THE AMERICAN HOTEL & Lodging Association and Procure Impact, a B2B marketplace supporting marginalized communities, have introduced the “Dignity of Work Pledge” aiming to provide 100,000 paid employment hours for overlooked populations. Hospitality firms such as Davidson Hospitality Group, Pyramid Global Hospitality, Sage Hospitality Group, CoralTree Hospitality, Atrium Hospitality, Pacific Hospitality Group, Modus Hotels, and 21c Museum Hotels have committed to this initiative.
Together, these hotels manage over 110,000 rooms nationwide, AHLA said in a statement. Procure Impact's B2B marketplace offers companies the chance to source responsibly and fulfill social impact objectives.
“We believe the hospitality sector is uniquely positioned to harness its purchasing power to create unique and meaningful guest experiences and change millions of lives in the process,” said Lauren McCann, Procure Impact’s founder and CEO. “We are excited to partner with so many pioneers in hospitality who are building spaces and places grounded in belonging and purpose through the products that they feature and purchase.”
By taking the Dignity of Work Pledge, hospitality companies commit to increasing their purchases from vendors on Procure Impact’s platform and regularly reporting their progress, which will be shared on AHLA’s Responsible Stay website.
Committing to the initiative
AHLA's Responsible Stay initiative promotes sustainability principles, such as responsible sourcing, energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste reduction.
“Responsible sourcing is all about delivering value to guests while creating positive social and environmental impacts. Procure Impact makes it easy for hospitality companies to do just that,” said Chip Rogers, AHLA’s president and CEO.
Each vendor on the Procure Impact platform employs individuals facing barriers to work, including survivors of trafficking, veterans, at-risk youth, refugees, individuals with disabilities, and those who have experienced poverty, incarceration, homelessness, mental health issues, trauma, or substance use disorders.
Procure Impact tracks the impact of every transaction on its platform by calculating the number of shift hours created. This facilitates reporting for hospitality companies and enables them to measure their progress towards impact goals.
Expanded support
“A job is one of the most transformative ways to help someone improve their life,” said Kenzie Vath, Pacific Hospitality Group’s vice president of strategic partnerships. “By purchasing through Procure Impact, we get quality products and know that our company is having a lasting impact in our communities by creating job opportunities for people who wouldn’t otherwise have access to work.”
“At Atrium, we take social and environmental responsibility very seriously and see it as a business imperative because of the significant correlation to the lives and health of the communities we serve,” said Chris O‘Donnell, Atrium Hospitality’s COO. “We are committed to providing an unparalleled vacation experience. Procure Impact helps us elevate the guest experience with wonderful products that inspire and delight our customers.”
“We firmly believe that a strong sense of community is essential,” said Daniel del Olmo, Sage Hospitality Group’s president. “For the past 40 years, Sage has been dedicated to making an impact in the neighborhoods where we live, work and play, and we are honored to partner with Procure Impact as we double down on our commitment to lead with purpose and accelerate our impact.”
The American Hotel & Lodging Association's 2024 State of the Hotel Industry report recently indicated a robust outlook for the U.S. hotel industry in 2024, with average hotel occupancy anticipated to approach nearly 63.6 percent.
