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IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) Expands
EMEA Quality Assurance Program
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World�s Largest Hotel Company Partners with LRA Worldwide
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BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, United Kingdom / HORSHAM, Pennsylvania; January 30, 2009 � IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has announced an expansion of its robust Quality Assurance program for all properties and brands in Europe, Middle East and Africa.  The program is designed to measure and enhance brand compliance and guest service delivery at 650 properties in EMEA; IHG has partnered with LRA Worldwide, Inc. on the initiative.
 
LRA, a leading provider of performance measurement services to the global hospitality industry, worked closely with IHG leadership to develop a customized evaluation protocol for six of IHG�s hotel brands in the region � InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Express by Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo and Staybridge Suites.  In all, LRA consultants will perform 1-2 evaluations annually at each hotel.
 
�I have worked with LRA for many years and have always been impressed.� explained Kirk Kinsell, President of, Europe, Middle East and Africa, IHG. �This program provides actionable insights.  We want our guests to love our hotels.  And we want them to make our hotels their first choice.  This program will help us deliver on that goal.�
 
�IHG recognizes that current global economic conditions require increased attention to quality,� said Rob Rush, CEO of LRA Worldwide. �Consumers are scrutinizing every dollar spent, and those companies that deliver what they promise in terms of service, product and even emotional well-being will persevere in these difficult times.�
 
Including IHG, LRA provides performance measurement services to seven of the top ten hotel companies in the world.  In all, LRA�s Quality Assurance practice conducts nearly 13,000 site visits and evaluations each year, either as a stand-alone offering or as an integrated part of an overall Customer Experience Management project.  In addition to its work with other lodging clients such as Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Sol Meliá Hotels & Resorts, Grupo Posadas, Pestana Hotels, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Wyndham Worldwide, LRA provides QA services to industry leaders in Sports, Conference Centers, Timeshare, Gaming, Homebuilding and Travel.

About IHG:
IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) is the world�s largest hotel group by number of rooms. IHG owns, manages, leases or franchises, through various subsidiaries, over 4,100 hotels and more than 600,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories around the world. The Group owns a portfolio of well recognised and respected hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites® and Candlewood Suites®, and also manages the world�s largest hotel loyalty programme, Priority Club® Rewards with 40 million members worldwide.  IHG has more than 1,700 hotels in its development pipeline, which will create 200,000 jobs worldwide over the next few years. IHG offers information and online reservations for all its hotel brands at www.ihg.com

About LRA Worldwide, Inc:
LRA Worldwide is a leading research and consulting company in the emerging discipline of Customer Experience Management (CEM). We work with our clients to help them design and deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences in order to drive customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and company growth and profitability. 

In LRA�s 25-year history, we have grown from a provider of customized quality assurance evaluation programs for the hospitality industry, to a leading CEM consulting company offering a variety of client solutions. The evolution has been driven by our clients asking us one question � "How do we get better?" In response, we have built a range of performance measurement, research, training and consulting solutions to help them do so. Today, we are a growing company operating in more than 120 countries throughout the world, helping clients such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the National Basketball Association, the PGA TOUR and Ritz-Carlton Clubs deliver exceptional customer experiences. Every touch. Every time. For more information, visit us at www.LRAworldwide.com.

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Contact:

Zachary Conen
Vice President of Marketing
+1.215.449.0304
  [email protected]
www.lraworldwide.com
 

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Also See: Destination Hotels & Resorts and LRA Worldwide Partner on a Guest Experience Diagnostic Program / September 2008
LRA Worldwide to Conduct Brand Assurance Program for aloft Hotels; Philadelphia Based Consulting Company Expands its Global Quality Assurance Program for Starwood Hotels & Resorts / July 2008
LRA Worldwide and K Hotels Partner on �K Quality� Evaluation Program / April 2008
Shell Vacations Club and LRA Worldwide Develop Partnership to Enhance the Vacation Ownership Prospect Experience / February 2008
Warwick International Hotels and LRA Worldwide Partner on Four Diamond Guest Experience Evaluation Program / January 2008
The Kessler Collection and LRA Worldwide Partner on Quality Assurance Initiative to measure the �WOW� in the Guest Experience / October 2007
LRA Worldwide Senior Consultant Gary Tan to Serve as Panelist at HSMAI's ASIA Connect 2007 Forum in Singapore; Hospitality Expert to discuss Guest Experience and Hotel Standards in Asia Pacific Region / September 2007
Hyatt Hotels Corporation Expands Partnership with LRA Worldwide; Philadelphia-Based Consulting Company to Design Quality Assurance Program for Hyatt Select Group / July 2007
Daniela Piacenza Joins LRA Worldwide as a Senior Research Consultant; Native Venezuelan Will Work with LRA's International Research Clients / May 2007
LRA Worldwide Announces Promotions for International Consultants Regional �Hubs� to Serve Growing Client Base outside the United States / May 2007
LRA Worldwide's John Roberto Speaks at the 2006 Quality Leaders Meeting in Toronto; Quality Assurance Expert Participates in Driving the Guest Loyalty Roadmap Panel / December 2006
Meyer Jabara Hotels and LRA Worldwide Create Themed �Destination Experience� for Guests; Accompanying Quality Assurance Audits Ensure Delivery of �Extraordinary Guest Experiences� / December 2006
LRA Worldwide CEO Rob Rush to Speak at the 2006 ESOMAR Leisure World Research Conference in Rome / October 2006
Le Méridien Partners with LRA Worldwide to Achieve a More Consistent Global Brand Experience / September 2006
Jeffrey Gurtman Joins LRA Worldwide as a Senior Consultant; Customer Experience Management Consulting Firm Hires Host of Popular Television Show Travel Spies for its Quality Assurance Practice / September 2006
LRA Worldwide to Exhibit at The American Marketing Association Marketing Research Conference in Chicago/ September 2006
LRA Worldwide Appoints John Roberto to Lead Quality Assurance Group; Hospitality Industry Veteran to Oversee Multiple Brand Teams and More Than 4,000 Annual Site Visits / June 2006
LRA Worldwide and W Hotels Featured Presenters at 18th Annual Internal Branding Conference / April 2006
LRA Worldwide Is retained by Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos to �Operationalize� the Rock �n� Roll Guest Experience / March 2006
Choice Hotels Canada Employs LRA Worldwide for Mystery Shopping Brand Assurance Program / February 2006
LRA Develops Innovative Quality Assurance/Mystery Shopping Program for Leading Canadian Hotel Company Audit to Measure Functional and Emotional Elements of �The Delta Hotels Guest Experience� / October 2005
The Beverly Hilton and LRA Worldwide Renew Quality Assurance Partnership / August 2005
Grupo Posadas Selects LRA Worldwide to Conduct Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty Research / February 2005
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Partners with LRA Worldwide to Manage and Improve Customer Experience / September 2004
Hyatt Hotels Corp. Selects LRA for Quality Assurance Services / Aug 2004
Dover Downs Gaming & Entertainment, Inc. and Dover Motorsports, Inc. Are Not Leaving Employee Engagement to Chance; Sister Companies Partner with LRA to Measure Employee Engagement / April 2004
Pestana Hotels & Resorts Selects LRA Worldwide to Manage Guest Satisfaction Survey Program / January 2004
Interstate Hotels & Resorts and LRA Worldwide Partner on New Brand and Quality Initiative / October 2003


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