Intercontinental Hotel GroupIn 2009, as part of our Olympic Partnership with London 2012, we were asked to help run the Olympic and Paralympic Villages at the Olympic Park in Stratford and the Sailing Village in Weymouth.
Summary _ It was the first time that a hotel provider had been asked to perform such a role so it was a great opportunity to show what made us special on a world stage. _ Following a rigorous recruitment process, we brought in 75 high performing colleagues from hotels and offices in 26 countries to help set up and run the Villages’ residential blocks, welcome centres and guest pass areas. _ We were able to apply our “Stay Real, Stay You” Holiday Inn-branded service behaviour training for all teams which included 2,500 unpaid volunteers. _ We also fitted out the Villages with practical touches to make the athletes’ stay comfortable, such as our black-out-blinds from Holiday Inn Express._ The secondees were a credit to everyone at IHG. With a collective 26 languages, these world-class customer-service providers led 11 blocks of apartments at Stratford; the smallest at 500 rooms and the largest at 2,000. _ Our team all have a world-class service background but very quickly they had to learn how to satisfy the demands of athletes, focussed on winning medals and often not in the mood for distractions. Of course, they rose to the challenge to make sure everything was just right. _ What they might not have been prepared for was that many of these young athletes just needed someone to talk to and of course, or secondees were there. Whether it was a midnight coffee or a game of Scrabble, our colleagues went above and beyond with these special guests making sure that they really did create them a "home from home." _ Throughout the Olympics and Paralympics our secondees ensured that every resident had all that they needed whether it was a new lightbulb or a hug after a hard days competition. In the fast moving environment that is the 'Greatest Show on Earth', they were flexible, always solved problems and were able to tackle the challenges that a pressurised environment brought. _ It was about real people delivering real service in a genuine way, and our people became part of the athletes’ families, just as they do in many of our hotels._ All the secondees we've spoken to have considered their experiences an "opportunity of a lifetime". Many of them speak of having grown in confidence and that they are now ready to take on even bigger challenges - inspired by their colleagues, inspired by the athletes and inspired by the chance they had to make a difference to thousands of world class athletes._ Why do we think we should win?_ IHG should win the award for People Talent and Management Program because we have achieved something truly unique. We are the first hotel provider ever to be asked to help run the Olympic and Paralympic Village and as the feedback from the residents of the Villages show we exceeded their expectations. _ Through this initiative we have inspired and developed some of our most talented people, ready for the next chapter of their careers. Many of them are about to undertake new roles as a result of these high-profile roles and the exposure that they received._ We've shared their stories with our 355,000 colleagues worldwide and our employee survey showed that 88% of respondents felt engaged with our Olympic Partnership. _ We've publicised our role through advertising and bought real credibility to our function as an Olympic partner. We've shown our colleagues across the world what's possible when you're part of IHG and that exciting and life-changing opportunities really can be fulfilled by those who are committed, focussed and determined.
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