Starwood loyalty programme introduces B2B points
Starwood Hotels & Resorts has launched SPG Pro, a customer loyalty programme for meeting & travel professionals.
The programme is an extension of the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) loyalty programme and is set to debut in October at Starwood’s nearly 1200 properties around the world.
The SPG Pro programme will offer meeting and travel professionals SPG elite status, upgrades and Starpoints for B2B business booked.
Starwood president and CEO Frits van Paasschen said: “The work that we’ve done to make SPG the richest elite program in the industry has proven that we can create true and lasting loyalty with our most profitable guests and shift share of wallet to our hotels.
“With SPG Pro, we’re focusing our powerful loyalty lens on B2B to cultivate ever stronger and more personal relationships with our global customers who deliver guests to our hotels.”
Going forward, SPG members who book a group stay, event, or corporate business meeting, regardless of whether they are a travel professional, will earn Starpoints and status for the business they influence.
Today, B2B accounts for nearly 70% of Starwood’s overall room revenue and is comprised of corporate travel, meetings and events and leisure and wholesale travel. According to Christie Hicks, SVP, Starwood Sales Organisation, the top 1% of accounts drives 40% of Starwood’s B2B revenue.
Hicks commented: “SPG Pro is a compelling way for Starwood to reward our global customers, provide more personalised service on property and really understand the totality of the business our partners influence.
“New global travel patterns are driving more corporate, leisure and meetings business than ever before and with each 1% share shift in this business, we add $80MM in revenue.”
The US $30 million launch of SPG Pro is Starwood’s largest and most expensive B2B marketing program in its history.
The campaign takes a ‘lifestlye’ approach instead of traditional B2B marketing, featuring behind-the scenes photos of meeting and travel professionals on the job, celebrating the dynamic roles they play on behalf of their companies, organisations and clients.
SPG Pro has been designed to leverage the strength of SPG, which today drives more than 50% of the company’s occupancy and continues to shift consumer business to Starwood hotels.