Fairfield Inn & Suites Awards ecycler $20,000 Grand Prize in Small Business Contest

BETHESDA, Md., Feb. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott is giving a major boost to one small, innovative, start-up company that is trying to make the world a greener place one home and one business at a time. After three months of competing in the Fairfield Inn & Suites Small Business Road-to-Success Challenge, ecycler, Inc., co-founded by Timothy Laurent and Craig Robertson, has won the $20,000 grand prize.

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Ecycler is creating a new way to recycle by connecting people discarding recyclables, such as cans, bottles and newspapers with those wishing to collect and sell them. The green social venture based out of Lake Forest, Illinois provides an alternative to the many U.S. households or businesses that are not offered curb-side recycling, or who have to pay for curb-side recycling. During the three month challenge, ecycler exceeded the business goals the company set by registering more than 100 new collectors and more than 600 new discarders.

Laurent and Robertson found success by pairing the use of social media to open doors for in-person meetings with smart business travel at Fairfield Inn & Suites. As part of the competition, each of the ten small business finalists received 15 free hotel nights at Fairfield Inn & Suites. While many small business owners do not recognize the business value of social media or how to use it effectively to win new customers, Laurent and Robertson have found the tool helpful in growing the business.

"The Fairfield Small Business Challenge gave us the opportunity to stay for free and close business deals that would not have been possible without them," said Laurent. "The contest also taught us how to more effectively use social media to grow our business. We achieved the best results when we used social media to open doors for in-person meetings."

During the Fairfield Inn & Suites Small Business Road-to-Success Challenge, which kicked off in September 2010, ten small business finalists hit the road for three months, traveling across the country and staying at Fairfield Inn & Suites hotels for free, while chronicling their progress on social media. At the outset, each finalist had setup specific business goals. At the end of the Challenge, a panel of small business experts selected the one finalist most successful in achieving his business goals.

"Congratulations to ecycler, as well as the nine other finalists who participated in the spirited competition," said Shruti Gandhi Buckley, vice president, Global Brand Management, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott. "It has been said small business is the engine that drives the U.S. economy, helping to create jobs. With the Challenge, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott aimed to give small businesses an opportunity to grow, prosper and achieve greater success."

During the Small Business Road-to-Success Challenge, the finalists shared the highs and lows of their journeys by blogging, tweeting and posting photos from the road. Over the three month competition, the finalists stayed at Fairfield Inn & Suites properties in 26 states. Recognizing the importance of social media in growing a small business, the finalists also competed in three social media mini-challenges that sparked ideas on how to increase their Twitter followers and Facebook friends, as well as engage with bloggers. As a result of the social media mini-challenges, the finalists increased their Twitter followers by more than 15,000 and fans on Facebook by 9,000 in less than three weeks.

In addition to winning the $20,000 grand prize, ecycler also won the blogger mini-challenge by securing five blog posts with relevant industry bloggers. Meanwhile, CityRyde, led by its CEO and co-founder Timothy Ericson, won the Facebook mini-challenge by adding more than 4,000 fans to his company's Facebook page, and Insider Perks, founded by Brian Searl, won the Twitter mini-challenge by adding more than 6,000 followers on Twitter.

Read more about the finalists' journey in the Small Business Road-to-Success Challenge at http://www.fairfieldchallenge.com/ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySnHR9jl4VA.

About Fairfield Inn & Suites

Fairfield Inn & Suites, a brand designed for today's business traveler who wants to stay productive on the road, also offers services and amenities attractive to the small business traveler. In addition to complimentary hot breakfast and thoughtfully designed guest rooms, Fairfield Inn & Suites hotels offer free high-speed internet access in all guest rooms and free Wi-Fi in public spaces, comfortable beds, on-site business centers and fitness centers at more than 660 properties throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Fairfield Inn & Suites participates in the company's award-winning Marriott Rewards® frequent guest program.  Members earn their choice of points toward free vacations or frequent flyer mileage for dollars spent at nearly 3,000 Marriott hotels worldwide. For more information or reservations, visit the web site at www.fairfieldinn.com or call the Fairfield Inn toll-free number at 800-228-2800.

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SOURCE Marriott International, Inc.