length away. The top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level. The monitor should be directly behind your keyboard. If you wear bifocals, lower the monitor an additional 1 to 2 inches for more comfortable viewing. Place your monitor so that the brightest light source is to the side.
Place your mouse within easy reach and on the same surface as your keyboard. While typing or using your mouse, keep your wrists straight, your upper arms close to your body, and your hands at or slightly below the level of your elbows. Alternate the hand you use to operate the mouse by moving the mouse to the other side of your keyboard.
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Kudos
Kud s FROM: JORGE CARBALLO TO: ISAI LOPEZ For their dedication, composure, discipline, and leadership in guiding their team towards achieving objectives, as well as their contribution to the development of new tools and strategies.
FROM: AURORA CONSTANTE TO: MARCO GARCIA Thank you for your willingness and always being a great support to the Training team.
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We want to hear you, share your information with us via email to: aconstante@amstardmc.com WhatsApp: 9982422843 SEPTEMBER 2023