Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has steadily grown into an essential component of meetings, and more planners than ever are tackling CSR requirements, innovative programming and the huge range of opportunities available to those in search of them. Over the course of 2024, we saw CSR’s role expand, with new nonprofits and initiatives reimagining what CSR can be.
Meetings with Meaning: The Role CSR Plays in Real-World Impact
We reviewed the latest data on CSR and its impact from both a global and local perspective, as well as provided a deep dive on new and innovative partnerships, tips for meeting profs and a case study conducted in one of the most beautiful places in America.
“Team-Giving” Initiative 2 Guys Doing Good Reinvigorates CSR Activities
We learned from 2 Guys Doing Good, a “cause business alliance” that blends team building with CSR activities, about how to combine two elements that are often top considerations for meeting profs.
Steven G. Foster, co-founder of 2 Guys Doing Good, writes, “If you’re bringing people together through meetings and events to connect, learn and improve; it’s important to provide them with the opportunity to work together on a project that when completed will fundamentally change someone else’s life in an immensely positive way. And we always want whatever participants build, assemble and customize to stay local, because we want the ‘goodness’ to benefit the destination.”
Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming Partnered with Twentyfour-Seven Inc. to Fight Human Trafficking
Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming teamed up with Twentyfour-Seven Inc. to tackle the ugly reality of human trafficking victims and perpetrators passing through hotels and casinos. We spoke with Paul Pellizzari, vice president of global social responsibility, Hard Rock International, about his background in CSR and how he is applying over 15 years of experience to combat this important issue.
The Curtis Denver Supports the LGBTQ Community Through CSR
The Curtis Denver-a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel partnered with The Center on Colfax, the largest LGBTQ community center in the Rocky Mountain region, to offer support and employment opportunities to those affected by anti-LGBTQ sentiments and policies.
We spoke with Lizzie Raudenbush, the hotel’s general manager, who told us, “We’ve had several team members who have transitioned during their time while working with us. It is really important that we demonstrate to them that we have their back. In some of their cases, they did not have a safe place to go at home. So, their safe place becomes work at the Curtis Denver-a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel.”
