Interview with Kimpton Hotels' Steve Pinetti

San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels has led the hospitality industry in practicing sustainability at its boutique properties throughout the U.S. and Canada. Recently, Steve Pinetti, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Kimpton, talked to us about green meetings, event trends and the perils of recycling faced by lovers of red wine.

What is Kimpton's "EarthCare" commitment? What has been the response of groups and meeting planners?

Pinetti: Since Kimpton's inception in 1981, environmental responsibility has been a part of how we do business. We formally combined our sustainable efforts in 2005 to create EarthCare, which currently comprises over 40 environmentally friendly practices and policies ranging from back-of-house procedures to in-room amenities. For example, Kimpton was the first hotel company to introduce in-room recycling bins brand-wide and remove phone books, making them available only by request. We also use eco-friendly cleaning products, low-flow water conservation systems and work with our charitable partner, The Trust For Public Land, to preserve parks for people.

We have had a very positive response from companies and meeting planners. Our corporate clients are becoming increasingly interested in hosting events that are environmentally friendly and working with sustainable companies. For example, we recently worked with Microsoft, a fellow eco-minded partner, to create a distinctive travel program that offers discounted rates for Microsoft travelers with a portion of the room proceeds to benefit The Trust for Public Land.

For many meeting planners, transport seems to be the biggest challenge to lessening a meeting's carbon footprint. How does Kimpton help planners burn less gasoline at their events?

Pinetti: Unfortunately, there still aren’t a lot of easy ways to reduce our impact when we travel. This is a challenge for all of us. However, some ways we help reduce event-related transportation include sourcing local ingredients and products where possible, providing on-premise educational or social breaks and arranging shared airport transfers. Also at our newest hotel in L.A., the Hotel Palomar works with a transportation company that only uses hybrid vehicles − and in New York we promote the use of Pedicabs and a company called EcoLimo for hybrid airport transportation. Finally, in Boston we make bikes available to guests, which have proven to be a huge success for those who want to get around town with no carbon impact.

We are noticing a trend of smaller meetings, focused on essential business attendance within local markets to lessen land and air travel. Not only does this reduce event cost, but has a positive impact on an event's carbon footprint.

Is the advent of $4 gasoline making people more aware of energy use and environmental concerns generally?

Pinetti: Absolutely. Conservation has become a hot topic not only in our industry, across the board. People now routinely consider their environmental impact, in the home and at work. This heightened environmental consciousness helps everyone and of course the planet because people are more aware of leaving lights on, running water, recycling their waste, etc. This is the type of top-of-mind awareness we hope to continue to develop both internally and with our customers.

What amenities are popular among meeting guests and others these days?

Pinetti: In today's business environment, it's all about value adds. Whether our guests are leisure travelers or event attendees, they appreciate the attention we pay to detail, style and their preferences. Thoughtful elements such as a complimentary nightly wine hour, a game of twister as an event ice-breaker, or a mid-afternoon yoga session during a conference, demonstrate the unique personality of our hotels and the creativity we hope to inspire.

Have you spotted any recent trends, especially green ones?

Pinetti: Eco-friendly meeting options are growing in demand every day. At Kimpton, our "Great Meetings, Great Causes" promotion, which offers social responsibility incentives to planners, saw such tremendous success, we decided to extend the offer beyond its expiration, on an individual property basis. Specifically, we’ve seen an increase in paperless meetings, making the use of a/v, laptops and flash drives very popular. There is also a higher sensitivity toward the consumption of bottled water. In response to this heightened awareness, we’ve started a program to only source bottled water within the U.S. and encourage the use of water pitchers, whenever possible.

We have recently seen a trend in small meetings such as break-out groups and brainstorming sessions. Kimpton's meeting facilities offer a variety of non-traditional layout and design options, ideal for accommodating these smaller groups.

Active meetings are also popular right now. Planners are looking for more creative activities that fulfill new goals such as team bonding and the improvement of group skill sets. These distinctive event elements also create lasting memories that carry on well beyond the meeting.

What's around the corner at Kimpton? Are there any new initiatives in the offing for green meetings or sustainability in general?

Pinetti: We are always working behind-the-scenes at Kimpton to roll out new sustainable practices. The latest EarthCare extension has been in the form of organic and paraben-free spa products that we recently introduced to our in-room spa treatments, known as Mind.Body.Spa.

In the meetings arena, it is our top priority to stay ahead of the industry by offering planners competitive options with the flexibility required to raise the bar with every event we host. For example, we just re-launched Kimpton's "Pick-Your-Perks " promotion, which is an
incentive program that was initially introduced with much success in 2002. We have revamped this program to include new discounts and perks that speak to the current business environment.

The bottom line is that we recognize that being “sustainable” is really about moving in the “right” direction, constantly reassessing what we are doing, and taking action where possible to lessen our environmental impact. We are always looking at new initiatives and ways we can be better.

What does it mean to you personally to work with a hotel brand that takes a leadership role in sustainable practices? Also, what do you do in your personal life to stay "green?"

Pinetti: I’m proud to be spearheading this initiative as it touches every employee, guest, booker of business, vendor and supplier with which we work. Kimpton has really never undertaken such a major, far reaching effort, especially one with such importance to all of our businesses, families and the world in which we live.

Personally I moved into the city from the suburbs, sold my car and ride the bus or walk. I recycle at home, spend my money at stores, from groceries to clothing, which share my same eco-values as well as donate personal time to supporting local eco-events. One big problem I have at home is that now by separating all of the bottles from the trash, it is a bit too obvious that I love my red wine.

Another great side benefit is that we are working with two local high schools as "guides" in the starting up local “Eco Clubs” for their schools.

One similarity I think you'll find with every Kimpton employee is that our commitment to community inspires us to do the best possible job. We work with passion and take pride in the way we do business.

Meeting planners can choose to donate $100 to charities when they book Kimpton meetings. Kimpton has partnered with The Trust for Public Land, Red Ribbon Campaign and Dress for Success. Why did Kimpton pick these particular charities, and what do they do?

Pinetti: We offer several charitable incentives for meeting planners including special booking codes, unused amenity, food and beverage donations and event attendee donation programs. As a company, we choose three primary non-profit partners to work with throughout the year where we can have a greater impact on their success and maximize our partnership.
The Trust for Public Land helps to conserve green spaces across America for people to enjoy as parks, gardens and other community spaces. As a company that is committed to sustainable business, our work with them allows us a greater area of impact on bettering the environment.

Dress For Success offers underprivileged women the tools they need to re-enter the workforce, from clothing to education and skill training, a cause that our company is incredibly passionate about and has a tremendous impact on the future of the workforce.

The Red Ribbon campaign helps various organizations across the country in the fight against HIV/AIDS to raise money and awareness for research and treatment options.

Anything we haven't asked about that you'd like to mention?

Pinetti: A successful meeting begins by communicating your goals and ambitions. If we can achieve our goal of creating mutual partnerships with our customers, we’ll be able to learn from them and take action in the areas where they would like to see improvement. We enjoy the creative process of finding new ways to make those visions a reality. The sky is the limit.