NORWALK, Connecticut—Shatterproof will host its seventh annual Hospitality Heroes Reception at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) on January 23, 2024, from 6:30 – 7:45 p.m. at the J.W. Marriott in Los Angeles. The reception will honor Mark Hoplamazian, president and CEO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, who has been integral in uniting hospitality leaders to raise awareness and shatter the stigma surrounding addiction. The event will raise funds to support Shatterproof’s efforts to transform how addiction is treated in the United States. Hoplamazian and Hyatt have been supporters of Shatterproof and its mission to end the addiction crisis. Most recently, Hyatt was the Exclusive Presenting Sponsor for Shatterproof’s annual walk in Chicago, where Hyatt is headquartered.
In 2023, Hyatt and more than 60 hospitality companies joined together to sponsor the event in support of Shatterproof’s mission and its founder and CEO, Gary Mendell, a former hotelier who served as the chairman of HEI Hotels & Resorts. The event raised more than $2 million to drive solutions to addiction and this public health crisis in the United States.
The involvement of Hyatt will create scalable solutions to help families recover from addiction. Studies have shown the hospitality industry is impacted by substance use disorders at two times the rate of other industries, which makes Shatterproof’s mission relevant to Hoplamazian and Hyatt’s purpose.
“I am so pleased to honor Mark Hoplamazian this year. I could not be more grateful for his commitment to end the devastation caused by the disease of addiction and save more lives,” said Mendell. “His leadership is making a profound impact toward reducing the stigma of addiction and bringing much-needed changes that will lower the high rates of addiction within the hospitality industry. Having Hyatt as a leader in supporting this cause will bring change, and we hope it will encourage other companies to join forces with us.”
Mendell founded Shatterproof ten years ago after losing his son to the stigma of addiction. His goal was to ensure that other families didn’t have to experience the same pain and heartbreak he went through. Since its founding, more than 100 hotel companies and 500 employees have raised more than $5 million to help advance Shatterproof’s mission.
“I am humbled and honored to receive the Shatterproof Hospitality Hero Award and recognize the tremendous opportunity for the hospitality industry to bring awareness to such an important cause,” said Hoplamazian. “True to our purpose of care, Hyatt is proud to support this work, especially in consideration of how significantly the hospitality industry at large is impacted by substance use disorders.”
