Marriott Hotels & Resorts; Steelcase; and IDEO, a design and innovation consultancy firm, have formed a collaboration to design, create, and test innovative concepts and solutions for the future of work and meetings in hotels. The efforts launched this week with a showcase of these potential solutions unveiled at the Marriott Hotels & Resorts Global General Manager Conference in Los Angeles.
With mobile technology, people need the right blend of spaces and solutions to support different work needs throughout the day. Whether staying at a hotel individually or attending a meeting or conference, business travelers need spaces that offer them choice and control for quiet, individual work in comfortable and inviting public spaces, or collaborative settings for work with colleagues. Leveraging insights from IDEO and Steelcase, Marriott Hotels & Resorts aspires to revolutionize hosted work environments in hotels, while opening a dialogue around the evolving needs, desires, and mindset of the Gen X and Gen Y global business traveler.
Paul Cahill, senior vice president, Brand Management for Marriott Hotels & Resorts, said, “By 2013, almost 35% of the global workforce will be mobile. We are designing hotels for a new generation that is used to working how, where and often times whenever they want. Marriott Hotels & Resorts is the leader in hospitality, and no one understands the changing nature of work better than Steelcase. Together, along with IDEO, we are excited to collaborate on the Future of Work, a working innovation lab designed to create solutions that innovate, elevate and evolve the hotel work experience.”
The Future of Work Innovation Co-Labs at the General Managers Conference showcases 10 prototypes that create new technology, space, and service experiences for meetings and work. Marriott Hotels & Resorts general managers are experiencing the prototypes, offering immediate feedback, and ultimately helping “co-create” meeting experiences of the future in real time.
Having worked together for more than 40 years, Marriott and Steelcase have a history of collaborating to provide business travelers with satisfying work settings. “People need environments that help them innovate and inspire them to do great work,” said Mark Greiner, chief experience officer, Steelcase. “With business executives working remotely more frequently, work has to go where they go.”
IDEO’s contributions in behavioral research and the science behind how people work have been a critical success factor for Marriott International brands in the past. “We’re thrilled to partner with Marriott Hotels & Resorts as well as Steelcase on this exciting endeavor,” said Beth Viner, Associate Partner at IDEO. “It is our experience that our most innovative clients in the hospitality sector understand that it is not just about changing the physical space but instead choose to focus their attention on behavior and design.”
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