DUBAI: Today, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), hosted its first ‘Innovation Camp’ in collaboration with INJAZ Al-Arab, the MENA regional office of JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide, providing 50 high school students an opportunity to participate in an innovative challenge based on finding sustainable solutions for the hospitality industry.  The UAE challenge is one of nine identical competitions that IHG will be conducting across the world, as part of the company’s global campaign to drive youth interest in the industry and in IHG as an employer of choice.

The winners of each regional challenge will present their ideas at a global final competition which will be held virtually on Earth Day on April 22, 2020. The winning concept could potentially be implemented at select IHG hotels.

Hosted at voco Dubai, an IHG hotel with sustainability at its heart, the challenge saw students aged 15-18 from the Dubai American Academy (DAA) working together to create a sustainable hotel room concept. Students worked in collaboration with IHG volunteers and experts, who provided mentorship and support to them as they developed inspiring and innovative solutions. The ideas were presented to a panel of judges including, Thomas Dillon, founder of the Plastic Free UAE project and Director of digitalfarm, Kaitlynn Simmonds, School Coordinator for Azraq, and Amanda Rushforth, Content Creator and Environmental Advocate, and senior executives from IHG. The winning team consisted of 6 students who will move on to the global virtual finals.

Commenting on the initiative, Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG, said “The Innovation Camp is an exciting global initiative for IHG to showcase to young talent the career opportunities and progression offered by the hospitality industry. We are pleased to host the first event in the UAE, which has a thriving hospitality landscape and is leading the way in sustainability for the region. Our collaboration with JA Worldwide and INJAZ Al-Arab, has provided students the opportunity to gain valuable insight into the hospitality industry and we are thrilled to see such innovative ideas come out of the challenge today. Nurturing young talent is at the heart of this global initiative and it was inspiring to see the passion and enthusiasm from students in today’s competition.”

In the UAE, IHG is committed to support Emiratization with a focus on enabling young local talent to explore their professional future within the hospitality sector. Last year, IHG hosted the ‘First Look’ experiential learning and job shadowing event in Dubai in collaboration with INJAZ Al-Arab and showcased the vast career opportunities offered by the hospitality sector, encouraging students to make informed decisions about their future career paths.

Globally, as part of its True Hospitality for Good flagship programme, IHG works with JA Worldwide to support young talent considering a career in the hospitality sector.

- Ends-

Media Enquiries:  

Ankita Chopra  
Communications Manager, IMEA  
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)  
Tel: +971 4 213 6502   
Email: ankita.chopra@ihg.com   
Kaitlin Marrin 

Senior Account Manager 
Hill+Knowlton Strategies 
Tel: +971 553 02 4146 
Email: kaitlin.marrin@hkstrategies.com   

IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organisation with a broad portfolio of hotel brands, including Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton® Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo®, EVEN® Hotels, HUALUXE® Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, voco™, Holiday Inn® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Holiday Inn Club Vacations®, avid™ hotels, Staybridge Suites®, Atwell Suites™, and Candlewood Suites®.   

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns nearly 5,800 hotels and approximately 865,000 guest rooms in more than 100 countries, with over 1,900 hotels in its development pipeline. IHG also manages IHG® Rewards Club, our global loyalty programme, which has more than 100 million enrolled members.     

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group’s holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales. More than 400,000 people work across IHG’s hotels and corporate offices globally.  

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.ihgrewardsclub.com for more on IHG Rewards Club. For our latest news, visit: www.ihgplc.com/media and follow us on social media at: https://twitter.com/ihgcorporate , www.facebook.com/ihgcorporate  and www.linkedin.com/company/intercontinental-hotels-group .   

© Press Release 2020

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