IHG, whose meetings-focused brands include InterContinental, Kimpton, Regent, and Crowne Plaza, has announced a partnership with Wellness 4 Humanity to provide and administer rapid on-site covid testing for corporate and association meetings at more than 70 properties in the United States. Further, the company will soon have testing capabilities at several of its Canadian properties.
Earlier in March, Accor Hotels rolled out an on-site testing program for business events, while Hilton and Marriott did so at the beginning of 2021. Details of those programs can be found here.
IHG’s effort is part of its larger blueprint for hosting meetings of up to 50 attendees simultaneously at several of its locations, connected to each other and to virtual attendees through hybrid-meeting technology. In addition to cleanliness and health-safety protocols, other elements of the company’s Meet with Confidence program include a hybrid-technology platform common to all participating hotels as well as a menu of food-and-beverage options available for delivery to virtual attendees through Williams-Sonoma. Those meetings also qualify for short-form contracts containing no cancellation fee and no attrition fees for rooms that were not booked.
