Room service on the road
Westin’s new running concierge a sign of increasing clout
The depth and breadth of the popularity of running manifests in spectacular ways. There’s the proliferation of races, which in turn sell out. There’s the booming business of shoes and apparel: In 2012, running specialty stores did more than uS$94-million in sales, according to the Leisure Trends Group, the number crunchers employed by the National Sporting Goods Association. People are running and racing and buying running clothing and, in turn, businesses outside of the athletic market are taking note.
This week, Westin, a Seattlebased hotel chain with more than 200 North American locations, exemplified running’s broad cultural appeal. They’re currently looking for a “running concierge.”
“The bulk of our business is business travellers who come during the week, and we’ve found that a lot of these people are committed to running,” says Bob Jacobs, a runner, and Westin’s vice-president of brand management. “Running is such a growing trend and it doesn’t seem like it will stop, so it makes sense for us to continue to cater to runners.”
Westin’s running concierge — multiple marathon completions required — will help lead runners on jogs and usher them in and out of events sponsored by the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon, North America’s most popular series of races. The winning hire, whose salary hasn’t been disclosed, will be announced July 19 in Chicago and make their first Canadian appearance at the Rock ‘n’ Roll event on Sept. 22 in Montreal.
The position almost seems like a natural extension for Westin, which already loans out New Balance sneakers and gear to their guests (it costs $5.25 and you keep the socks) and provides local running maps at all their locations. (Hyatt offers a similar service).
Marc devereux, director of hotels for the Competitor Group, owners of the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon, says that 56% of their 500,000 participants travel to their races from out of town. It makes sense for them to have a hotel partner.
“People feel comfortable with running. It’s inexpensive, you’re not tied in to anything and, in terms of the obesity challenges around the world, it’s a critical way to lose weight,” says devereux, adding that there were six Rock ’n’ Roll Marathons in 2008; there are 30 today. “We want to enhance our participant’s experience in each of our markets — the most important thing is to keep people active, and runners comfortable, on the road.”
So far, 559 people have applied to be Westin’s running concierge, a job that entails both “strong organizational multi-tasking abilities,” according to the online application, and “proof of completion of several marathons, with one being in the past 12 months.”
It’s something of a runner’s dream job, what with all the travel to the different races and opportunity to run in free New Balance gear, although getting guests to and from Rock ’n’ Roll races and securing their late check-out on race day could be a drag. Still, given running’s popularity, the position might just signify the tip of an iceberg.
“Between 2008 and 2012, we saw a 39% increase in the running specialty channel, and that kind of growth will grab the attention of other markets,” says Scott Jaeger, senior retail analyst at Leisure Trend Group. “A lot of people want to go for a run, and more and more businesses are realizing that.”