IHG and Cape Breton University Establish First IHG Academy in Canada

Participating IHG hotels in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will engage to create recruitment opportunities and foster economic growth locally

CAPE BRETON ISLAND, Nova Scotia, Sept. 27, 2012 /CNW/ - IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world's leading hotel companies, today announces the establishment of the first IHG Academy in Canada at Cape Breton University in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The program has been created and supported by Pacrim Hospitality Services Inc., Fortis Properties, the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia (TIANS), and the Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick (TIANB). The IHG Academy is a global network of educational and community organizations allied with local IHG-branded hotels or corporate offices to provide hospitality knowledge and training to the community and to drive economic growth. Through training and mentoring, the IHG Academy has assisted nearly 10,000 people worldwide in becoming skilled hospitality workers and achieving their professional goals in the hospitality field.

The new IHG Academy at Cape Breton University is now seeking 30 participants for a three to six-month program that encompasses on-site work experience at hotels in the IHG family of brands owned by Pacrim Hospitality Services Inc. and Fortis Properties. Participants will rotate through several hotel functions, including Front Desk, Housekeeping, Food & Beverage, and more as part of their real-world training. This IHG Academy program complements the three-year Bachelor of Hospitality Tourism Management degree program currently offered at Cape Breton University and helps to develop students' management potential.

IHG hotels participating in this new IHG Academy include Crowne Plaza Fredericton-Lord Beaverbrook, Crowne Plaza Moncton Downtown, Holiday Inn Truro, Holiday Inn Sydney-Waterfront, Holiday Inn Express Stellarton-New Glasgow, and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Moncton. These hotels, all of which are franchised properties, currently employ 271 people in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. IHG has recently announced that over the next three years, 32,000 new jobs will be created in IHG-branded hotels in the Americas region to sustain the company's strong growth plans, including jobs across the Canada estate in both managed and franchised hotels and IHG's corporate offices.

"I am thrilled to see the first IHG Academy established in Canada thanks to our collaboration with Cape Breton University," said Glenn Squires, global chairman of the IHG Owners Association and CEO of Pacrim Hospitality Services Inc., based in Halifax. "IHG has been very supportive from our first discussions regarding an Academy in Nova Scotia, and I believe Nova Scotia has the potential to become a world leader in tourism and hospitality education and training. This IHG Academy is another step in helping us achieve that aspiration."

The IHG Academy continues to open the door to economic opportunity through more than 80 programs globally that provide real-world hospitality experience. These various Academies have provided participants – many from underprivileged communities – with recruitment links in the industry as well as valuable training and development opportunities.

"Skills development opportunities significantly add to the learning experiences of our students and help nurture well-rounded professionals," said Cape Breton University President John Harker. "By partnering with industry leaders, like IHG, we are able to provide CBU students with exceptional work experiences, which enhance the learning environment and further prepare students to be successful in a fast-paced industry. Being the first post-secondary institution in Canada to collaborate with the IHG Academy speaks volumes to our hospitality program and our record of educating leaders in this global sector."

Cape Breton University promises, and delivers, an exceptional educational experience for all students. The university has students and graduates recognized nationally and internationally for innovative accomplishments. The Tourism Management program has been built on a 30-year reputation for educating highly-qualified personnel for the hospitality and tourism industry.

The IHG Academy reinforces IHG's commitment to supporting career development by using a business model that enables collaboration with small to medium-sized enterprises, often local to the hotel location. The launch of the IHG Academy in Nova Scotia represents an important growth milestone for the program, as IHG seeks to expand it across the Americas.

For more information and to read IHG's current Corporate Responsibility Report, please go to www.ihg.com/responsibility.

Notes to Editors:

IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) [LON:IHG, NYSE:IHG (ADRs)] is a global organization with nine hotel brands including InterContinental® Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo®, Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn® Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express®, Staybridge Suites®, Candlewood Suites®, as well as our two newest brands, EVEN™ Hotels and HUALUXE™ Hotels & Resorts. IHG also manages Priority Club® Rewards, the world's first and largest hotel loyalty program with over 67 million members worldwide.

IHG franchises, leases, manages or owns over 4,500 hotels and more than 666,000 guest rooms in nearly 100 countries and territories. With more than 1,000 hotels in its development pipeline, IHG expects to recruit around 90,000 people into additional roles across its estate over the next few years.

InterContinental Hotels Group PLC is the Group's holding company and is incorporated in Great Britain and registered in England and Wales.

Visit www.ihg.com for hotel information and reservations and www.priorityclub.comfor more on Priority Club Rewards. For our latest news, visit www.ihg.com/media, www.twitter.com/ihgplc, www.facebook.com/ihg or www.youtube.com/ihgplc.

SOURCE: IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group)

For further information:

Sherry Telford, IHG, [phone], [e-mail]; Becky Chisholm, Communications & PR Officer, Cape Breton University, [phone] or [phone], [e-mail]; Julia Perreira, Weber Shandwick Canada, [phone], [e-mail]

http://www.ihg.com