Challenge
In today’s competitive travel
industry, delivering high-quality relevant experiences that connect deeply with
customers is essential. Exploring new business models and speed to innovation are also
key. As a renowned industry innovator, Marriott International knew a spirit of
experimentation and adaptability is essential for finding and nurturing new ideas. But
cultivating that kind of free-spirited, adventurous energy can be hard to do on your
own, and quickly.
As a part of our existing
relationship with Marriott, we explored ways to co-innovate scalable solutions and
invited start up incubator 1776 to join us. Together, we created a unique program to
help Marriott tap into a network of startups to discover new technologies that could
identify new opportunities and reinvent their guest
experience. The
program: The
Travel Experience Incubator.
The Travel Experience Incubator
"We see The Travel Experience
Incubator as an opportunity to fuel promising startups focused on game-changing
innovation for the industry."
– STEPHANIE
LINNARTZ, Global Chief Commercial Officer – Marriott International
Strategy and solution
Establishing an ecosystem with creative possibilities
The program began with a challenge
to identify promising startups and their game-changing solutions. Over a 12-week period,
a team of experts from Accenture, Marriott, and 1776 guided the diverse group of
selected startups as they developed, validated, and tested their pioneering travel and
hospitality solutions. Accenture co-created a custom curriculum, facilitated a
mentorship program, and provided strategy, technology, and design support.
The startup ideas ranged across
everything from loyalty programs, to improved booking processes, to VIP experiences, to
maximizing local activities during a hotel stay. The culmination of the program: Demo
Day, where each startup pitched their solutions, with Marriott selecting the best to
take to market.
Travel Innovation with Marriott
See how Accenture created the
Travel Experience Incubator to help Marriott reinvent their guest
experience.
Transformation
Piloting purposeful solutions in less than 9 months
With more than 160 applications for
the Travel Experience Incubator Challenge, and the best seven selected for the
Incubator, Marriott acquired a host of exciting new travel ideas exceptionally quickly.
In less than nine months from program kick-off, they took forward six of the seven
solutions developed through the Incubator, with the intent to pilot the ideas, bringing
Marriott customers new and enhanced experiences in real-world scenarios.
One example of this was Marriott's
pilot with program finalist Hostmaker. The two companies worked to bring Marriott's
exacting standards to the London homeshare market, turning a potential industry threat
into an opportunity for growth – and offering customers the best of intimate travel
experiences they demand, with the quality that Marriott is known for. It’s proof of the
power of innovation – and evidence of the essential vitality that relevancy and
adaptability brings to a business.
Pictured Below:
Arne M. Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International, Inc., Stephanie Linnartz, Global Chief Commercial Officer at Marriott International, Inc., and Julie Sweet, Chief Executive Officer of Accenture, attend the Travel Experience Incubator Demo Day to judge the final solutions.
Arne M. Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Marriott International, Inc., Stephanie Linnartz, Global Chief Commercial Officer at Marriott International, Inc., and Julie Sweet, Chief Executive Officer of Accenture, attend the Travel Experience Incubator Demo Day to judge the final solutions.


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