IHG Hotels & Resorts has launched an APAC chapter of its LGBTQIA+ employee resource group, Out & Open, to provide a platform for staff to participate in focused conversations and activities and support their local community.
Launched locally on Wear It Purple Day last year (25 August 2023), the Out & Open network is open to everyone in the wider IHG family, including the head office and those working in hotels across the APAC region, such as the soon-to-open InterContinental Lifou Wadra Bay Resort in New Caledonia.
People from the wider IHG community are invited to become ‘Friends’ of Out & Open, rather than members, with 75 Friends already on board since launching.
As a new employee resource group and the first in the APAC region, Out & Open is building its strategy and activity calendar from the ground up in consultation with its Friends.
Planned activities include community volunteering, acting as a hotel resource for FAQs and issues and social events – such as supporting Mardi Gras Auckland Pride and Queer Film festivals.
IHG already has Out & Open chapters in the Americas, Europe and the Philippines with Japan and South-East Asia networks to follow Australasia in 2024.
Out & Open in APAC
IHG Head of Corporate Affairs – Japan, Australasia & the Pacific (JAPAC) and Out & Open Co-Chair Chris Waite said he’s proud of a place where everyone feels genuinely welcome.
“It goes beyond just providing a space for LGBTQIA+ colleagues and allies to connect; it’s a platform for positive change, community engagement and helping our business and industry become even more diverse, fair and inclusive. We want everyone to bring their true selves to work every day.”
IHG SVP & Managing Director – JAPAC and Out & Open Executive Sponsor Leanne Harwood added: “As much as we’re excited to launch this network and make a difference, we also look forward to a world where such networks are not needed because every individual, regardless of their background or identity, is celebrated and respected without question.”
“But we recognise that we’re not entirely there yet and, for now, we are immensely pleased and proud to be using the power of community to make a positive impact together.
“There’s an incredible energy within Out & Open and no one knows how to have fun like this vibrant community!”
Find out more here.
