Blog. The Expedia Group's Monopoly Board Fundraiser

Why did you decide to fundraise for Hospitality Action?

A few people on our team were familiar with Hospitality Action from previous engagements and fundraisers. When we internally collaborated on facilitating such an event between our Market Management team and our London hotel partners, we knew Hospitality Action would resonate with our community, and we knew Expedia Group would commit to doubling down on all donations! The good work Hospitality Action does directly affects our industry and we were thrilled to raise funds and awareness while walking around the city. We were fuelled by the mission of discussing the wellbeing of our organisation’s hearts – the hospitality staff.

Tell us about the Monopoly Board Walk.

Our team wanted to go out into the city and do something physical and philanthropic to showcase our commitment to our partners, the industry, and our understanding of the hospitality ecosystem. We walked 30kms, stopping at 25+ hotels and each Monopoly square, totalling to over 35,000 steps per person. There was around 25 of us participating. We knew a handful of our partners would be familiar with Hospitality Action – one of our partners shared with us that he had been financially assisted by HA when furloughed during COVID-19, which was a full circle moment for all of us. It reinforced our reasoning for partnering with HA.

Would you encourage others to fundraise for Hospitality Action?

Absolutely! When we formatted our idea of the Monopoly Walk, it was very easy to sync with the Hospitality Action team. They were so susceptible to a collaboration, allotted us creative freedoms, checked in with us prior to, during, and after the event, and even came by our office for a presentation and roundtable discussion on the history and initiatives behind HA. The anecdotes that they can share are really moving, and there’s an emphasis on taking care of hospitality workers both past and present, which is both touching and important. I really can’t recommend working with Hospitality Action enough, and we’re so thankful for their assistance, guidance, and support in making this Monopoly walk possible.

What do you have planned for the future? 

We’re excited to be attending Hospitality Actions upcoming Chefs Dinner at the Nobu London Portman Square in early November. We have invited a handful of our partners to attend, a couple of which who weren’t on the Monopoly route and therefore we weren’t able to visit during the walk. After that event, if I could look into a magic eight ball and foresee 2024, I would envision we have a future of longevity with Hospitality Action, sharing space and community events so we can continue to advocate for the incredible work and service they facilitate.