LOS ANGELES and BETHESDA, MD - The nature of work is changing: it's mobile, fast-paced and global. While most people demand choice and control to work when and how they want, wherever they are, working remotely doesn't always offer consistent options when it comes to access, comforts and convenience.
Marriott Hotels & Resorts, the flagship brand of Marriott International (NYSE:MAR); Steelcase, the world's leading workplace experience provider; and global design and innovation consultancy, IDEO, today announced a collaboration to design, create and test innovative concepts and solutions for the future of work and meetings in hotels. The collaboration comes to life this week as a showcase of these potential solutions is unveiled at the Marriott Hotels & Resorts Global General Manager Conference in Los Angeles.
"By 2013, almost 35 percent of the global workforce will work without an office. We are designing hotels for a new generation that is used to working how, where and often times whenever they want," said Paul Cahill, senior vice president, Brand Management, Marriott Hotels & Resorts. "Marriott Hotels & Resorts is the leader in hospitality, and no one understands the changing nature of work better than Steelcase. Together, along with IDEO, we are excited to collaborate on the Future of Work, a working innovation lab designed to create solutions that innovate, elevate and evolve the hotel work experience."
The Future of Work Innovation Co-Labs at the General Mangers Conference showcases ten prototypes that create new technology, space, and service experiences for meetings and work. Marriott Hotels & Resorts general managers are experiencing the prototypes, offering immediate feedback, and ultimately helping 'co-create' meeting experiences of the future in real time.
"People need environments that help them innovate and inspire them to do great work," said Mark Greiner, chief experience officer, Steelcase. "With business executives working remotely more frequently, work has to go where they go. By bringing choice and control to a hosted-meeting environment, Steelcase, Marriott Hotels & Resorts and IDEO are delivering an unparalleled proposition for today and tomorrow's global worker."
Today's work is more global and more social, and a new generation of workers demand and expect solutions that enable them to be untethered and collaborative. With the first phase of this collaboration under way, Marriott Hotels & Resorts demonstrates its deep commitment to re-imagining hospitality for a new generation of global travelers.
Marriott, Steelcase and IDEO Collaborate on Future of Meetings
