VOLUME THREE / WINTER 2019
A M E R I C A S
ACCE S
T HE RA DI SSO N HOT EL GRO UP MAGA Z IN E FO R OWN ERS & OPER ATOR S
Regional Meetings RECAP OF 2019 IN THE AMERICAS
Rollout of EMMA THE LAUNCH BEGINS IN THE AMERICAS
Partnering with ECPAT WORKING TO FIGHT TRAFFICKING
THE D I G I TA L I SS U E
INSIDE
NEWS & INSIGHTS Message from the editors
YOUR GUIDE TO THIS QUARTER’S ISSUE
THE SCOOP ON THE LATEST NEWS for hotels in the Americas from Aly El-Bassuni, Chief Operating Officer, Americas, RHG, and Adrian Oyekanmi, Senior Vice President, Global Strategic Sourcing, RHG.
01 Leadership Note RADISSON HOTEL GROUP’S year of engagement.
AS WE BID FAREWELL TO 2019, THIS THIRD ISSUE OF ACCESS AMERICAS serves as a wrap-
up of some of Radisson Hotel Group’s major initiatives throughout the final quarter. We start this issue with a graphic look at the impact Marketing had this year, from our digital transformation to our social media efforts. Then we take a look back at the Regional Meetings, recapping the vital information that came from those sessions and how we can use that data to move us forward in 2020. We also have an update on the success of our second annual Sales Blitz. The rollout of EMMA continues, and we provide details about what is coming next, including links to the launch schedule that kicks off after the first of the year. Finally, Responsible Business continues to be an increasing focus for RHG. The latest efforts include signing The Code as part of a partnership with ECPAT-USA, and introducing a Carbon Neutral Meetings for event planners. We hope that you will find the information in this issue valuable and that it will help you continue to create Memorable Moments for your guests and employees!
02 Big Impact LEVERAGING THE POTENTIAL OF each and every RHG brand.
03 Engaged Gatherings THIS YEAR’S REGIONAL MEETINGS showcased valuable updates.
04 Regional Meetings PHOTOS OF ATTENDEES AT THE meetings around the Americas.
06 EMMA THE EXCITEMENT IS BUILDING AS hotels prepare for their EMMA rollout.
07 Raising the Bar THIS YEAR’S SALES BLITZ AIMS TO double revenue and participation from 2018.
08 Signing the Code JOINING WITH ECPAT-USA TO HELP eradicate trafficking in the hospitality industry.
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TO SUBMIT STORY SUGGESTIONS & ADVERTISING QUERIES, please contact access.americas@radissonhotels.com. Radisson Hotel Group Americas Corporate Office: 701 Carlson Parkway, Suite 200, Minnetonka, MN 55305 U.S.A. +1 (763) 212-5000
09 Going Neutral MAKING IT EASIER FOR EVENT planners to create responsible meetings.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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IT’S ABOUT YOU A year of engaging with employees and guests.
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s 2019 draws to a close, I want to take a moment to look back over Radisson Hotel Group’s year of engagement. Our collective focus has been on fostering engagement among RHG employees, hotel teams, and guests to continue to deliver the Yes I Can! promise. One meaningful way you’ve accomplished real engagement is through your participation at the Regional Meetings this past fall. With gatherings in 17 locations, these meetings were another fantastic opportunity to celebrate your successes in 2019, identify the areas that still need improvement, and set the stage for a successful 2020.
OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON FOSTERING ENGAGEMENT AMONG ALL EMPLOYEES, AND WITH GUESTS. As hotel owners and leaders, you continue to raise the bar on the guest experience with repositioning efforts well under way and on target with the 5-year plan. Not only are your guests enjoying a great product and service, RHG is engaging consumers in new and innovative ways by leveraging umbrella branding under the name Radisson Hotels. From product enhancements and Yes I Can! service to the new RadissonHotels.com and enhanced digital advertising efforts, I’m excited to report that we’re more attuned than ever to creating Memorable Moments for our guests. Finally, our plans for our 2020 Americas Business Conference are well underway. The theme is Embrace. Engage. Evolve. We have so much to celebrate with the annual RHG awards as well as many exciting updates that will be unveiled February 24-27 when we all come together in Las Vegas. I hope you’ll begin thinking about ways you can begin to reflect the conference theme in your day-to-day actions for RHG. As always, let me know of any suggestions or ideas you may have—I’m eager to hear your thoughts.
Aly El-Bassuni Aly El-Bassuni Chief Operating Officer, Americas, RHG
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BIG IMPACT Radisson Hotel Group’s exciting journey to leverage our family of brands. Great strides have been made since Radisson Hotel Group began its marketing efforts to unite all brands under the umbrella of the Radisson Hotels name, including the launch of our web and mobile platform: RadissonHotels.com.
2nd Fastest
Americas hotel site for mobile 3G and 4G connections*
+36%
Incre
ase
open rate fo r the n email ew welco me se ries
+37%
Increase of organic traffic to the site
2 Billion
national campaign impressions to date
3.2 Million impressions from Rachel Ray on air and online
9:1
return on marketing investment (ROMI) for paid digital media
partnership reaches
38 Million potential guests to all of our brands
15:1
return on marketing investment (ROMI) for
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ads
*According to Google, just behind Booking.com, which is the fastest site globally
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ENGAGED GATHERINGS Enthusiasm at the RHG Regional Meetings was high, with updates on a host of topics.
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ocused on the theme “Engage,” the 2019 Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) Regional Meetings provided an opportunity for RHG leadership, corporate subject matter experts, owners, and general managers to network, learn, and listen at locations across the Americas. Covering a range of topics, from an update on the rollout of EMMA to the latest sales and revenue optimization tools, the meetings were a success, with more than 630 attendees across the 17 locations in North and South America. The engagement of participants determined the level of each meeting’s success. “We saw a lot of excitement at each meeting—the participation and enthusiasm for the direction RHG is headed was truly inspiring,” said Barry O’Neill, Regional Vice President, Franchise Operations, Americas, RHG. Overall, the Regional Meetings generated an NPS score of 81.44.
THE PARTICIPATION AND ENTHUSIASM FOR THE DIRECTION RHG IS HEADED WAS INSPIRING. REWARDING ENGAGEMENT To recognize participants and engagement, RHG gave away 1 million Radisson Rewards points at each meeting, for a total of 17 million points. The points were awarded to attendees who engaged the most in meeting activities, such as trivia sessions, Q&As, and feedback sessions, and to participants who shared best practices from their own hotels.
630 Attendees across 17 locations
SEE PAGES 4-5 FOR SNAPSHOTS OF THE 2019 AMERICAS REGIONAL MEETINGS.
Steve Martodam, COO of Brandt Hospitality, the owner of the soon-to-be Radisson Blu in Fargo, ND, viewed the experience as an educational opportunity. “It’s great to have a better understanding of the resources available to you today, and it’s exciting to hear about what’s coming in the future.” He noted that he appreciated the two-way conversation between RHG and its hotel partners and their teams. “Any great relationship has good communication. Dialogue always leads to better ideas. We’re looking forward to putting those ideas to work by engaging with our employees, guests and RHG resources.” Another Regional Meeting participant, Mike Bufalino, Owner/General Manager, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Niagara Falls, ON, said he was excited to connect in Canada with RHG’s corporate team. “We’ve already implemented some of the tools to help improve our loyalty focus. The meeting got you excited and motivated for what’s ahead and for leading your teams.”
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Regional Meetings Snapshot AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT THE EVENTS during the 2019 Regional Meetings.
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COMING IN 2020 Preparations are underway for the global rollout of EMMA, coming in 2020.
LEFT: EMMA Implementation Team after the launch of one of the pilots at Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, St. Cloud East, MN.
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mpressive progress has been made throughout 2019 with the rollout of EMMA. To date, EMMA is live in two Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) properties. These pilot hotels were converted onto EMMA using an extensive implementation checklist, comprehensive data transfers and training of all impacted hotel team members. The EMMA CONNECT Portal page went live the end of October. LAUNCH SCHEDULE The rollout of EMMA will occur in waves, beginning in early 2020. The schedule is available on CONNECT. Hotels scheduled in the first quarter of 2020 will be given a specific conversion date. All remaining hotels will receive a date range for their conversion, which will be finalized as the date draws near. There is an implementation checklist for properties so they know what is required of them for a successful EMMA launch. Developed by the project
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team, this list includes enabling data migration, tool configuration, and training curriculum to guide the hotel through the conversion process. The on-site implementation team will include an On Property Team Lead, Technical Team Lead, Hardware/ Interface Expert, Property Systems Expert, Point of Sale Expert, and Sales and Catering Expert, depending on the hotel’s complexity and EMMA configuration. This team will oversee the conversion to EMMA before and after the “go-live” date. ROBUST TRAINING EMMA training materials have been designed in a role-based format that includes short videos, eLearning curriculum, and on-property refresher training. Most of the learning tools are self-paced and can be accessed through Radisson Academy Online. “The materials will be delivered in a variety of formats and methods to
address different styles of learning,” said Leslie Schroeder, Senior Director, Service Design, Radisson Hotel Group. Each theater will be staffed with an EMMA Theater Lead and EMMA Theater Coordinators to assist with questions and any issues that arise. Hotels can also learn more at the upcoming Americas Business Conference, February 24-27, 2020, in Las Vegas.
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CLICK HERE TO EXPLORE THE EMMA CONNECT PORTAL, with more information, including the rollout schedules, FAQs, and other hotel resources.
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RAISING THE BAR
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: Sales Blitz participants from Radisson San Jose Costa Rica, Radisson Hotel Barra Rio de Janeiro employee, Every Moment Matters pins
The 2019 Sales Blitz extends the success achieved in 2018.
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uilding upon the success of the 2018 Sales Blitz, the Americas Sales Team raised the bar, challenging hotels to double their performance in 2019. From Oct. 30 to Nov. 6, hotels rose to this challenge, devoting up to three days to make customer connections, canvass their local market, and spread the news of Radisson Hotel group, while promoting Radisson Rewards for Business and sharing brand promotions. PREPPING FOR SUCCESS The energy and momentum generated for the 2019 Sales Blitz was impressive, with regional directors and sales partners working in collaboration with the hotels to prepare. The enthusiasm was apparent, as shown by the winners of the “Go Get ‘Em” award, which was presented to three clusters of hotels in Latin America—all had 100% of their properties registered by September 15 for the event. CELEBRATING WINNERS Targeting Small + Medium Enterprises (SME) was another goal of the Sales Blitz, with top performing individuals receiving a loyalty reward of 30,000 Radisson Reward points if they registered 15 or more SMEs during the event. “It is amazing to see the power of the hotel teams matched with the Americas Sales and Operations teams working together to spread the Radisson Hotel Group message,” said Ross Hosking, Vice President, Sales and Distribution, Americas, RHG. “The 2019 Sales Blitz was a fantastic event! The Blitz had 271 hotels participating that made almost 6,000 sales calls and produced $16.4 million in confirmed business. The stories of creativity to connect with customers were inspiring.”
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SIGNING THE CODE RHG steps up to fight human trafficking in hospitality.
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o help raise awareness and better equip its hotels in fighting human trafficking and child exploitation, Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) has become an official partner of ECPAT-USA, the nation’s leader in eradicating child exploitation and trafficking. Raising awareness on the importance of this issue for the hospitality industry and efficiently training hotel team members is essential. THE CODE Founded in 1991, ECPAT is leading the charge to stop trafficking around the globe. Their Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct (The Code) is a joint venture with the private tourism sector. It is the world’s first and only voluntary set of business principles that travel and tour companies can implement to prevent sexual exploitation and trafficking of children. “The Code is comprised of six guidelines,” explained Michelle Guelbart, ECPAT-USA’s Director of Private Sector Engagement. “The goal is to raise general awareness of the issue. It’s important for hotels to know the indicators of trafficking, including that there are position-specific indicators. We also recommend companies include procedures for responding—what they want people on the ground to do if they see something.” PREVALENCE OF TRAFFICKING While it might be hard for many hotels to imagine that trafficking is happening at their property, according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH) it has been reported in all 50 states. The number of reports continues to rise, with the NHTH receiving nearly 11,000 human trafficking reports in 2019, a 20% increase from 2018. The group also finds that hotels are the second-largest venue for sex trafficking.
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RHG released all-new Responsible Business training in 2019, which integrated key components around the issue of human and sex trafficking. The partnership with ECPATUSA, together with the updated training, will better equip properties to take this fight against exploitation to a whole new level.
BEHIND THE CODE Learn More
CLICK TO PLAY VIDEO
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TO ACCESS ECPAT-USA REPORTS AND TOOLS, visit CONNECT > Brand Standards & Marketing > Brand Overview > RHG Responsible Business
FOR MORE INFORMATION about ECPAT-USA, visit ecpatusa.org.
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RESPONSIBLE GATHERINGS
GOING NEUTRAL
For Planners
CLICK TO PLAY VIDEO
Carbon Neutral Meetings is an industry world premiere at this scale. MORE
USE AND SHARE this Carbon Neutral video with clients.
incorporating sustainable practices,” said Amy Calvert, CEO, EIC. “It’s time for big, bold change in how our industry operates, and an excellent example of this type of transformation is Radisson Hotel Group’s Carbon Neutral Meetings initiative.”
IT’S TIME FOR BIG, BOLD CHANGE
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ccording to the Event Industry Council’s (EIC) recent global Economic Significance Study, business events generated $621.4 billion of GDP and provided employment to over 10 million people worldwide. “This September, we released our annual State of Sustainability results and we found that over half of the event professionals who responded have a sustainability requirement for their organization,” said Mariela McIlwraith, Director, Industry Advancement, EIC. The results indicated that approximately a third of event organizers expect to see information about sustainable practices in proposals without having to ask.
The EIC is a federation that represents more than 100,000 meeting planners and 19,000 groups in the event industry. FREE TOOL FOR HOTELS This year, Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) announced that all meetings and events held at its hotels worldwide would now be 100% carbon neutral through offsetting. RHG automatically offsets the carbon footprint of every meeting or event at no cost to the hotels. The program is also no hassle for planners or the hotel because it’s automatic. The only thing the hotel has to do is promote the program to potential clients. “We have an incredible opportunity to leverage EIC’s investment in developing top professionals through
IN HOW OUR INDUSTRY OPERATES. EQUIP YOUR SALES TEAM RHG’s Carbon Neutral Meetings offer a fantastic and unique selling point for any hotel’s sales team, giving them an advantage over their competitors. Equip your sales team with posters, email footer banners, and Carbon Neutral certificates. [RESOURCES ON CONNECT > DAT – Data Source, Inc. > Catalog > Brand > Radisson Meetings > Carbon Neutral].
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EMBRACE ENGAGE EVOLVE
2020 AMERICAS BUSINESS CONFERENCE F EB R UA RY 24 – 27 / WY N N , L AS V E G AS From business insights to educational training and networking opportunities, the Americas Business Conference is centered on driving revenue to hotels. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn more about the tools, processes, and programs that make Radisson Hotel Group a top hotel of choice. Invited guests can register via the email invitation they received.
Register now to make Every Moment Matter with RHG.