InterContinental Hotels : IHG celebrates inaugural IHG Foundation Week across Europe

• the week of fundraising is just one part of the ways in which IHG's commitment to responsible business is brought to life throughout the organisation
• Over 650 hotels across Europe have the opportunity to take part in the activities - in 2015 IHG donated over $200k to chosen charities through various fundraising efforts
• Chairman Patrick Cescau, Global CEO Richard Solomons, Europe CEO Angela Brav & General Counsel George Turner have all taken part in activities

26TH SEPTEMBER 2016: InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world's leading hotel companies, is celebrating its firstIHG FoundationWeek, an event that aims to raise awareness and funds forIHG® Foundation.Activities will take place from 26th- 30thSeptember in over 650 hotels and IHG offices across the region.

The week long awareness and fundraising initiative will see over 10,000 colleagues globally pledge as many activities as they can do during the week, which is IHG's way of giving back to the communities in which our hotels operate. For each activity a colleague officially pledges to take part in, IHG will make a donation to IHG Foundation on their behalf.*

IHG Foundation was launched in February this year as a way of bringing to life IHG's responsible business credentials. The new charity operates independently from IHG's commercial operations, and reinforces IHG's focus on positive community impact and environmental stewardship. It focuses its activities on four key areas - helping communities to develop skills in hospitality, providing support for those impacted by disasters, facilitating local community investment and protecting the environment.

Says Angela Brav, CEO, Europe, "IHG has a long-standing commitment to behaving responsibly; it's part of our DNA. It underpins our business practices and is fundamental to the way we operate. Our hotels play a large part in the communities in which they have presence, and it is key that we act by giving back to them. The launch of the IHG Foundation builds on our long-standing commitment in this area. This week, I will be pledging activities with my fellow Executive Committee members and I can't wait to see what creative ways our colleagues around the world do pledge their support."

The first wave of funding made through the IHG Foundation will go to five charities working in the areas of disaster relief, employment development, and environmental sustainability - CARE International UK, Goodwill Industries International, Youth Career Initiative (YCI), British Red Cross and The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT).**

Possibly the most awe-inspiring activity will be Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Company Secretary George Turner leading a 150 mile bike ride from London-Amsterdam together with colleagues, stopping along the way at various hotels to take part in their activities. In addition, Richard Solomons, CEO, and the Executive Committee including Chairman Patrick Cescau have walked the length of Hyde Park together with participants from graduate programme IHG Future Leaders and IHG Academy, which trains candidates from the local community the skills to build a hotel career.

Hotel activities will range from cake sales to joining marathons and holding street concertsas colleagues across Europe heed their leadership teams by undertaking multiple pledges to be matched in donations by IHG. In fact, IHG will attempt to break its own record across 150 hotels as it aims to stuff the maximum number of pillowcases in one minute in multiple locations!

IHG Foundation is one of three pillars of IHG's responsible business ethos. IHG Green Engageis our group-wide online sustainability tool that helps us minimise the impact our hotels have on the local environment and allows hotels to track, measure and report on their carbon footprint and utility consumption. IHG Academyworkswith local communities to help develop a pool of skilled, motivated and engaged people who are committed to providing the consistently great experience that our guests expect.

NOTES TO EDITORS

*Up to the value of $350k

**In February 2016, we announced that the first wave of funding made through the IHG Foundation will go to five charities working in the areas of disaster relief, employment development, and environmental sustainability. They are as follows:

CARE International UK

The IHG Foundation will collaborate with CARE's emergency shelter team to enhance its ability to prepare and respond to disasters. The work will enable CARE to help vulnerable people in communities around the world increase their ability to adapt to disasters, manage risks, address causes of vulnerability and ultimately improve their lives.

Goodwill Industries International

Goodwill Industries International received a grant to develop, maintain and enhance the Hospitality and Tourism sections of its online career services and mentoring offering, 'GoodProspects'. The project will enable Goodwill Industries to help people reach their full potential, by encouraging them to learn more about the hospitality sector and the employment prospects available, whilst helping to eliminate barriers to opportunity.

Youth Career Initiative (YCI)

The IHG Foundation is collaborating with the YCI to transform the lives of survivors of human trafficking. It will provide them with support, training and mentoring in life skills, as well as opportunities to build the knowledge and skills to secure employment in the hospitality industry or other service sectors. The collaboration will help ensure vulnerable victims are able to overcome the trauma of their past and to build a brighter future.

British Red Cross

British Red Cross received funds to set up a flood recovery programme for people impacted by the flooding in Cumbria, UK, in December 2015. Through this programme, more than 2,000 local people will receive immediate and longer-term support they need to recover from this disaster.

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT)

WWT received support to enhance the visitor experience at its London Wetland Centre through the construction of a sustainable drainage system. The new system will comprise a number of wetland features, which will harvest rainwater runoff from the surrounding buildings. It will also enable WWT to showcase innovative ways of managing water resources to the centre's almost 190,000 annual visitors.

Iman Denney-Brown
iman.denneybrown@ihg.com
+44 (0) 1895 512 267