Doing good on a grand scale is all in a day’s work for Richard McNary, who heads up the meetings industry effort for The Outreach Program, a nonprofit organization that enlists meetings delegates, among others, for CSR teambuilding activities that create meals for the needy on an industrial scale.
NGALA Wildlife Preserve, located on a private, wooded 42-acre property outside Naples, Florida, caters to corporate events and is a home for a variety of rescued animals that cannot be reintroduced back to the wild. NGALA, which translates from Swahili to “Place of the Lion,” was founded by Donovan Smith nearly 20 years ago and is currently home to about 45 animals in addition to over 100 venomous reptiles introduced to the preserve by Smith’s “better half,” Khara Geders.
Whether it’s leaving a smaller footprint or helping those in need, meeting and incentive groups are finding an ever-increasing number of ways to have a positive effect on the places they visit around Mexico. Call it voluntourism, call it CSR or simply call it doing good—the results can be rewarding for everyone involved.
After all New Orleans has been through following Hurricane Katrina, it’s no wonder hospitality community leaders there are so tuned in to giving back. But one would be hard-pressed to find a more dedicated community member than Michael Smith, general manager of the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, who with his team members rose to the occasion during the cataclysmic hurricane and has set a frantic philanthropic pace following the storm.
Groups staying at Omni Hotels & Resorts properties can rest easy knowing that as their head hits the pillow a credit for their stay is helping alleviate hunger in the community where the hotel is located. Since its beginnings two years ago, Omni’s Say Goodnight to Hunger program has resulted in more than 13 million meals being donated to local food banks in each of the markets its 60 hotels are located in, and the spirit of giving doesn’t end there.
IMEX America attendees had the chance to participate in a CSR event at what some dubbed the best-smelling booth at IMEX. Hilton Worldwide and the company Repeat Roses teamed up to offer a flower arranging opportunity as part of Hilton’s initiative “Meet with Purpose.”
Marriott International announced the creation of Beyond Barriers, the next phase of its #LoveTravels program. According to Marriott, “#LoveTravels Beyond Barriers” celebrates and supports those who are actively leading unique strategies to promote inclusion, equality, peace and human rights.
After finding herself tasked with planning a portion of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers' 2018 Annual Member Meeting, Jill A. Notini turned to Lulubelle Animal Rescue and brought in some adorable puppies!
Caesars Entertainment Corporation was recognized for the fourth year as one of the most community-minded companies, and for the third time as the leader in the consumer discretionary industry, by Civic 50, a Points of Light initiative.
Conventions are becoming increasingly savvy when it comes to CSR initiatives, and MPI’s 2018 World Education Congress (WEC), held June 2-5, 2018, in Indianapolis, was no exception. Visit Indy and MPI incorporated a wealth of unique initiatives into the program to support local charities and help create a model and methodology by which future meetings all over the world can emulate.
