InnFocus Fall 2021

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end up in landfill,” says Rodgers. “We do our homework and we know what we’re doing with used items and before we buy new ones we know the answer. It’s not out of sight out of mind for us. Sustainability is an obligation, not just an expectation, and is second nature to us.” Providing Guests with Resources to be Sustainable The team at Best Western Plus Kamloops also makes sure to try to buy local when it comes to food, and provides other options for guests that align with sustainable best practices, such as using shampoo dispensers in the washrooms and having a saltwater pool that doesn’t require chemicals. Recycling programs are fairly standard in most hotels now, with easily recognizable blue bins in the rooms or communal spaces. At Pemberton Valley Lodge, a five Green Key property, the team believes in guests being active participants in sustainable initiatives. “We went further each year,” says GM David MacKenzie. “When we started in-room composting we wondered if it would take off, but people in BC and from the Lower Mainland are excellent stewards of the environment and it comes naturally to them. Even without instructions from the housekeeper we had guests embracing it and being participants.” Providing alternative transport options is another way to allow guests to take part in sustainable programs. From electric car charging stations 20 <strong>InnFocus</strong> People in BC and from the Lower Mainland are excellent stewards of the environment and it comes naturally to them to providing mountain bikes to explore the great outdoors, guests are given alternatives to enjoy the local area. Green Key Programs Recognitions such as the national Green Key program allow hotels to easily show guests that they have reached a specific standard of sustainability. Awarded out of five keys, Pemberton Valley Lodge began with three keys and made it their mission to reach five. “When we had our first assessment, we got three Green Keys and the management team wanted to make changes,” says MacKenzie. “We’re based in a beautiful mountain resort town and want to preserve that. The Green Key program makes suggestions on how to improve so we were able to do that for further assessments. Guests embraced that we had made that commitment and it has that guest recognition.” Green Key programs are also recognized by corporate clients looking for hotels that align with their corporate values, and individual guests respond to recognitions such as TripAdvisor’s Green Hotel program. Investing in greener options and choosing sustainable best practices has shown to help grow confidence in hotel brands and sow a more sustainable future for the beautiful BC destinations that bring visitors to the region.
Leader of the Future: Jorin McSween, Sales and Marketing Executive for JW Marriott Parq Vancouver and The DOUGLAS, an Autograph Collection Hotel by Jacquie Maynard At first, Jorin McSween, Sales and Marketing Executive for JW Marriott Parq Vancouver and The DOUGLAS, an Autograph Collection Hotel, in Vancouver, wasn’t sure where he wanted to be in his career. “All I knew was that I wanted to have a job where I got to meet people, have a good time, and help people enjoy themselves.” Fortunately for him, he’s found it. Hands-on Experience Starting at square one, McSween found himself in the University of Fraser Valley’s Hospitality and Event Management program, where he says he learned a lot but yearned for more hands-on experience. It was at his first job in the industry as an intern at a Four Seasons where he finally got a taste for what a career in hospitality would look like. “It was amazing seeing so many people whose brains worked the same way mine did. I was so excited to find that it was an actual niche that existed,” McSween says. “They really are an industry of daymakers and I wanted to be part of that.” Right away, he was hooked. Not only does he love sharing his home city of Vancouver with visitors, but even if guests aren’t travelling for a happy reason, he can still give them a soft place to land and feel at home. “It leans into what my mind naturally does,” he explains. “I have a good memory for details, and so much of it is just getting to know people.” As he moved along to other positions, his passion for the industry grew. He says that while he loved working as a concierge, eventually sales and marketing began to draw his attention when he saw how the marketing team was in more of a steering position at the hotel and involved in different types of conversations that he wanted to be involved in too. “I always found a way to stick my nose into the marketing and sales office, which was probably annoying for a while,” he laughs. “It was so valuable, though, and gave me a chance to learn.” Opening Vancouver’s Newest Luxury Resort When McSween was hired to be on the opening team of the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver, he says that it was his ability to make his potential boss laugh via LinkedIn messages that got him the job. He fit into the company culture right away and worked his way up the ranks to where he is now. It wasn’t necessarily a typical journey, however, since the JW Marriott Parq Vancouver is an 800,000 square-foot resort—like a city within a city. Internationally recognized, and with the largest hotel ballroom in Western Canada, McSween and the team had plenty of opportunities to show off their skills organizing and executing many grand events. His pride and joy, however, is The DOUGLAS Hotel, a part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, meant to highlight the distinctive personality and style of the city it resides in. “It was designed to represent Vancouver, to be authentic to the city and to us,” he says. “We built it from the ground up so we really got to visualize how we wanted it and got to put our own personality into it.” Unfortunately, less than three years later, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the doors to close, but now that restrictions are beginning to lift, he says that he is looking forward to reintroducing The DOUGLAS to the city and finding ways to breathe life back into their beautiful resort. Best Part of the Job Sure, it may be nice to spend your workdays at one of the fanciest resorts in town, but for McSween, it’s the people that make him love his job. Whether it’s little things like having the perfect complimentary gift waiting for a guest in their room or planning a huge event two years down the road, he just loves being a day-maker. “My favourite part is making a connection with people and sharing the city with them,” he describes. “The sales world has goals and numbers to meet, which is rewarding in its own way, but the really rewarding thing, for me, is having a genuine conversation.” Putting together a travel package or a carefully crafted stay and experience for a guest not only makes the guest happy but makes McSween feel like he’s in the right place as well. “I’ve made a point to pursue things that have sparked genuine excitement and curiosity in me and it’s meant everything for my career journey.” Photo credit: Sova Photography (IG @Sova.photography) <strong>InnFocus</strong> 21
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