MEETINGS are important for achieving business objectives but can also have a positive impact beyond the meeting room, as companies and planners seek ways to make a meaningful difference in the communities and destinations where they gather.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ popular Meetings that Matter programme will continue throughout 2011, affording groups the opportunity to donate part of their room revenue to the charity of their choice at the brand’s 60-plus hotels worldwide.
Fairmont is committed to preserving the places where guests and colleagues, work, live and play and wants to ensure groups can do the same. Companies taking advantage of the Meetings that Matter programme have already donated funds to a wide variety of causes, including groups supporting the arts, fighting HIV/AIDS and helping children with disabilities.
Whether supporting an organisation from the group’s headquarters, in the meeting destination or a global cause, the programme has proved to be a popular way for groups to give back.
The Meetings That Matter offer is available to planners booking new meetings for 2011 with a minimum of 50 room nights. Ten per cent of the room revenue* generated by the booking may be donated to a charitable organisation. Planners can determine the charity of choice**, whether it is a cause that resonates most strongly with attendees, a local organisation in need, or one of Fairmont’s corporate partners, which include the National Geographic Society, World Wildlife Fund and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
Additionally, planners seeking ways to enhance their meetings with programmes that incorporate good deeds and community involvement can work with Fairmont colleagues to create activities which foster both teamwork and social good. With unrivalled locations and innovative programs, attendees can include the local community in their events, whether building bikes for local children or preparing meals for a homeless shelter in need. For events that want to lessen their ecological footprint, the company's green conferencing program, Eco-Meet, allows meeting planners to host environmentally conscious events while also creating awareness among meeting planners and conference attendees.
Fairmont colleagues are experts in creating events that give back, and the brand-wide Meetings That Matter offer is valid on meetings booked and consumed in 2011.