LONDON — During Global Entrepreneurship Week (November 18-24, 2019), Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts announced the launch of a partnership with the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN). As the first exclusive hospitality partner for GEN, select Crowne Plaza properties around the world will be the new hubs of Startup Huddle monthly meetups, a program designed to help entrepreneurs while strengthening the local ecosystem, providing easier access to spaces for entrepreneurs to collaborate, problem-solve, and inspire one another.
The Crowne Plaza brand is in the midst of a global evolution and expansion, with six new flagship hotels opening in the United States, Europe, and China by early 2020. The brand’s new hallmark design innovations include Plaza Workspace, a co-working lobby design concept that includes flexible workspaces, breakout areas, and The Studio, a bookable-by-the-hour meeting space. Through the new partnership, select Crowne Plaza hotels will offer GEN’s 15,000 members discounted or complimentary access to these spaces for collaboration.
Connecting in-person is more important than ever before for entrepreneurs and startups, according to the 2019 Global Startup Ecosystem Report by Startup Genome and GEN. The report recently revealed that higher scores for “local connectedness” translated to more successful startups and to stronger entrepreneurship ecosystems. Specifically, those entrepreneurs who had high levels of “local connectedness” grow their revenue two times as fast as those with low local connectedness.
“We are proud to partner with GEN to support and provide a home for the next generation of entrepreneurs around the world,” said Libby Escolme, global vice president, Crowne Plaza. “This partnership comes at the perfect time for the Crowne Plaza brand as we expand our new flexible lobby and room designs in flagship properties around the world.”
The Crowne Plaza brand’s sponsorship of Startup Huddle kicked off on November 19, 2019, during Global Entrepreneurship Week with an event at the brand’s newly transformed Americas flagship, the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter hotel at Ravinia. Jonathan Ortmans, founder and president of GEN, and Meredith Latham, vice president of Crowne Plaza, Americas, hosted the event, which took a close look at the startup scene in Atlanta and how great design fuels creativity and collaboration. Several events at Crowne Plaza properties around the world are also being planned for 2020.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Crowne Plaza brand in helping foster healthier ecosystems for entrepreneurs from all backgrounds to thrive,” Ortmans said. “Local startup ecosystems need connectivity and density—the vibrant atmosphere of the new Crowne Plaza lobby concept offers a home for entrepreneurs to collaborate and build community. The Crowne Plaza brand is an early adaptor in recognizing the important role they can play and we look forward to seeing more of our programs and communities leveraging their local Crowne Plaza hotel as a hub for community innovation and growth.”
