Industry Spotlight Falls On Women's Issues

Dallas — The American Business Women's Association has selected Wyndham International as its official hotel company, another coup for a meetings supplier that is attracting attention for its awareness of women's issues.

Wyndham has been operating Women on Their Way, an outreach program aimed at women's groups, since 1995. However, the partnership with Kansas City-based ABWA brings the effort into the spotlight because the organization represents nearly 60,000 active members from 23 different industries, more than any other businesswomen's organization.

As official hotel company for ABWA, Wyndham contractually is guaranteed to be the group's first-choice hotel in its communications to its members. The members are not obliged to use the chain's hotels, although they get a number of perks for doing so.

"Wyndham seems very tuned in to the needs of women travelers, thereby making it easy and attractive to us to partner with them," said Carolyn Bufton Elman, AWBA's CEO. "Anybody who is paying particular attention to the needs of women is of interest to us."

Those needs, as revealed in a survey by the New York University (NYU) School of Hospitality, Tourism and Travel Administration, range from the simple matter of providing healthier options in mini-bars and on room-service menus, to core issues like the subjective but important concern of treating women with respect and satisfying safety and security needs. For example, a courtesy call is now placed to guests in order to alert them that room service is on the way, allowing them to prepare for the delivery.

Officials of the organizations that have aligned with Wyndham say the company shows a deep commitment to and awareness of these issues that is beyond the norm for hotel companies.

"They've figured out that women are very relationship-oriented," said Elman. "If I can go to a place where they at least have a perception of knowing me, I'm going to return there."

Other benefits for the partner organizations include:

Special negotiated mid-week corporate rates.

Eligibility to receive 500 airline miles with every qualifying mid-week stay.

A $10 Wyndham donation to their association when members register for Wyndham ByRequest, a guest recognition program devoted to personalized, responsive service

A tailored Internet booking page that allows members to automatically book at the member's rate.

Additional Wyndham partners include the National Association of Women Business Owners, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, LPGA Golf Clinics, Business and Professional Women/USA and Back on Track America.

An advisory board composed of a representative from each partner organization and leaders from various industries was formed in 1996 to track trends in women's business travel and provide feedback and recommendations on these changing needs.

Based on this feedback, a recently decided change is the introduction of the Golden Door Bath Care Collection at all Wyndham hotels by April. The collection is a sampling of amenities inspired by the Wyndham-owned Golden Door Spa in Escondido, Calif., that was used to determine product scents and in-room presentation, factors found to be of high importance to female business travelers.

Another Women on Their Way component is the Awards Program. Initially a "best travel tips" award, it was modified in 2001 to honor those who exemplify "women on their way" through their achievements, cause-related outreach and life philosophy.

This program component is especially relevant to women, as the NYU survey found that 40 percent of all women business travelers are either the sole or primary wage earner for their household.

Wyndham also offers financial support to Women on Their Way partners.

"Associations are non-profit organizations, and every non-profit needs funding," said Cary Jehl Broussard, vice president of marketing for Women on Their Way, which she was instrumental in developing. "We ask what their needs are and help not only to attract members, but also to assist with scholarships and funding of special events."

Should a partner organization need to book a special guest speaker for a national or annual meeting, Wyndham may help fund that, for example.

Cindy Schneible, vice president of cause-related marketing and sponsorship for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, said financial support is one of her organization's two main criteria for business partnerships.

"When we look to develop a relationship with a corporate partner, we make sure it can reach a large and diverse audience in order to raise awareness about breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment," Schneible said. "A second requirement is that the company can raise money to aid our programs. The relationship has been hugely successful on both fronts. What benefits women benefits all travelers."

Wyndham and Komen began a program called Dream for the Cure in 1999. Each October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, guests receive specially designed pillow cards, educating them on breast cancer issues and providing an opportunity to make a contribution directly to the foundation.

During the month, Wyndham also donates $10 to Komen on behalf of each new enrollee in Wyndham ByRequest.

Broussard said Wyndham's goal for Women on Their Way is "to seek out organizations that support women's business, health and social issues," and the newest partner, ABWA "certainly fits that criterion. We make sure the companies we partner with have a proven track record of supporting women. It's much worse to go out and support an organization that does not back up what we do" than to not attempt to form such partnerships at all.

Founded in 1949 by Elman's father, Hilary A. Bufton Jr., ABWA was the first organization to provide working women with career support opportunities through growth, education, leadership and recognition. Likewise, Wyndham was the first hotel brand to dedicate an entire program and department to the emerging female business travel market. And it has paid off.

Wyndham has seen its percentage of women business travelers increase from 19 percent in 1997 to 35 percent today. In comparison, other hotel companies on average get about 20 percent of their business travel volume from women, according to the NYU reseach results.

Sponsoring research is another important component to Wyndham's program. The company is a partner in the NYU research, and Broussard serves as chair of MPI's Women's Leadership Initiative (see accompanying story).

MPI research revealed that a current hot-button issue in the industry is work/life balance, something Women on Their Way has addressed all along.

Broussard noted, though, that male and female issues have come closer together during the past five months. Men value family time, flex time and home issues much more than ever. For women, those items have always been important.

Further research on the changing needs of women business travelers, conducted by NYU, is scheduled for release later this year.