Dan welcomes Paul McElroy, Executive Vice President of Design and Construction at Lucid, Highgate’s in-house design studio, onto today’s episode where they dive into the transformative power of sustainability within the hospitality industry. Paul emphasizes the critical role of small changes and conversations, the significance of detailed project management, and the impactful lessons learned from challenging construction projects. The conversation conveys how vulnerability and resilience shape professional approaches and industry-wide improvements. The duo also explores how pioneering figures and companies are integrating sustainable practices, stressing the necessity of these efforts to become standard operations due to regulatory and market pressures. 

Takeaways: 

• Embedding sustainability into projects from the kickoff meeting ensures that objectives are clear and incorporated into the workflow from the beginning.
• Integrate sustainability metrics and waste management plans into RFP processes to ensure accountability and commitment from contractors and vendors from the start.
• Show up with authenticity and vulnerability. This approach breaks down barriers and builds stronger, more genuine relationships with peers and partners.
• Set clear, audacious goals and communicate the “why” behind initiatives. This helps to align and motivate teams around shared objectives.
• Work collaboratively with contractors and vendors, bringing them on the journey rather than dictating from above. Understanding their challenges and working together to solve them can result in more sustainable and feasible solutions.
• Recognize and utilize the power of collective effort. Mobilize your organization and partners to join in the sustainable mission, thereby amplifying the impact.
• Be open to changing course based on what you learn along the way. Healthy friction and iterative improvements can lead to significant advances in sustainability practices.

Quote of the Show:

“It's very important that a hotel exhibits extreme hospitality to their guests, but I think hospitality extends way beyond the four walls of a hotel.” - Paul McElroy

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-mcelroy-3387954a/ 
• Website: https://www.luciddevelopmentgroup.com/ 
• Website: https://www.highgate.com/ 

Shout Outs:

• So and So Bar https://www.soandsosbar.com/ 
• MindClick https://www.mindclick.com/ 
• Hilton Hawaiian Village https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/hnlhvhh-hilton-hawaiian-village-waikiki-beach-resort/ 
• Alohi Lani https://www.alohilaniresort.com/ 
• BDNY https://bdny.com/ 
• Hyatt Regency San Francisco https://www.hyatt.com/hyatt-regency/en-US/sfors-hyatt-regency-san-francisco 
• Kara Swisher https://www.linkedin.com/in/kara-swisher-b7213/ 
• US Green Building Council https://www.usgbc.org/ 
• Hotel Marcel https://www.hotelmarcel.com/ 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419
• Transistor: https://www.defininghospitality.live/