ABERDEEN, S.D. (June 24, 2019) In recognition of the growing concern posed by the threat of human trafficking in the hospitality industry and around the world, My Place Hotels is taking a unified stance to prevent human trafficking by partnering with Businesses Ending Slavery & Trafficking (BEST). This new partnership will allow BEST’s Inhospitable to Human Trafficking training to be available for all My Place Hotel establishments to train their staffs. Beginning on June 30, the human trafficking awareness training will begin helping front line hotel staff learn how to spot the warning signs of human trafficking if they come into contact with potential victims.
“It’s important for hotel to invest the time it takes to train their staff in human trafficking awareness so employees know how to recognize the warning signs of human trafficking and they can bring potential trafficking incidents to the attention of their managers,” explains Mar Brettmann, Executive Director for BEST. “Our training clearly explains what to watch for in hotels, and it has been proven to increase the reporting of human trafficking.”
Through the new partnership with BEST, hotel employees and staff across all current and future hotel locations will have the ability to be certified through BEST’s program, which is the most comprehensive human trafficking awareness training available in the country for hospitality employees.
Beyond training, hotel employees will also be given access to a wealth of resources provided by BEST to further supplement their knowledge of human trafficking and prepare them to serve as socially responsible bystanders to the guests they serve and beyond the walls of a hotel in their own lives.
My Place Hotel’s partnership with BEST serves as an invaluable resource for the brand to take a stand against human trafficking while working to end the practice by spreading awareness and education from coast to coast according to My Place Hotels EVP/General Counsel Matt Campbell.
“Awareness and training are vital to recognizing human trafficking, a practice we are committed to ending,” said Campbell. “Our new partnership with BEST will help us accomplish that by offering all employees and staff comprehensive training to recognize the signs as well as addressing them.”
My Place Hotels Director of Franchise Operations Shirley Sharpe believes the value of BEST’s resources will travel far beyond the partnership itself with the integration of human trafficking training into the traditional My Place University training curriculum.
“Our new partnership with BEST will give us a platform to shine a light on this modern-day form of slavery and allow us to provide awareness and training to all of our employees in a way that is meaningful to our guests, our employees, our training program, and our brand,” said Sharpe.
My Place is No Place for Human Trafficking Awareness Week
In observance of National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month and National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, My Place looks to take their commitment to the fight against human trafficking a step further by integrating additional educational elements on the topic into a brand-wide awareness week which is slated to be held January 6-10, 2020. The week will also highlight a variety of other brand-related training topics to further supplement the importance of staying informed and engaged in promoting a safe environment for guests and staff alike.
About Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST)
Businesses Ending Slavery and Trading (BEST) is a Seattle-based company and the first nonprofit organization in the country dedicated entirely to working with businesses to disrupt human trafficking. BEST has provided consultation and training to hundreds of hotels focused on reducing human trafficking and mitigating the reputational, legal, and financial risks associated with it. BEST has trained thousands of hotel employees and equipped them to protect their hotel and employer from human trafficking. To learn more about BEST, please visit their website at www.bestalliance.com.
About My Place Hotels
All My Place Hotels locations offer modern amenities at an affordable price
including nightly, weekly and monthly rate options. Each guest room features a
My Kitchen, complete with a cooktop, a microwave and a full refrigerator. My
Place Hotels offer pet friendly accommodations, include on-site laundry
facilities, complimentary high-speed internet service and a 24-hour My Store,
located in the hotel lobby and stocked with an array of supplies for the
guests’ convenience.
My Place Hotels of America is a franchise company that focuses on providing a clean and comfortable facility, with modern amenities, and great customer service, all at an affordable price. The company is based out of Aberdeen, S.D., and offers franchisees a new construction brand, designed to ensure quality, consistency and the highest of standards for delivering marketplace value. The brand currently has 48 hotels open across 22 states with over 120 hotels in the pipeline. For more information on franchising with My Place Hotels, please visit myplacehotels.com/franchising or contact Terry Kline at (605) 725-5685.
To book your stay at My Place, please call the toll-free reservation line at: (855) 200-5685, or visit myplacehotels.com. All guests are invited to Stay Rewarded®, by enrolling at myplacestayrewarded.com.
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For Media Inquiries, Please Contact:
Ngoc Thach / My Place Hotels of America
605.725.5993
pr@myplacehotels.com
Katie Amodei / Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking
425.787.5128
katie@bestalliance.org
