Witnessing the Brisbane Bullets at Nissan Arena, surrender a 10-point lead with five minutes left and lose the game, was just as difficult to comprehend as thinking about the club’s community partnership program.
Fortunate enough to get some tickets right up close to the action, I noticed one of their hotel partners in a nearby corporate booth enjoying the usual perks for sponsoring the club. It was hard not to go online at half time to see what this partnership entailed.
All I could find was that it enclosed hosting all travelling teams and supporting the Bullets.
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The source mentioned something about “Fostering a valuable partnership that benefits both the team and the hotel”. It’s commendable to see corporations “support” sporting organisations, but what if there were a better way to translate that generosity into measurable results.
“A hotel is in a unique position to play such an important role in a community’s social welfare”.
AHA Vic’s HotelCare program is one such initiative that raises and distributes funds to charities. HotelCare has donated more than $6 million to charitable organisations since it was founded. Its annual “HotelCare Golf Day, Grange on the Range” is a significant fundraising event, with the 20th annual charity Golf Day raising more than $600,000.
As hoteliers, you might be familiar with the buzz around ESG practices. Traditionally, the focus has been on environmental initiatives and corporate governance, but there’s a growing movement to emphasise the social component. This shift invites a more profound commitment to your communities and employees, which can create a positive ripple effect that benefits your businesses and society as a whole.
For a small hotel or resort operator who cannot afford large sporting organisation sponsorship, meeting social responsibilities can be as straightforward as engaging in local community volunteering projects or providing employment opportunities to underrepresented groups.
It’s about creating a positive impact that resonates with your staff, guests, and locals.
Imagine there was a tool that helps hoteliers, big and small, to invest in social impact credits generated by volunteer generosity in their community, become reward providers for those volunteers and even turn their staff’s social efforts into measurable impacts.
A platform that can help you not only engage in these activities but also track and communicate your social contributions in a way that’s easy to understand. Something to help connect the dots between your brand, volunteers, and community needs. A solution where volunteering gets more rewarding, and your brand becomes part of the community’s daily conversation.
In essence, the ‘S’ in ESG is about weaving a thread of social consciousness into the fabric of your everyday operations.
It’s about building a brand that stands for more than just profit, but also for the well-being of the people and the community you serve.
By adopting models like the FIREFLY initiative even the smallest hotel can perform a powerful symphony of social good that resonates with and inspires others.
David Nicolas is the founder of Reson8 marketing agency. A well-being evangelist and former Optometrist, David now works with well-being including hospitality brands to communicate sustainability and well-being initiatives in their business more effectively.
It is his goal for more purposeful brands to feature a “sustainable tab” on their website.