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| Rauni Kew, Inn by the Sea |
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by Brian Welch
askMANDO.com
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Rauni Kew knows what it’s like to be first. As the person in charge of public relations and green programs at Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, she has seen the property become the first and only hotel in the state to heat with Biofuel, the first hotel in Maine to be Carbon Neutral, and the first in Maine to offer Carbon free meetings and Carbon free vacations.
Inn by the Sea is also the first hotel in the New England area to have dual flush toilets, solar heating, a salt/chlorine system for the pool, and recycled rubber floors in the cardio room.
Kew started working in the hospitality industry in 2000, and she hasn’t slowed down since. In addition to her work at Inn by the Sea, she also handles public relations for The Maine Innkeepers Association. Add to that numerous green-related speaking engagements for a cross section of businesses, and you have a very busy schedule that seems to be making a difference.
“I really enjoy welcoming guests to the Maine experience,” says Kew. “And I like to find creative ways to communicate to others how special and wonderful both Inn by the Sea and the state of Maine are as destinations. From beaches to lakes to mountains to Portland’s vibrant city life, Maine has it all, and happily it’s very green.”
Rauni tells us that there are now more than 100 restaurants and hotels that are certified by the state of Maine as Green Lodgings or restaurants, all having made great gains in reducing water, waste, energy and chemicals.
“That’s amazing! Everyone’s combined efforts go a long way toward guaranteeing the Maine experience for generations to come,” Kew said.
Kew’s passion for environmental sustainability takes her well beyond Inn by the Sea’s property line.
“I am on the board of the Greater Portland CVB and the Inn by the Sea has benefited from many of their programs. Last year they developed a highly successful food and wine festival and our talented new chef, Mitchell Kaldrovich, was immediately introduced to a national audience by being involved with Harvest on the Harbor,” said Kew.
“I also sit on the Maine Tourism Commission and have learned a lot from the other regions’ representatives about what Maine has to offer as a destination, which is good for all of us when selling the state. The MTC does an extensive amount of research on Maine travel that is beneficial to the state’s hospitality industry when developing marketing strategies for their properties,” Kew continued.
Rauni says her work and relationship with the Maine Innkeepers Association is enormously beneficial in terms of networking and staying on top of industry issues. She said Maine Innkeepers are good at bringing hospitality people together and staying informed on legislative issues and offer educational opportunities.
“The same is true for the New England Inns and Resorts Association. They are great marketers for the entire New England region and offer an array of educational seminars to their members,” said Kew.
Rauni says it is important to get to know your regional and local associations and support them. “Industry associations are a great resource, and networking helps keep you in touch with trends and best practices. Plus, most people who work in hospitality are gregarious so it makes work a lot of fun. Supporting tourism associations now in an economic downturn is especially important because they help to market your area when marketing dollars may be thin at individual properties,” Kew said.
Challenges always come with any job, and Rauni says she is working to figure out whether guests will really want to communicate through the array of emerging social media channels available to them at the moment, or whether one or two sources will rise to the top.
“Keeping up with Facebook pages, Twittering, web sites, and now PDF formatted web pages, is time consuming,” said Kew. “Finally learning what works best for guests (if that day comes) will be a relief!”
“I enjoy the challenge of trying to stay ahead of trends, and working with the team to ensure a great guest experience. I think any time you can surprise a guest with something unexpected that they enjoy, no matter how small, you have done well.”
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