TRENDING
MORE THAN A
PHOTO OP
By BARBARA BOHN , MANAGING EDITOR
For hotel companies , creating experiences increasingly means tapping into a guest ’ s impulse to participate meaningfully with the destination — along with providing a bucket-list experience .
In October , safari and lodge manager Singita held a five-day experience for a small group of women runners . For a donation of US $ 15,000 , the hotel ’ s conservation nonprofit and Brave , a regional running nonprofit , held a three-day , 90- km run across the Serengeti — at a pace and distance chosen by the women , who were accompanied by armed anti-poaching guards scouting for buffalo and lions . Also included : a fun run and career day with local schoolgirls . Funds benefited local female empowerment programs . Singita Marketing Manager Lindy Rousseau says Singita ’ s nonprofit programs are part of the company ’ s business model . “ They ’ re not voyeuristic , ‘ come and see how girls live in the Serengeti and make a donation ’ programs — they are programs that are real and delivering outcomes that will make us sustainable ,” she says .
The goal was 12 runners for the event , which went to market in April 2018 and was held that October . Ten joined , including a couple of sponsored runners to help promote future events . For the next event , in October , the goal is 18 paying runners , who can choose how far they want to run per day .
A five-day experience included a three-day run in the Serengeti and a fun run with local girls ( above ).
“ It ’ s not a race , it ’ s a journey ,” Rousseau says . “ That ’ s something we learned we need to communicate more as well ” — because 90 km might be daunting to some . Planning the event included ensuring medical assistance , hiring guards and vehicles and creating an online payment portal .
What is Rousseau doing differently ? Seeking a headline sponsor to mitigate costs . And while the hotel based projections on double occupancy , some runners wanted privacy . Last year ’ s mobile tented camp will be replaced by a larger camp , a bigger financial outlay . And there may be opportunities for partners to join at the beginning or end of the run .
With staff time and other expenses , including 20 % to hard costs of outfitting the runners and paying for flights of the sponsored runners , probably tops the total that went to the nonprofit ( Rousseau declined to give dollar figures ).
There were some unexpected outcomes , she says : All the disparate parties , from the culturally Tanzanian anti-poaching scouts to photographers and videographers to the women themselves , developed “ incredible bonds ,” Rousseau says . “ You realize the power of bringing a group of people together with a common purpose that is so meaningful , how that unites people . People from all different walks of life , and all different .”
14 hotelsmag . com March 2019