Creating Impact: Sustainability in Hospitality - Andrea Foster - Defining Hospitality - Episode #202

What is the balance between hospitality’s business efforts and sustainability efforts? That’s what Andrea Foster, EVP of Hospitality Development at MindClick, is here to talk about on the podcast. The conversation covers how sustainability initiatives can improve guest experiences and align with corporate values. Andrea discusses the importance of measuring sustainability, the impact of intentional design, and the benefits of MindClick's data-driven platform. With anecdotes from their own experiences and practical insights, Dan and Andrea illustrate how forward-thinking practices in the hospitality industry can create positive environmental and economic outcomes.

Takeaways:

• Integrate sustainability into the core values and operations of your business. Audit and measure sustainability metrics to continually improve practices.
• Create one-pagers and marketing materials that highlight sustainability initiatives and share them with corporate travel buyers and event planners. Train front-line employees to articulate the sustainability story to guests.
• Explore opportunities for green financing and lower cost of capital. Use data to demonstrate the financial benefits of sustainability to shareholders and stakeholders.
• Capture demand by aligning with the values of specific demographics (e.g., millennials, Gen Z, female travelers).
• Foster a company culture that celebrates continuous improvement in sustainability efforts.
• Incorporate sustainability into the initial planning stages of new projects to avoid disruptive changes later. Set clear benchmarks and goals for sustainability efforts and track progress over time.

Quote of the Show:

“ We can achieve growth and achieve success and profitability and return on investment while also making decisions that are considerate, careful, respectful, and responsible. There is a way to do both.” - Andrea Foster

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreakmfoster/ 
• Website: https://www.mindclick.com/ 

Shout Outs:

• 0:44 - Cornell University https://www.cornell.edu/ 
• 0:45 - Boston University https://www.bu.edu/ 
• 0:47 - Purdue University https://www.purdue.edu/ 
• 0:49 - Miraval Resorts  https://www.miravalresorts.com/ 
• 0:50 - CBRE https://www.cbre.com/services/property-types/hotels 
• 0:51 - Marcus Hotels https://www.marcushotels.com/ 
• 0:54 - AHLA Foundation https://www.ahlafoundation.org/ 
• 4:33 - JoAnna Abrams https://www.linkedin.com/in/joannaabrams/ 
• 9:05 - Marriott https://www.marriott.com/default.mi 
• 11:53 - Bitty and Beau’s Coffee https://www.bittyandbeauscoffee.com/ 
• 15:32 - Steve Jobs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs 
• 19:58 - Metropolis Magazine https://metropolismag.com/ 
• 39:51 - Ritz-Carlton https://www.ritzcarlton.com/ 
• 47:14 - Hotel Marcel https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/hvnsdup-hotel-marcel-new-haven/ 
• 52:04 - Paul McElroy https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-mcelroy-3387954a/ 
• 52:05 - Highgate https://www.highgate.com/ 
• 58:59 - Arne Sorenson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arne_Sorenson_(hotel_executive) 
• 1:00:48 - Gloria Steinem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Steinem 
• 1:08:38 - NYU Lodging Conference https://www.sps.nyu.edu/homepage/academics/divisions-and-departments/jonathan-m--tisch-center-of-hospitality/international-hospitality-conference.html 

🏨✨ Defining Hospitality is Sponsored by Berman Falk https://www.bermanfalk.com/ - Check out their impact page! 🌍🌱 https://www.bermanfalk.com/impact/ 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
• Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/