Partner News

NATIONAL REPORT—Whether it’s celebrating an anniversary, receiving an award, earning a certification, debuting a new product or expanding the business, hotel companies and vendors achieve new milestones on a daily basis. Here’s a look at recent accomplishments:

 MITY Appoints New CEO

Tony R. Smith has been appointed CEO of banquet, meeting, event and dining furniture company MITY Inc.

Smith has more than 25 years of experience leading high performing teams in sales, marketing, product development and manufacturing. He served as president/CEO for International Bedding Company, COO for Sealy Canada and president of sales for Serta Simmons Bedding Corporation.

Marriott, Hilton Recognized for Diversity

Marriott (2) and Hilton (4) were recently recognized on the 2019 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list.

“Our founders created a business with simple, yet powerful principles: Put people first in every decision and open doors to opportunity for everyone,” said David Rodriguez, EVP/global chief human resources officer at Marriott International. “Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is at the heart of our pledge to extend this important legacy and to drive our business forward. It is how we will ensure that Marriott remains the place where everyone belongs.”

“We couldn’t be more pleased to receive this recognition from DiversityInc, especially as we approach our 100th anniversary,” said Matthew W. Schuyler, chief human resources officer with Hilton. “For the last century, Hilton has opened its doors to more than 3 billion guests and 10 million team members whose diverse background and beliefs make up the fabric of Hilton and who are responsible for creating an incredible sense of belonging in our properties and offices around the world.”

The DiversityInc rankings are determined by an objective methodology that calculates factors such as Talent Pipeline, Equitable Talent Development (including commitments to mentorship and philanthropy), CEO/Leadership Commitment, and Supplier Diversity. The empirical data for the rankings is provided by a 300-question survey filled out by personnel at the participating companies.

Assa Abloy Door Locks Installed at Pangea Pod Hotel

Assa Abloy Global Solutions has provided VingCard Essence door locks at the Pangea Pod Hotel, a recently opened property based in Whistler, Canada.

With guests able to check themselves in using a self­-service kiosk, the presence of Essence door locks works to extend feelings of enhanced convenience throughout the premises as guests either enter the building or attempt to access certain areas, while always maintaining the highest security standards.

Once checked-in using the property’s proprietary self-check-in kiosks, each guest receives their own personalized RFID wristband which, in addition to being used as a form of payment for on-site purchases such as drinks or food, is used as a secure key for Essence door locks at Pangea.

Essence features only a stylish RFID reader that is visible to guests, with all other components encased within the door itself. While Essence ensures that each guest is able to gain seamless access by placing their wristband within proximity of the RFID reader, the solution is also equipped with the advanced security protocols. This includes anti-key-cloning abilities that leverages advanced data encryption to eliminate the risk of unauthorized access. Wristband keys are also instantly deactivated upon guest check­out, further preventing any potential lapse in security integrity.

MGM Sponsors Nonprofit Foundation To Advance Gender Equality

MGM Resorts International will serve as founding sponsor of a newly formed nonprofit Foundation for Women’s Leadership & Empowerment, dedicated to women’s leadership education and empowerment.

The new foundation is expected to expand the footprint of the successful Annual Women’s Leadership Conference, historically presented by The MGM Resorts Foundation in Las Vegas to other cities around the country. These conferences will focus on developing women leaders in all industries.

MGM Resorts’ Phyllis A. James will leave her current post as EVP/chief diversity & corporate responsibility officer this summer to assume presidency of the new foundation.

The Annual Women’s Leadership Conference, presented by the MGM Resorts Foundation, has been a centerpiece of MGM Resorts’ diversity programs since 2006, hosting more than 1,000 women in recent years and featuring diverse and nationally recognized keynote speakers and accomplished women role models.

The mission of WLC is to provide women, and men who attend, the developmental tools they need to continuously advance their lives and careers. Through WLC, women from all community segments are offered a variety of ways to elevate their personal and professional lives, including networking opportunities, educational workshops and exposure to other women who can serve as role models, heroes or mentors. The conference also provides two days of career-oriented workshops that give attendees hands-on opportunities to develop skills based on their career needs.

LG Launches Techtour

LG Electronics USA Business Solutions is taking its show on the road, launching its 2019 LG TechTour, a six-city innovation roadshow where business-to- business customers will experience first-hand LG’s broad portfolio of digital signage displays, renewable energy systems, enterprise mobile solutions and more.

Kicking off next week in Washington, DC, the coast-to-coast 2019 LG TechTourdesigned to educate partners, resellers, installers and end-users about B2B technologies and trendswill host workshops and technology demonstrations in Dallas, Los Angeles, San Jose, Chicago and New York City over the next six months.

Each stop on the LG TechTour will include the industry’s broadest portfolio of commercial displays, led by a preview of the new Transparent LG OLED display, ideal for retail and museum applications. Attendees will marvel at how this advanced transparent panel harnesses LG OLED technology so viewers to view stunning images on the screen and objects behind at the same time.

The 2019 LG TechTour kicks off next week and runs into the fall: May 14 Washington, DC; July 24 Dallas; Aug. 22 Irvine, CA; Sept. 12 San Jose, CA; Sept. 26 Chicago; and Oct. 17, New York.