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WATG Wins Radical Innovation in Hospitality Award!

05.21.10
Krystal Solorzano, Designer, WimberlyLabs

Business, WOW, Architecture, Ideas, Interiors, Sustainability, Challenges, Discoveries, Opportunities, Travel, Collaboration, Events, WATG Workplace Culture

12:29 PM - That's what time we finished the presentation for the Radical Innovation Competition due to some technical errors.

12:30 PM - When we walked on stage to give the presentation!

It's amazing what you can do when you are under pressure. Our team had little time to rehearse together, but we knew the project. After a little coaching, we knew we just had to get up there and show the audience how passionate we were about this concept and how it could impact the hospitality industry.

Our 10 minutes flew by, and I was back in my seat watching the other two finalists present their ideas. Both presentations were really great and the speakers were quite charismatic. When it came time for the final vote, I don't think anyone knew how it would turn out.

"This year's runner-up...Aircruise" (clapping, clapping)

"And this year's winner of the Radical Innovation in Hospitality Award...Mosaic by WATG" (loud girlish screams from the back and lots of clapping)

It took a minute for it to set in, and when it finally did they were placing a very large $10,000 check in our hands (no complaints there). All of our colleagues who were there were just as proud as we were to finally be bringing home the win after four years of being a finalist. The judges told us later that every year WATG has had amazing submissions and this year we finally hit it out of the park.

The team was Jerod Costner, Karen Mitri and me. Larry Rocha, Raj Chandnani, Robert Payan, and Mike Seyle (who built a model out of straws) acted as our advisors through the process. We also have to thank the WATG Irvine team for sharing their creative minds with us in our brainstorming sessions. This really was an office-wide effort and we couldn't have won it without them.

Jerod Costner, Karen Mitri and Krystal Solorzano being interviewed in WATG's Sustainable Suite after their big Radical Innovation win.
Photo by Robin Clewley