quoteMay 2011 ACCESS Advantage


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Contact the team at ACCESS Destination Services for all of your destination management requirements throughout North America.

CSR: Holding Strong in 2011

Now that meetings are on the upswing and incentive programs are returning to all of our cities, we wondered if this would forestall CSR programming, but we are happy to report that CSR is preserving its valuable position within client programs and events. Overall, there are positive signs that CSR programs and social awareness continue to be part of the corporate meeting and incentive planners' values.

CSR BeforeOne of our first CSR events of 2011 holds a special place in our hearts because it was a surprise "Brush with Kindness" home painting and property beautification for a deployed serviceman due back home any day. His family, including his wife and three youngsters under 5 years old, was thrilled to have been selected by our team as the project beneficiary.

Our corporate client was ABC Supply Company, Inc., the largest wholesale distributor of roofing in the United States and one of the nation's largest distributors of siding, windows, and other exterior building products, tools and related supplies. This company, in town for an annual incentive program is no stranger to CSR initiatives; they regularly incorporate volunteerism within their program content. The patriotic company executives specifically desired a military beneficiary who could use a helping hand or, in this case, 130 pairs of hands! In fact, one of our client-driven directives was to source a military housing-related project that could accommodate 130 volunteer workers where all would be actively participating simultaneously rather than following a rotating workers/cheerleaders type format. Additional challenges included ensuring that there was adequate space for food and beverage and that travel time did not exceed 20 minutes from the hotel.

CSR BeforeProject components included painting the house and trim, cleaning the yard, planting flowers, securing the front fence and terracing the backyard. Special attention was given to mending the broken backyard fence so the kids could play and the family's pets were secure. Planter boxes for the yard completed the backyard upgrades. Each and every ABC Supply volunteer was precisely advance-matched with a task, based on choice of degree of difficulty, and our team had an on-site "fill in the gap" plan in place as well.

As the afternoon progressed, more and more excitement was generated resulting in a compassionate act of positive regard whereby the attendees spontaneously initiated and funded an on-site cash donation from their own pockets for the appreciative family. This highlight was the perfect ending to an afternoon event described by travel staff as a perfect match for this client. In the end, the ABC volunteers had put in a combined 450 man-hours to refurbish the house and yard for the grateful family!

This event was just one more positive sign that CSR programs and social awareness continue to be of fundamental importance to corporate meeting and incentive planners as companies strive to uphold and fulfill internal CSR values and initiatives. Talk to the team at ACCESS Destination Services about CSR special events and program components that continue to put meaning into meetings©.

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