CEO Steve Bollenbach noted at the start of the session that diversity is ingrained in the firm's corporate culture, harkening back to founder Conrad Hilton. Today, he noted, the practice imbues every facet of the operation. That includes such areas as IT, hotel ownership and outsourcing.

In the contracting of legal services alone, stated EVP Madeleine Kleiner, in 2004, Hilton's use of legal services provided by women increased 13% while minority-entered contracts jumped 32%.

Internally, stated president and COO Matthew J. Hart, the culture of diversity touches on such long-standing programs as mentoring to groom staffers for higher-ranking jobs and linking the diversity performance of various executives to their annual incentive program.

In individual testimonies, members of the audience, made up largely of women and minority contractors to Hilton as well as hotel owners, noted Hilton's success in the field of diversity. Nevertheless, one attendee, Janet Crenshaw Smith of the Washington, DC-based Ivy Planning Group, challenged the executives present to do more in terms of diversity at the senior-management level. In response, Bollenbach stated that the firm would remain committed to its initiative and continue to seek ways to promote careers among women and minorities.