En cours - Best Initiative in Sustainable Development
IHG
Campaign - voco – a brand built on sustainability
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voco is a brand built on sustainability, allowing us to look after the planet with the same care as we look after our guests.
From Paris to Milan via Hangzhou, Melbourne, New York and Saudi Arabia, the word has spread quickly about our upscale conversion brand voco. With more than 60 openings and signings since its launch in 2018, and plans to introduce it in over 25 countries, it’s providing a “reliably different” stay for every one of our guests (in perfect alignment with our brand motto).
This global expansion has happened at a faster pace than any other IHG Hotels & Resorts brand – a feat of which we’re particularly proud. Why? Well, because as the recovery continues, voco isn’t just providing our guests with a safe, clean and memorable visit, it’s also playing its part in helping the world have a sustainable future.
That’s because, as voco continues to develop and grow, it’s important to everyone at IHG that it does so in the right way for our people, communities and planet, and we have a series of ambitious commitments to help us achieve this through our Journey to Tomorrow 2030 responsible business plan, aligned to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Our ambition is to help shape the future of responsible travel with those who stay, work and partner with us, preserving our world’s beauty and diversity not just today, but long into the future. That’s why our three voco brand hallmarks are built on sustainability, each represented by a playful mascot: a chatty finch shows the “Come on in” warm welcome and simple check-in our guests receive on arrival; an owl depicts the “Me time” enjoyed in every guest room thanks to its cosy bedding, hot energy-efficient showers and eco-friendly premium amenities; and a flamingo portrays “voco Life” by highlighting our characterful bars that use recycled materials and limit plastic waste.
It’s important to us that we continue to drive change and make sustainable choices – around carbon and energy, waste and water. So, our voco standards are built on sustainability – we want our guests to know we’re looking after the planet with the same care we’re looking after them as they drink from our biodegradable coffee cups or freshen up under our energy-saving aerated shower heads.
We know that this commitment to collective action is shared by our guests, owners and colleagues. A global study commissioned by IHG of around 9,000 adults revealed that consumers are more mindful than ever about their responsibilities when travelling: 82% said it’s important to them to choose a hotel brand that operates responsibly; 60% admitted the Covid-19 pandemic has made them more socially and environmentally conscious about their impact on the world when travelling; and 57% revealed that they care more about contributing to their local communities and the planet while travelling than they did 10 years ago. At IHG, we’re confident that we have the brands to offer a meaningful response to these valued viewpoints, and there’s none better placed to do so than voco.
Our IHG Green Engage system is providing our voco hotels with more than 200 Green Solutions that help our teams manage and report their use of energy, carbon, water and waste, and minimise the environmental impact of their operations. Solutions come in all shapes and sizes, supporting the brand’s commitment to sustainability across each of its hallmarks. Our adoption of large bathroom amenities is allowing us to reduce plastic waste by 80%, while the “green ingredients” inside them are obtained from sustainable or renewable plant-based origins, the sourcing of which does not negatively impact our ecosystems. To maximise our guests’ enjoyment of their “Me time”, we’ve also seized the chance to fill our super-comfortable bedding with 100% recycled materials which, together with our use of filtered water, means more than 300 plastic bottles are foregone in each of guest room, every year. Incredible, isn’t it?
The word voco originates from Latin and means to “to invite” and “call together”, and our uber-creative voco hotel teams didn’t need to be asked twice before accepting the invitation and showing their commitment to sustainability through initiatives in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
In Australia, the garden at voco Kirkton Park is booming, and our team will soon be producing 80% of the vegetables they serve to guests, while the roof of voco Gold Coast is home to 300,000 bees and we have a resident beekeeper on hand to look after them! In the UK, voco Solihull has forged a partnership with Solihull Council to support its ‘Urban Forestry’ strategy, and voco Oxford Thames is working with an owl sanctuary that rescues 100 owls a year, making it a very wise cause to support indeed!
At IHG, our purpose is to provide True Hospitality for Good. It shapes our culture, brings our brands to life and represents a commitment to make a difference every day to our people, guests and communities, and to protect the world around us. We’re proud to say it’s a sentiment at the heart of every voco stay – both now and in the (sustainable) future.
